In 1989 Sat Nam Kaur of Mexico City was given the directive by the Siri Singh Sahib to assemble the Directors of the various ashrams in Mexico into an organization. It was not legally permissible for Sikh Dharma to incorporate at that time, so out of the assembly came the formation of the Kundalini Yoga Cultural Foundation. Coordinators of the various ashrams, which is about twenty key sangat members, now function as the Directing Board for the Foundation. For the last four years they have met quarterly. The Directing Board functions as the coordinating body for all of the planning, strategies, special events and specialized committees. The mission of the Foundation is to spread the teachings. Their target areas for the last two years have been providing and expanding classes, training teachers and increasing participation in all of the Yoga Foundation sponsored and endorsed events. They have developed extensive by-laws and created a legal avenue for the Foundation, an avenue that can be used for profit.
Yoga Congress
The Third Annual National Congress of Kundalini Yoga Teachers was held in Mexico City on February 26 with Guru Nam Singh, President of the Kundalini Yoga Cultural Foundation, along with his wife, Sat Jiwan Kaur functioning as coordinators. The Congress took place in a very plush hotel with approximately 80 teachers from all of Mexico in attendance.
The majority of the Congress took place in small round table sessions. With the assistance of facilitators each group participated in a series of extensive surveys and discussions. The group process generated a tremendous number of ideas, avenues for involvement and very constructive feedback. The key areas with feedback from all of the teachers were:
Teachings, Teachers
to be successful they need more extensive communications regarding possible events and a sophisticated public relations campaign.
to create and implement a library in Mexico City of both hard copy and video; with a system for access of teachings in English and Spanish.
of all of the publications available the one most in demand for translation is the “Teachings of Yogi Bhajan”.
an interest for information devoted to the teachings related to family, teenagers, children, relationships and recipes to be published within the Kundalini Yoga Cultural Foundation newsletter, The Nectar.
Administrative:
a desire to create more avenues for communications and updates.
to develop and share models for expanding and maintaining a student base.
students are interested in receiving various certificates as students of Kundalini yoga and for the specialized training, including teacher’s training.
one hundred percent of the teachers attending the congress said they were ready and willing to work and participate in all of the various activities of the Foundation especially the development of the libraries, K.W.T.C., training courses and conferences for themselves and their students.
Courses and Events:
seventy percent of the teacher’s attending the congress plan on assisting and attending the upcoming White Tantric Yoga course in Mexico City. All of them will promote it to their students.
to always plan events after each White Tantric Yoga course, so participants may gently ground themselves and commune together. They will plan to always include either a dance, dinner, or tea time on location after each course.
more assistance and guides are needed for new people at each event.
more publicity and materials for all events with each event promoted well in advance.
specialized courses and conferences in the areas of nutrition, children and marriage.
creative preregistration deductions and prepayment plans for all courses and events.
Sikh Dharma
The Representatives of all of the various sangats hosted an extensive workshop on February 27, 1994. It was a process for developing and understanding the role of the:
Sikh Dharma Corporation; due to a change in the Presidency of Mexico it has become legally possible to incorporate Sikh Dharma.
the Administrative Council System; which is just in their formative stages.
means for Fund Development; methods, legal avenues and possible communications systems for generating Dasvandh, Gurudakshina.. With the introduction of beginning of the free trade agreements there are numerous changes within the system giving rise to an increase of opportunities.