Kundalini helped me achieve the most profound spiritual experiences of my humble life.
I took a class (afterwards), and learned some new exercises, but wasn't too impressed with the teacher.
The exercises were very helpful though.
But, I don't judge a path by the teachers I find selling it at the Y or in my local Uni.
In fact, I try not to judge a path by the teachers at all. That'd be my advice. Yes, being in the
presence of someone with powerful Shakti can have a positive influence on you. But finding that
person may take decades, and why waste time not developing a personal practice?
Unless your teacher is going to achieve 'samadhi' for you, I wouldn't put too much emphasis on them.
The teacher is a finger. The practice is the moon. Yes, I just dropped that old nugget in this thread.
It's better to choose the 'wrong' path and walk it well, than spend your life flitting about the surface of whatever new bauble the market decides to pimp out for your consumption, and their pocketbooks. 'Lifestyle religion'. People trying on different in-fashion practices like changing underwear.
Remember:
Good things attract bad and anything with real benefit will attract plastic salesmen trying to personally gain power and influence from the well deserved reputation of others. Also, to correct their own inadequacies. Often misrepresenting the message, they will obscure the once powerful practice from the eyes of the public.
'You can sit in many different places and look at the same moon'.
Selecting a path can be another
excuse to keep you from the hard work ahead.
But, what do I know? I'm still very much in the dark and learning things every day.
Salut!