The Yoga of Niguma

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“Niguma, a revered Indian yogini, established the Shangpa Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Kalu Rinpoche, as a key lineage holder, continues this sacred tradition with The Yoga of Niguma, a comprehensive guide that offers clear and practical instruction on a practice that harmonizes body, breath, and mind to cultivate inner well-being. Rooted in loving-kindness, this transformative approach fosters mental tranquility and the joy of sharing it with others. Here Kalu Rinpoche collaborates with Michele Loew, whose deep expertise in hatha yoga and along with her knowledge of Sowa Rigpa, the Tibetan healing system, enriches the teachings presented. I highly recommend this insightful book to all who seek personal growth, inner harmony, and the well-being of others.”—His Eminence Ling Rinpoche

“Never has there been a more accessible and detailed description of these practices in any language than The Yoga of Niguma. Joining this beloved lineage with the Indian yoga tradition, from which it departed a millennia ago, is especially remarkable. So many will benefit.”—Sarah Harding

The Yoga of Niguma is an invitation to learn the art of reaching out across cultures to find the best in everyone. It brings together the deepest and often hidden practices of ancient yet vibrantly living Tibetan yoga in a way that opens the heart and the entire nervous system into the direct experience of all. Kalu Rinpoche and Michele Loew present the tradition clearly and include practices that are adaptable for all types of conditions so that longtime practitioners and beginners alike may feel the joyous and occasionally stunning effect of these powerful teachings.”—Richard Freeman, author, The Mirror of Yoga

The Yoga of Niguma is a sacred transmission, offering the keys to mastering breath, movement, and meditative lucidity. Kalu Rinpoche and Michele Loew illuminate this ancient practice, making it accessible to modern yogis and meditators. These yogic methods energize the body, dissolve psychic knots, and unveil the mind’s innate luminosity. More than self-cultivation, it is a path of wisdom and service, guiding you to navigate emotions, perception, and consciousness with clarity—so that you may bring benefit to all beings.”—Matteo Pistono, teacher and author of Breathe How You Want to Feel

“What a breath of fresh air is this wonderful book, opening the door to a precious yoga that vitally enhances life! The reincarnation of a great—in the sense of highly beneficial to many people—Lama teacher has grown into a great teacher again. With this book he shares his wisdom and kindness and competently instructs us in a path of self-development that works and benefits our mind and health. He inspires our own spirituality, without trying to replace it by converting us to any other, even as his own love of the Buddha Dharma shines through. In this delightful book, he wisely allows his noble effort to be advanced by the relatable mediation of the expert yoga master, Michele Loew, who carefully points out the dos and don’ts of working successfully with the artfully designed methods here revealed. I am totally enchanted by Kalu Rinpoche’s sharing of this great gift of the ancient Indian holy woman, Niguma, a true soul doctor, her amazing arts of self-healing and energizing the exquisite human body and its creative spirit. I cannot recommend this cheerful and life-changing yoga highly enough, to myself and everyone.”—Robert Thurman

THE YOGA OF NIGUMA

H. E. Kalu Rinpoche

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Immerse yourself in the extraordinarily transcendent practice of the yoga of Niguma.

The yoga of Niguma comes to us from a secret tradition passed down over hundreds of years by Buddhist yogis in Tibet. The practice originated with the eleventh-century female yogini Niguma, who mastered and transmitted a tradition of remarkable practices that culminate in physical, spiritual, and emotional wellness. In this book, His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche, a Tibetan master who holds this lineage for today’s generation, is now opening up the practice to make its extraordinary benefits accessible to the modern yogi.

The yoga of Niguma consists of twenty-five sets of yogic exercises. Some are physically challenging while others are quite subtle in nature; all are grounded in meditation on the breath. Kalu Rinpoche illuminates the practice by sharing his own personal journey with the yoga of Niguma and how the lineage came to be. He also teaches us how we can prepare the mind for this practice with meditation and how to balance our emotions. Then, Rinpoche takes us step-by-step through the twenty-five illustrated sequences of Niguma yoga. Coauthor Ira D. Zunin, MD, follows with special insight into the health benefits of the practice and reports on initial findings of what was discovered when an EEG recorded Kalu Rinpoche’s brain activity during the practice. Furthermore, international yoga teacher Michele Loew shares supportive Hatha yoga techniques that will bolster your Niguma yoga practice. 

The yoga of Niguma is a revered method that integrates body, mind, and breath. Dive in to discover for yourself a gradual, profound groundswell of subtle awakening.

You may also be interested in one of Rinpoche’s courses, Niguma’s Dream Yoga and The Illusory Body and Mind.

book information
  • Paperback
  • 216 pages, 8 x 10 inches
  • $25.95
  • ISBN 9781614299523
  • Paperback
  • 216 pages
  • $18.99
  • ISBN 9781614299523
about the author
The Yoga of Niguma

His Eminence the Second Kalu Rinpoche is a world-renowned spiritual teacher and emissary of Vajrayana Buddhism. He is lineage holder of the Shangpa tradition, which originated from two female yoginis a thousand years ago. His face-to-face, published, and online teachings have brought to life these previously secretive practices, offering public access to those poised for profound transformation.

He was born in 1990, in Darjeeling, India. His father, Lama Gyaltsen, was a nephew of the previous Kalu Rinpoche and had also been his secretary since his youth. The Second Kalu Rinpoche was recognized on March 25, 1992, by Tai Situ Rinpoche.

In 1993, Kalu Rinpoche was inducted into Samdrub Darjay Chöling (Sonada). In 1999, he moved to the monastery of Bokar Rinpoche and in 2004, he began a traditional three-year retreat. In 2009, he received from Tai Situ Rinpoche all the transmissions of the Shangpa Lineage. On this occasion, he was conferred the cycle of initiations of the lineage 108 times.

In 2010, Kalu Rinpoche traveled to the West for the first time and took charge of the meditation centers the First Kalu Rinpoche had created around the world. In 2014, he returned to Palden Shangpa La Boulaye in France, and in 2019, he returned to the United States to resume the tradition of the Shangpa Monlam initiated by his predecessor.

Having experienced his own challenges along the way, Rinpoche is extraordinarily relatable, kind, and without judgment.

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