Guru Fatha Singh Khalsa is a thoughtful and masterful
teacher dedicated to the progress of his students
At the age of 16, he left home to join the peace movement that was sweeping the country, hopeful also that he might meet someone who could teach him wisdom outside of books. The year was 1970. In Vancouver, Guru Fatha Singh learned the gentle art of meditation from Swami Janardan Paramahansa of the Ajapa Breath Foundation. He also practiced Hatha Yoga with students of Swami Satchidananda and the Integral Yoga Institute.
At 17, Guru Fatha Singh took his first Kundalini Yoga class in Toronto. Six months later, he joined the 3HO community and moved into Guru Ram Das Ashram where he commenced the daily routine of pre-dawn yoga and meditation, and teaching weekly classes. Soon after, Guru Fatha Singh met Yogi Bhajan, master of Kundalini Yoga and spiritual director of the 3HO Foundation, and began his decades-long tutelage under the watchful eyes of the master. It was Yogi Bhajan who named him "Guru Fatha Singh" - the being of the victory of the Guru, who is a lion.
Guru Fatha Singh's adventures as a longhaired Yogi Sikh, a student of a great Sikh master, were many. He went to Washington DC for a grueling teacher training, moved to Ottawa where a marriage was arranged for him, and returned to Toronto to successfully fight two cases as a Sikh asserting his human rights. One was to join the Canadian Armed Forces and another to change the hiring practices of a Toronto taxicab company. Guru Fatha Singh also served as a board member of the Federation of Ontario Yoga Teachers (now Yoga Ontario) and studied eastern philosophies and religions at the University of Toronto, where he earned a BA Hons.
In 1995, Guru Fatha Singh set out for Amritsar, India and six months of teaching and study. The outcome of this was an acclaimed book: Badges of Bondage: The Conquest of the Sikh Mind 1847-1947. The book examines the disempowerment of the Sikh nation and the near-end of their historic role as a dynamic force for social good. Subsequent works have included a Punjabi primer, a detailed study of the role of yoga in Sikh practice and tradition, and a widely acclaimed book (and workshops on) our dawning holistic paradigm. Five Paragons of Peace: Magic and Magnificence in the Guru's Way was self-published in 2007.
Charged with writing Yogi Bhajan's biography in 1983, Guru Fatha Singh began sending out his Master's story from childhood as free monthly installments broadcast to a global audience of 1000s over the internet in April 2006. He is currently involved in publishing early talks of Yogi Bhajan with a view to keeping the teachings of Kundalini Yoga authentic and true.
Guru Fatha Singh has taught widely since the late 1990s. He has given classes and workshops in Canada, the US and Ecuador. He is also a tireless organizer. In 2000, he founded the Toronto Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association. In 2002, Guru Fatha Singh started an annual tradition called Peace Week at the University of Toronto, modeled on Yogi Bhajan's Peace Prayer Day.
In June of 2010, Guru Fatha Singh witnessed the aftermath of demonstrations in the streets of his home city, Toronto during the meetings of the leaders of the most industrialized countries, the "G20". Frustration was evident everywhere, sometimes fear. All we want is a world without starvation, a world without war, a world without nuclear weapons, a world where governments are answerable to their citizens and responsible to the coming generations. We want a world governed wisely. Until we get it, we will remain active, teaching, raising awareness, challenging the unjust use of authority, standing up for the weak, and sometimes just singing for peace.
"It is a great privilege to share an empowering science. As a teacher, I encourage my students to invest in themselves foremost that they might become the inspiring teachers and responsible leaders of tomorrow."
Charged with writing Yogi Bhajan's biography in 1983, Guru Fatha Singh began sending out his Master's story from childhood as free monthly installments broadcast to a global audience of 1000s over the internet in April 2006. He is currently involved in publishing early talks of Yogi Bhajan with a view to keeping the teachings of Kundalini Yoga authentic and true.
Guru Fatha Singh has taught widely since the late 1990s. He has given classes and workshops in Canada, the US and Ecuador. He is also a tireless organizer. In 2000, he founded the Toronto Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association. In 2002, Guru Fatha Singh started an annual tradition called Peace Week at the University of Toronto, modeled on Yogi Bhajan's Peace Prayer Day.
In June of 2010, Guru Fatha Singh witnessed the aftermath of demonstrations in the streets of his home city, Toronto during the meetings of the leaders of the most industrialized countries, the "G20". Frustration was evident everywhere, sometimes fear. All we want is a world without starvation, a world without war, a world without nuclear weapons, a world where governments are answerable to their citizens and responsible to the coming generations. We want a world governed wisely. Until we get it, we will remain active, teaching, raising awareness, challenging the unjust use of authority, standing up for the weak, and sometimes just singing for peace.
"It is a great privilege to share an empowering science. As a teacher, I encourage my students to invest in themselves foremost that they might become the inspiring teachers and responsible leaders of tomorrow."
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