Why the Head Covering?

By Ashley Miers

A common question I get as a Kundalini Yoga Instructor is: "Why do you wear a head covering?"

Wearing a head covering while practicing yoga helps us to command our 6th Chakra (our "3rd Eye") and provides a sense of containment and focus. The "3rd Eye" is associated with our pituitary gland (the master gland of the body) and is considered to be the seat of our intuition.

The whole point of practicing Kundalini is to raise awareness: To become more cognizant of the subtleties of energy, and to enhance our intuitive capacity. This makes us better able to respond to life intentionally and effectively.

Yogi Bhajan (a controversial figure) taught that the hair is a sort of antenna that conducts energy. Think of when you get goosebumps (a flash of intuition) and the hair stands up on your arms. Again, the head covering is meant to help hold energy in and provide meditative focus.

Although I choose to wear a head coving most of the time while teaching and practicing Kundalini Yoga, I never advocate for just blindly following dogma. I always recommend doing your own experimentation to see what works for you.

This is your journey of self-discovery. Take what works, leave the rest.

If you’re interested in learning more about Kundalini Yoga and trying out a class for yourself, check out my Virtual Women’s Support/Skills Calls, happening twice per week live on Zoom.