Kundalini yoga in Zürich, a practice worth getting up early for
Zürich has many yoga offerings, and each has its place. Kundalini Yoga in Zürich is something distinct within that variety, a practice with different roots, different tools, and a different way of working.
At Gobinde Studio, my studio in the heart of Zürich, we have been practising together for over 15 years. What happens here, the kriyas, the mantra, the singing, the deep relaxations with gong, works on a different level than most of what is called yoga. And the community that has formed around it is one that people find their way back to, again and again.
Here you'll find out what Kundalini Yoga means and what to expect at Gobinde Studio.
Table of contents
What is Kundalini Yoga?
Kundalini Yoga in Zürich - how it started
What happens in a class
Who this practice is for
How to get started
Frequently asked questions
What is Kundalini Yoga?
Kundalini Yoga is a complete practice that combines physical movement, breathwork, mantra and meditation in sequences called kriyas. Each kriya works on a specific aspect of the body, nervous system, glandular system or mind.
The exercises are not purely asanas (postures), many of the movements are energetic in nature, reminiscent of Tai Chi. The kriyas specifically activate the spine, the nervous, glandular and lymphatic systems. Combined with breathwork and mantra, the practice reaches into deeper layers, releasing old patterns and moving emotions.
It is fiery, direct and sometimes intense. The practice comes from northern India, and the Sikhí mantras that are chanted are an integral part of it, not an add-on.
Kundalini Yoga in Zürich - how it started
When I returned to Zürich over 15 years ago, there was almost no Kundalini Yoga in the city.
The practice found me in 2006 as a new mother in Barcelona. I went to a class because the studio was right next to my apartment. Within two weeks it was clear: I need to learn this. I completed the teacher training, came back to Zürich and looked for a community to keep the practice alive. There wasn't one. So I started teaching in my living room, and life took care of the rest.
First a small rented space, then a partnership with Sibylle, and in the same year my second child was born, Gobinde Studio opened its doors and the first teacher training began.
What has grown since then is not a yoga business. It is a community that has formed around a practice people return to again and again, because it genuinely changes something.
What happens in a class
A Kundalini Yoga class at Gobinde Studio runs for 90 minutes. Here is what to expect:
Tuning in - the class opens with mantra, settling the group and marking the transition from ordinary life into practice
Warm-up - a series of movements that prepare the spine and the body
Kriya - approximately one hour of Kundalini Yoga practice. Each class works on a specific theme - the nervous system, the heart, the navel center, the breath. The kriyas can be intense. They can also be still and meditative. Often both in the same class.
Relaxation - 15 minutes of deep rest, often accompanied by gong
Meditation - 15 minutes of guided meditation
Closing - the long time sunshine song and three Sat Nam
There is no right way to show up. No experience required. No performance expected. The only rule is to come as you are.
Who this practice is for
People come to us for all kinds of reasons. Some in crisis, some out of curiosity, some without really knowing why. The practice is genuinely for everyone.
My own story: I was a new mother, running on autopilot, everything fine on the outside. I wouldn't have said anything was missing. I went to a class because the studio was next to my apartment and I wanted to do something for myself. But after that very first class, something was released, a strength and a clarity I hadn't known before.
I can't promise that to anyone. But I can say that it happens.
How to get started
The easiest way to start is a trial class, or better yet a few. The practice is varied and every class is a little different.
Classes run every Monday and Wednesday evening - two slots each evening at 6:00pm and 8:00pm - both in person at Gobinde Studio and online.
No previous experience needed. Just come.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Gobinde Studio is located at Kernstrasse 25, 8004 Zürich, in Kreis 4. Classes run Monday and Wednesday evenings. Online participation is also available for all weekly classes.
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Yes. No experience is required to attend a class at Gobinde Studio. The practice meets you where you are.
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Many yoga styles place their focus on physical practice. Kundalini Yoga opens all the drawers of yoga: movement, breathwork, mantra and meditation flow together in structured sequences, working on the nervous system, glandular system and the subconscious. The physical practice is part of something larger.
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A trial class at Gobinde Studio is 20 CHF. Drop-in is 40 CHF. Class passes start from 78 CHF for a 3-class intro pass. A 10-class pass - the most popular option - is 340 CHF.
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Classes at Gobinde Studio are held in German and English. The mantras and chanting are in Gurmukhi - a phonetic language that anyone can follow regardless of their spoken language. If you have questions before attending, reach out through the website.
What I have built at Gobinde Studio over 15 years is not a studio in the conventional sense. It is a space where the practice stays authentic, community is at the centre, and everyone can arrive just as they are.
Kundalini Yoga in Zürich has found its home here. And every week, in these evening classes, something happens in the room that is hard to describe and easy to feel.
Does any of this sound like what you've been looking for?
At Gobinde Studio we practise together every Monday and Wednesday evening, and we welcome everyone who wants to come and feel what this practice really does.
This article was written by Judith Ender, founder of Gobinde Studio in Zürich and a Kundalini Yoga teacher with over 15 years of practice and teaching. She works with people who are ready to step out of the loops of the mind and discover what a committed practice can open up.