11/29/2009
8/15/2009
7/28/2009
Spirituality
In the tradition of non-theosophism, however, it is very direct that the case history [sic] are not particularly important. What is actually important is the "Here" and "Now".
"Now" is definitely now. We try to experience what is available there, on the spot. There's no point in thinking that the past that exists, that we could have now.
This is "Now".
This very moment.
Nothing mystical, just "Now", very simple straightforward.... and from that "nowness" however, arises a sense of intelligence, always, that you are constantly interacting with the reality, one by one, spot by spot, constantly. We actually experience fantastic precision, always.
But, we are threatened by the "Now" so, we jump to the past or the future. Paying attention to the materials that exist in our life; such a rich life that we lead.
All these choices take place all the time but none of them are regarded as 'bad' or 'good per se. Everything we experience are unconditional experience(s). They don't come along with a label by saying "this is regarded as 'bad', this is 'good' but, we experience them but, we don't actually pay heed to them, properly. We don't actually regard that as we're going somewhere. We regard them as a hassle, waiting to be dead.
So that's the problem.
And that (problem) is not trusting the 'nowness', probably, but is actually experienced. "Now" possesses a lot of powerful things. It is so powerful that we can't face it therefore, we have to borrow from the past and invite the future all the time.
Maybe that's why we seek religion. Maybe that's why we march in the street. Maybe that's why we complain to society. Maybe that's why we vote for the presidents'.
It's quite ironic though and very funny indeed."
- Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Lecture in Los Angeles (1983)
7/18/2009
7/15/2009
6/01/2009
Kundalini 12
THE ELEMENTS AND ENERGY
One of the goals of yoga is to balance the five tattvas. The tattvas are the elements that make up our human existence and indeed all life - AIR,
WATER, FIRE, EARTH AND ETHER.
The elements are related to the chakras. Each chakra embodies the energy of one or more elements.
The astrological signs each embody the energy of one of the elements. When we work with the energies that are available at any specific time, it is
easier to tune into, align with and tap the energy of that element.
CULTIVATING CONSCIOUSNESS
The practice of Kundalini yoga will automatically facilitate our alignment. However, the actual performance of the exercises or asanas is only half of our practice. The other half is the development of our awareness. We must practice focusing our mind on what we are feeling, thinking and experiencing in order to cultivate a deeper experience of reality and ourselves. It is through our mental focus that we develop our sensitivities to energies. It is through our attention that are able to participate in the process of our own alignment, healing and relaxation. It is by listening that we hear the voice of our soul, our intuition and receive the answers to our prayers.
I practiced Hatha and then Kundalini yoga for many years before I realized that I must sit still and be with what was going on with my thoughts, body, and emotions in order to make conscious shifts especially in my mental and emotional states. The Buddhists call this attention mindfulness. The experience of being with our fears and resistance in our bodies is not comfortable. We have trained ourselves to avoid feeling uncomfortable at all costs. Unfortunately the price we pay is very high. We lose our power to what remains unconscious.
We often think that we just have to do more yoga or more chanting and all our disfunctions will all go away. Our issues do not simply all disappear. Some do. And that is wonderful. But many require our conscious awareness, and choice, in order to be changed and transmuted. Kundalini yoga and meditation bring our issues into the light so we can choose to release them and move on.
Beyond releasing negative patterns, resistances and thoughts, there are infinite possibilities of consciousness. The more we cultivate our awareness, the more we experience and the richer our lives become.
THE INNER JOURNEY
I am integrating the knowledge of astrology with the Kundalini Yoga Training because it gives us guidelines on how to focus our awareness and expand our consciousness.
For those of you who do not have teachers and classes in your area, the guidelines on how to tune into energies will be especially valuable. Remember many yogis in the past went to a teacher to receive one meditation and then went away by themselves for up to 12 years to practice and perfect it before returning to the teacher. The spiritual journey is an inner journey. All the techniques are to coax us to go within and find the universe within ourselves.
In the last two New Millennium Being Newsletters, I have set out guidelines for tuning into Taurus and Earth energy. I have also given a meditation by Yogi Bhajan to practice during this time. The Har Har Gobinde meditation is actually a warrior meditation that was used to prepare soldiers for battle. Below I am including the Tune in to Taurus and the Meditation again. After practicing it for 11 minutes, simply sit or lie quietly and tune into and feel the energy as it pulses through your body. Listen within. And enjoy the moment.
Life is rich, elegant and beautiful. May you be blessed to enjoy every moment of it.
Sat Nam,
Guru Rattana
TUNING INTO TAURUS
The energy of each sign lives within each of us and awaits (or demands) activation and alignment. During the month of May, when the frequency of Taurus is so abundantly available, we are both obliged to learn Taurus lessons and blessed to receive her gifts. Tuning into the energy of the Taurus is the best way to take full advantage of the opportunities available at this time.
How do we tune into Taurus energy? It is going to be hard not to this year. It is so all-pervasive. Taurus makes us slow down. Stopping is a great start! Taurus energy also grounds us and helps us be very present in our bodies and aware of the sensations in our bodies. Slowing down, being present and feeling the sensations in our bodies will help us further refine our sensitivities to Taurus energy. By anchoring our awareness in the strong, steady and sensuous Taurus energy, we synergize with it. The more we can make this a meditation and a non-verbal experience, the more we will get to know Taurus within ourselves.
To help tune into Taurus energy we simply be present to the effects of gravity on our body. We can also recall some of the main attributes of the Bull, which include stable, loyal, patient, sensual, indulgent, stubborn, resistant, immovable, lazy, slow and attuned to the natural world. Our goal is to allow ourselves to experience these energies and then to work with them and allow them to nurture, sustain and teach us. The above attributes are all expressions of the same primal Earth and desire energies that bring substance to our existence.
EARTH ENERGY
Taurus is the Earth element, so during your meditation be sure to bring your attention to your root chakra. You may even feel the energetic roots from your first chakra connecting to the Earth. We want to establish an experience of rootedness and a secure foundation in our body. This is accomplished by simply being present TO the sensations in our body.
The use of symbols can be useful--like relating to yourself as a tree or rock-- stable, solid, immovable. I like meditating with a heart-shaped rock I found on the beach near my feet. If these props actually facilitate tuning into the solid, peaceful, totally accepting nature of the Earth energy, they can be very useful. Visualizations that keep our attention in the mind and out of our bodies are distractions. Of course, meditating or walking in nature is the best.
DESIRE ENERGY
Taurus is also desire energy. To tap it and make the best use of it, we have to experience it in its most primal form before it becomes an emotion or a commotional story. Meditating on yourself as a flower can help stimulate a feeling of self-love. Taurus teaches us that one of the highest forms of healing is available through self-love.
In its purest form, desire energy translates into charisma and magnetism. To cultivate desire energy we again have to focus on the sensations in our bodies and practice loving what we are feeling. This helps us contain our energy, which makes us a magnet. Being present to the peaceful Earth energy and indulging in how wonderful it feels to be at peace in our bodies is a great way to cultivate presence and power.
TUNING IN
Uranus and Aquarius specialize in surprises and serendipity. Although fortuitous events may appear as good luck and misfortunes may seem like bad luck, there are no simple coincidences in the universe. Every event, every person and every breath are connected in the cosmic web. The connections are usually invisible to our untrained eye and escape our attention because we live behind the cosmic veil and are unconscious of how the universe works and even how we ourselves impact everything with our actions and thoughts.
Earthy Taurus energy gives a chance to slow down and be silent so we can intuitively tune into the intricate and awesome interconnections that link us with universal energies.
When we slow down, we can get in touch with our true values and what we really want. Like the Bull, we can chew and digest life. And then we can simply be present and enjoy it.
MEDITATION FOR PROSPERITY AND SUCCESS
The New Moon always begins a new annual cycle in one of the twelve signs. Joined by the Sun and this year Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, we definitely have a chance to initiate a new cycle in relationship to Taurus energy, issues and opportunities. The New Moon is the best time to start a project or spiritual practice. Yogi Bhajan has given the following meditation to do during this period of time-while the Planets are in Taurus, to be able to deal with the intensity of the energy and the challenges during the shift to the new millennium and the Aquarian Age, and to be successful.
This meditation has 40 sounds. It effects the 5 tattvas (air, water, fire, earth, and ether), the 7 chakras and the arch line. This mantra can penetrate into anything and help avoid misfortune. It has the power to break through any resistance or obstacles. It is sacred but it is not secret.
HAR, HAR, HAR, HAR - repeat before each of the following mantras
Pump the navel center (below the navel) with each Har. Use the tip of the tongue. Chant in a monotone, enunciating clearly each syllable or chant to a tape.
GOBINDE - Go bin day--Sustainer
MUKUNDE - Mu kun day--Liberator
UDARE - Oo dar ay--Enlightener
APARE - A par ay--Infinite
HARING - Har e ung--Destroyer
KARING - Kar e ung--Creator
NIRNAME - Nir na may--Nameless
AKAME - A ka may--Desireless
Choose one of the following mudras (hand positions) and do for 40 or 90 days for 11 minutes.
Thumb touching Jupiter finger (index) - to remove all obstacles
Thumb touching Saturn finger (middle) - for inner purity
Thumb touching Sun finger (ring) - for health, prosperity and friendship
All the resources that you need will come to you.
Thumb touching Mercury finger (little) - for clear communication
A great version of this mantra can be obtained from Yoga Technology - contained in the Blissful Spirit CD by Gurunam
Copyright © 2003 - Guru Rattana, Ph.D.
5/30/2009
Kundalini 11
Food, diet, weight loss, eating disorders, and other addictive substances and behaviors-whatever our specific issue, everyday we are all confronted with what to put in our mouths and how the decisions we make affect our well-being. My approach is to use our addictive tendencies as a path to empowerment. In the process we can claim "the gifts from the garbage."
3rd Chakra: Yoga and making and breaking Habits
The ability to make and break habits is associated with the navel center or third chakra. When our navel center is strong we have the will to make decisions and to keep them. There are many navel exercises and sets. Many of these can be found in my manual Transitions to a Heart-Centered World. Breath of fire is a great navel breath as is 4 part energizing breath. You will find the instructions for the 4-part breath on the Yoga Technology website -
http://www.yogatech.com/kysets/44breath.html
Do this 3-5 minute exercise 3 or more times a day, especially at moments when you are being pulled to a compulsive, addictive behavior.
(Remember the navel center is slightly below the navel, approximately
1-2" below the navel itself, where many nerve centers converge. You can identify it by a pulse which gets stronger after navel exercises like the 4-part breath, leg lifts and stretch pose.)
Many addictions, especially smoking, drugs and alcohol are related to the fire element. Navel breathing, especially breath of fire and 4 part breath, give us the fire energy we crave. As the energy we create begins to satisfy us, we are released from the hold of the addiction.
A strong navel center is a requirement for being able to commit and keep your commitments to yourself. Daily practice to strengthen the navel center is the first commitment we need to make to ourselves.
2nd and 3rd Chakras: Digestion and Power Center
There are MANY things going on in our body that we can connect with if we tune into and are present to our energy. The second chakra, which is located in the lower abdominal area, is where much of our additive and "food" issues reside. Whereas the third chakra can be identified by a pulse at a specific point, the second chakra is a space which generates rhythmic movement.
The abdominal area is our power center. Women especially learn to hold in their stomachs. The result is a constant tension and continual blocking of our internal source of power. This is the area where our digestion and elimination is regulated. When we create stress by holding in our stomachs and have a negative attitude toward this part of our body, we interfere with our normal biological functioning.
When the belly is relaxed, digestion and elimination can occur in a natural and peaceful matter. Imagine you were a large or small intestine and that you had to carry out your job under the adverse circumstances that we create by holding in our bellies, blocking the energy flow and cutting off the breath. You wouldn't get the job done properly, so matter how hard you tried.
EXERCISE--One way to cultivate a relaxed abdominal area is to practice long deep abdominal breathing. Lie on your back, place your hands on your belly, let your inhale push your hands up and exhale relax the hands back down. Many women in classes I have taught have experienced dramatic increases of energy with this simple breathing exercise.
Our goal is to befriend our bellies and to consciously allow our energy to flow. Overtime our peaceful relationship with our energy and our body will supercede any programming of how our bodies should look. As we make friends with our bodies, HOW OUR BODIES FEEL BECOMES OUR COMMANDING TOUCHSTONE.
Security is our Greatest Asset
SELF-LOVE on an energetic level is our goal. For self-love to be real, we have to enjoy being in our bodies. This is of course a process that takes time. We have to be willing to feel uncomfortable and to experience our emotions. If we are willing, we will over time experience inner power and peace.
Yogi Bhajan taught us years ago that "A woman's greatest security is herself." This summer he reminded us again that a woman's greatest asset is her own security. And in fact, a woman can not really function as woman, i.e. use all her innate gifts, until she feels secure within herself. Can you feel the power of those statements? Just writing those words again
makes me sit up straighter and breathe deeper. I think the same is true for men. For both men and women, it is our inner connection that is our source of true power.
Maybe the core issue is not food or addictions. Maybe the core issue is our own security, our own self-love, and our dedicated commitment to living our own lives.
EXERCISE--The practice of long deep abdominal breathing as described above can be used to cultivate a feeling of security in your body and love of your physical form. Allow yourself to experience that the energy you bring in with the breath is feeding your body (because it is). This can produce a very satisfying feeling that replaces the addictive cravings. Another variation is to initiate the breath at the navel center. The focus on the navel center will help you consciously create the flame and the fire in your "lower furnace". The fire energetically builds your will power on a very organic level.
Feel Good
My most powerful driving force is to feel good. Almost everything I do is in one way or another related to the fact that I want to feel good all the time. This does not mean that I do, but it does mean that I do the best I can to cultivate a state of well being. Admittedly, it is a continual, lifetime task. I must be vigilant at all times. But feeling good is so important to me that it is worth all the time and effort. I do yoga everyday to feel good. And what I eat is mostly (not all) determined by how I will feel after I eat.
I remember several years ago I attended a class with about 40 women on habits, diet and eating. The teacher asked us, "Who considers how they will feel 3 hours later before they eat?" Only 3 women raised their hands. Wow.I was shocked. These were all spiritually committed women. So don't feel bad if you wouldn't have raised your hand. But do consider that making it a priority to feel good is something to consider. It could change your life and be a key to dealing with eating disorders and weight.
Actually, I believe that everyone is driven by the desire to feel good. We just need to make this desire conscious and learn habits and behaviors that make total well-being possible.
1st Chakra: Identifying Needs and getting them Met
Finding solutions to all our human challenges is actually a question of identifying our needs and figuring out how to get them met. Security and satisfying needs are first chakra issues. Some of some our basic needs that relate to food and addictions include the following-
-
To feel secure
- To feel a sense of well being
- To feel nurtured
- To be nourished
Please add to the list.
I operate from the premise that we all have needs and that our lives are organized around how to get them met. We may sabotage ourselves by doing things that don't really get our needs met or are harmful. But we are still internally driven to attempt to satisfy our basic needs. In fact, I believe that eating disorders, drug, alcohol and tobacco addictions are unsuccessful attempts to get our needs met.
In dealing with any challenge, the first step is to identify the need. The second step is to embrace it, NOT deny it or try to suppress it. The third step is to figure how we can satisfy these needs, without hurting ourselves, but instead by promoting our health and happiness.
Substitutes -vs- Deprivation
Food is often used an inadequate substitute for the above and other needs. Something is missing in our lives so we try to placate our craving with food.
The problem with bad food is that none of our needs are satisfied including the one for food. In fact we just crave more food. This is a serious problem even for those of us who try to eat a healthy diet.
Ingesting "food" that does not have its natural, complete vitamin-mineral content not only does not satisfy our bodies, it also creates cravings. This is because the body needs the complete vitamin-mineral structure to properly digest its food. If something is missing, the body will try to find it by depleting the rest of the body of those particular vitamins or
minerals and by sending out "hunger" signals demanding what it needs.
The problem today is that most of our foods are severely deficient in vitamin-mineral content. Genetically engineered foods are even worse because the natural crystalline structures of plants are simplified. As a result the cells cannot absorb what is left of the nutrients from the food.
This is the same for the water we drink. Pollution, purification, chemical additives and processing of water has debilitated our water to the extent that it cannot be fully absorbed by our cells. We are born with 98% water content in our bodies. Our cells are dehydrated down to about 75% by the time we are 40 or 50. And no matter how much water we drink, if it does not come from the few vital sources left on the Planet, our body's thirst for water is not totally quenched.
Now all this is rather depressing except for the fact that we do have some very effective vitamin and mineral supplements available to us that can satisfy our bodies. And recently there have been some major discoveries that help us revitalize the water we drink.
In addition, there is a lot that we can do immediately by choosing healthier foods. We can eliminate processed sugar, processed foods, fried foods, red meat and caffeine from our diet. The trick is substitution. Depravation does not work.
Sugar
Our bodies need natural sugar and foods of the Earth element. Fruits contain natural sugar. And there are many "health food junk foods" that are sweetened with honey and natural sugar from fruit. Although these are not as nutritious as a piece of fruit or carrot juice, they are not harmful like refined sugar and flour. I say minimize the damage and do your best to keep your body at peace without ingesting the known addictive foods-refined sugar being on the top of the list.
Refined sugar is addictive because of what I explained above. The natural nutrients have been extracted and the body craves more in an attempt to get the minerals and vitamins it needs to carry out its digestive and eliminative functions. Caffeine from coffee, coke, chocolate also dehydrates the body.
Since sugar is addictive, any amount of it generally provokes the craving and reestablishes the addiction. This is why it is recommended to eliminate it completely. If you have the guts to do this, I suggest having a good supply of substitutes on hand. Remember the need must be satisfied. Deprivation does not work. As the body gets accustomed to more complete foods, the sugar craving will subside. The need for natural sugars will remain because the body needs some of this food. Over time (and it may be a while) more natural sugars will be the only ones that satisfy you.
When I was young my mother made the most outrageous refined sugar-flour based desserts imaginable. It took me several years to eliminate my desire for refined sugar. The dessert habit, however, is still in my genes. Now I am satisfied with a couple of bites of Golden Temple Ginger Snap Granola.
To help break my refined sugar addition, I ate millet almost everyday for several years. Millet is one of the few grains that is an Earth food. All sugars are Earth foods. By eating millet, my body was able to have its need for Earth foods satisfied. I eat millet once in a while now. Amazingly I still like it.
I am not saying it was easy. But I am sharing that it was possible and it was worth it. I feel so much better without refined sugar. And as I said, feeling good is a priority for me.
Collective Addictions
Addictions support each other. A stop smoking course recommended giving up coffee, teas with caffeine and alcohol at the same time. Each one increased the craving for the others. They recommended substituting vitamin C, dried and fresh fruit. The vitamin C helps replace the nutrients lost and rebuild the substance in the body that is replaced by nicotine.
When to Start
The best day to begin any regime or Sadhana to break or make new habits is the New Moon. I have personally experienced that it is much easier to keep up and actually succeed when I start a fast on the New Moon. Yogically, forty days is the amount of time it takes to break a habit.
Oils
Somehow because of the cholesterol scare, we have gotten the message that oil is bad. Refined, fried oils are not easily digested by the body. Natural oils are needed by the body for optimum functioning. Olive or almond oil (not canola) in your salad dressing or added to your grains after they are cooked can satisfy these needs.
It is very important that women do not eliminate oil from their diets. No oil speeds up the aging process and makes menopause more difficult.
The Box Technique
Someone shared with me the idea that I now call the box technique. This is one way to deal with the psychology of what we eat and don't eat. We all actually use this technique all the time. There are things that we do not do and do not eat. We have them classified in a box. We do not eat food out of a trash bin. We don't eat rotten food. We wouldn't even think about it. We can choose to expand our box and put other foods in that box. This works if we keep the item in the box. And it circumvents a lot of mental anguish of trying to decide "to eat or not to eat." Over time the sides of the box will grow stronger and we won't even question our initial decision.
When I was young, I often ate much more than I needed. I was of course uncomfortable after I stuffed myself. I worried about getting fat, which did not happen, but I did waste a lot of mental energy and made myself uptight. One day, after college, I decided that I did not want to live like that. I made the decision to eat only until I was full and then I would stop. It took me about 2 months to get into the habit and integrate the strategy into my psyche. I am so much more comfortable mentally and physically that to do any differently is not even an option. I have gotten better over the years too. I look at my food, appreciate what I am eating while I am eating, even try to chew more. It all helps.
We have built in survival strategies. The trick is to discover your own version and use them to your advantage. As Yogi Bhajan taught us, the Universe is set up for us to win. Life on Planet Earth is to discover how to win our own game of life. We were all born with the innate wisdom to succeed and be happy.
Divine Addicts
Maybe weight and food problems are not really about food and weight. Maybe the issue is self-love. Maybe we should start out by loving our bodies as they are. After all everyone is different and therefore special. Maybe addictions are about taking back our power from those forces and "authorities" who we have let manipulate us. Maybe every issue we face is a spiritual issue between me and myself and me and the Divine.
My hypothesis is that we all have addictive personalities. We just have different addictions. Actually the addictive power is a spiritual necessity and gift. I believe we were given this quality to be able to hold on to our experience of God.
I propose getting high on Kundalini Yoga and using this addictive power to hold on to the experience. This sounds easy, but this reorientation is a challenge too. Holding on to the feeling can be as challenging as breaking an addiction. What we are doing is breaking an old habit and creating a new one. We are training our mind to reorient our focus. We are reversing an energy pattern that has been in place for a long time. We are challenging an old belief system and creating a new one. The trick is to patiently train yourself and to keep up until you are addicted to God.
You can cultivate an addiction to God with any Kundalini yoga set, breathing exercise or meditation. The important point is to do something to change your energy and then to focus on the feeling and satisfaction that you have created. Have fun feeling good and please share your results with us.
Many blessings and Sat Nam,
Guru Rattana, Ph.D.
Send comments or questions to
Guru Rattana@kundaliniyoga.org
Copyright © 2003 - Guru Rattana, Ph.D.
5/29/2009
Kundalini 10
I get letters asking my opinion about what someone has experienced. I do not give my opinion or interpretation of what someone else has experienced. My advice is to be with your experiences. They are yours for that moment and they will change. KY is about self discovery. Enjoy and savor your own journey.
My generic answer to "What's happening?" is one or more of the following --
(1) movement of energy,
(2) energetic alignments and adjustments,
(3) releasing of old programs and clearing of the subconscious mind,
(4) physical and emotional cleansing,
(5) expansion of conscious awareness of your true identity and
(6) establishing connection with the divine.
Stay Tuned In and Listen
My general advice is to be present to what you are experiencing without analysis. Many people write that they had this wonderful experience and then when they tried to process it in their mind, it went away. They were so disappointed. You will notice that as soon as you try to figure out what is happening the experience disappears. Notice that when you stay in your body your experiences last longer. You want to savor these precious moments. Insights come later.
As many spiritual writings tell us, "Understanding is the booby prize."
The truth is that everyone knows what they need to do, receives answers to their own questions and is internally guided. Practicing KY opens us up to this awareness. Yogi Bhajan used to tell us, "Go sit in your bedroom and be your own counselor." If we listen to our own intuition, it is easy to tune in enough to receive answers to your own questions. This is what I do. I ask and then I wait until the answers come through. They always do. Could be during meditation, could be while I am walking, driving or sleeping.
It could come sooner or later. But the answers are there if I pay attention.
Your most important job is to stay present. Answers will come if you stay tuned and listen. Healing will happen as you release your resistance to change. Gifts will appear as you align with your soul. The energy will teach you. The experience will awaken you. Enjoy your unfoldment. Kundalini yoga allows you to savor your life and live to the fullest. What a gift!
Opening Up to Experiences
Here are a few more comments on experiences.
(1) Everyone has his or her own experiences. The more we acknowledge and appreciate our own experiences, the more we develop our own sensory awareness system. Sensory awareness is what KY is all about. One of the principal goals of this training is to guide you in expanding your awareness.
(2) Change and variety are the norm in meditation. Our individual experiences vary according to our current stage of growth, what we are going through at a particular time, our moods, the stars, who else is in the house, if we are meditating in a group, and on and on. There are so many factors that influence us at each point in time, which eventually leads us to realize that the best thing to do is to tune into the moment and be present to ourselves, our feelings and our reactions. There are so many ways we get reminded to "Be Here Now." In the now, the infinite is available to us.
(3) What we experience can range from pain and anguish to joy and bliss. There is a myth that meditation is the mindless experience of bliss. Well, eventually we hope to have these experiences. Sometimes we do. Most of the time we don't. A lot of students wonder what is the matter with them when they don't automatically pop into a state of ecstasy. Nothing is the matter. It takes time to clear our subconscious and conscious minds of garbage accumulated for eons of time and added to daily. I always laugh when I read meditation exercises that start out with "first clear your mind." Actually I used to get mad when I read these words. If I knew how to clear my mind I wouldn't even need this silly book! Tell me how please! The lessons in this course are devoted to teaching you how.
(4) What needs to be cleansed, must be released. As one student shared in her experience of chanting Kirtan Kriya (SA TA NA MA Meditation) for 120 days, we may have to consciously remember and reencounter our fears and past traumas. (This meditation will be explained in Lesson #15.) The good news is that as we process our negative emotions with the cleansing power of a divine mantra, they get cleared out. We can free ourselves by going through the pain. Better 120 days of 31 minutes of anguish, than a deep ennui controlling your whole life.
(5) We also become aware of how our subconscious fears create our reality. This is why we need meditation and mantras. Mantras penetrate to the subconscious mind and clear the programs that we cannot consciously access. If we could, our naïve affirmations would work. How many of us have repeated some form of "I attract the perfect partner into my life", and then actually met our Romeo or Juliet? Or repeated prosperity affirmations and won the lottery? Life is not that simple. Life is a complex, rich and elegant game and hard work. Fortunately if we have the effective tools like Kundalini Yoga and meditation, life can also be fun, rewarding and empowering.
(6) The possibilities of what we can experience are infinite. One time a friend had a very powerful and blissful experience during meditation. He was so pleased. He went to Yogi Bhajan and recounted the whole thing, expecting to receive some positive response. Yogi Bhajan simply looked at him and said, "Son, there's more." Even when our experiences are pleasurable and "far out," there is still more to experience. There is always more. Our experiences are always changing. Don't try to repeat the same experience. Just be with the current one and enjoy it while it lasts.
(7) The gift of infinity is that there are no boundaries. The more we free ourselves of expectations and stop trying to recreate the same thing, the more we open ourselves up to unlimited inner and outer possibilities.
(8) Tuning into different qualities of energy is fun and useful. In a previous lesson I asked you to experiment with white and gold light. One person from Germany explained his experience, which from my experience corresponds very accurately to the nature of gold and white light. This is an example where I will say no more. I don't want to spoil your fun and delight as you cultivate your own internal knowing.
(9) Visualization is manipulation. Feeling is knowing. We may have visions, but they are spontaneous, not contrived by our minds. The less we try to control reality, the more we can tune into reality.
(10) One way to measure the effectiveness of your meditation practice is the changes and quality of your life. Can you sleep better? Are you happier? Are you less afraid? If so, you are making progress. One student reports that he got a job and can now support his family. His meditation is working for him.
(11) Someone mentioned in a letter that her sensitivity to soul connections is starting to open up. When she talked to me on the phone an awareness of knowing me before was very strong. This is also a result of meditation. We get beyond our mind chatter about our daily routines and tune into how we are connected to each other. Many of us were probably in monasteries together in past lifetimes. I know that everyone I work and play with I have met and interacted with before.
(12) We are connected to each other on so many levels. When we start to do KY, we become aware of these connections. Many of them are non-verbal. It is exhilarating to experience these feelings and awarenesses. Healing is taking place. And many things are being communicated at the soul level. The more we allow these experiences into our consciousness, the richer and more fulfilling our lives become.
(13) Be present to and get into what you are experiencing. The vastness and the richness are gifts from the universe. Bring them into your body and they will be yours for this precious moment on Planet Earth.
Copyright © 2003 - Guru Rattana, Ph.D.
5/28/2009
Kundalini 9
Yogi Bhajan teaches that the seat of the Kundalini is in the navel center. Reflecting on my experience over the last 22 years of practicing Kundalini Yoga (preceded by 8 years of Hatha yoga), I have often had an intuitive urge to return to the navel center. The answer to the question at hand, whether it is about me or a student, is often "strengthen your navel center."
The navel center is the focus of many spiritual disciplines. The Taoists start and return to the navel center while practicing the microcosmic orbit. (Internal circular breath that starts at the navel, goes down the front to the base of the spine, goes up the back to the crown and back down the front to the navel.) *(1) The internal martial arts initiate moves from the navel or don tien, which is 2-3 inches below the navel.
Where is the Navel Center?
In the very early Kundalini lessons taught by Yogi Bhajan, he said that the navel center is actually approximately 2-3 inches below the umbilicus. In these lessons, therefore, when we say navel center we are referring to a point 2-3 inches below the belly button. This is the center of energy that is the gravity balance point in the body.
When we pump our navel energy or move from our navel center we are actually pumping and moving from a center where thousands of nerves come together. Each person can find this center in their own body by doing the Kundalini yoga exercises given by Yogi Bhajan. As you practice the exercises, the nerve endings will be stimulated and the energy will coalesce at this point. Practice of any of the martial arts will also help you find and align this center of gravity in your body.
One way to know is by feeling the pulse at this point. You can also feel the pulse right at the navel or umbilicus. Either way, a powerful pulse will indicate that your third chakra energy is aligned or "set."
There are different schools of thought about the location of the navel center. I thought that all the martial arts taught that this center, called the don tien, was 2-3 inches below the physical navel. However, several years ago I studied with a Chi Gong master who taught that it was right at the umbilicus. The man was certainly a master of chi and his techniques worked. Kundalini yoga has been taught using both locations. It all seems to work. Individual practice will help you find and cultivate your power center. Might have guessed that the Masters would give us just enough information so we would have to practice the techniques in order to experience the truth for ourselves.
Opening the Heart Center
When Yogi Bhajan came to the West and Los Angeles in 1969, the strengthening and balancing of the navel point was one of the main focuses of his classes. His yogic message was that in order to get and stay in the heart center we first had to cultivate a powerful and stable base or the "lower triangle." The lower triangle is the lower three chakras - root, sex and navel. The major theme of my first book Transitions of the Heart-Centered World (1988) is how to build the lower triangle as a base for moving into the heart chakra.
It is interesting to look back and observe the different spiritual paths in the 70's and 80's. The message of the flower children of the 60's was "All we need is love." Yogi Bhajan attracted many of these flower children to his classes. We certainly need more love. The question is how do we get it? Yogi Bhajan essentially said, "If you want love, you have to prepare your mind and body to give and receive it." So while other paths were concentrating on opening the upper chakras to receive universal Love, Yogi Bhajan was teaching us breath of fire, stretch pose and other strenuous abdominal exercises. There was no time to sit around and love each other.
We were instructed to get up at 3:00am, take a cold shower and do 2 1/2 hours of Kundalini yoga and meditation. And then there was the rest of the program, which included seva (selfless service), devotional chanting, and teaching, setting up restaurants and ashrams. Who had time for love? We were exhausted!
Yogi Bhajan is a "Saturn" teacher. He teaches through discipline, lessons and committed action. We don't contemplate our navels. We pump them until they are activated and our internal energy moves spontaneously and dynamically.
From Anger to Action
One of the reasons for following a spiritual path is our desire to be more spiritual. However, we can't be spiritual if we are filled with anger and fear. We have to clear out or transmute our anger and fear in order to make room for Spirit and Love.
Anger is navel chakra energy. I like to think of navel energy in terms of "anger into action." When our navel chakra is strong, we have the energy to take action and accomplish things. When it is weak, we have difficulty taking action for ourselves. When we can't act, we feel like victims of external forces, outside authorities and political or economic systems. And indeed, when we do not take action to get our needs met and do what we want and need to do, we usually are victims. Those with a weak will, or navel center, are easy prey to those who live off the manipulation, control and exploitation of others through personal intimidation, guilt trips, advertising, political, financial and brut power. Not taking action on our own behalf and falling prey to the manipulation of outside forces, breeds inner anger and rage.
With rare exceptions, we all carry unresolved anger in our body and psyche. Everyone has experienced some injustice or abuse, which when triggered or remembered, sets them off. Our goal is not to get rid of this reaction all together. Anger is a normal and useful emotion. Emotions are the way our Soul speaks to us. When we experience anger, we are receiving information from our Soul that we must translate into messages that pertain to the situation at hand. Some messages anger tells are-"This situation does not work for me." "Don't waste your energy. Gracefully leave." "I need to take action." "Something needs to be done, and I better do something about it."
The problem with all our "negative" emotions-anger, fear and sadness-is that these emotions are too often not evoked in response to a current situation. What typically happens is that current life situations evoke unprocessed abuse and reactions from the past. One of our major life goals is to process unresolved emotions, so that our responses, instead of being automatically controlled by our past, give us accurate information about moment to moment circumstances.
Unprocessed emotions are stored on our body. Kundalini yoga is a powerful tool to help dislodge these emotions from our body and transmute this energy into higher frequencies. Anger is eventually transmuted into Light.
One of the most powerful ways to move out of the state of disempowerment into empowerment is to cultivate our own internal power. Yogically, the navel center is the place to begin.
As we work on the navel point, we will also work on the first two chakras. Yogi Bhajan used to tell us that a cup without a bottom is not going to hold much tea. In building the lower triangle, we are building our foundation, or the bottom of our cup, so that we can hold the universal tea of Love. Creating a bottom for our cup and clearing out the past hurtful memories from our cup are two important steps in making our "Transitions to a Heart-Centered World."
A Fast Path - "In Your Face" Yoga
In the yogic scriptures it is said that Kundalini yoga is 16 times more powerful than Hatha yoga. On the one hand, that seems to be good news. The Catch 22 is-- How do we make such quick progress? We are confronted with our issues 16 times faster! Kundalini yoga is "In your face yoga." Spirituality can be a rough ride. A lot of things get better and some things certainly seem to get worse! No spiritual journey is a free lunch. We are obliged to deal with our issues in order to set ourselves free.
I remember how some of us naively thought that everything would be blissful on a spiritual path. Many of us used to think that enlightenment was just a few meditations away. At one Ladies Camp many years ago, Yogi Bhajan responded to this fanciful interpretation of spirituality. He said, "I never told you that you would not have problems. I told you that you would be able to get through them.!"
Therapy and Group Healing
Kundalini yoga is a powerful tool that helps us unleash our vital energy. Regular practice unblocks and transmutes energy that is being held as stress, pain, anger and fear. Combined with the meditations, the breathing, movement and positions help clear our psyche, cleanse our subconscious and balance our emotional energy. However, the dynamics of the healing process often require outside support and interaction as well.
I used to believe that I could just do Kundalini yoga and meditate and everything would be taken care of over time. Kundalini yoga and meditation does much to purge us of the emotional charges of past traumas. However, to achieve lasting empowerment and inner peace, we must look at and consciously resolve our inner wounds. Kundalini yoga and meditation help us become aware of our wounds and give us the strength and perspective to consciously deal with them.
What is often referred to as our inner child issues (the wounds that we received or perceived that we received while we were very young) must be "healed." In addition to a spiritual discipline, this task is expedited by working with a competent therapist and working with a group such as a Twelve Step program. Interaction with a trained counselor who can identify our patterns and with a group that can support and accept us as we are, are invaluable parts of the human growth process. They complement and speed up our results. Realizing that we are not alone and identifying our common human problems and solutions as we move through the human experience can be a welcome relief and powerful asset to our healing. Bonding with others is not only comforting, it opens up our hearts.
Our individual process is a very personal part of the empowerment game. However, as we practice Kundalini yoga together, the Yahoo Groups system, for example, gives us the opportunity to share our results with each other. It is fun to monitor our progress. What issues are in our face that we can no longer relegate to our inner cave called denial. How have our lives changed? What is happening internally and externally? What different situations and new opportunities are we attracting? As you practice Kundalini yoga, keep track of your progress and share them with the group as you feel inspired to do so.
From Anger to Forgiveness
For your own personal processing, I recommend a book called From Anger to Forgiveness by Earnie Larsen. It is short, concise, to the point, easy to work with and cheap (only $6). For me, one of the most interesting and liberating lessons of the book was the revelation that past anger is often disguised as problems that we do not often associate with anger-depression, having the fidgets, being secretive, feeling victimized, being a workaholic, undefined agitation and smoldering rage.
I personally found that simply identifying a situation that made me angry as a child allowed me to become calmer in my daily activities. I discovered that my fidgety agitation and tendency of my mind to jump from one activity to another was linked to the expectation of over responsibility as the oldest child. The combination of the revelation of this understanding, sharing with a friend who was also working with the book and the practice of Kundalini yoga catapulted me to a more peaceful state of consciousness.
Identity in the Lower Triangle
The basic problem with unresolved anger is that this vital energy is consumed and unavailable for living our lives and creating our dreams. Unresolved anger creates blind spots in our psyche, which results in indecision, the inability to commit and even the inability to know what we want in the first place! It is my experience that when I know what I want, go for it and achieve results, I experience a sense of satisfaction in my life. I believe that this is true for all of us.
It is in the lower triangle that we achieve a sense of our own identity. The first three chakras are where we experience our individuality. It is in our uniqueness that we identify not only who we are, but also what we want and how to accomplish our goals. It is the FIRST CHAKRA and our connection with the Earth that gives us the power to manifest, to bring into being our desires, and to achieve results. The SECOND CHAKRA gives us the power to create. The THIRD CHAKRA gives us the energy to take action.
So let's take action to strengthen and activate our navel center and build our lower triangle.
Setting the Navel Center
The navel center is the easiest chakra to monitor. You know your navel center is "set," when you feel a pulse at or around the rim of the umbilicus. You can also monitor this pulse at the don tien or navel center 2-3 inches below the navel and in the line between these two points. Although you can check the pulse sitting or standing up, the easiest position is lying down. The best times are before and after the navel exercises.
Simply take the middle finger of either hand, place it on the navel or navel center and search for a pulse. If there is no pulse, the pulse is weak or it is not in or around the navel, your navel needs "to be set." When there is a strong pulse on or near the center of the navel, it is "set." You will experience that after the exercises, the pulse is stronger and the position may have also changed.
After a few leg lifts, one woman had her pulse jump from the lower right corner of her abdomen to the center of her navel! So do not be alarmed if you cannot find your pulse. The Kundalini yoga works.
It is normal to have a weak pulse in the morning after sleeping. That is why it is strongly recommended to set your navel center before you start your day. Also during the day, if you feel off center, pump your navel center or do breath of fire to come back to center.
Footnotes
(1) Sexuality and Spirituality by Guru Rattana, Ph.D. and Ann Marie Maxwell, pp. 153-7.
Nabhi Kriya to Set the Navel Center
The following set NABHI KRIYA was taught by Yogi Bhajan in 1971 and remains one of the classical sets to set the navel center.
Nabhi Kriya - Navel Power
Taught by Yogi Bhajan June 1971
(A) Lie on your back, arms by your side, palms down. Or hands under your buttocks to protect the small of your back. The small of the back is remain touching the floor during these exercises. Placing the hands under the buttocks helps make this possible.
Inhale as you lift your right leg up to 90 deg. or perpendicular to the ground. Exhale as you lower it. Inhale raise your right leg. Exhale lower it. Continue lifting alternate legs with deep, powerful breathing. The original directions were 10 minutes. Begin with 1-2 minutes. Stabilize your practice at 3-5 minutes and work up to 10 minutes if you can.
| (B) Without pause, lift both legs up to 90 deg. on the inhale, and lower them on exhale. Arms are stretched straight up over the heart center, palms facing each other. Continue for 1-2 minutes and work up to 5 minutes. (C) Bend your knees and clasp them to your chest with the arms below the knees. Press the small of your back to the ground. Allow your head to relax back. Rest in this position for 5 minutes. (No need to shorten this time :+)) Make sure you are warm enough. (D) In the same position as #3 inhale, open your arms straight out to the sides on the ground and extend your legs straight out at a 60 deg. angle above the ground. Exhale and return to original position. Repeat and continue for 1-3 minutes. This exercise was originally given for 15 minutes. Again work up to that amount of time if you can. (#3 and #4 are known as Pavan Sodan Kriya.) (E) On your back, bring your left knee to your chest, hold it there with both hands and rapidly raise the right leg up to 90 deg. and down. Inhale up. Exhale down for 1 minute. Switch legs and repeat for 1 minute. Repeat the complete cycle one more time. (F) Stand up straight, raising arms overhead, hugging ears, and press fingers back so that palms face the sky/ceiling. Exhale as you bend forward from the navel center to touch the ground, (if you can) Keep the arms straight, hugging ears, and inhale up VERY SLOWLY with a long deep breath. On the exhale (as you bend forward and especially while you a fully forward, apply Mulbhanda or Root lock. Continue at a slow pace for 2 minutes, then more rapidly for 1 more minute. |
(G) Totally relax or meditate for 10-15 minutes. |
BENEFITS
This set focuses on developing the strength of the navel point and build a powerful base in the lower triangle (chakras 1, 2 and 3). The full times indicated are for advanced students. To begin practice, start with 1-5 minutes on the longer exercises. (1) is for lower digestive area. (2) is for upper digestion and solar plexus. (3) eliminates gas and relaxes the heart. (4) charges the magnetic field and opens the navel center. (5) sets the hips and lower spine. (6) is for the entire spine, unleashes spinal fluid and expands the aura. Together, these exercises get the abdominal area in shape quickly!
This exercise set is found in Transitions to a Heart-Centered World and Introduction to Kundalini Yoga.
TUNE IN
Be sure to tune in before doing the set by chanting the mantra
ONG NA MO GURU DEV NA MO at least 3 times.
See Lesson Three.
To warm up the spine and ground your energy first see Lesson Six on the Flexibility of the Spine.
CONCLUDING
Conclude all Kundalini Yoga sessions by singing
May the long time Sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide your way on.
Then chant
Saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat Nam 3 times
For one or more minutes ground yourself by being present to all the sensations in your body.
Copyright © 2003 - Guru Rattana, Ph.D.
