Shakta Khalsa has been practicing yoga since 1972. She was introduced to it when she was a student at Penn State University. Upon graduation, the English major decided to focus on her passion. Khalsa began teaching Kundalini yoga, a form of yoga that focuses on psychological and spiritual growth, in 1976. Now, she teaches Kundalini yoga classes around the world.
"It really has taken me all over the place," she said.
Khalsa will hold a Kundalini Yoga Celebration at the Sterling Yoga Center Sunday, Feb. 11.
When she is not traveling to places like Australia, Hong Kong and South Africa, she works from her house in Herndon.
Khalsa’s office is lined with books. The yoga instructor turned author has written several books including Yoga for Women and Yoga for Children. Her books can be found in a number of languages, including Chinese, German, Hungarian, Spanish and Norwegian.
"We have one coming out in Japanese," she said.
Khalsa held up a copy of Yoga for Women, written in Arabic. The title of the book was translated into thick, black Arabic letters and it opened backwards.
"Isn't this neat?" she said. "You can find my books all around the world."
THE FORMER Montessori school teacher is the creator of Radiant Child Yoga, an instructional program on how to teach children’s yoga.
Her home office is decorated with photographs of children from places she has worked in.
"I’ve always found it easy to connect with children," she said. "I understand them."
Besides working with children, she will also release two new compact disks entitled "Cozy" and "Happy," aimed at a young audience.
The CDs include more than 30 children's songs written by Khalsa, including "Brave and Bold."
Her lyrics, "I am brave, I am bold. My own spirit I can hold," are empowering, she said. And there's a dance to go with each song.
"It's important for children to feel confident," she said. "They need to know they have the ability to be leaders. These movements and this music helps that."
In addition to yoga, Khalsa and several of her students will perform songs from the CD. There will also be food, and the event is free of charge.
"This really is a celebration," she said.