Kundalini Yoga Yogi

kps blog

KartaPurkh Khalsa
kpurkakhalsa@kc.rr.com

READING FROM THE SIRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB AND MISSING SADHANA

Yes, when I can’t get there, to sadhana, I miss it, miss it gravely. It happens! If it were possible I’d be there every day but that hasn’t happened in a long time.

I remember when I first moved into Sat Tirath Ashram I was one of those impossible, annoying, unforgiving, fanatics who NEVER EVER missed morning sadhana. The “annoying” part comes from my unhesitating willingness to question in an uncharitable and scolding manner anyone who would not or could not attend regularly. Sometimes I was there alone, sometimes just three or four of us, mostly we’d have at least 15 and it was grand. It was the reason I became an ashram resident and it is the reason I still am. This lasted for about a year or so, when my own egotistical resistance kicked in and often kicked my out my habitual sadhana. Of course, over time, and with the results of actually doing sadhana for an extended period of time with good and sincere people, I have learned to be a bit more charitable, compassionate and even loving of those (myself included) who have problems or issues with getting up in the amrit vehla. Thanks to sadhana! Thanks to sadhana for many many things, too numerous to mention here.

But now, missing sadhana occurs all too frequently, almost on a weekly basis for one occasion or another: a trip out of town; a late movie; guests and, yes, even laziness. This last weekend was really special, I had lots of good excuses (no reason, just excuses).

It was Thanksgiving Week (Overeating is a sure sadhana killer), there was a three day Level 1 Teacher Training weekend (Got to be “on” for the students, right? It’s so exhausting.), and, since we had the extra day off from work schedules and a few extra people here, we decided to hold a Siri Akhand Path--a 72 hour uninterrupted continuous out loud reading of the Sikh scriptures, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib.

This holy book, housed in our Gurdwara, is at the center of all Sikh religious services. The continuous reading is considered very special and a Sikh holds it as a privilege and a duty to participate. It is often a special occasion when one is held, a wedding, a death in the family, a special holiday.

All that is required is the commitment of a number of people, willing to maintain the uninterrupted reading over three days; willing to support each other in various ways, including staying awake through the night while a relay of readers engage in the reading; being sure everyone is properly fed and Yogi Tea-d; answering the door when new readers arrive; checking the schedule to see who’s next and whether the reading should be sped up or slowed down, and so forth. It is a serious matter maintaining the vibratory atmosphere in which the words of holy men are read with reverence and enthusiasm.

We, here at Sat Tirath Ashram, are blessed in that we have a number of people who are committed to the Sikh way of life (as well as to the yoga) and for them this was an opportunity to serve God, Guru and each other.

Everything did go well. One resident, a young Indian Sikh man was the bulwark of our reading team. Anytime there was a hole, or the danger of someone getting sleepy, he jumped in without hesitation. He slept outside the Gurdwara door every night of the Akhand path, ever ready to do what needed to be done.

We also had students from our Teacher Training Class take turns behind the Guru Granth Sahib, reading it for the first time. All reported incredibly uplifting experiences, some crying some gaining new insight into their lives and others reaffirming changes they knew they had to make. We all basked in the glow of the Guru’s words. Each time I read I had my difficulties sitting comfortably, bending over the beloved pages, repeating the words sometimes in Gurmukhi but mostly in the English translation. These words of Nanak, these words of Kabir and Ravi Das, among others managed to turn my mind inward towards meditation but also outwards toward the universality that the Guru Granth Sahib speaks of constantly. Each time I read, I found somewhere towards the end of my assigned hour that I could not wait for the next reader, my anxiety increased, as the pages seemingly crawled past at a snail’s pace, my physical being wanting to escape this difficult task but when they did arrive I found myself almost resentful and unwilling to give up my place. But of course I did, crawling on hands and knees out from behind the book, turning towards the Guru, pressing my forehead to the floor, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude that my Guru had allowed me those precious minutes. I was almost immediately rested, refreshed and eagerly awaiting my next turn.

And so quickly went those 72+ hours, teaching, reading prepping karah prasad, sleeping only a little and, admittedly, neglecting the time I would usually spend reading Jap Ji, doing yoga and chanting the exquisite mantras of our Aquarian Sadhana.

Until this morning (Wednesday, Nov 30) when I finally was able to rouse myself from a warm bed, face a cold shower and return to my “assigned” place in the Sat Tirath Ashram Sadhana Room. The music CD was new to me, though I know I have played it many times before. My seat, upon a well used zafu loosely filled with buckwheat hulls was comfortable enough and entirely a fresh place. The delicate mala I held between two fingers was mine and has been for a while, but it too had a novel feel as each hematite bead slipped through my fingers.

I felt like a new person, just discovering this original way of dealing with one’s joy and pain, one’s depression and elation, one’s damnation and ecstasy. Even when it came time for Virasana and my knees and ankles and heels refused to settle into it properly and I had to accept my grave shortcomings and be content to chant and chant and chant. Even that too was new though the pain was old, very old.

And so there I was, back in sadhana where I had always belonged from the time of my birth until now. There was no turning away even though I had rolled over in bed these last few days burying my discipline among the blankets and pillows and sheets. There I was, home, in playtime for my soul, basking in the sound current adding my own off key voice, implacable and determined to wear away the enormous ego and/or karmic load that I was born with. There I was, lucky enough to have found a way out of it all and hopefully to earn a new life, settled and benign, grateful to my teacher and all that he has given me. And I finally realized that it included that time reading from the Guru Granth Sahib and I remembered that at one time I would have resented being anywhere but sadhana, the amrit vehla, 4 AM to 6:30 AM. Now I was back where I belonged but in truth I had never really left it. I was home. Behind the Guru, upon my sheepskin. beneath my shawl, embraced by my beloved.

What's it all about: Sadhana!

The Siri Singh Sahib once said, “You cannot live by feelings and emotions; you have to live by your intuition and consciousness.”

It seems pretty clear (No, VERY clear!) which path we should be walking. By what method or methods can we master our feelings and control our emotions while at the same time expanding and sharpening our intuition and raising our consciousness?

Well, let’s see ... I could practice the “Kriya for Changing Emotion to Devotion” ... or maybe “Ghost Kriya: Clearing the Ghosts and Opening Intuition” ... then of course there is the “Meditation: Self Hypnosis to Develop Intuition.” And, of course the “Kriya for Thoughtfulness” and the “Meditation: Make your Mind Sensitive!”  And I could practice “Strengthen Intuitive Projection.” or I could chant the mantra “I my mind, we thou thee.” so I can be, as he says, ready to “reach the point of the end of achievement, fulfillment and creatively, you have left a legacy.”  And if I do the meditation “To Know Through Intuition” I can save myself and those I serve a lot of time. But then there’s So Darshan Chakra Kriya (a personal favorite) which I do “just for fun!” and which also just  happens to give the “necessary vitality and intuition to combat the negative effects of the unchanneled subconscious mind.”

I suppose I could go on for pages and pages of kriyas and the concomitant volumes full of meditations that the Siri Singh Sahib has given us over the years but that would  be just gilding the lilly so to speak!

All we really need to do is to protect our sadhana;
The one he spoke about very early on then constantly afterwards during his time as our spiritual teacher here in the West; 
The one he said would overcome all of our problems and situations;
The DAILY sadhana;
The one that happens every single, freaking day;
Whether we like it or not;
Whether WE show up for it or not;
Whether we stay awake for it or not;
Whether we ask Guru Ram Dass to awaken us for or not;
Whether we plan for it the night before or not;
Whether we project it from this day to our last, or not;
Whether we inspire others to attend or not;
Whether we believe in it or not;
Whether we think it will benefit us TODAY or not;
Whether we know in our hearts that whatever our problems, this can solve them, or not;
Whether we teach this to our children and our students, or not;
Whether we leave it as OUR legacy to those that follow us, or not;
The one that he attends, whether we do or not.

As he said, far better than I ever could: "Sadhana. That is where you sit, dwell in the thoughts of the soul, and peel away all your non-reality with the vastness of your spirit. If you train your mind this way, then you will discover something for yourself. If you live in absolute fearlessness, God will live in you because fear and truth cannot go together."

So what tools am I using to to support my work as a minister? Sadhana, from the early morning alarm, cold shower, Jap-ji, yoga, meditation to the reading of the hookumnama in our humble but beautiful gurdwara. These are the ONLY tools I have and the only tools I need. With them, all the misfortune and misinformation I feed my mind; the bad habits I have cultivated; the memories that make me bitter, or crazy or unhappy; they all fall away like raindrops off a speeding car--always in the past, ineffective and of no consequence.

Karta Purkh S.Khalsa


 

My Shawl ... My Sadhana

   It is said in India, if you have a shawl, you have shelter. That of course says more about India than it does about shawls. But this is the story of one shawl, mine.
   I have, for the past thirty years sat beneath the same shawl. Oh, there have been brief dalliances in sadhana with other shawls, some pure white and light, others lighter than the proverbial feather, but always and often I come back to this one, now faded blue/grey shawl.
  Oh, of course, if there is a more formal gurdwara than our post sadhana daily one, all my wife has to do is raise an eyebrow as I pick up my dowdy, faded shawl for me to switch to one more decorative and crisp-- for being out in the sanghat on a Sunday or at a wedding.
   But I must easily admit, I like the feel of the faded one, the way its soft often washed material rests upon and warms my neck. The way it’s generous expanse covers my hands held  upon my knees (in Gyan Mudra during Morning Call) and slightly the ground or floor around me on my sheepskin (I can’t tell you how MANY sheepskins I have had, lost, worn out, or meditated into tatters!!!)
 I almost remember the exact place where we bought this shawl and two others just like it (One for me, one for Sat Inder K and one for the baby (Guru Shabd K) not born until five years later. It was at a rather large  shop, hard by a Hindu temple, across a wide river (maybe the Ganges) somewhere  in northwest India during our 1980 Yatra to the Golden Temple. Anandpursahib and Hemkunt Sahib.
   Then the shawls were a bright, nearly sky blue, a color they no longer are. Now it’s more grey and some of the tassels at each end have come untied. But it has covered my back, to use a modern cliche, during countless solstices and sadhanas and White Tantric Courses. And that was its purpose. Rare is the Solstice Sadhana that I do not come wrapped in this shawl. (A friend once commented that he has found me there a number of times, identifying me by the shawl as non-descript as it is.)
   Now, it seems all I have to do is wrap it around my shoulders and I feel as though I could sit for hours in meditation. Don’t get me wrong, I still fidget with my body and fight mightily with my mind; but the reality is that the shawl, this piece of tattered cloth still exacts a strong influence upon me. It truly is a part of my meditation. I have sat under it for countless hours thinking of so many other things. That must surely count for something in the Akashic records. While this one humble object purchased so long ago for very little money (a few hundred rupees for the three of them, I think) serves the absolute purpose of steadying my attention, keeping my spine covered and warm and perhaps a bit straighter, and therefore makes me a bit stiller, quieter, stronger and maybe even a bit holier.  
   It is not what determines how I do in sadhana. It doesn’t get me down there. It does not propel me into a cold shower or roll me out of a warm bed. It does escort me down the stairs and keeps away the early morning chill as I check the front porch and the parking lot next door. All of these things would be possible without the shawl. Guru Ram Das and Yogi Bhajan, and my wife, Sat Inder Kaur and even a healthy dose of my own determination accomplishes all of the above. But the shawl ... without it I might be a little stiffer, a little colder and perhaps a little more hesitant. With it, I am there. And this I suppose is the reason I am so biased in favor of this humble shawl.

To The UnSupreme Court

To five black robed troglodytes who inhabit what is supposed to be the highest court of the land. In reality it is a darkened passageway in a law library where narrow minded men and women peer with their tunnel vision into a fantasy wonderland named Might-have-been.

Dear Justice Alioto: I suppose that you have never been awakened in the night by rapid and staccato gunfire as you slept in your comfy cozy home. I am sure that the suburban landscape which you inhabit keeps a pretty tight lid on folks settling arguments with gunfire. A good night’s sleep is a precious thing in some cities and urban neighborhoods. But that doesn’t concern you, does it? You probably have the luxury of a 24 hr security guard, or at the very least a monitored system that keeps things nice and quiet for you and yours. It must be nice.
 
Dear Justice Thomas: I suppose that you have never walked by a small business and seen a police officer go in with his gun drawn expecting to confront a petty thief with a weapon.  These guys in uniform, that patrol our streets, I really don’t know how they do it. I mean, think about going to YOUR place of work and expecting that some fool will try and compromise your safety simply as a way to get some ready cash for what is probably a bad habit. But you can’t can you? It’s nice and safe where you live and work isn’t it? Otherwise how could you come to such a harebrained conclusion about guns and how our society should deal with them.
 
Dear Justice Scalia: I suppose that you do not read the newspaper and the stories contained therein of small children, imitating their parents, fooling around with a handgun, and killing a brother or sister, quite by accident, of course. That might make you wince perhaps and consider ways to keep such deadly items out of the hands of children and their careless parents.  Have you considered the consequences of your actions, because the children cannot. They have not had the benefit of the education you have. They just have guns to play with not laws.

Dear Justice Roberts: I suppose you have  ignored the stories in that same newspaper of cars careering down some street, in the poorer section of town, exchanging gunfire with another car. Well, you must say to yourself, they are adults and they know why they are doing something, as foolish as it might sound. But do they? As you collect your paycheck each week or month, so they are “collecting” or should we say enforcing theirs ... that”s all, just trying to survive in whatever weird, contorted and enraged way our society has driven them to.

Dear Justice Kennedy:  I suppose you have never driven down a street and seen a gun just lying there in the roadway, discarded quite easily, since they are so readily available. Well, sir I have! It now sits in a drawer in my office, with no ammunition or even empty clip which is stored elsewhere. I consider myself a responsible adult. I would not dare allow a loaded gun anywhere on my premises. But that’s me. You however seem to think its OK for folks to own, operate and fool with loaded guns. Why is that? Are your emotions always under perfect control? For a lot of folks that sort of control is ephemeral due to social pressures, ignorance caused by a derelict educational system and financial hardships.

I also do not suppose that any of you have ever looked out of your third story apartment as I have and peered down at an unidentifiable man seemingly pointing at a car containing two women. But then the end of his hand turns into a gun and the two women, one of them pregnant, are dead and their car is rolling slowly down the street until it stops after bumping into another car. The man has fled and I don’t know why any of this happened, except that someone had a gun and used it.

To all five Supreme Court Justices who voted against the Chicago law restricting their purchase ands possession: The reason I ask these questions, and make these suppositions is that if you had, if you had one modicum of real experience in the life and death struggle that is our nation, you might have thought differently in the recent decision about gun laws.

I am not advocating the banning of guns but I am begging for a reasonable and real restrictions on the ease with which guns (especially handguns) are obtained; the frequency with which they are utilized and the pain that they cause all of us, excluding you of course!

Code of Ethics (Before Columbus)

A friend of mine who practices Native American Spirituality sent me this LIST of 12 statements that defined the Traditional Indian Code of Ethics.  I have underlined her notes and my comments are in a regular font.

Traditional Indian Code of Ethics

Give thanks to the Creator each morning upon rising and each evening before sleeping. Seek courage to become a better person. If we do not remember our Creator each and every day we are in danger of losing that innocence and sense of grandeur which defines us as humans. In trusting “God” by whatever name, image, intention or concept you please, we elevate ourselves to a place closer to our origins. When we are intent upon becoming a better person we are also seeking to strengthen that connection to the Creator. Our sense of self relies upon improvement -- how sad would be the day when we acknowledge that we care not to uplift ourselves or others.

Showing respect is a basic law of life. Aside from the obvious that we should treat others as we wish to be treated is the simple valuing of a life so we might really know our own value. Viewing another person as less (or even more) valuable than ourselves says that we truly believe this world to be a crapshoot dependent only on luck or misfortune as determining factors in how treat ourselves or another. We might well then spill a drop of water or, in some careless way blood and cause the death of another. We cannot sayit doesn’t matter, when it really does!

Respect the wisdom of people in council. Once you give an idea it no longer belongs to you. We must really LISTEN to others if we wish to be listened to. How often have you found yourself preparing a counter argument as another person was still talking? If we have gathered to discuss, then first we should listen, really hear and ultimately understand what another is putting forth. If you do not respect the speaker, then either he or she or you should not have come to the meeting or council. Since you usually have little or no control over who is invited or who rises to speak, then most likely you should content yourself with hearing, digesting and truly understanding. And once you do thoughtfully speak, trust your listeners to listen as you have done and not worry about whether you were heard properly and whether your words were given their proper weight. Know that your efforts and intentions will be rewarded with the same grace and gravity that you have put into them and the same gravity and grace you have offered--no more and no less.

Be truthful at all times. What other aim can you possibly live with than the truth. “The truth is high,” the Sikh’s first guru, Guru Nanak said, “but higher still is truthful living.” We all know the truth if we have thought at all about it, but to live that truth is the most difficult and perhaps cumbersome obligation. Nothing is easier than looking away from the unfortunate or importuning. Nothing is harder than seeing and doing. It takes a special and honestly heart-full person to see and act according to our highest nature. It is inconvenient, expensive, gut tightening and often knee weakening. Can we do it? Of course we can. Should we? Again, of course. But will we?

Always treat your guests with honor and consideration. Give your best food and comforts to your guests. We do no honor to those who come to us if we hand them a thin blanket, a cleared out space in a corner to those who come to us for whatever reason. Are leftovers and scraps what you would serve an honored guest? Of course not. Treat every guest as honored for every guest is an opportunity to exalt those who come to visit for whatever reason. And for that, the opportunity to exalt, is why they come to us. And our efforts do not go unrewarded ... or punished if they fail.

The hurt of one is the hurt of all. The honor of one is the honor of all. How are we unconnected to each other? How do we not know that the common link of humanity runs through the entire chain of living human beings with no break anywhere unless it is snapped though our own carelessness, prejudice, disdain, hatred, feelings of superiority or inferiority or simple ignorance. How can we not want to know and understand the grace and strength and beauty of our fellow beings? If we do not care then we do not rise to the occasion of our own divinity, morality and charity that is our inborn heritage.

Receive strangers and outsiders kindly. A new person, a stranger, one who is not like us is no danger until their actions so determine them. Until then, they are opportunities to learn and understand. They are new knowledge to integrate and new behaviors to regard in wonder and resonance. How often has history taught us that unmindful actions have destroyed all the potential of beneficial actions because we only regarded another through the lens of misunderstanding?

All races are the children of the Creator and must be respected. To disrespect is to mistreat. There may indeed be people in the world who are dangerous and full of hatred. It is our task to clearly see and make provision for our own safety and the safety of others in their presence. Yes we need police and we need a defense but where and what is the sense in aggressive actions in order to change others. The senselessness of terrorism is obvious to all but those who propagate it. But what are the issues which have birthed the terrorist? Have we calmly assessed and made even the slightest effort towards solutions? The situations into which people have been driven are what we need to address. If all we do is react then we are not seeking solutions but merely readying ourselves to respond. That is not respect, it is wariness  and paranoia. 

To serve others, to be of some use to family, community, or nation is one of the main purposes for which people are created. True happiness comes to those who dedicate (decorate) their lives to the service of others. There are many opportunities for happiness. Some quite rewarding, others merely selfish. Happiness is really complete when it is shared with others. The happiness we hold to ourselves is usually fleeting, temporary. Who loves us more than our families? Who depends on us more than the community in which we live? Who offers us more than our nation? When we serve in an unselfish and honestly open manner our service multiplies. It touches many and improves their lot. Whether it is a close relative  or a stranger who never sees your face service always blesses the world.

Observe moderation and balance in all things. Watching athletes perform incredible feats may indeed be exciting, but for 99.99 % of the rest of us watching is scary enough. For the most part, to seek balance in our pursuits, appetites and passions is probably the most rewarding. The wages, not of sin, but of “passionate” pursuits are usually a fall, the greater the aspiration the more cataclysmic the failure. We must really enjoy those things we do, whether it is in a career, a marriage, a hobby or a spiritual practice. Is there a job for everyone that will make us a millionaire? No. Is there a soul mate out there who is perfectly complementary to us? Probably not. Instead we should pursue a central way that neither impinges on the well being of others nor curbs our own best inclinations. A Native American Medicine Man I once knew advised nothing more than that we should “Walk in balance upon the Earth Mother.”

Know those things that lead to your well being and those things that lead to your destruction. How often have we “enjoyed” some experience or pleasure or diversion one day only to deeply regret it the next because of a hangover or misspoken word or misplaced trust?  Very few are those events in our lives which we cannot with some forethought avoid. We do actually control our environments. We can avoid those people and places and things which inevitably lead to trouble or pain or unhappiness. There is little wisdom in not looking directly into a noon time Sun. We just do not do it without the expectation that our vision will be distorted at least temporarily.  How reflexive though is the inclination to not eat that rich dessert after a gourmet meal?  Usually, the gluttony ball is already rolling and it takes some determination to pass on it. That is wisdom, the alternative self satisfying foolishness. We should live our lives in awareness -- awareness of those people and things around us which can cause good or ill.

Listen and follow the guidance given to your heart. Expect guidance to come in many forms; in prayer, in dreams, in solitude and in the words and actions of elders and friends.  Our hearts are the figurative centers of our well being. Things you “know in your heart” are those things you trust and believe in. To live in one’s heart means to live and love openly. It also means to be aware of those things which are dissonant with our hearts. Things that we know without having learned them from a book or a teacher. This is our intuition, our inner voice, our dream. This intuitive inner voice can lead us in many positive directions when not clouded with emotional desires or hungers. The intuitive voice is the result of listening to others, our elders and friends who have life experiences we do not. It is also the result of our quiet and meditative moments when we listen, not question or wonder, but just to listen.

WINTER SOLSTICE MORNING, 2009

WINTER SOLSTICE MORNING

GURDWARA
Sat Nam,
Bowing to my Guru first thing after awakening and bathing
My only prayer is gratitude
Thank you
I am here and you, my Guru are here
Thank you for the safety of my journey
Thank you for guiding me  surely through the winds and rain to this place
Where I might bring my head low
Present it to you and pray you might accept it
My first place
At the feet of my Guru
Gurdwara

JAPJI
The air is cold and sweet as it is meant to be
The sky is clear and starry as you have blessed it to be
The space around me is filling with souls like minded and assuredly holy
Dressed warm in many coats and colors against the cold and the early hour  
We gather to read a not so ancient prayer
That bespeaks the entire Universe
And yet says  to me that only this time
And this space is
Sacred
Sacred
Sacred
Gently repeated until finally
Shunyia
I can listen and hear and remember and understand and perhaps live this truth
Live this dharma
Live this way in which each day is stolen fruitfully  from a painful fated future
Simply destined, clear, perhaps courageous, conscious, prayerful,
JapJi

YOGA
Many exercises which I can and cannot do
Due mostly to my age and arm and knee and whatever else may be in my akashic physicality

The Spinal Flex and Sufi Grind I can do quite easily
But Wheel and Cobra are quite beyond my current senseless willingness to a won't-ness
So I am content to struggle good humoredly with my failing body
Hopeful only of incidental success
Gained gently because of the past efforts reaping good karma in lieu of laziness
This is
Yoga

MEDITATION
There is the millisecond before the Word after the breath linked to the Sound inside the Moment
Of Truth
These mantras:
Ek Ong Kar
Wah Yantee
Ek Ong Kar (again)
Sat Siri, Siri Akhaal
Rahkay Raakhaanharee
Wahe Guru, Wahe Jio
Guru, Guru, Wahe Guru
Repeated repetitiously unafraid and unaware of boredom
Like oaths affirmed in both heart and head
A single voice joined to many other voices
Guided through and by the guitar's vibrating strings and air passing through each throat
A musical instrument built of bodies
Alert to sleepy spines and the early hour's call
To sleep
But don't go back to sleep
Stay strong,
Stay straight
Remain in voice
Alert to a moment
We shall only recognize in its passing
Meditate O my mind
Meditation

GURDWARA
Walking down the lighted path
Dollar in hand
Praying for
Healing
Prosperity
Liberation
A safe journey home
Akhaal for the returning soul
For births and birthdays
From all our doubts-deliverance
Praying
Saying
Singing
The Guru's Order of the Day
And finally a warm and oily lump of sweetness
The Amrit Vehla's payback
Prasad

Held firmly but

Shared with my soul

Gurdwara

_______________________

 

 

 

Postures, pranayams, practices and Flowers*

 POSTURES, PRANAYAMS AND PRACTICES:

A Baker’s Dozen of Ways to Master Kundalini Yoga This is by no means a complete catalogue of Kundalini Yoga postures and pranayams. They are, in the author’s opinion, some of the crucial ones which will prepare the practitioner  and allow him or her to succeed in their further study of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. Some teachers consider Kundalini Yoga a toolbox containing all  of the things you need to improve your life on the physical, mental and spiritual levels. I am of the opinion that Kundalini Yoga is a garden. A garden filled with beautiful flowers. Some we must bend and stretch to experience their scent and beauty, others are there, simply for the plucking and some lie in between, with thorns to be known carefully but fully. They are all rewarding, they are all experiences of nature’s and our own beauty, and they are all as perfect as we are in our sincere practice of them.
 

• Archer Pose: This is one of the greatest yoga postures and amazingly easy. It will expand many aspects of your nature including your energy, nervous system, lung capacity, confidence and self esteem. It is important to breathe strongly when using this posture. Begin in a standing position with the feet about shoulder width apart or wider. If you wish to begin with the left foot, point it forward while the right remains at a 90 degree angle to the left. Bend the left knee and keep the right leg straight allowing it to slide out as necessary behind as you look out over the left leg. The left knee should bend and come slightly forward so that if you look down you should not be able to see the foot behind the knee. Raise the left arm, parallel to the floor, hand in a fist, thumb extended as if holding a bow. The right hand grips the (imaginary) bow string and with the deep inhale pull the bow string so the right hand is back just below ear level. Begin to breath long, deep and powerfully. The eyes are open, staring “through” the upraised left thumb. Hold the position, feel powerful, feel yourself a warrior about to fight off the combined forces of your enemy the ego. (I imagine myself, bestriding the earth, gripping the planet with my feet, planting myself there, holding it steady with the force of my will.) Work up to three minutes a side, then expand the practice to five minutes, seven minutes and ultimately eleven minutes. The results will astound you. 
   
• Bow Pose:  It can give your body a greater level of flexibility. It will also develop your respiratory and digestive systems and can make you feel and look much younger than your actual age. If you want “six-pack” abs, consistent practice of this simple exercise is a must. Lie on the stomach; bend the knees until you can grab and hold the ankles or the heels. Lift the upper chest off the floor while arching the head back and lift the thighs and knees. Essentially you will be balanced on the abdominal area. Begin a Breath of Fire ... fast, strong and steady. The body should almost “bounce”. This can also be done with long deep breathing while rocking on the stomach from the knees all the way to the upturned chin. Continue. Perfect it and it will perfect you.
   
• Breath of Fire - The practice of this pranayam or breathing exercise is to Kundalini Yoga what water is to a fish. Without
   it, you would not be practicing Kundalini Yoga. The easiest way to learn is through practice. You may not “get it” the first time but repetition will enable you to experience its benefits and perfect its technique. Breath of Fire (BoF) is best learned by sitting in Easy Pose, hands resting on the knees. Open the mouth, stick out the tongue and begin panting like a dog. You’ve seen canines on a hot day, imitate that. After 30 seconds or so bring your 
  attention to the Navel Point, Note how it proceeds in and out -- out as you inhale and in towards the spine as you exhale. Continue the breath and increase the pace at a comfortable rate. Once you feel secure in this mechanical breath, close the mouth and proceed with the breath through the nose. You may find that your abdominal and diaphragm muscles will “cramp” up slightly as you continue. These muscles are not used to working in this fashion and so may initially protest at the beginning. Once again, practice is the key. It should only take a few three minute sessions before the muscles are toned and ready to extend the practice beyond three minutes. Then you may begin to combine the breath with other yoga postures, stretch pose, cobra pose, bow pose and so on.
   
• Front Stretch: Also called Life Nerve Stretch--doing it will stretch out your life. Sit with the legs straight out in front, no bend at the knees. Point the toes back towards the head, take a deep breath and relax forward WITHOUT arching the back. Keep the spine as straight as possible except for the movement folding the body at the hips. Ideally you are soon holding on to the toes. Relax in this posture with deep breathing allowing the spine to stretch with each exhale.  In a perfect world
   the heart center would be resting on the thighs and the bridge of the nose against the kneecap where amazingly it fits perfectly. If you do not achieve that level of “perfection” enjoy what ever level you attain. Breathe deeply and relax within it. After you have become comfortable in the posture, you may activate it by inhaling up, exhaling down, keeping the spine basically straight and not letting go of the toes. breathe powerfully.  This will free up your hips and help develop flexibility in the hamstrings and stimulate the sciatic nerve. It is also be beneficial to your shoulders.
   
• Kirtan Kriya, Sat Kriya and Sodarshan Chakra Kriya are three very powerful Kundalini Yoga  kriya/meditations. All three use very specific mantras employed in very specific ways. For these reasons I would hesitate to to simply write out instructions on a blog. These are better taught by a qualified Kundalini Yoga teacher in a regular Kundalini Yoga class. Learning in that way, the student has a chance to ask questions, clarify instructions and be observed doing the practices correctly.  Yogi Bhajan has praised the power of this triumvirate as a sure and steady way to enlightenment.
  Plow Pose: This posture may not be suitable for beginners though it can be altered somewhat. It puts pressure and massages specific points on the body and the chakras. It will strengthen and align the reproductive organs and chakras as well as the heart and Anahata Chakra. Lying on the back, left the legs up and support the lower back with the arms bringing the legs all the way over and behind the head. Most of the pressure will be on the neck and shoulders so do this exercise slowly and carefully. If you cannot get all the way over you can remain in a modified shoulder stand supporting the lower back with the arms, elbows on the floor, hands supporting the lower back while you allow the legs to go as far over as comfortable. Ideally the toes would touch the floor behind the head. Experienced yogis can bend the knees making the posture more powerful by putting more pressure on the neck and shoulders.
   
• Spinal Flex: Yogi Bhajan has said, “Your age is not measured in years but in the flexibility of the spine.”  Spinal flexis
   one way to help assure yourself of spinal flexibility (and a youthful life experience). Usually done in Easy Pose or sitting on the knees and heels you inhale and lift the heart center up and forward and then exhale relaxing back into a semi slouch. Start slowly and increase the pace as you warm the spine up. People with spinal injuries or deformities ( ex: scoliosis) should proceed slowly and cautiously, relying on the guidance of a qualified Kundalini Yoga teacher. 
  

• Stretch Pose: Want to develop the strength in your abs?  It also works on the Navel Chakra and give you greater willpower and energy and strengthen your nervous system. Stretch Pose is done flat on the back. Begin a Breath of Fire. In sequence, continuing the Breath of Fire, lift the hands six inches off the ground, facing the hips, palms facing each other. Then lift the head up so you can see the toes.You really won’t get a good view so you must lift the heels six inches off the ground, toes pointed, knees straight, all the while continuing with the Breath of Fire. 
   
• Sufi Grind: Hands on the knees and ideally attempt to move the middle of the torso in a circular motion, kind of like a belly dancer. The head and shoulders should be relatively motionless. Very few students will be able to do this perfectly but the benefits are in the intention and the attempt. It doesn’t matter which way you go just be sure and go in both directions  It can increase the strength of  the digestive and elimination systems and tone the spine and back muscles. It is usually one of the first exercises I teach in a class after an initial pranayam.
   
  
• Torso Twist - This is probably the easiest of all these thirteen. Simply put your hands on your shoulders, fingers in front, thumbs in back and swing the upper torso inhaling as you swing left, exhaling as you swing right. Be sure and breath powerfully; it doesn’t mean you have to do it fast but breath powerfully. It is an easy twisting motion, keeping the elbows up at shoulder height. Do at least 25 -30 repetitions (more if you like) before inhaling straight ahead, stretching the elbows back bringing the shoulder blades together.  Hold momentarily, before relaxing the arms down and exhaling. Energizes the neck and shoulders, opens up the lungs, stretches the rib cage and sets you for the exercises to follow. 
• Trikuti Kriya - Place the soles of the feet together as close to the body as you can comfortably manage. Move the knees up and down gently stretching the inner thighs. After a minute or so, in the same position, relax the legs bring the spine straight and lean the head back looking up at the ceiling. Begin a Breath of Fire, stressing the front of the neck slightly, stimulating the thyroid gland. Continue for one minute and then bring the chin to the chest with the BoF, stretching the back of the neck, working on the hypothalamus above the roof of the mouth. Finally, come sitting straight (with BoF) and lean forward from the hips still keeping the spine essentially straight, stimulating the adrenal glands.  One minute in all positions gives a burst of energy to the entire glandular system. 
   

*All of the pictures that accompany this article were taken in the Peace Garden on the grounds of Sat Tirath Ashram in Kansas City, MO. Their placement has no particular meaning or relation to the postures or techniques discussed. They are, like the yoga, just enjoyable.
 

SUMMER SOLSTICE 2009 -- PEACE PRAYER DAY

Each year, around the time of the Summer Solstice, there is an interfaith gathering held in the Sangre De Cristo Mountains of New Mexico. Organized by Sikh Americans, it is open to all faiths and beliefs. Its focus, as designed by the late Sikh leader, Yogi Bhajan, is to encourage prayers for peace. Part entertainment, part celebration, part ceremony, it combines to form an illustration of how differing people and faiths can work together towards a common goal, in this case, peace. The 24^th Annual International Peace Prayer Day was held on June 20, 2009. It's stated purpose was:

  A Peaceful Heart—Recognizing Sacred Prayer in Every Action.

This year's program got off to a rousing start with Bhangara --a Sikh/Punjabi folk dancing form by a group of young American Sikhs – Izzat da Punjab (sic). (Pictures 1 & 2) The dance is active, stylized and aerobic and has gained popularity among young people of all ages in places like London dance clubs.

In contrast were the Tewa Dancers of the North Ohkay Owingeh. Their Eagle Dance was stately, graceful and informative of traditions and beliefs. We were blessed to be blessed by one of two medicine men or shamans. (Picture #3) (Pictures #4 & #5 show the Eagle Dancers.)

 

The Zevk Ensemble led the gathering in a series of sacred Sufi devotional chants. Their heart centered rhythms and words and our own participation conferred an aura of peace over the 7,000 foot high mountain meeting. (Pictures 6, 7, & 8)

 

The efforts of the assembly were made sacred in a number of ways. Native American shamans came to bless the crowd. The second shaman was from the Chumash

 Nation.  (Picture #10) A sacred flame was brought by runners from the Sanctuario de Chimayo, a a 300 year old Catholic chapel in the hills behind the Espanola, NM valley.  (Picture #11). With the flame he ignited (Picture #12) a sage bundle which he then used to purify the place and the people and their intentions (Picture #13). The ceremony ended when all the participants were invited on a Sacred Healing Walk around a concentric path that aided them in meditating, chanting and just being with the earth, the universe, each other and themselves.

KUNDALINI YOGA and SURVIVING IN THESE HARD TIMES

KUNDALINI YOGA and SURVIVING THE HARD TIMES

Yes, times are hard and seemingly getting harder. But there are a lot of things you can do to get through whatever the Universe has to throw at you. There’s a great toolbox in Kundalini Yoga and by rummaging around in the teachings you can find what you need to “Keep up” in these hard times. Here are a few suggestions:

1. DESERVE - To begin at the end: we trust that the things you’ve learned at yoga class are serving you well i.e.: helping you to love yourself, no matter what the circumstances of your life. You DESERVE the same patience, love, understanding, and encouragement you give to a good friend, a beloved, or to someone in need! Your continued study and practice of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation will help.

Yogi Bhajan has said, “If you pay a little bit of attention to yourself and show love to yourself you will find yourself to be different. You have been taught to hate everything, and that what you do not hate will eat you up. This is your most stupid behavior.” 7/19/01

2. SERVICE - Call a local church, synagogue, mosque or temple, social service agency, or community center, and see if you can be of service to those in need. Ask your yoga instructor if they have any ideas of how you can serve; talk with your fellow students and work together. Serve.

3. GENEROSITY - Connect with the source of all abundance. Tithing (giving a percentage of your income to a spiritual cause of your choice) commits you to a good cause or those in need, even when it doesn’t seem convenient. It's a Universal law that those who give will always receive. Give.

Yogi Bhajan has said, “If you do not already pay … begin now! And add one dollar more each day … so that your community can be in strength and spirit. There are certain principles in life that have to be learned.”

He recommended the following meditation: Prayer of Surrender - Sit in Easy Pose with the hands loosely held crossing at the wrists (left over right) palms up, relaxed, thumbs separate. Close the eyes and sing along with the Ajai Alai mantra for 62 minutes. Chant as if you are being recorded, in that consciousness. During the last three minutes, switch to a powerful Breath of Fire. To end, inhale deeply, expand the chest and shoulders. Expand the body and exhale. Repeat 3 times. 10/04/01

4. SADHANA - Daily Kundalini Yoga & Meditation, even of the briefest sort, can help you remain, in spite of outside pressures, in a very positive internal place, which will then uplift you and those around you beyond the bleakest of financial events. Sadhana. A student said, “I have no sense of satisfaction although I have been doing Sadhana for 20 years!” Yogi Bhajan replied, “20 Years of Sadhana is nothing. Some students who have 2,000 years of Sadhana are still here. Sadhana gives you the way to conquer life. It is your humility, which gives you discipline, for humility makes you flexible. We have such blindness that we do not know how to be grateful. The purpose of life is to be grateful. The purpose of our discipline is to bring the grace and greatness of God into our inner thoughts.” 2/19/01

5. POVERTY - Do you have less now than you had before? Hard times are a blessing in disguise. (For a fuller explanation read the English translation of the 25th Pauri of Jap-Ji Sahib by Guru Nanak.) The less we have in possessions, the more we can see those blessings that remain. “If you are consciously compassionate, sweet and smiling, you will never be poor. Your poverty is your misbehavior, your poor talk, not receiving people, acting like a stranger, not socializing and being alone.” Yogi Bhajan, 7/17/01

6. STRENGTH - Keep your Navel Center strong, your body balanced, your mind calm and your spirit elevated. In other words be sure your daily spiritual practice is strong, balanced and consistent. This will assure you and those around you of positive outcomes. Nabhi Kriya in the Intermediate Meditation Manual.

7. OPPORTUNITY – Opportunities sometimes knock down our door. Social networks work! Kundalini Yoga gives you the awareness and intuition to understand and to act on these opportunities. “Sequence has a consequence. When we start a sequence, the consequence will be there. If you do not want the consequence, do not start the sequence. Have that control! Control your couldn’t.” Yogi Bhajan, 9/04/01 Meditation for Intuition and Strength of Excellence – Sit in Easy Pose. Cross the middle finger behind the index finger and lock the other two down with the thumb. Bring this mudra up to the level of your ears. Elbows are by the rib cage. Chant with the Tantric Har from the Navel Point as if you were Lord Buddha, constant and consistent. 11 Minutes. To end, inhale deeply, hold, and let it multiply into the being. Exhale. Repeat one more time, then inhale deeply and powerfully, hold, pull the navel point in, exhale and relax.

8. SIMPLICITY - Simplify your life. Do you really need a new “thingy” when your current “thingy” still works? New stuff might only satisfy you temporarily, if then! Out with the old and don’t bother with the really new unless you can justify it in a number of ways other than “It’s really cool!” or “I don’t know why, I just want it!” Also, how much of your old stuff do you really need? If you haven’t used something in 12 months, get rid of it according to Paramahansa Yogananda. From Yogi Bhajan, “Some people elevate themselves above the attachment of the earth. They BRING prosperity to the earth and greenery to the same shore from which they have gone. Lift yourself higher and higher; with your chakras open and working in unison. The higher you go the vaster your horizon will be.”

9. PATIENCE - The media's gloomy forecasts and hysterical headlines do nothing but darken our thinking. What goes around comes around. You can’t know the upside unless you’ve experienced the downside. Hard times are real, but like all cycles they will change. We are a nation of “consumers” according to the media. According to Yogi Bhajan, “You consume your good luck, you consume your destiny, you consume your dignity, and you consume the gift of God—the prana of life. And then you blame others for it! As a human being you are complete. Follow the path of grace with patience and self control.”

Meditation - Healing with the Breath of Life – Sit in Easy Pose, lock the neck in Jalandhara Bandh. Cross the arms, right over left, with the hands in the armpits. “Concentrate on the breath of life with pure sentiments.” Make an “O” of the mouth and inhale, exhale through the nose for 11 to 31 minutes. During the last two minutes heal yourself, chant slowly and melodiously, Ra Ma Da Saa / Saa Say So Hung. (You can of course play the music throughout the meditation but only chant at the end.)To end, inhale and hold squeezing the body and spine, Exhale, repeat twice more.

10. INFINITY - Your identity is your Infinity. Happiness is your birthright. Prosperity is more than your net worth. The recognition of Infinity in you and others is your perfect vision. Really see your Infinity and see it in others. After all, “If you can’t see God in all, you can’t see God at all,” Yogi Bhajan says. He also says, “This is the Age of Aquarius where people will acknowledge each other by being sensory human beings, not by face, features, color, status, or religion. In the Age of Aquarius, people will meet with a sensory psychic flow beyond any barriers and any consideration of wealth.”

Meditation – Create Balance – Sit in Easy Pose, right arm forward at sixty degrees with the palm down. Left arm straight up, palm also facing forward, Breath of Fire for 11 minutes … last four minutes make it heavy; last minute make it really heavy. To finish, inhale and hold, squeeze the body, Cannon Fire exhale. Repeat twice more. During this meditation/kriya your right arm angles yourself while the left arm raises your antennae. The BOF opens all the chakras and burns your karma. “The body will come into balance. Once you are balanced, your thoughts, projection and progress will improve.

Here in Kansas City, a number of Sat Tirath Ashram members and students have committed to the 1,000 Years and Beyond Meditation. We are gathering each day in the Sadhana Room at the 3HO Kundalini Yoga Center on Walnut Street or in our homes to participate in this beautiful meditation for 1,000 days. We began on Valentine’s Day (2/14/09) and we’ll continue until Nov 10, 2011 when there will be a world wide coordinated meditation (11:30 AM Pacific Standard Time) when the cusp period will end and the Age of Aquarius will be fully installed in the Universe. Yogi Bhajan has said we will be challenged on every front—and from that pressure, a new culture of consciousness will bloom.

I’m not saying I (or we) will be perfect in this 1,000 day meditation, but we will continue and if our focus stumbles or stalls we’ll take it up again and continue. If you want to join (It’s not too late!) just click on the link above for all the information you’ll need. As of this writing in March 0f 2009, we still have more than 900 days to go. Just remember, to survive any crisis, go through any trial complete any task, exercise or meditation (White Tantric or otherwise) all you have to do is “Keep up and you will be kept up” as a wise man once said.