Today we’d like to introduce you to Sukhmani.
Sukhmani, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have been a musician my whole life and a yogi for over 20 years. About 12 years ago I found kundalini yoga and fell completely in love! I was immediately guided to study, teach and share the benefits with others. Soon after, my husband Sukhman fell in love with Kundalini Yoga, too. He is also a musician and we had been writing music and performing since we met (about 20 years ago). We began weaving our music and sacred kundalini and other mantras into my classes. We created our first demo in 2012 and the mantra band, SUKHA came to life! We now incorporate live music and sound healing into all of my kundalini yoga classes and sometimes support other teachers with music for bhakti yoga and other styles of yoga as well. We have since made two full-length albums and we are traveling a lot teaching, playing and sharing!
Has it been a smooth road?
Being a mantra artist, musician and yoga teacher is not easy…it challenges the ego and you need a tough skin. But by trusting my soul, staying dedicated and true and listening to my intuition I have learned so much and continue to grow and go with the flow! The bottom line is…everyday I get the opportunity to serve others and to make people feel better about themselves. There is something that shifts when people breathe deeply, chant, and move their bodies with intention. I am humbled and grateful to be able to live my dream and share the benefits of yoga, meditation, mantra and sound with others. It’s a special gift to get to do it with my best friend! I believe I am living my life’s purpose and I am so grateful for that and that is what keeps me going.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Hummingbird Yoga and SUKHA story. Tell us more about the business.
My yoga business is called Hummingbird Yoga. Under that heading I teach public and private kundalini yoga and meditation classes, workshops, teacher trainings, corporate yoga, yoga retreats and I hold Sound Bliss sound healing experiences all over So Cal. SUKHA music live is weaved into all of my classes and workshops. We also play festivals, lead kirtan and tour internationally. I am proud of our work ethic and dedication. I lead classes with live music at least 9 times per week, not including tours and special events. I think people like our classes because they are unique and I do something a little unusual as I sing during and with the class as well as teach it!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see mantra meditation becoming more mainstream. It is such a powerful yet easy way to unlock the body from tension and the mind from chatter so you can relax and be happy. Mantras, kirtan and chants have been used for thousands of years for a reason, because they work! These can be ancient sacred sounds or even English lyrics repeated to balance the brain, soothe the nervous system and connect us with peace, trust and joy, there are many ways to experience the benefits of sound and mantra. One can sing and chant with a group, have a home practice, or even just playing mantras in the car or in your home can bring a major benefit.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hummingbirdyoga.org ; www.sukhatheband.com
- Phone: 3107966718
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hummingsukhmani/ ; https://www.instagram.com/sukhatheband/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hummingbirdyoga.org/ ; https://www.facebook.com/Sukha/
Image Credit:
Robin Lambert
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