Elevating Life's Canvas: Kundalini Yoga and Art with Pippa Browne

Episode 15.  In this insightful episode, we journey through the dynamic and creative life of Pippa Browne, a Kundalini yoga teacher and artist. Pippa's story begins with an intriguing twist: she didn't initially warm up to Kundalini yoga, but the chanting portion's transformative impact ignited her curiosity. Discover how this initial intrigue led to a deep exploration of Kundalini yoga and a calling to share its benefits as a teacher.

Explore Pippa's personal journey of self-discovery and the powerful influence of Kundalini yoga in navigating the various challenges that life has presented. As Pippa honed her teaching skills, she discovered a profound connection between her artistry and yoga practice, blending the two into a harmonious tapestry that reflects her unique journey.

Join us as Pippa Browne shares her story of transformation, resilience, and the intricate dance between Kundalini yoga and life. Her experiences provide a compelling example of how yoga and creativity can carry us through life's challenges, unlocking new dimensions of self-expression and well-being.

Links:
Pippa's Website for her artwork and to contact her:  Entire Collection | Art by Pippa Browne

Beginner's Guide to  Kudalini Yoga from Yoga Journal

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Transcript

Lisa 0:31

Welcome to the Happy Sweat Life podcast. My name is Lisa Rung, and today I'm very excited to be talking to Pippa Brown. Pippa Brown is a kundalini yoga instructor and artist, and she's been practicing and teaching for over 20 years. she was one of the first people I met when I came to Tennessee and I actually met her at the Artisan Depot that she manages because my mom was exhibiting there. It's a real pleasure to be able to connect with her and talk. to her about her kudalini yoga journey and experience. So welcome, Pippa. Thank you to describe kudalini yoga for someone who doesn't know anything about it.

Pippa 2:21

So we being, being connection with, connection with everything. Oh, that's

Lisa 3:31

great. I was actually gonna ask you if you had any advice for beginners.

Pippa 4:03

Original. The yogas is just me. Yeah. That's

Lisa 4:33

great. Actually, that was one of my questions as well, just what the benefits were for you and, what drew you to Kini in the first

Pippa 4:40

place. And then they get the music struggling to. to do good yoga practitioner. I was intrigued. We left members not there. They just couldn't teach that Friday afternoon class. You know, if they needed to go normally, I'd be interested in teaching. Actually have the training. Showed me that they would give me in house and me study. That was my peers teaching regular yoga in the CA in CUNY. That we moved to, you know, maybe, I don't know, soon to be a Kundalini. Kundalini actually did to me, and changes, and really makes a huge difference. That's cuz I'm chorey. It's tender. Another year and a half, I needed to retur Gonna take a, you know, educated, and she was like, me, and, all, going through her, having the training, which, I made a big daddy, doing anyhow. I was working with a friend, and she, with her, you know, for you, is, and do yoga with you. And she was like, I, then, once a week, do, like she, said to me, was, you need to get a training. See, I needed to, Studies in 19220. Trained teacher. I've only really been teaching Kundalini for three years. Kundalini for five years. I'm in teaching yoga

Lisa 14:44

for 20 So many things to, to talk about there. And of course, then COVID hit. So,

Pippa 14:54

yeah, yeah.

Lisa 14:56

Oh I guess a couple things is I'm sorry about your mom there. And that sounds like a lot of stress at the beginning there with bringing her here and having, you know, a child and your husband in medical school and working and all. And that's amazing that you were able to find something that gave you some relief. The other thing I was thinking about is that I, I did try kudalini when I was in college, and I didn't like it either, and I'm kind of wondering, what the barrier is to people, and I was thinking, for me, part of it, I think, was the breathing exercises, and I think, as Americans, we don't know how to breathe, and it's really challenging, and it's frustrating that something so natural can be so difficult to do right, What's your

Pippa 15:46

experience with that? Hmm. I don't know if you've ever read, I mean, all the yogi books, 30s as a whole. And the more you do the eager, slowly, in a yoga class, should be a yoga to your body, physical side of it.

Lisa 18:33

Yeah, yes, I agree. I was thinking too about the story of somebody I knew who was a Thai massage therapist, and she was telling me about how she and her boyfriend, We're doing biking the, I think it's called the Road to the Sun. I'm not sure if you're familiar with that, but it's a very windy and steep road in one of the national parks. And she had been in India previously and all she did was work on her breath. And there was a point where she sort of got separated from her boyfriend and she gets to the top and he was much faster than her every time they biked together. And she's waiting and waiting and waiting for him and he finally gets to the top and he's like, what happened? why were you so fast? And she realized it was just because she had really mastered her, not mastered, but she had improved her breathing skills so much that she was able to just power herself up the mountain without much effort. just the other part of your story that I wanted to sort of touch on was just the, the part with your friend. who had the terminal cancer. And I just love that what you were saying about being able to participate in something that quote unquote normal people do. And I was thinking kind of of the few times that I did do kudalini with you. And I mean, there's a flow to it, but you can, it feels like you can do it also. Like you're saying, if you're not super flexible, or there's just a different approach to it. I don't know if you can talk a little bit more about that, like how she was able to do it even when she was not feeling well or

Pippa 21:59

sick. trick yoga. I know, this is longevity where, how you do it. So ideas, fortification. So the body won't deal with that area, but legs, students doing it, it's never, you know, just to push beyond what feels just okay. And then also to give them is to just sit or lie down, visualize being part of it. If I was lying on my back, I can visualize and imagine what kale looks like. We've already got visualizing affinitivity in the MUs for people who can't. I've definitely read some to you that are reading those.

Lisa 24:46

Yes, I definitely think I've heard that before as well. The other thing I was thinking about you were saying that it was hard to find teachers that, that do kudalini around and As you described kind of the training for it, I thought, oh, that's probably why it's very, very involved. But I was also reading that there are quite a few aspects to the practice breathwork, mantras I'm not pronouncing this right, you can correct me, kriyas kriyas, meditations and mudras So is that something that you have in each class or how does that work?

Pippa 25:49

Okay. It's why you two, the two teach a new lead will be, and they'll do them. When you're a teacher, be complicated in be lifting your holding a used in many yoga practice, you'll have a and. Be a particular chance that either, either is chance to, while is praying this, it's quite clear as this is has to the benefit to, so they can go in Kundalini. So any recipe, usually it to be the short.

Lisa 28:27

Thank you for explaining that. I appreciate it.

Pippa 28:32

I was

Lisa 28:32

also. Reading about the importance of wearing white. Is that something that you do, or that you ask your attendees to do?

Pippa 29:13

Energy up. Energy up. We stimulate energy through our teeth. We stimulate through energy. Everything involving energy that we have. Energy, if that makes sense. So we, it, it just, paving it up to other people. Energy, an inner glow. And we don't all have to feel the, get the light. So the idea is that if we, energy within us to, Anybody we interact with and the rest of the world. The students are not required to wear that if they want to. Some of them are tuned into no decision y. Oh, funny. It's every day, but it might be in this do with the

Lisa 31:55

idea of, that image of the candle is sort of glowing and affecting other people. That's so beautiful.

Pippa 32:02

Not burning them up or anything, but just letting them in that reflected light, I guess.

Lisa 32:07

So, I don't know quite how to phrase this, but are there people that come and end up being surprised that they like it? Or, you know, maybe they go in thinking they're going to get some kind of experience and it's different. Like, who do you think would really enjoy it? Kini, like can you tell beforehand or

Pippa 32:40

Yes, absolutely. Yes, And if you don't like it, you wanna do something. Mm, that's a good point. I think it really and I had been teaching to family, you know, who are struggling in isolation and going over three years. You might be attending. I share this with coming to it and people who, at least, somebody who hasn't. And the teacher, if I anger her, she has, she has a different feeling. Just, you know, more like a Kundalini. So or do I practice? It can be anybody and, you know, can, but anybody like to share anything that is just feeling more. In a situation where it is probably, you know, for their own, to the religion, you know, yoga is not a religion, it's a fie, and yoga can really be to, if you have to, bring yoga at a class in New York, and they're mailing, and doing training with them, somebody, and she's a Sing Do and she does Kundalini and she, Kundalini I had in and she said, get into prayer. She was struggling with it and she chant that to me was ill is the tuning in mantras and the meditation? And she said she chanted that suddenly she could pray. I mean, it's to our physical body, you know, I don't believe in it anymore, you know, so that they, we really focus is the chakra, which I'm familiar with that. Are you familiar with it, Lisa?

Lisa 36:51

Yes, I am. I actually was just doing a little bit more research on it because I want to cover chakra dance. So, but please go ahead and explain.

Pippa 37:01

Yeah. Many of the energy parts of the chakra, Nia, is meditation, sees, and to me, and true body work, the release, Kundalini, and you just, too, is, has enabled me to be shaded about, and you know, you don't know that you're doing something, suddenly something changes, and even if we, Kundalini, that I, If we're singing and our voices, and using our voice, because that's many years they need for, you know, children. Mm hmm. And that has using their voice way of doing it. Part of it is actually the vibration calls back into...

Lisa 41:27

Wow, that's really fascinating. I didn't realize that.

Pippa 41:37

Removing them.

Lisa 42:00

That's very cool. I think sometimes people actually can't put into words what their experience is, or maybe they don't have access to the memories of it. So working it out through the body is just another way to maybe access

Pippa 42:14

it, it.

Lisa 42:50

Well, we could definitely have another conversation about this Pippa, but I just wonder if, just because of time, if there's anything else you would like to share and then I'll ask you for your contact information if somebody wants to get in touch with you.

Pippa 44:10

Oh, thank

Lisa 44:11

you, Pippa, very much. So do you have like a email or a Facebook or a webpage or anything that you would like to share with people if they want to try out a class with

Pippa 44:22

you?

Lisa 45:10

Oh, thank you. That's wonderful. I'll put the link in the show notes and just a little plug that from my perspective, I love your artwork, Pippa, it's so inspiring. And yeah, it's really beautiful. So definitely check out her artwork at the, at the web

Pippa 45:28

page.

Lisa 45:49

Beautiful. Well, thank you so much, Pippa. I really appreciate you speaking with me and sharing it with our listeners. definitely give. Kudalini a try, and I think what Pippa was saying before is be curious and even be curious about the resistance

Pippa 46:09

Thank you. Oh, you're welcome.