Meet Keri Marrone - SHOUTOUT LA

We had the good fortune of connecting with Keri Marrone and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Keri, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Here is my answer to this. Kundalini Yoga and what it can do for you is its own success. The most important factor behind my success was my ability to spread the word, share the tools. I walked into a Kundalini class 16 years ago and it hit me like a ton of bricks this was one of my callings. I took it from Gurmukh Kaur and when she spoke, I knew I was witnessing something special. Come to find out she was considered the “Queen” of Kundalini, and she is one of the most respected and sought out teachers in the world.

This was unlike any other yoga class I have been too, there was a lot of lectures on well-being. Kundalini is the practice of awakening our Higher Self. If you google the definition this is what it says. “Kundalini yoga is a magical science that uses mantra, energy healing, exercises and meditations to release trauma from the energetic body which surrounds the physical body”. How fabulous does that sound? I remember EVERY time I left a class, I would experience such comfort in my skin. It was a mental, spiritual, physical and emotional workout and I could not get enough. I think it is safe to say this became my addiction. I was going every single day and absorbing every word Gurmukh said like a sponge.

I then found out about “seva”. Seva means service and selfless efforts for welfare of all. Where I took class we could do “seva” in exchange for classes. I was all over that, plus I loved being at THE GOLDEN BRIDGE and around all that delicious energy. My seva was to check in pregnant woman for their mommy and me class. I remember I would peak in and hear Gurmukh joyfully yell, “take your baby for a ride!” and all the pregnant moms were cradling their bellies and swinging back and forth and they all looked elated and had huge smiles on their faces! To this day it was one of the most beautiful experiences I have ever witnessed.

One day they were announcing Teacher’s Training courses, that would be taught by Gurmukh and her husband Gurushabd, Tej Kaur Khasla, and Harijiwan, the biggest masters of Kundalini yoga. Basically, this is EXACTLY like saying to a beginner guitar player you have the opportunity to be taught guitar by Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry and Carlos Santana. I was not even interested in being a teacher as much as I was interested in spending all this time with Gurmukh and learning. long story short, I ‘seved’ my butt off and took the course. It was every weekend, starting at 4am with meditations and lectures. Medical professionals would teach us Anatomy, There were tapes of YOGI BHAJAN lectures, White tantric yoga, class after class, and study groups and hikes and healthy vegan lunches and fellowship with some of the best souls I ever met.

My first teacher training assignment was to go teach Kundalini at an Orphanage. I taught what I learned to a bunch of adorable orphans, again, knowing I am a part of something special. TAH DAH! I graduated. Now I have the wisdom and knowledge to share and teach. The most important factor is to share what I have learned. The Universe leads you, if you pay attention. I was led to clients and ended up getting an amazing clientele and doing private sessions. Of course, the Universe made my first client a lawyer who ended up helping me get a DBA as VERY KERI KUNDALINI.

Now I have been led to THE WALNUT VILLAGE retirement home and doing Kundalini with the elderly. The biggest reward so far is was when my elderly yoga client told me and his friends that I helped him get off his walker and his cane!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
So, for the past couple of years I have been teaching at THE WALNUT VILLAGE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY. It is a 5-star beautiful retirement community near Disneyland. Every time I go there it’s like getting on the LOVE BOAT. You truly feel like you are on a cruise. One client lead to another lead me here. Before the pandemic I was going once a week, then after our lesson I would join everyone in their fine dining restaurant on the premises. I met so many wonderful people. One of the biggest challenges was teaching somebody “old school” Kundalini! In the words of my client “It’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks” I introduced breath of fire and chanting and received a lot of eye rolls. I believe the term “mumbo jumbo” was used. My client was also in a chorus and did a lot of singing. After a lot of persistence and resistance he saw the breath of fire was making him stronger and enabled him to sing better.

Breath of fire is a rhythmic breath with equal emphasis on the inhale and exhale, no deeper then sniffing. It’s done by pumping the naval point towards the spine on the exhale and releasing the naval out on the inhale. You practice through the nostrils, a modification of this is to pant heavy like a dog with tongue out. This breath is very good for your lungs. It purifies them. Yogis say it burns away diseases and karma. There is no denying it stimulates the solar plexus to release natural energy through the body. And it’s one helluva abdominal workout!

One of the biggest lessons I have learned along the way is to talk less, the proof is in the pudding. I become so proud when I see results and hear testimonies. The other day I talked with a girlfriend and she was feeling anxious. I face timed her and showed her a 2-minute easy Kundalini exercise that gets rid of anxiety. When we were done, her face lit up and she felt better. That’s the reward!

When my elderly client felt the results of breath of fire, and told me how strong he felt singing, that’s the reward, that’s when I feel proud. The biggest proudest moment was after months and months of working together, my client recognized Kundalini yoga helped him become strong enough to not use a cane anymore. That is when I feel like I did my job. I am the messenger, as I said before, I believe my job is to spread the word! Share these amazing life tools What I want the world to know is that there is an amazing practice out there to help you cope with life’s challenges! there is a practice that can make you feel so comfortable in your own skin! In the words of Yogi Bhajan “To be successful in life, you have to learn to change your gears to meet the circumstances around you. If you are not in control of your own transmission, life will be a disaster for you, no matter who you are. You have to learn how to control your own energy. that’s what KUNDALINI YOGA is. It teaches you to bring your transmission and your gas and your gears under your control.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well, pre pandemic, this would be the itinerary…start the morning with a Kundalini yoga class, Then go to my friend’s spa “THE ROOM ORGANIC” in Toluca Lake and get a day of pampering! They have the best massages, facials, manis and pedis! we would get everything done. After that we would across the street to the world famous “Ernie’s Tacos” and have a fiesta of deliciousness! Then we would be exhausted from the day and hit the couch and binge watch “Banshee”.

For the rest of the weekend in the mornings we would hike at the beautiful Runyon Canyon and the beautiful Lake Balboa. At night here is the itinerary if you are coming to stay with me. VPR PUB CRAWL! For those of you that do not know I am referring to Vanderpump Rules. Lisa beautiful amazing Vanderpump owns the most beautiful fun restaurants in West L.A. They are all walking distance. We would go to SUR, then PUMP, then the newest TOMTOM co owned by 2 of the bartenders on the show, Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz. These restaurants are so pretty and fun. They have awesome food atmosphere and cocktails.

Another must do would be to take an early morning ride through Topanga Canyon to the Pacific Coast highway going north through Malibu. The views are majestic and breathtaking. We would take the PCH all the way up to a famous little landmark biker place “Neptune’s Net”, We would have some awesome seafood and bloody Mary’s, then go chill on the beach! Heading home we would go south on the PCH and hit the world-famous Santa Monica pier and Venice beach. then at night, some more couch time and Netflix.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Absolutely! I would like to shout out Amy Beth Caparco from Cranston, R.I. where I am from. She is my life-long friend and she gave me my first book on Kundalini AND from R.I. made some calls and found me The Golden Bridge to go to. Honestly if it wasn’t for Amy, I would have NEVER met Gurmukh who has been one of the biggest influences in my life.

I would like to shout out Maurice Sydnor from Sydnor Sound and media. He is the top audio engineer in L.A. and has helped me with numerous media projects. I would like to thank David Harshman, my very first client who helped me catapult my profession by guiding me to my DBA, “VERY KERI KUNDALINI” and I would like to shout out Bob Krishfield, who has been my client, especially during the pandemic. He has taught me so much on the computer, and has become a mentor and a dear friend and helped me get up and running on Zoom. I would like to shout out Bob Proctor and Dr. Joe Dispenza. If you are into bettering yourself, bettering your life google them and start listening to them.

Last but absolutely not least, my amazing family and friends in R.I., without laughing and crying and enduring life and its lessons together, nothing would be possible. NAMASTE.

Website: kerimarrone.com
Instagram: keri.marrone
Facebook: Keri marrone
Youtube: Keri Marrone
Other: As an actress you can see me on IMDB, Actors Access and L.A. Casting

Image Credits
Me on Zoom with all my friends and clients from THE WALNUT VILLAGE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY. they are all senior citizens and they are still on strict lockdown. We all need to be grateful for Zoom!

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