Kundalini Clothing: 5 Reasons Kundalini Yogis Wear White

Why Wearing the Right Clothing for Kundalini Yoga Is So Important

What do you think of when you imagine the color white?

To me, the color white represents purity, a new start, freedom, lightness, and peace. White is like a blank slate. Paired with the energetic awakening at the heart of Kundalini yoga, wearing white is said to remove energetic blockages to union with divine consciousness, thereby allowing us to experience our true self.

In Kundalini Yoga practice, we move our spiritual energy through our chakras or energy channels. Eventually, when the Kundalini can flow freely, one experiences Kundalini awakening. Just like you would dress specifically for an important meeting or event to set the scene, wearing white or light-colored clothes for your Kundalini practice enhances your experience and the flow of Kundalini.

Kundalini clothing usually is made of natural fabrics like organic cotton or linen. This ensures there are no nasty things touching your skin, which contributes to the protection of the self from harmful or energetically toxic sources.

Why Wear White Clothing? The Benefits of White Clothing in Kundalini Yoga

It’s not absolutely mandatory to wear white during your Kundalini yoga practice. It can seem like a big ask at first, especially if you’re used to practicing other forms of yoga – your sports bra and tights combo worked just fine, right?! 

Think about wearing white like a uniform: The psychological effect of dressing in the same clothes for the same activity deepens your focus and builds identity. Besides looking very elegant when dressed in white, below are some specific benefits of wearing white clothing when practicing Kundalini yoga. Guru Singh and I talk more about this in depth in our 200-hour training, Kundalini University – and offer different perspectives on the dress code.

To Purify Your Aura

We know that white objects appear as white because they reflect all other colors and light. In Kundalini yoga, it is also believed that white reflects any negative influences, which ensures that your aura is kept pure and free from any external disturbances.

It’s believed that wearing white not only purifies your aura, but it actually expands the sphere of your energetic field. The aura surrounds and protects you while also projecting positive energy and attracting prosperity into your life. Sooo yes, more of that please! 

To Achieve Higher Self-Awareness

White also activates the vanilla effect. Because of its plain nature, wearing white to your Kundalini yoga practice allows you to stay focused and become aware of yourself without interference from bold colors that set your mood. This plays an important part when connecting to our higher consciousness. After all, the ultimate goal of Kundalini Yoga is to increase our self-awareness so that our divine energy can flow freely.

It is through meditations, breathing exercises, chanting mantras, and practicing kriyas that you learn to tune inwards and get to know yourself on a deeper level. Because white reflects everything around you, it will clear your mind to focus deeply on introspection and achieving higher self-awareness.

To Encourage Self-Acceptance

Self-acceptance is crucial in Kundalini yoga. Without accepting yourself, one cannot awaken to divine consciousness. In its simplicity, white or light-colored clothing moves focus away from the trend of the day and encourages focus on the stable, lasting qualities of your being and highest self. Plus – like I said earlier, it has the equalizing effect of a uniform. When everyone wears white, you start to see the qualities of the individuals beyond their choice in clothing. The big idea is to encourage self-acceptance.

To Connect With Others

What is with yourself is also true when you connect with others. When you wear white or light-colored clothing in community with other Kundalini yogis, you create a shared commitment and focus. Wearing white in community can raise the spiritual energy for everyone involved by canceling out external distractions.

You might even notice that people respond to you differently when you wear white. Why? There is less to distract them so they are more likely to focus in and act like their true self (but don’t take my word for it – wear white tomorrow and see what happens!). 

To Stay Cool and Comfortable

Since Kundalini yoga poses can be active and challenging, white clothing has a super practical benefit, too: it keeps you cool. This is an added bonus of comfort, especially, when entering meditation. You don’t want to feel hot and sweaty during mediation. As with anything in Yoga, we cannot control the external world, but we can limit certain distractions – and uncomfortable clothing is one of them.

Why We Wear Comfortable Clothing

We all know how annoying and distracting uncomfortable clothing can be – no matter what we’re doing! When we move in Kundalini yoga, it’s even more important to be comfortable. I mean, seriously:

Yikes, your shirt is falling up to your shoulders in down dog – GOTTA TUCK IT IN.

Oh god your belly is rolling out the top of your high-waisted yoga pants in this lizard lunge!! Must readjust!

Gasp! Your boobs are falling out of the sports bra – don’t breathe too deeply!

When your internal dialogue sounds like this in yoga class, it’s a sign you should consider a wardrobe change. Who has the mental space for spiritual awakening when all you can think about is that itch you want to scratch?

Ideally, you want to show up to your yoga practice in your most comfortable clothes ever. Nothing too tight, too itchy, or too likely to malfunction with a deep breath. Choose clothes that allow you to move freely, sit comfortably for meditation and chanting, and make conscious choices overall.

Focus on How You Want to Feel

Choose your yoga gear carefully, whether it’s white linen clothing or your unique choice of clothes. This in itself can be an opportunity for mindfulness. Rather than thinking of what not to wear, focus on how you want to feel in your session. What can you wear to help you feel fantastic while you practice? How can you set yourself up best for this?

I can recommend loose fitting linen or cotton pants, or tight yoga pants in a fabric you love. Every time you move around or find a seat for meditation, your clothes play a huge part in how you feel throughout all of it. Remember that Kundalini yoga classes can go on for more than one hour. Having your comfy yoga clothing on allows you to enjoy it rather than wanting to stop and leave midway through. Pick something that allows your legs, arms, and head to move effortlessly.

Don’t Let Your Clothes Stress You Out

Keeping it simple with white, comfortable yoga clothing will reduce distractions and stress while you practice. Who needs their clothes to stress them out and there are so many things in life that already do that perfectly well? 😬 Natural, clean yoga clothing will keep your mind (and nervous system) at ease allowing you to focus on yourself even more so! Also, organic cotton and linen are well known as breathable fabrics which will make your skin feel glorious, even on warm days.

Should You Wear a Head Covering?

You might notice some Kundalini yogis with these fascinating head wraps to match their all-white wardrobe. Do you need to wear a head covering too? As with white yoga clothing in general, the answer is that you don’t have to wear a head covering. 

Many Kundalini yogis – both men and women – do wear head coverings. There are a few reasons why:

• Directs focus to the third eye
• It feels good thanks to pressure points in the head!
• Signals community and dedication 

The wrap is believed to create a meditative focus at your third eye, which is believed to allow the wearer to contain their energy and clarify thoughts.

A tightly-sitting turban also creates a natural cranial adjustment by stabilizing the skull. Some say that this light pressure creates a sense of calm and well being. Similar to massaging certain pressure points around your skull when having a headache – wearing a turban usually makes you feel better.

Whether or not you feel the traditional Kundalini yoga head covering enhances your practice, it definitely shows your dedication to it. It’s these little things that can stimulate a major shift in your yoga practice.

The Outfit For Your True Self

I’m not the one to tell you to do this or that. Instead, I’d suggest for you to experiment! Wear some white clothes, maybe even choose some natural cotton or linen pieces and keep them for your practice only. Wear a turban if you like. And then notice for yourself how it impacts your experience of Kundalini yoga.

Remember that you’re not going for a look – the focus with Kundalini yoga is to achieve a higher state of mind that frees you to be your true self. And any good outfit – all-white or not – should do that, right?