The Yoga of Niguma

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 Michele Loew, an international yoga teacher, 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.

His Eminence the Second Kalu Rinpoche was born in 1990 in Darjeeling, India. The Second Kalu Rinpoche was recognized on March 25, 1992 by Tai Situ Rinpoche. His Holiness the Dalai Lama officially confirmed the recognition. In 1993, he was inducted into Samdrub Darjay Choling (Sonada). After his father passed away in 1999, he asked to live in the monastery of Bokar Rinpoche in order to grow and study under his direction. In 2004, he began the traditional three-year retreat, and in 2009, he received from Tai Situ Rinpoche all the transmissions of the Shangpa Kagyu lineage. On this occasion, the cycle of initiations of the lineage was conferred on him 108 times; he is now holder of this lineage. In 2010, Kalu Rinpoche traveled to the West and took charge of the meditation centers created by the first Kalu Rinpoche around the world. In 2014, he returned to Palden Shangpa La Boulaye in France to teach and to resume the tradition of Monlam Shangpa initiated by his predecessor. He did the same in the United States in 2019. Each year, Kalu Rinpoche gives initiations and teachings around the world.

Ira D. Zunin, MD, has served as founding medical director of a team-based, multidisciplinary clinic in Honolulu for twenty-five years and has engaged in numerous solo medical missions and service projects throughout Asia. His passion for healthy, sustainable communities lead him to become managing director of Global Advisory Services, a consulting firm focused on reimagining healthcare for the twenty-first century. He has consulted internationally for governments, universities, publicly traded companies, and the private sector. Dr. Zunin earned his medical degree from UCLA School of Medicine, and he also holds a master’s degree in public health, a specialty board certification in preventive medicine, and an executive master’s degree in business administration. He served as assistant clinical professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Hawaii and assistant clinical professor at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, Department of Complementary and Alternative Medicine. He spent several years studying Himalayan medicine in Nepal and has trained as a physician acupuncturist. Dr. Zunin lives in Hawaii with family, where he serves as medical director of Manakai O Malama Integrative Clinic and Rehabilitation Center.

Michele Loew is an international yoga teacher who has been dedicated to the practice and science of yoga since 1999. She is the founder of the Yoga Space in Portland, Oregon, and Vajra Yoga, a school she created with Robert Thurman for Tibet House US that teaches Indian yogic inner science in the Buddhist context of the reality of clear light. She is known as a teacher’s teacher, and her yoga schools have been respected by students worldwide for teaching lineage-based yoga focusing on the deeper philosophical and esoteric aspects of the practice alongside cutting edge modern science and kinesiology. She serves on the board of directors of Tibet House US and leads retreats and workshops internationally with an altruistic intention to serve and inspire all to discover their enlightened nature.