In these 11 days leading up to Winter Solstice, our instructors are teaching Surya Kriya in their classes at Urban Yoga Chicago. Surya Kriya is a kundalini yoga set that cultivates the sun energy in you, so while the days get shorter, you may have increased ability to tap into the light within you, and feel hearty, energized, focused, clear, and happier. I encourage clients to practice this at home on the days they don’t come in, and in fact, some take it further and commit to doing this kriya for 40 consecutive days. 

According to the Kundalini Yoga tradition, it takes 40 days to create a habit, 90 days to confirm it, 120 days to make it who you are, and 1000 days to master it. The idea is to choose a kriya or meditation that works on the result you are looking for, and to do it for the appropriate amount of days. If you miss a day, you start over from Day 1.  

The truth is, it matters less which kriya or meditation you choose. The real benefit is in committing to the practice for those consecutive days. When you can commit and follow through with this no matter how crazy life gets, or no matter how bored, or how over the practice you are, it cultivates command, grit and caliber of Self within you. This commitment doesn’t come from the outside, but from inside of you: your highest Self.

Because this is self-directed and with no other perceived external reward (like money, promotion or even a high-five from your peers), it is especially effective in cultivating healthy boundaries and sharpening discernment with you as your own reference point. If you break your commitment, no one else has to know. It’s all you. It teaches self-care and nourishment from the angle of self-mastery rather than self-indulgence. And it’s a game changer.