Yoga teachings include terms more apt to be heard in a science class — “technology,” “quantum physics,” “white hole.”

But this is kundalini yoga, the lessons of kundalini are important enough.

Kundalini combines the mindful breathing and poses that are central to yoga in general, but kundalini is much more stylized. An Indian teacher, Yogi Bhajan, introduced the practice to Canada and the U.S. in the 1960s. His yoga required more energetic breathing techniques, chanting mantras and poses that are more angular and specific, such as holding arms or legs at an exact 45-degree angle for a particular amount of time. The sequences of breath, movement and sound are called “kriyas” and practitioners say they can be used to help with a variety of ailments from depression to improving liver health.

Why should someone consider studying kundalini yoga?

It’s a technology of the mind-body system. People are starting to see that many things in our world are mathematical. Think of the brain as a personal computer that connects to a master computer on a network of energy called consciousness.

So, yoga is a way of using the body, the sound that you can make with the physical body and regulating the breath, consciously, to make a connection with this master computer.

We are constantly bombarded by thoughts and feelings, which is magnified in this information age. Everything is sped up, and so we need to stop the mind-stuff in order to get to the spirit.

Kundalini yoga, with the use of breath and sound in the form of mantras and angular postures, is a fast-acting yoga that can help alleviate the problems of the technological age.

 Why is it so important for arms or legs to be posed at precise angles or certain degrees?

We generate energy with the breath and sound and we use the angles to sort of direct it to different places. For example, we can concentrate the energy to the glandular system to stimulate the glands, which will then balance the blood chemistry and hormones and so on.

So, if someone isn’t in the correct posture or doesn’t hold a pose just so, the yoga isn’t going to be as effective?

The better the angles the more effective it will be, but just because the angles are not perfect doesn’t mean that you will not get an effect. Modification is really emphasized. You don’t have to be flexible to do this or any type of yoga.