Kathryn McCusker’s journey from opera singer to Kundalini yoga and sound healing teacher is rooted in her desire to find deeper connection and calm. Her practice blends movement, mantra, and meditation to support physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Through her work, she shares the transformative power of sound and the importance of returning to practice—not for perfection, but for presence.
What does the practice mean for you?
When I practice yoga, meditation, and sound therapy regularly, I feel my potential to become healthier, happier, and more aware. This potential empowers and motivates me to keep practicing. Practice isn’t about being perfect—it's the repetitive act of picking yourself up and practicing, even in moments when you don't feel like it, and realising that by integrating healthy positive habits into your life, you will benefit physically, mentally, and emotionally over time.
Which Manduka yoga mat do you currently practice on, and what makes this mat your go-to choice?
I practice on the Manduka PROlite® yoga mat in Black Sage because it feels good, it has a great grip, it's comfortable and the colour aligns with my women’s health and wellbeing platform KALM WELLBEING.
What first led you to Kundalini yoga, and how did your journey evolve into sound healing?
When I first found Kundalini yoga, I was feeling stressed and seeking a yoga practice that would allow me to connect on a deeper level to my body, mind, and creative energy. My demanding career as an opera singer meant I was traveling, auditioning, and performing a lot, and with that comes a certain amount of pressure and stress on the body. I vividly recall having my first experience of Kundalini yoga in Chichen Itza, Mexico, a powerful Mayan archaeological site, and knowing I had discovered my practice. I love the combination of movement, breath, mantra, and mudras. Kundalini yoga is different from other yoga practices because of the emphasis on breath and sound, and it was these two things that attracted me. We chant mantras in Kundalini and also play music, and some teachers like myself choose to play the gong in classes. My journey in sound healing evolved from my background as a singer and my journey through Kundalini yoga. I became fascinated with the transformational benefits of chanting mantra and playing the gong.
Can you share a defining moment when you realized the power of sound in your practice?
A defining moment in my practice was at the beginning of my Kundalini journey when I was chanting mantra meditations for a few hours. I felt calm, clear, and happy, and it was in that moment that I recognised the extraordinary power of sound.
How do these practices complement each other in your personal practice and teaching?
My personal practice is Kundalini yoga, which integrates yoga and sound healing. I am passionate about this practice because I realize how complementary and nourishing yoga and sound are to one another. When I practice, I like to do a short yoga kriya that combines mantra meditation. This combination makes me feel uplifted, peaceful, clear, and connected. I use sound healing at the end of my classes, playing the crystal bowls, gong, or chanting a mantra meditation all together. I see how people’s bodies respond so positively to the sound healing after practicing a yoga kriya. The parasympathetic nervous system, mind, and chakras are more relaxed and ready to receive the sound at a deeper, rejuvenating level.
What instruments or techniques do you feel most connected to, and why?
I love the gong because the sound feels ancient and unique, and you can create many resonances when striking it. When I play the gong, I feel transported to a calm, meditative space. I also feel the primal power of its energy, which makes me feel more grounded. Chanting mantra connects me to my voice, and it feels like a very different experience from singing. The repetitive and rhythmic quality of the sound syllables clears my mind and inspires me to new levels of awareness.
How do you describe the impact of sound healing on the body and mind?
Sound healing can have a powerful and transformative impact on the mind and body. It helps to calm the nervous system, enhance blood circulation, improve sleep quality, and can even alter brainwave states, improving mental clarity and cognitive function. Sound healing can release emotional blockages and recalibrate the body’s chakras (energy centres), leading to a sense of deep calm and balance.
Are there specific frequencies or instruments you recommend for different emotional or physical states?
There are specific frequencies that can induce different emotional states, like 639 Hz, which is linked to the heart chakra, opening you to more compassion, love, and empathy. Frequencies like 528 Hz and 432 Hz can help process deeply held emotions, promoting DNA repair, cellular healing, and a sense of calm, creativity, and connection.
Your online platform, KALM WELLBEING, is designed for sharing women’s wellbeing practices. Can you tell us more about this online space and your offerings?
I created KALM WELLBEING as a specific space to focus women’s health, happiness, hormonal balance and wellbeing at any stage of life and to give women the support they need to navigate the challenges that they may experience throughout their lives.
My offerings include an online KALM membership, where you receive access to short doable kundalini yoga, breath-work, meditation and sound healing sessions that focus on a diverse range of themes, anything from empowerment, hormonal balance, creativity to manifestation, adrenal balance, chakra cleansing and cultivating more focus, energy and clarity.
I also teach workshops on a range of different topics and I offer two unique retreats a year, inspired by nature and creativity.
Who is the platform for, and what kind of support can someone expect to find there?
The platform was created predominantly for women at any age or stage of life, however it is also for men, if they choose to access more of their feminine energy!
You will find online classes, workshops, retreats and KALM WELLBEING products that support you in navigating the stresses and challenges of everyday life.
What does women’s wellbeing mean to you, and how do you approach supporting women through different life phases—such as menstruation, pregnancy, or perimenopause?
Women’s Wellbeing for me is about feeling connected, creative, healthy and happy! I have found Kundalini practices to be instrumental in my journey through the different stages of a woman’s life.
The kriya's, breathwork, meditations and mantra work relatively quickly and are effective, which makes them very appealing in this fast paced world we live in!
The practices have supported me in so many ways, my journey through my work, creative life, relationships, pregnancy, hormonal balance, perimenopause and much more…..
Kundalini yoga focuses on creating a strong and balanced nervous system and glandular system and for women at any stage of life, this is key to feeling healthier, more grounded and happier.
The kriya's will help access a deeper sense of strength, creative energy and intuition, which supports a woman to have a healthy and empowered pregnancy. There are specific kriya's in Kundalini for hormonal balance and working directly with the endocrine system, so the exercises have lots of healthy benefits if you have menstrual irregularities, or you are going through the perimenopause journey and beyond.
How can people join or engage with the KALM WELLBEING community?
People can sign up to my online platform KALM WELLBEING to experience the classes, or they can join me at one of my workshops, or retreats worldwide, or they can arrange a one to one session online or in person, if they are new to the practice and would like to work on something specific with me.
Practice on
Join Kathryn for a deeply restorative 30-minute Kundalini yoga practice designed to support your adrenal glands and nourish your kidney energy. This session combines breathwork, movement, and mantra to help you release stress, restore vitality, and cultivate inner balance.
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Connect
Website: kalmwellbeing.com
Instagram handle: @kathryn_mccusker_yoga
Upcoming retreats & workshops:
- May 24th, 2025, 9:00 AM 11:30 AM, Women’s Heart, Women’s Wisdom, Saturday, Sadhana Works, 17 Carrer de Sant FeliuPalma, IB, 07012, Spain: learn more
- June 19th — 23rd, 2025 Immersive retreat at Eremito Guided by: Kornelia Schwitzer - Expert in psychedelic breath, somatic methods and personalised rituals and Kathryn McCusker - Expert in Kundalini Yoga, Meditation & Sound Healing. Phoenix retreat, Italy: learn more
- October 19th - 24th, 2025 BHUTAN YOGA, SOUND & MEDITATION RETREAT With Kathryn McCusker, An Immersion in Nature, Culture & Self-Discovery: learn more
