First, watch this Immortal video up to the 00:35 second mark then STOP:
Ok. Did everyone see what I saw?
That’s right, kids. It appears we may have ourselves a most metal-tastic “gora Sikh” feeling the sweet sweet vibes of Immortal. Of course, we’re not the only ones intrigued by the potential Kundalini Yoga elder. The comments under the YouTube video are many, each one seeming to miss the mark on what this guy’s deal might be:
So, for those who don’t know the band above is called Immortal, and are a part of what is considered the “second wave” of Black Metal bands, a majority of which came out of Norway, leading to the generalized term “Norwegian Black Metal.” Many of these bands look like this:
Breaking down the in’s and out’s of this scene would take a good hour, so let’s just assume you’ll watch the absolutely fabulous Until the Light Takes Us documentary (which can be streamed in full on the site) at some point if you haven’t already. The trailer is here:
But, what’s most interesting to us today is what appears to be a Kundalini Yoga old-timer front and frickin’ center at the Whacken Open Air Festival in Germany, an enormous metal festival that also by default doubles as the world’s largest “black t-shirt with white band lettering event” ever.
Black Metal logos are wonderful works of art
There’s a bunch of questions we’d love to ask this gentleman, especially in light of the many things Yogi Bhajan has had to say about musical vibrations. We know YB certainly felt strongly about the specificity of music chosen for KY classes, so we would love to hear how (and if) Black Metal has any place in all of that. So, we’re wondering if anyone has any idea who this bloke is, as we would like to chat with him. Here’s what we know so far:
- Man is probably in his late-40s to mid-60s
- Likes metal of the blast beat variety
- Possibly lives in Germany, but may live in a surrounding country
- Seems to practice (maybe teach) Kundalini Yoga as Taught by the Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Yogi Bhajan
Anyone got any ideas? May the icon of Abbath Doom Occulta guide you on your way.
Corpse Paint, oil on panel, 12in x 12in, Mary Coyle (www.mccoyle.com/)
The Babarazzi 
Guy looks more like an old school biker. I think that’s a motorcycle skullcap or maybe he had a head injury from a crash and just got out the hospital.
…One of your best posts ever…Unfortunately, I cannot assist you in your quest in identifying the individual in question but I do highly recommend that more yogis turn off the typical bullshit they’re constantly playing in their yoga classes and listen to more metal, or least give other forms of music a chance…I often do in my own practices and feel quite positive that it is not doing me any damage on any level, regardless of what the all-mighty YB has to say about it….Listening to black metal is quite a stretch for the majority, so I’d doubt that any/most would lead a class with that sort of music being played – you’d have your enlightened lulu lemon wearing hot bodies running for the door (which might not be the worst thing, huh?) – but there are plenty of choices out there that could be considered ‘metal’ in nature, without the blast beats and screech owl vocals…Anyway, great post once again…
I totally agree with you CK!
I fucking tired of walking into classes where it’s nothing but Krishna Das or Enya on the offering. While Norwegian Black Metal is not my scene, I still wish more instructors would drop some Rage Against the Machine, AC/DC or Van Halen with DLR.
As for Sikh headbangers or Indian metalheads, check out Sam Dunn’s masterful films on the heavy metal phenomena the world over, like Metal Evolution, and Global Metal
While such a dude would be fantastic to behold, I gotta agree with The P here and say that looks like a badass biker in a skullcap, rather than a badass yogi in a headwrap. As I’m sure you well know, if you wander deep enough into the forest of the interweb, you’re gonna come out swearing you saw a unicorn.
This post did spark an ember of a memory I had that Kundalini baby aficionado Gurmukh had a passage in one of her books quoting some thoroughly debunked pseudoscience by Masauro Emoto, in which she said pregnant ladies shouldn’t listen to heavy metal because it will make your water molecules “jagged” and “ugly.” I’m gonna bet the 3HO party line is still a big no on that new Behemoth album. Sorry lil’ princes of the apocalypse:
http://books.google.com/books?id=uDJOvqgkV7wC&pg=PA88&dq=heavy+metal+kundalini+yoga&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_5acUtfVKaWosAT7goHYBg&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAA
This makes me so happy! I don’t know that gentleman, but I’m a huge fan of Black Metal (Disclaimer, I’m not down with a lot of the church burning associated with the Black Movement in Norway :(. I’m a yoga teacher and Reiki practitioner, and when people find out I’m a Metal head they always say, “Oh, but that music is so angry!” Fuck yes, it’s angry! I’m angry! That’s why I go home and work out my shit while doing yoga to a soundtrack that includes Rage, Cradle of Filth, Tool and old school Metallica (current Metallica can suck it! See! ANGRY!) But, as an adult, it is understand that working out my rage and managing my feelings is on me. I would not expect others to find catharsis as I do. Satyricon and Dimmu Borgir won’t be featured in my classes.
Bottom line: vibrations are real. We are affected by them. But those effects go on a case by case basis. Maybe, someday, me and that dude will find happiness together at a WhiteChapel show.
yeah well maybe a little MORE on the anger and LESS of the awful music that makes babies and dolphins weep…srsly that ‘music’ is mind-numbing cranium-wrecking garbage that will rewire your synapses and mess up your chakras big time, and not in a good way…that is such a horrible, sad, angry, pathetic, violent, dark excuse for ‘music”, yogi please!
I often teach my asana classes with music that wouldnt be considered Yogic (if that is a word). But Neils underlying message is one of Unity and love. Hippie Dreamers can never die.
I’m disagreeing with the above illustrious commenters and saying unequivocally that this dude is a full-on card carrying 3HO member. I mean seriously, who in the hell has ever seen a “bad-ass biker” wear white? Leather rarely comes in white and white would get pretty dirty out on the open roads.
Unfortunately, I cannot help you locate this fine gentleman, but I do have a Kundalini Sikh friend in Chile who is a huge fan of the death metal. His english is not so good, but if you can conduct an interview in Spanish, I’d be happy to put you in touch with him.
Do 3HO-ers wear black T-shirts?
My hubby has made several albums inspired by themes in the Bhagavad-Gita. Because the first two have a kind of country-ish flavor, he called it “philoso-billy.” His songs have been used in at least one yoga teacher’s classes, that I know of.
I’m thinking he donned the white sport turb to maintain a portion of the Five K’s, and the black T in order to maintain a portion of the Metal Fest uniform. Obviously, ain’t got no way to tell just yet…..
While black anything is not “approved” 3HO attire, many wear many different colors under different circumstances.