Who We Are – What We Do
Yogi Bhajan came the west in 1968 from India, bringing with him the ancient science of Kundalini Yoga. From his very first days in Los Angeles, Yogi Bhajan began the life of a traveling teacher. Kundalini Yoga had been a sacred and secret technology up to this point, passed only from teacher to student in a traditional student-teacher succession. Yogi Bhajan parted with this convention and began teaching openly to the western students, forgoing the traditions and secrecy that shrouded this profound treasure of knowledge.
Yogi Bhajan taught over 5,000 yoga classes and lectures during his lifetime and left behind a vast body of knowledge that came to be known as the teachings of Yogi Bhajan. He founded the Kundalini Research Institute (KRI) on February 1,1972 to gather and conserve his lectures, classes, books, and recordings. Today, KRI is a non-profit organization entrusted to deliver the teachings of Yogi Bhajan to future generations of yoga students through four pillars of purpose: training students and teachers, conducting research on the benefits of Kundalini Yoga, publishing authentic material about Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, and providing resources to teachers and students.
KRI’s mission is to uphold and preserve the authenticity, integrity, and accuracy of the teachings of Yogi Bhajan through trainings, research, publishing, and resources.
KRI’s Four Pillars of Purpose: Training, Research, Publishing, and Resources
Training | Research | Publishing | Resources
Training
The Aquarian Teacher™ – A Three-Level Teacher Training Program
When Yogi Bhajan first started teaching, he stated his mission clearly and without ambiguity, “I came to the west to create teachers, not to collect students.” He shared the technology of Kundalini Yoga and sent his students off to become teachers in their own right. He tasked KRI with the responsibility of methodizing and creating a global standard of his teachings into three levels of certification to ensure that teachers represent Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan® in its purest form.
KRI is the official international teacher training organization for Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. KRI has licensed teacher training programs in 56 countries and 26 languages, graduating over 3000 new Kundalini Yoga teachers annually in a program called The Aquarian Teacher™. KRI teacher training programs are structured in three sequential levels, mentoring the student into an inspiring teacher:
- Level One Instructor – Foundations
- Level Two Practitioner – Transformation
- Level Three Teacher – Realization
“If you want to know a thing, read that. If you want to learn a thing, write that. If you want to master a thing, teach that. Go on teaching and go on learning. The destination will open before you automatically.” June 15th, 1970
Research
Research in Kundalini Yoga – A Core Mission of KRI
We know from experience that Kundalini Yoga gives us direct access to the capacity of natural healing that is part of our own body and mind. Therefore, there is a positive rationale for the therapeutic role of yoga and meditation practices as an adjuvant therapy. Today’s healthcare environment requires formal research and proven results before alternative therapies, such as Kundalini Yoga, can be incorporated into medical treatment as a healing modality. KRI provides centralized access to research about yoga and Kundalini Yoga for teachers to use, especially when bringing Kundalini Yoga into therapeutic and institutional settings.
KRI supports and tracks the efforts of those conducting research, providing current information as it develops. New articles are provided monthly on the benefits of yoga in a variety of health applications.
In addition to scientific research, KRI provides topic-based research in the Yogi Bhajan Library of Teachings to facilitate easy access to the teachings of Yogi Bhajan in a variety of areas. For students and teachers needing information about a specific or general area, topic-based research provides a focused starting place to begin delving into the Library of Teachings.
Publishing
Publishing Books on Kundalini Yoga as Taught by Yogi Bhajan
KRI is the primary publisher of books and manuals authored by Yogi Bhajan. KRI takes great care to faithfully preserve the words and teachings of Yogi Bhajan so that quotes and kriyas published under his provenance are authentically his.
“I have done one thing I am very proud of … I did not change the teachings. I taught as I learned and I shared without any favor or discrimination.”
In addition to books authored by Yogi Bhajan, KRI promotes books on the teachings of Yogi Bhajan by other authors. KRI works to ensure that Yogi Bhajan’s words and kriyas are conveyed with accuracy and portrayed with integrity. After a thorough check and review, books that meet the standards of KRI are awarded the KRI Seal of Approval. The KRI Seal of Approval is a sign to readers that the teachings of Yogi Bhajan have been delivered with purity.
At the KRI bookstore, The Source, you will find a large collection of books and manuals written by or about Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. The Source carries more than 175 titles in print books, ebooks, and DVDs, available in English and Spanish.
Resources
Resources for Students, Teachers, and Teacher Trainers of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan
KRI provides a depth of resources to help students and teacher connect to the teachings of Yogi Bhajan and to support them as they study, practice, and evolve. These resources include the Aquarian Trainer Academy, the Yogi Bhajan Library of Teachings®, and the Yogi Bhajan Photo Archive™.