Kundalini Yoga Yogi

Mantra

WHY USE MANTRAS?

In Kundalini Yoga we use mantras – words repeated as part of our yoga and or meditation. Many people are put off by such practices. “Why,” they ask, “Should we repeat words in a foreign language from a different religion that I don’t know a thing about?” The word “brainwashing” ripples through their suspicions.

The simple fact is that Kundalini Yoga is not just a body of knowledge we use to physically improve ourselves. Kundalini Yoga works the body, the mind AND the spirit. It is a wholistic science (yes, a science, a very definite and effective science.) The words that are used by a Sikh might be religious but to a non-Sikh they are merely useful tools in elevating the consciousness. In reality these are ancient words that have been passed down from practitioners who were yogis and yoginis and who were religious only in the sense that they believed in their own inner divinity. They were not Sikhs or Hindus or Moslems, they only believed in God. As for the validity on using such mantras here in the West, everyone’s physical makeup is essentially the same. The effect of the breath rhythms and sound vibrations is similar if not exactly the same. Mantras are spiritual, not religious, they connect us with our higher selves.

Yogi Bhajan, who brought this science, this Kundalini Yoga to the West, says, “Mantras are not small things, mantras have power. They are the mind vibration in relationship to the Cosmos. The science of mantra is based on the knowledge that sound is form of energy having structure, power, and a definite predictable effect on the chakras and the human psyche. Each time you perfect a mantra, you are a like a master musician who can evoke elevated states of being from the instrument of self.”

On the concretely physical level mantras, through repetition (correct repetition) regulate our breath and breathing rate. This is the first step towards elevating the spirit—regulating the breath. Then the physical movement of the tongue and lips forming the words actually touch and stimulate meridians in the head which cause our glandular system to function correctly. When the glands work correctly the body becomes healthy, the mind happy and the spirit wholly holy! This will affect even the most recalcitrant practitioner and bring enlightenment even if they repeat a mantra by accident.

 

***********Not all mantras are in a foreign language. Here's an expirement you might try; for 24 hours or a week or 40 days.

Yogi Bhajan said “There are three mantras you should never say:

1. I      don’t know.
2. I’m      not ready.
3. I      can’t do it.”

See if you can go without saying those words, to yourself or anyone else."**************

To address the most obvious “problem” that people might have in that a Christian or Jew say, might be asked to repeat a mantra using words that a Sikh might use. A Sikh (Yogi Bhajan) brought Kundalini Yoga to the West. These words are from his cultural/religious background. The simple fact is that his teacher using these words taught him and so he in turn taught them to his students. Mantras are words spoken by holy men that elevated them to an ecstatic and enlightened state through their repetition. As we will explain, words (mantras) have power. They can enlighten us even if we do not speak the language of the mantra.

Using the energy of a mantra is a tool that will bring about positive changes in our consciousness and your life. Yogi Bhajan has said, “You may not deserve something, and there may not be the situation for it, but, God, you will have it. In this case it’s not your karma which matters; it’s the mantra which matters. After all, in the beginning there was sound; there was the word; the word was with God, and the word was God. That created the Universe, it manifested the Universe” So, it can certainly manifest the changes you need within your life, mind, psyche, etc.

Mantras are formulas that alter the patterns of the mind and brain chemistry, according to yogic and metaphysical laws. There are a conscious way we have of controlling and directing the mind, whether we chant them aloud or silently. We are occupying the mind with these words of ecstasy and holiness (or wholeness) so we might replace sorrow, regret and such negative occupations with truth and clarity, happiness and wholeness. These vibratory frequencies or thought waves determine the program we plan for our day to day lives.

A mantra is, or can be if we use it, the mind’s relationship to the Cosmos or Universal Consciousness. How many wise people have told you that every single word you say is what you are manifesting around you in the world? They (the words) are the confirmation of how we see, think and embrace the world, whether they are positive or negative, loving or hateful, saintly or evil. Each word we elect to speak reinforces repeatedly how the world IS around us – whether we are physically safe and cozy or endangered; emotionally fulfilled or distrustfully neurotic; financially safe or on the edge of hunger; happily living in grace or cornered and threatened throughout the day.

We choose our lives.

We become our vibration.

We define how we feel.

We project that to others.

We create every word we speak.

We are our prosperity, our peace, and our intuitional wisdom.

We determine them by the selecting the mantras.

We choose to push into motion what we really want for ourselves.

Yogi Bhajan: “We meditate so that our minds can be sharp and alert. We chant mantras so that our souls may be ignited like candles. In the light of this beauty we will walk.”

And this is why we use mantras in Kundalini Yoga.

 

Physically fit?

Can Kundalini Yoga keep me physically fit?

Yes, but, and it is a big “but” if you’ll pardon the choice of words. You see, Kundalini Yoga, and the consistent practice of it can lead you to a more fit way of life. In addition to providing a generally active life style, Kundalini Yoga works to keep you in good shape. By “generally active” we mean that if you just do Kundalini Yoga you are robbing yourself of one of the main benefits of such a practice. You see, a daily practice of it gives you more energy to do MORE things; walking, running, cycling (my favorite), swimming, etc, whatever is your pleasure. If all you did was Kundalini Yoga you would be OK, but Kundalini Yoga gives you the energy and awareness to do more, to excel and find new levels and depths within yourself. When I say daily, I mean 20 minutes, half and hour, one hour, two and a half hours, including meditation. It is not the length of time however that is important but rather the consistency of doing it on a daily basis.

Practice keeps us fit, and when it involves vigorous Kundalini Yoga kriyas, we usually wind up more fit. If you are active, you will exponentially increase your endurance, stamina, flexibility, and strength. Kundalini Yoga works on many levels: physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

THE PHYSICAL BODY--First, Kundalini Yoga is a yoga that builds nerve strength. This nerve strength allows your muscles to do their work efficiently without exhausting or cramping them. You can have the body of a champion weight lifter, but without nerve strength you won't lift a fluttering butterfly. Nerve strength gives us endurance and the ability to keep up in the face of our own laziness or negativity about exercises.

Most Kundalini Yoga exercises are vigorous and powerful. They increase the heart rate and so are aerobic and therefore challenging. Combined with a pranayama or breathing exercise such as Breath of Fire these exercises and the kriyas that comprise them are especially aerobic, invigorating and fitness inducing.

Many poses require us to hold sometimes-difficult positions, which result in the isometric contractions of large and small muscle groups. They may seem difficult at first but continued practice and the improvement of our execution of them are rewarding as well as relaxing. Such poses as Cobra, Triangle Pose, Font and Back Platform, Camel Pose, and Bridge Pose and others, can build quite a bit of strength. The more advanced you become in your practice, the longer you can hold the poses and thus accelerate your fitness level. Improvement is found on all fronts with increased stamina, strength and accuracy of posture. The key is to steadily build that practice. Very few worthwhile goals are accomplished overnight; steady and continued “work” builds results.

The pranayamas (or breathing techniques) of Kundalini Yoga such as Breath of Fire (said to be quite aerobic) increase lung capacity by improving the flexibility of the rib cage, upper abdomen, diaphragm, shoulders, neck and back. This gives the lungs room to expand more fully making them much more efficient than average. (The lungs of a human being would cover a tennis court if spread out completely.) Such breath techniques accelerate fitness and health by soaking the blood with oxygen--just one of the reasons one feels so amazingly energetic and at the same time relaxed after a Kundalini Yoga workout! One of the things Kundalini Yoga has to teach us is that a focused breath can accomplish unimagined fitness if we practice it on a consistent (daily) basis. Stretching the legs, arms and back muscles increases our flexibility builds muscle size and increases their ability to use oxygen efficiently.

EMOTIONS-Kundalini Yoga brings balance to our emotions through a healthy glandular system. The glands are the most important aspect of general health and well being. If they are not functioning at an optimum level our consciousness is stunted; the immune system can break down; digestion will be poor; the ability to react to and contend with crisis is diminished. As a result our emotions control us rather than us controlling them.  The importance of the glandular system with regard to overall health can't be overestimated.  Many diseases, even the common cold, can be the result of a misdirected or misunderstood emotion.

MIND-The mind is a muscle, believe it or not. So in addition to keeping our physical muscles toned, we also have to “exercise” our minds. Just as in the scientifically affirmed theory of muscular memory we can train our mind’s muscle to meditate almost in an automatic way. The habit of meditating can easily be established over a few months time. Attaining the meditative state relieves stress and gives us a realistic view of the relative importance of the things, which happen to and around us. Similarly, when we meditate we create a habit of focus, which kicks in when we need it in our lives.  Meditation also gives us the ability to process information in nonlinear ways.  This is one of the cornerstones of creatively solving problems.

SPIRIT-Our spirit truly shines when we are inspired to demonstrate our courage and commitment. These two qualities of spirit can carry us through many different sorts of problems, tests, crisis, Etc. Strength is not about lifting weights, but rather about our inner steel and spirit. These qualities give us the glow of health both mental and physical that radiates from within and even inspires those around us. Kundalini Yoga builds our inner strength, our radiance and self esteem.

Kundalini Yoga and meditation:

ü Reduces stress;

ü Helps heal our relationships (it will change for the better your outlook on and understanding of, them, and therefore “heal” those relationships);

ü Improves your health and sleep;

ü Is a powerful therapy that uplifts you and those around you;

ü Increases your radiance;

ü And boosts your overall outlook on life. 

The best thing about Kundalini Yoga as a fitness plan is that it synchronizes your body, mind and soul or spirit. You will find a new breath awareness, an expanded consciousness and a toned physical body, allowing you to work at your maximum fitness capacity not only on the physical but mental and spiritual levels.

If you want to do just the yoga that is possible too. The best, most efficient and effective form of exercise is the one you enjoy most and can do on a regular basis. Practice a variety of kriyas and meditations. As a beginner, do a brief set of moderate yoga at least two to four times a week, more of course would be better even if you spend only 20 minutes on it. It is best to do some other form of exercise maintain fitness. A simple 30 minutes of walking and/or light weights.

 Remember, the most important aspect is consistency and regularity. What you do every day has the most beneficial effect. This is why Kundalini Yoga is so powerful. It offers a coherent and effective program of activity on all three of our existence levels that anyone can adapt and practice to their own real benefit.

Hatha Yoga / Kundalini Yoga

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KUNDALINI YOGA AND HATHA YOGA?

Hatha literally means Sun-Moon yoga and is specifically directed at   the body-mind partnership. Kundalini Yoga, however, is for the body-mind-spirit continuum and therefore wholistic. Hatha is for removing duality, while Kundalini is for awareness and for connecting with the infinite in a balanced and “wholistic way. They each have a powerful function and effect.

The practitioner must make the choice as to how “far” he or she wants to go with their practice. Kundalini Yoga presents us with some major differences. In Kundalini Yoga we don’t just do any sequence of postures (asanas), breath techniques (pranayamas), mantras (spoken words that elevate the consciousness) mudras (hand positions) etc. we are instructed to utilize specific sequences of these techniques that are balanced and effective for the body, mind and spirit.

As an example: how healthy is it really for a scientist to just use the mind in his or her work without getting some exercise for the body and real relaxation for the mind. (Albert Einstein walked briskly to work each day when he was a scholar at Princeton.) Or imagine someone just meditating, meditating, meditating endlessly? How long might it be before the soul just separates from the body never to return? Not a desirable consequence if there is more meditative or karmic work to be done. What if someone just does body building, lifting weights to the shallow end of making their body beautiful? How long will the beauty last? Until the moment when the exercises stop!

When we don’t work the body, mind, spirit in a balanced way, with a discipline like Kundalini Yoga the imbalances accumulate and after some years you may started seeing results that remind you of one or more of the previous three scenarios. With Kundalini Yoga we combine asanas with pranayams, eye and finger postures, and inner awareness. While flexibility is not the main purpose, you do improve your flexibility and other aspects of the mental and spiritual life because your overall energy is increased and the physical / mental / spiritual systems run better.

Yogic teachings related to us by Yogi Bhajan tell us that 1 year of Kundalini Yoga is equivalent to 11 years of Hatha yoga, and another 11 years of meditation and connecting with the infinite. Yogi Bhajan had a choice when he came to America: to teach Hatha Yoga or Kundalini Yoga. He was a master at both styles of yoga. (See the book “Kundalini Postures and Poetry” by Shakti Parwha K. Khalsa for an illustration of classic yoga postures demonstrated by Yogi Bhajan.)

With Hatha Yoga, he would play it safe. He could probably become rich and teach what was expected of him as an Indian Yogi. Some people back in India were advising him to teach the safer and less controversial Hatha yoga. They said, “People in the West don’t want a higher awareness!”

He was, however, very perceptive. When he saw the spiritual craving people have in the West, as displayed by their many addictions, in search of a “higher” consciousness he chose to break the seal of secrecy of Kundalini Yoga and teach it instead of Hatha Yoga. The Western involvement in drugs, alcohol, free love, the peace movement proved to him that Westerners wanted more than just a healthy body and min. They also desired to know themselves and their infinite consciousness. Kundalini Yoga is the path for this destination.

OUR CONNECTED UNIVERSE

OUR CONNECTED UNIVERSE: WE ARE NOT ALONE

I am sitting across from my wife gently holding hands. We are meditating. We are connected in mind, body and spirit.

We are surrounded by more than a thousand other people sitting in the same posture. We all are meditating. We are all connected in mind, body and spirit.

We share a breath rhythm. We sing the same song. We hold our hands and arms in the same position. Each couple ordered and arranged like circuits in a computer – meditative energy flowing through us all.

It may be easy to feel connected to a group of people, no matter how large or small when sharing such yoga, meditation and prayerful contemplation. But I know that this shared connection is present within us at all times no matter what our frame of mind, the action of our physical body or what words we are voicing. I also know that no matter how separated I feel from my fellow man or woman, the quality of my life and of those around me is determined by how deeply I think about and act upon that sacred connection.

We need look no further than the Middle East. The people there were nourished and given birth by the same Mother Earth. The same blood runs through all of their veins. Their culture is a shared one. Their religious beliefs are, if not identical, then certainly inextricably linked. And so what might the solution be? Political, economic and certainly nationalistic ones fail daily on an utterly grand and tragic scale. But recognition by the people there of their personal links, their history and their culture might easily overwhelm all other obstacles. What if each and every Jew and each and every Muslim were to taste of the truths contained in their separate scriptures? What if they were to recognize the overarching blessing of peace promised by their God, as truly real and incontrovertible?

This is what I, as a Sikh, believe about my nature and yours. We have been granted life by the same beneficent force that carries this universe on its journey through time and space.

Sikhism sprang from the enlightened teachings of Guru Nanak at a time of great conflict between the Hindu and Muslim religions. Forced conversions were common; people who resisted were slaughtered. Guru Nanak stated simply, “There is no Hindu; there is no Muslim; there are only souls worshipping God.” He believed that man’s only fulfillment in the life we are granted is to realize his/her connection to the One God. In sum, Sikhs know that there is only One God. All religions worship God, in many forms, shapes and names. But there can only be One God. The Sikh scripture, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, the only Guru of the Sikhs, states in its very first words (indeed all that follows in some 1200 plus pages is merely explanation if this truth):

Ek Ong Kar – There is but one Creator.

Sat Nam – God’s existence is Truth.

Karta Purkh – All that happens (Creation) is a manifestation of God.

Nir Bhao – Fearless.

Nir Ver – Revengeless.

Akhal Moort – Undying.

Ajuni Sai Bhang – Unborn and self-illuminated.

Gur Prasad – This is known through the Grace of God & Guru.

Jap! – Meditate (Remember and Know these things!)

Ad Sach – God is (was) True before the dawn of Creation.

Jugad Sach – God is True throughout all time and space.

Hebi Sach – God is True even now.

Nanak Hosi Bi Sach – O Nanak, God shall ever be True.

If I, as a Sikh, can hold fast to the simple and yet complex truths stated above I will live my life to its fullest potential. I will see all men and women as my brothers and sisters and therefore do no harm to any one or thing. I will know that all of my thoughts, words and deeds have an undeniable effect on those around me.

I am not avowing that all people should think as I do, as a Sikh. Our religion firmly declares the sacredness of all religions and indeed of all people. We respect and have love for the teachings and practices of all enlightened masters. As a former Christian, I can truthfully say that I have a deeper understanding and love for the words and actions of Jesus than I ever understood as a young man who called himself a Catholic. I believe I see within the words and practices of all religions the same things I see within my own. Jesus, Guru Nanak, Moses, Mohammed, and Buddha all gave us the same wisdom in different languages and from different cultures but they all spoke of our universal brotherhood. The wisdom bestowed upon us by these God-conscious saints was and is the same for each, couched in different languages, formed from different sociological pressures, displayed in the light of individual histories and practiced according to varied cultural agendas.

But in the end, in the final analysis, we all come from the same God, we all worship in the same mind place and we all deeply believe in our sacred and eternal soul as a gift from that God. Our connection to each other is as unbreakable as our connection to our Creator. Unless we all change or are changed by our faith then we are doomed to continue down this horrific path of constant conflict and pain. Realizing the Oneness absolves us of all obligations and loyalties except to our divinity.