Kundalini 8

Activating the Kundalini
Each of us in our own way is charming, creative and alive. We are each born with the innate capacity to able to both master and accept our circumstances. If we use our gifts wisely we can accomplish much and achieve happiness. The human path is about learning to connect with our soul essence, tap our vital energy and discover our gifts so that we can successfully navigate our life.

The Kundalini is this dormant potential in each of use. The Kundalini is the internal fire that ignites our Soul. Raising the Kundalini is about activating our internal flame, unleashing our passion for life and taming our fiery emotions so that we can use our energy to live an exciting and fulfilling life.

The spirit of our soul is always available to us. Kundalini yoga was created to help us

• Tap the magical powers of the Divine within
• Cultivate our internal fire
• Build our charismatic presence
• Unleash our will to act and create
• Transmute fear into prana and vitality
• Enliven ourselves with the breath of life
• Awaken our Kundalini - the power of your Soul

How do we tap the fire, the passion, the magnetic presence and the unlimited energy that the Kundalini represents?

The Awakening Process

The Kundalini is the boundless energy of our Soul. it lies dormant, ready and waiting to be awakened. The awakening process involves 3 complementary principles.

(1) Activation
(2) Allowing
(3) Alignment

(1) Activation is the conscious effort or the masculine aspect. Activation is associated with practicing a discipline involving techniques designed to shift energy. Activation involves some form of action or "doing."

(2) Allowing is the conscious acceptance of what is occurring. Allowing is the feminine aspect. Allowing involves simply being, doing nothing, but at the same time being very aware of what is happening.

(3) Alignment is the integration or the result of activation and allowing. The goal is two fold (1) to align our energy with universal energy, so that universal energy effortlessly flows through us and (2) to align our body, mind and emotions so our infinite potential is unleashed within us.

The practice of Kundalini yoga incorporates these 3 principles.

(1) Activation takes place with the practice of asanas or yoga exercises. When it is properly functioning, the release of the energy of the Kundalini is facilitated. The power of the exercises is enhanced with the breath and the internal recitation of mantras. The exercises strengthen the nervous system, stimulate the glands to secrete, loosen up the muscles and align the skeleton. The body is the temple of the Soul.

(2) Allowing happens when we relax, let go and stop trying to make something happen. We are programmed to try to control ourselves, the events in our lives and our environments. Yet perhaps 90% of what happens within ourselves and in our lives happens beyond our control. Ideally we would spend equal time simply being aware of what is happening and tuning into the reality of what IS. By simply allowing, we not only expand our awareness of what is transpiring within about outside ourselves, we release the resistance that prevents our energy from flowing and things from happening in our lives.

(3) Alignment has both and active and a passive component. The active component involves "applying the locks" or performing subtle internal movements in the chakras and along the spine. The passive component happens naturally when the blocks in the body have been released. The physical and energy bodies automatically align when the resistance to the natural state and flow is gone.

Energy Flow

Our goal is to access, activate and increase the energy flow in our bodies. There are several ways to do this. The practice of Kundalini yoga incorporates the following principle techniques.

• Movement or exercise which opens channels in the body and causes the glands to secrete.
• Receiving the energy contained in the breath
• Allowing our innate energy to flow by releasing resistance and blocks
• Opening ourselves to receive Divine energy by opening our chakras and our mind.
  

Locks or "Bhandas"

Locks or "Bhandas" create a posture that is maintained while the breath is held out or in. The slight movements in the muscles align the body so the energy in the spine can flow upward, not downward. Lock refers to the action performed by the locks before a dam, which prevent water, or in this case energy, from being released in a backward or downward direction. The term locks should not be interpreted as a forceful constriction. The idea is not to block the energy but to open up the spine so that the energy can flow easier and be released upward. A more gentle way to relate to the locks is to view them as ways to open up the flowers or the pedals of the lotuses along the spine.

When to Apply the Locks

Relaxing while holding a posture (after the exercise is completed), creates a dynamic space for movement of energy. In general, the locks are applied while holding the posture after completing a yoga exercise. This direction is not always specified. It assumed that the student will gently apply the appropriate locks to anchor in the internal effects of the asana.

ROOTLOCK OR MULBHAND
Rootlock or mulbhand closes the lower three chakras so that the energy cannot be lost or leaked out through the base of the spine. As a consequence the energy stays in the body and can flow up the spine. As with all the locks, rootlock is done either while holding the breath in or holding the breath out.

The complete rootlock is done by slightly contracting the muscles of the rectum or anal sphincter, and the sex organ and pulling the navel center in toward the spine. To identify and work with the muscles of each of the chakras, practice working with them separately.
When the mulbhand is applied while retaining the breath, the two major energy flows, prana and apana are united. This generates psychic heat which triggers the release of Kundalini energy.

DIAPHRAGM LOCK OR UDDIYANA BHANDA
Diaphragm lock works with the solar plexus and the heart chakra. It is actually easier to apply this lock while holding the breath out. The diaphragm muscles are pulled in and up. Start by sucking in the solar plexus, pull the muscles toward the spine and then pull them up. The chest will expand and the spine will straighten.

Diaphragm lock massages the heart muscle and causes the thymus to secrete. It is also used during chanting. Rhythmically applied, it enhances the effect of chanting.

NECK LOCK OR JALANDHARA BHANDA
The neck lock involves a very subtle movement. Move the chin down slightly and pull the head up. The chest will open up. You will move from a slumped posture and caved in chest to a straighter posture and open heart center. The shoulders should relax, drop and release downwards. The tongue and throat should relax.

Straightening the cervical vertebrae allows the free flow of prana to the brain and opens the connection between the head and the heart.

TONGUE AND EYE LOCK
Yogic texts stop with the neck lock. However, to complete the stimulation of the 6th and 7th chakras, what we will call the tongue and eye locks are also applied. The tip of the tongue presses gently to the roof of the mouth. The eyes look up as though looking out the top of the head. You may feel the pulse at the crown chakra (the soft spot on a baby's head.)

MAHABHANDA
Mahabhanda is the application of all the locks at once. When all the locks are applied, the nerves and glands are rejuvenated.

Bhanda Exercise

• Sit on the heels with the knees spread wide apart, palms on the thighs
• Apply rootlock and relax it
• Apply diaphragm lock and relax it
• Apply neck, tongue and eye locks and relax them
• Pull the locks while holding out the exhale
• Repeat in rhythmic alternation for 3-11 minutes
• Stay very present to the energy movement along the spine
• Notice how the slight movements and adjustment to your position effect the flow of energy
• Apply the same concepts as above - ACTIVATE, ALLOW AND ALIGN
• and, make sure to take the time and attention to really enjoy with is happening in your body!

This bhanda exercise is also an excellent preparation for tantric sex. It allows the sexual energy to move up the spine instead of being expelled.

See also our page about Bhandas or Locks

Copyright © 2003 - Guru Rattana, Ph.D.

Kundalini 7

Why do we choose to practice Kundalini Yoga?

Why do we decide to follow a spiritual path?

Regardless of the path or the practice, one of our primary motivating factors is that we want to change something in our lives.

• We want to reduce our inner anxiety and experience peace of mind.

• We want to feel better, to be happier, to be healthier.

• We want more vitality, more passion, more joy.

• We want a better life, loving relationships, meaningful and prosperous work.

• We may want to lose weight, sharpen our intuition, or be more in control or our own lives.

The human journey is about change, transformation and evolution.
To change we must understand where we are and how we got here.
To transform we must transform our inner and projected energy.
To evolve we must actively engage in the creation of our own reality.

So how do we create the changes that we desire?
How do we transform our energy?
How do we become more conscious participants in our own lives?

Assumptions

My approach to change, transformation and evolution is based on the following assumptions.

1. Everything in the Universe is made up of energy, including ourselves.
To make changes in our lives, we have to shift our energy.

2. Our inner reality creates our outer reality.
As we shift our mental, emotional and physical states, we create changes in our circumstances, environments and relationships.

3. Whatever the problem, challenge or situation, "It's all about me and my life."

4. Free Will is the gift that we humans were given to make changes in our lives.
The evolutionary nature of the Universe, ensures that we will grow and be transformed. Free Will gives us an opportunity to participate in the process through conscious choice. Free will is what makes change, co-creation and choice possible.

How do we Shift our Energy?

The practice of Kundalini yoga shifts our energy. It does so through a combination of (1) Movement, (2) Breath, (3) Sound, and (4) Rhythm

(1) MOVEMENT
Many of the Kundalini yoga exercises or asanas involve rhythmic movements.

(2) BREATHING OR PRANAYAMA
Rhythmic breathing is incorporated into the exercises as well as done as a meditation in itself. Pranayama exercises also produce effects through attention and pace.

(3) SOUND
The chanting of mantras tunes us into and aligns us with the universal sound current. The effects of mantra meditation include the clearing of the subconscious mind, the creation of divine thoughts and the ability to listen to the sounds of the Universe.

(4) RHYTHM
Rhythm is an integral part of the physical Asanas, the Pranayama and the chanting.
Rhythm is key to establishing identity, stability and health.

How do we Create?

Kundalini yoga is based on the following understanding of how we create our reality--

• The body, mind and emotions respond to movement, rhythm and sound.

• The body, mind and emotions follow the breath.

• How we feel physically, mentally and emotionally determines how we vibrate.

• How we vibrate determines how we project into the world and the Universe.

• What we project determines what we attract and create.

• What we attract and create influences how we feel about ourselves and our lives.

• If we do not like what we are creating, we can choose to shift our attitudes, our perceptions and our energy.

The scenario continues and intertwines.

Model for Transformation

This course in Kundalini Yoga is based on the following model of transformation:

• Change yourself - your thoughts, your energy, your projection and your life will change.

• Our touchstone is - Every situation and challenge is all about ME, my energy and my life!

• We live in the question - What can I do, how can I be today to align and resonate with the life I choose to create for myself?

Kundalini Yoga is About

(1) Experience
(2) Activation
(3) Alignment
(4) Evolutionary Change
(5) Awareness and Consciousness
(6) Responsibility, and
(7) Self-empowerment.

Below is a brief explanation of each of these concepts and guidelines on how to focus your attention during your practice of Kundalini Yoga to maximize your transformation.

(1) EXPERIENCE
Life in physical reality is about experience.

Beliefs define the parameters within which we limit or allow ourselves to experience life.

Experience is the extent to which we actually feel life.

Our goal is to experience our energy and a sense of ourselves in our body.

(2) ACTIVATION
By moving and stimulating the body, we keep it healthy--
we build a strong immune system and nervous system
we keep our glands, circulation and structure vital.

The body is the temple of our Soul. As we cleanse, relax and systematically move our body we revitalize and maintain our temple we activate our dormant potentials we invite more aspects of our Soul to become known to us.

(3) ALIGNMENT
By raising the frequency of our energy, we move into greater alignment and resonance with our higher Self, i.e. our Soul, the Universe, what we wish to attract into our lives, our destiny path.

(4) EVOLUTIONARY CHANGE
As we change our energy, we change our lives.

Change happens incrementally.

Permanent change requires shifts in all aspects of our being-

mental, emotional, physical, spiritual.

The practice of Kundalini yoga creates changes in all aspects of our being.

(5) AWARENESS AND CONSCIOUSNESS
Consistent practice of Kundalini yoga wakes us up and keeps us awake.

We become more aware of our thoughts and emotions and how they create our internal and external realities.

We become more aware of opportunities and are able to take advantage of them.

(6) RESPONSIBILITY
Within each of us in the power to create.

We are creating at every moment.

When we take responsibility for what we create:

• we release ourselves from victimization

• we establish our own identity

• we develop a sense of our own individuality

• we become a powerful independent force.

The root of self-esteem is taking responsibility for one's own life.

(7) SELF-EMPOWERMENT
Self-empowerment is both a feeling and an experience.

The feeling of self-empowerment has two aspects:

1. The inner experience that we are the creator of our own life
that what we do, think, and say has an impact that we are connected to and a part of the creative Source.

2. Witnessing that as we change, our life changes--
that we can actually create a different reality by altering our thoughts, words and actions.

Self-empowerment comes from consciously participating in creating our own life.

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Guidlines for Practicing Kundalini Yoga

(1) HOW TO EXPERIENCE
We experience energy as NON-VERBAL sensations. If we are thinking we are not feeling!

Focus your attention on what you are experiencing in your body.

Feel the energy in your body

where it is blocked
how it moves
when and how it changes.

Be present to the different sensations of the emotions-fear, anger and sadness.

The emotions are the force field of the soul.

Each communicates in a different way.
Alignment with and transformation of emotional energy happens through

allowing
accepting
loving.

It is through gentle experience and acknowledgment that tightness, restriction, resistance and pain are gradually transmuted into openness, vitality and pleasure.

Be aware of the energy sensations in your spine.

Each chakra manifests a different kind of energy.

Be aware of the different qualities of energy along your spine and in your body.

(2) HOW TO ACTIVATE
The purpose of Kundalini Yoga is to activate all parts of our body, so that it can function optimally.

Our goal is to enjoy being in our physical form.

It is counter productive to strain or to over extend yourself.

Kundalini yoga is not a competitive sport.

Do each exercise with the intention of stimulating, freeing and opening up your body, energy and breath.

(3) HOW TO ALIGN
Be aware of what feels comfortable and what feels out of alignment.

Let the movements bring you back into alignment.

Establish your own comfortable rhythm.

Between exercises, simply be still and aware. Let the energy align your body.

Be present to the rhythm of your breath in your chest.

Our being as expressed in our energy has its own intelligence.

Our energy automatically goes where it needs to go to create healing and alignment.

Our goal is not to interfere, but to simply let it happen.

(4) HOW TO CHANGE
Change is guaranteed when we practice Kundalini yoga.

All we have to do is to DO IT.

We can simply enjoy the practice and trust that it will work its magic.

Monitor changes in your body, energy level, attitudes, feelings, and emotions.

Release
Negative thoughts and emotions must be experienced to be released.

We often try to avoid this stage because it can be painful.

The good news is that if beliefs and emotions are close enough to the surface to be experienced, they can also be released.

The easiest way to release is through loving acceptance, without resistance and judgment.

Permanent release can be facilitated by thoughts and decisions, but the mental aspect is only one dimension.

Release must take place in the physical body at the sensation level.

Positive Results
Acknowledge, give yourself credit for and enjoy the positive shifts in your inner and outer realities.

(5) HOW TO BECOME AWARE AND CONSCIOUS
Be aware of what is happening in your body, mind and emotions.

Mindfully train yourself to turn your attention from external stimuli to yourself.

Be attentive how external stimuli impact how you feel to yourself.

Practice focusing inside instead of outside yourself.

To shift our attention within is one of our most difficult challenges.

Inner focus is one of the most important requirements for spiritual growth.

(6) HOW TO BE RESPONSIBLE
Own your feelings and emotions. Make them about you, not about someone else or outer circumstances.

This does not mean that you must try to pretend to like everything.

You won't! Guaranteed! You are not supposed to. Life doesn't work that way. Only denial works that way.

Being responsible means that you take responsibility for how you feel, react and respond.

Eventually we come to a point where our reactions are not automatically controlled by unconscious programming

where we are internally at choice in our responses

where we are in charge of our inner reality.

Only then we are able to act, speak and project responsibly.

(7) HOW TO BECOME SELF-EMPOWERED
Inner focus is one of our most rewarding and empowering achievements.

Once we realize what we are doing within, we can alter our inner habits and thus change both our inner and outer realities.

Monitor, acknowledge and thoroughly enjoy how you shift within the results you produce without and the relationship between the two.

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Enjoy Your Process - This is Your Life

Choose any aspect of the above guidelines and bring your attention to it during your practice of Kundalini Yoga. Definitely do not try to do all or even several at once. Enjoy your process-how you change, what you create and how your choices make a difference in your evolutionary unfoldment.

This is your unique life. May each of you be blessed to experience the wonders of your own being!

Send comments or questions to
gururattan@kundaliniyoga.org

Copyright © 2003 - Guru Rattana, Ph.D.

Kundalini 6

The yogis say that a person's age is determined by the flexibility of his/her spine. The most basic goal of Kundalini Yoga is to take care of the spine. This lesson offers a series of exercises to activate, align and loosen up the spine. You should refer to the set entitled "Exercises for Maintaining a Flexible Spine"

This set is taken from the excellent book - Relax & Renew, from Yoga Technology.

Focus and Attention

Focus and attention are important tools to achieve optimal results. While you are doing these exercises, put your attention on the part of the spine that is moving or being activated. The energy originates in the spine and flows out through the body and into the energy field.

The spine is where you will feel the flow of energy. Notice which parts of the spine feel warm or even hot and where there are no feelings or numbness. This information will indicate where your energy is flowing and where it is not. For the Kundalini to flow, the whole spine must be open. Kundalini is our vital, creative energy that flows through us all the time. The amount that flows through us determines our aliveness and awareness. The goal of practicing Kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan is to GRADUALLY increase the flow of energy. Many people who practice Kundalini yoga do not experience huge rushes of uncontrollable energy. Rather they experience a gradual expansion of consciousness and increase in vitality that evolves over time.

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Goals of Spinal Exercises

The goals of the spinal exercises are:

• to develop an AWARENESS of your spine

• to establish the spine as a FOCAL POINT for your attention

• to ACTIVATE and open the energy flow in the spine

• to ALLOW the energy to move and align itself.

In later lessons we will experience the specific energies of each of the chakras. First we want to establish a baseline of spinal awareness.

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Active and Passive Practice

The moments between exercises which should be at least 15-30 seconds and up to 1 minute if you choose. Executing the exercises is the activation part of the practice. The exercises stimulate the glandular system, loosen up the spine, massage the muscles and strengthen the nervous system. Between exercises is the passive part of the practice. DO NOTHING, simply be aware of what is happening. Let the energy flow. It will adjust what needs to be adjusted and go where it needs to go.

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Daily Practice - How Long?

This set of exercises can take from 20 to 40 minutes depending on how long you do each exercise. The deep relaxation after the set is an additional 5-10 minutes. The silent meditation is also between 3-11 or more minutes depending on the time you have. Tailor your practice times so that you do not feel rushed. The more relaxed and present you are to what you are doing and what is happening, the better the results and the more awareness you will cultivate.

Many people who have signed up for the training have indicated in their questionnaires that they have 1-2 hours per day to devote to the practice of Kundalini yoga. You will achieve striking results with a 1-2 hour daily practice!

For those who have less time, consistent practice produces positive results. I always tell people PROGRAM YOURSELF FOR SUCCESS. If you can do 5 minutes a day, do 5 minutes EVERY day. Then increase your time as you can. Do not start out with the false hope that you can do 2 hours, do it for one day and then stop your practice.

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40 Days

Once you have established a program that works for you, continue practicing this set for 40 days. 40 days is the yogic time for breaking a habit. 90 days of practice creates a new habit. 1000 days establishes mastery.

The optimal time to begin a new set or meditation is on the New Moon. You should set your intention on the New Moon and start as soon as you can after that date.

My intention is to build our practice one step at a time. Kundalini yoga and the spiritual path are so rich. When we take one step at a time we can make a lot of conscious progress.

Sat Nam and have fun!

Guru Rattana

Copyright © 2003 - Guru Rattana, Ph.D.

Kundalini 5

MANTRAS
Mantras are sounds that connect us with different levels of intelligence. SAT NAM is the most basic mantra used in Kundalini yoga. (pronounced like "but mom") SAT means the truth. NAM means name, identity, to identify with or to call upon. SAT NAM can be translated as "Truth is God's Name. Truth is my (your, our) identity." It is used as a greeting to acknowledge the Truth in each one of us and as a personal mantra to express or tune into one's infinite identity.

SAT NAM is an invocation of our divine consciousness. Its vibration links us up to our true identity, which is our divine soul. SAT NAM is called the seed or bij mantra. By chanting this mantra we plant the seed of universal truth in our consciousness.

We all know the axiom "The truth shall set you free." The question is how do we link up with the Truth. SAT NAM is one mantra that links us up with the Truth. SAT NAM has the power to set us free by waking us up to our infinite identity.

SAT NAM has the power to clear the subconscious mind so that old wounds and programs no longer get in the way of Self-realization. It does so by changing the projection of our minds. Mantra means the projection of the mind. "Bij" or seed mantras use universal sound currents to rearrange the habit patterns of the mind. They do so by accessing the part of the mind that regulates habits. The sounds erase patterns that vibrate at lower frequencies or do not resonate with the Truth or our true essence. They establish new habits by replacing the old frequency with the higher frequency of the Truth. SAT resonates with universal Truth. NAM "is the vibration which creates what it names." *(1)

BREATHING -- PRANAYAMA
The science of breathing is called pranayama. Pranayama is an integral part of Kundalini yoga and meditation. In this lesson we will offer a few basics that will help you begin to be aware of your breath and to integrate conscious breathing into your daily life and yogic practice.

The breath and the state of the mind are intricately linked. We can control our minds by controlling our breath. Most of us breathe very shallow breaths and take from 15 or more breaths per minute. Breathing more that ten breaths per minute creates a state of stress. People who suffer from panic attacks not only breathe quickly and shallowly. They also often breathe through their mouths.

To create a state of peace and relaxation we must breathe less than 10 breaths per minute. Breathing four or less breaths per minute induces a state of meditation. We must also inhale and exhale through the nose.

Whenever you want to calm down, paying attention to your breath is the first step. Notice if you are inhaling and exhaling through your mouth or nose. Notice where you are breathing in your body. How far down do you breathe? Do you breathe in the belly, chest or neck? How many times do you breathe per minute? Time yourself.

One Kundalini Yoga technique is to link the breath with a mantra. The most basic mantra is SAT NAM. A powerful pranayama technique is to mentally link SAT to every inhale and NAM to every exhale. In this way the breath and the mantra work together to calm us down, energize and purify us and link us to our true identity. With practice you may naturally hear SAT on your inhale and NAM to your exhale. It is very profound to realize you are breathing your truth with every breath.

THE CALL OF THE SOUL --
LONG SAT NAM'S TO NEUTRALIZE TENSION
The simplest and most basic meditation in Kundalini yoga is chanting long SAT NAM's.

Sit with a straight spine, either in easy cross-legged easy pose, in your preferred meditation posture or in a chair with the feet on the floor, sit bones carrying the weight of the body.

Bring the hands to the heart, palms facing the chest, left hand on top of right. Place the left thumb in the center of the right palm. The fingers of both hands are together and straight. The hands gently rest against the chest, arms are relaxed on the body.

Eyes are 9/10 closed to begin with. As the meditation progresses, they may close completely.

Inhale with a long deep breath. On the exhale chant out loud SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT At the end of the breath say NAM. Notice that your breath gets longer and deeper. You may slow your breath down to 2 per minute.

SAT is the liberator and the cleanser. Let yourself relax and release with the AAAAAAA. NAM is like the anchor. Feel the sound anchor you in your body. Then inhale deeply again and continue.

Feel the sound of the AAAAAA come from the heart. Experience your throat as the mouthpiece of your heart. This practice will help you locate, consolidate and open up the fourth (heart) and the fifth (throat) chakras. SAT NAM is the call of the soul. As you chant call out to your soul, sing to your soul. Singing to your soul creates a very peaceful feeling. It takes us out of duality for a moment as our personality and soul merge as one in the sound current of our infinite being. Feel free to express any emotions that come up. This is a good way to release and balance the emotions. The emotional energy will gently merge into soul energy.

At the end of the meditation, inhale deeply, hold the breath as long as you wish. Listen inside and be one with the experience. Do this 3 times. Then sit quietly or lie down and completely relax. Begin with 3 to 5 minutes and build to 11, 15, 22 or 31 minutes.

BENEFITS
This is a very relaxing meditation. It completely neutralizes tension and brings you to a very peaceful state. It is good to do if you feel overwhelmed with your daily activities or have too much intense energy in your body. Do it for 40 days and you can revitalize your glandular system and re-establish your glandular equilibrium. This is a good meditation to do at the end of a busy day. Do it when you get home after work before dinner and you will be able to enjoy your evening. Do it before you go to bed and you will sleep like a baby.

SOURCE: Relax and Renew, with the Kundalini Yoga and Meditations of Yogi Bhajan, by Guru Rattana Ph.D. and Ann Marie Maxwell, Yoga Technology Press, page 98.

*(1) Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power, by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa, Berkeley Publishing Group, p. 105.

Copyright © 2003 - Guru Rattana, Ph.D.

Kundalini 4

Our Inner Journey

One of the goals of silent meditation is to discover and connect with our inner state of being. Our inner state is complex, has many levels and is ever changing. When we first begin our inner journey, our first encounter is with our mundane thoughts-about what we have to do, our plans for the day, our opinions about what we are doing at the moment.

I remember my first attempt at "meditation" which must have been about 1973-4. I had been practicing hatha yoga daily for 3-4 years. I decided I would sit still for a few minutes after my asanas. Wow. What an effort that was to actually sit "still" for the eternity of three minutes! I certainly wasn't still and my mind certainly wasn't silent. But I did sit there for three minutes and that was a great accomplishment for me at that time.

I was very pleased with myself for actually attempting this heretofore impossible feat. The point is we have to start sometime and somewhere. Sometime could be now. And somewhere is where we are at at this moment. Needless to say I have made a lot of progress since that first day, but it has taken a long time and I am still at it.

Meditation is the tool for getting in touch with what is really happening inside our psyche, beyond the flow of thoughts that initially clutter our inner terrain. One of the things I have discovered is that there are many things going on and they are often contradictory. I can feel happy and sad at the same time. I can access feelings of anger and detachment simultaneously. I notice that I am both afraid and excited. There is an inner anxiety that seems to be a curtain that covers a dynamic peace.

I have drawn two simple conclusions from all of this:
(1) This is the way things are, within me and in the universe. Realities that appear to be opposites or even conflictual exist simultaneously.
(2) At every moment I am at choice. I can choose which reality I wish to give my attention to. It is as simple as making a choice.

Sometimes making specific choices is difficult. In making choices I have the following touchstone facilitates my decision-making process --What will make me happy, more peaceful and feel good?

Make One Decision

I have found out that making one decision and letting it guide my life is a good strategy. Here is my most dramatic example. I remember when I first started getting up for Sadhana (morning meditation and yoga). In the ashram I had to get up at 2:50am (!!) to get to the Sadhana room at 3:45am. Those were cold, dark winter days in Boston. I was living in a cabin that was much colder than my warm bed. In fact, sometimes there was ice on my shower floor! Talking about a cold shower.

I realized that if I were to make the decision "to get up or not to get up" each morning, I would subject myself to unbearable torture on a daily basis. So when I was feeling good, I made the decision ONCE to get up at this "divine" hour. For years, I never had to make that decision again. And that is my secret. That is how I did it. I turned off my mind and my feelings as much as I could when the alarm went off and got out of bed. After the cold shower, it was all downhill for the rest of the day.

Because there will always be pressing reasons and valid excuses to distract us from our spiritual practice, we may need to make an all-encompassing choice that will serve as a foundation for our daily choices.

Making Choices

There is a myth that when we meditate, we can stop our minds and tune into this place of inner bliss. Yogi Bhajan tells us that the mind processes 1000 thoughts at the wink of an eye. So don't even consider stopping your mind. We can however change channels. I find that one of the tricks to meditation is accessing the neutral channel and being able to stay there long enough to experience that there is some place else to hang out besides in the chatter of the rational mind. Knowing that we do in fact have a choice of where we operate from is a critical first step toward inner sanity.

We can know all of the above intellectually. And the concepts are probably familiar to many of us. The real challenge is to experience in your own meditation the existence of the different feelings and realities in your psyche and body. This is the goal of silent meditation at this point in your process. Get in touch with the agitation, the fear, the impatience and the anger. Also get in touch with the peace, the contentment, the ability to be detached and not react and the desire to simply be.

It is the actual experience of the different energies within you that will allow you to make a choice between the two. Sensory experience is a necessary for training yourself to use the energies that initially appear as "bad" for action, energy and motivation. It is the acceptance and honoring of all our energies that is the energetic foundation of self-love.

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Meditation to Switch Channels and for Emotional Balance

Yogi Bhajan says that it is good to do this meditation when one is worried or upset and doesn't know what to do, or when one feels like screaming, yelling or misbehaving.

This exercise will produce quick release of stress, foster emotional balance and help create a quiet space within. It will help you switch channels, or tune into the channel of peace and silence—the neutral mind. Use it:
(1) to access the cosmic channel,
(2) distinguish between the "peace zone" and the rational mind or "conflict zone", and
(3) to train yourself to choose the "peace zone."

Before practicing this meditation, drink a glass of water. Water imbalance in the system, which creates pressure in the kidneys, can cause worry and upset. When out of focus or emotional, attention should be given to the body's water balance and breath rate. Humans are approximately 70 – 90 % water. Our behavior depends upon the relation of water and earth, air and ether.

Breath represents air and ether and is the rhythm of life. Normally we breathe 15 times a minute, but when we are able to rhythmically slow down the breath to 4 (or less) breaths per minute, we have indirect control over our mind. Calm, slow breathing eliminates unbalanced behavior and promotes a calm mind regardless of the state of affairs.

Sit in Easy Pose or full lotus if you can comfortably. Place your arms across the chest and lock hands under the armpits, palms open and against the body. Raise the shoulders up tight reaching toward the earlobes Apply Neck Lock by tucking the neck in toward the chest with the spine straight. Eyes are closed. This position may be uncomfortable, but it does not hurt. Concentrate on how the breath changes automatically in this position. The breath will automatically become slow. Continue for 3-5 minutes. You can gradually increase the time to 11 minutes.

Drinking water, pulling the shoulders up toward the ears and tightly locking the entire area creates a solid break to the four sides of the brain. After 2 or 3 minutes, thoughts will be there, but one does not feel them. This is a very effective method of balancing the brain.

To end, relax the hands down, sit quietly and enjoy your inner space of peace. You will notice that you have created a space independent of your rational mind. Your mind will still have thoughts and you can observe them, but you can choose to be in your peaceful space or neutral mind.

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A Story About: What Will You Choose?

The following is one of those Internet stories that is related to our lesson. It might inspire you to make attitude choices that help you create a reality of aliveness, joy and peace.

Read this and let the message sink in. Then choose how you want to experience the rest of the day and how you want to start your day out tomorrow. Remember life is a series of choices that we make ourselves at every moment. Here is the story --

Michael is the kind of guy you wonder "How does he do it?". He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Mike you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Each time Something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to
learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life."

I reflected on what Michael said. Soon thereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied. "If I were any better, I'd be twins. Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon to be born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

Michael continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.' Iknew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied." The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, "Gravity."

Over their laughter, I told them, 'I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead'."

Michael lived, not just due to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything. As always, the choice is our own.

End of story.

Not everyone is as outgoing as Michael, but we all are at choice how we experience life. The inner subtle choices are the ones that determine our happiness and our destiny. Meditation gives us the chance to make these choices at deep, impactful levels.

Have a grateful day, if you choose!!

Copyright © 2003 - Guru Rattana, Ph.D.

Kundalini 3

Mantras

Everything in the universe is made up of energy. All energy vibrates. Differentiation happens because energy vibrates at difference frequencies. Each frequency has a sound. (Actually every frequency IS a sound.) Everything in the universe has a sound which vibrates at its particular frequency.

Mantras are the sounds of the language of the universe. Mantras are tuning instruments. If we want to tune into and access a particular universal frequency, we chant the mantra that vibrates that frequency. For instance, chanting MAAAAAAAAAA tunes us into the frequency of the Divine Mother and Feminine. If we want to tune into the frequency of the sun, we chant RAAAAAAAAAA.

When we chant a particular sound, our body and energy field resonate with that frequency. The connection is established and maintained through resonance. Our energy matches and synchronizes with the energy of the sounds we make and the thoughts we think. It is the nature of our energy that attracts to us and creates events, circumstances and environments around us.

Much of what we create and attract is produced by our subconscious automatic-pilot programming. Mantras are a powerful tool to "de-program" ourselves, to create new programs and to influence our thought patterns. Mantras are also ACCESS CODES to different channels in our mind. Mantras help us open channels that we often cannot access consciously or reach by rational thoughts, or even intent, i.e. our higher consciousness and higher spiritual connections.

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Mantra for Tuning In

ONG NA MO GURU DEV NA MO is the mantra we use in Kundalini yoga to tune us to the frequency of our higher self or inner master. We begin each practice of Kundalini yoga with this mantra. This sacred mantra opens us to our spiritual channel. It also links us to all the spiritual masters who perfected this sacred science. By establishing a link with the Masters of Kundalini yoga, we are protected as we practice this sacred technology, as well as guided in our practice. The transmission of information and consciousness to students from Master teachers who have preceded us is referred to as the GOLDEN CHAIN. Yogi Bhajan, Master of Kundalini Yoga, who is the first to openly share this technology with the world, is a living connection to the golden chain.

Connecting with the Master is of additional importance to those of you who are learning and practicing Kundalini yoga on your own. By chanting ONG NA MO GURU DEV NA MO, you can be guided in your practice. Actually once you chant the mantra you are guided. The more you are willing to receive and pay attention, the more you will be aware of this guidance.

By the way, if you ever dream of Yogi Bhajan, it is not a mere dream. You have tuned into him and his subtle body is coming to assist you in some way. Years ago at a Winter Solstice White Tantric course, a student was very ill from food poisoning. He desperately needed help and tried many ways to get Yogi Bhajan's attention through calling his various names and prayer. He finally chanted Ong Na Mo Guru Dev Na Mo. Five minutes later another student approached him with a bowl of rice and told him "Yogi Bhajan told me to tell you to eat this and you will be better." And sure enough, he ate it and started feeling better almost immediately.

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How to Tune In

Tuning in opens the channel in our mind that receives the highest spiritual frequencies. The mantra that we use is ONG NA MO GURU DEV NA MO. Although this mantra is used specifically for tuning in before practicing Kundalini yoga, it can be chanted at other times. You can chant it during the day, simply to reconnect with your higher self. You can do it alone as a preparation for silent meditation. Or you can chant it as a meditation for as long as you like.

When I taught history and philosophy at International University in San Diego, I also taught a Kundalini yoga class. The students made up their own harmonic version of this mantra and chanted it walking around the campus.

Sit with a straight spine, either in a comfortable cross-legged position on the floor or in a chair with both feet on the ground. A pillow under buttocks prevents slumping and helps keep the spine straight. Sit on natural fabric.

HANDS are in prayer pose. Lightly press the palms together flat at the center of the chest, under the breasts, thumbs resting on the sternum. Fingers are pointing up, at a slight angle outward. The pressure on the sternum stimulates the "mind nerve" that connects to the brain. Pressing the palms together balances the two hemispheres of the brain. Both help us concentrate and stay focused. l.

The CHIN is slightly down and pulled back, which straightens the spine, expands the chest and opens the heart center. This is called NECK LOCK.

MEANING OF THE MANTRA

ONG - the active, creative aspect of the universe
NA MO - to call upon
GURU DEV - divine wisdom

THE BREATH

The mantra is optimally chanted all on one long deep breath. It is OK to take a short sip of air through the mouth between the first NA MO and GURU DEV. But it is not permissible to take a long breath through the nose.

TO PREPARE

To prepare, center yourself with your hands in prayer pose and take several long deep breaths. When you are present to your breath in your body and fairly relaxed, you are ready to begin.

TO CHANT

Inhale deeply and chant.

ONG - Vibrate the sound in the nasal passages, upper palate, back of throat and in the center of the head. Ong is extended and forceful. It is a nasal sound incorporating o, n and g, not oooooong. If properly vibrated it stimulates the pineal and pituitary glands to secrete, which actually opens us up to our higher channels.

NA MO - Na is short and Moooo is extended. (Rhymes with NO. Not the sound of a cow.) :+)

GURU DEV - Gu is short almost G. Roo (as in Runes) is also short. Deeeeeeeev is extended. Pronounced like the E in Evan.

NA MO - the same as the first.

THE TUNE

CLICK HERE for a Real Audio clip of the mantra, courtesy Sat Jiwan Singh
(you will need RealAudio player installed on your system to listen to this)

Chant at least 3 times, inhaling deeply through the nose before each sequence. The purpose of chanting is to "Tune In." So do it as many times as it takes for you to feel that you are connected to the place and frequency that you need to be in to practice Kundalini yoga. Chanting this mantra is not a ritual. It creates a specific effect when done properly.

After chanting, inhale deeply and hold the breath as long as you can do so comfortably. While holding the breath, go inside and focus on your inner space. This is a powerful moment to be savored. Then exhale. Repeat several times if you wish and then sit silently and turn your senses inward, i.e. look and listen inside.

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Connect with the Breath

After chanting ONG NA MO GURU DEV NA MO, connect with your breath and experience the breath in the body. There are two basic ways to do this.

PASSIVE

One is to simply be with your breath as it breathes in your body. You do not consciously try to change the breath in any way. You are simply with it. After tuning in and after doing each exercise it is best to simply be with your breath. The breath is in sync with the energy in your body and will equalize your energy, come back to your normal breathing pattern or establish a new one.

ACTIVE

When the breath has stabilized, which often means that it has slowed down, it is appropriate to control or direct the breath. Directing the breath is the second way to use the breath. We modify the natural flow in intensity and duration.

After tuning in, is a good time to consciously slow down the breath and deepen it to move it through all parts of your body. Breathing in the abdomen and kidneys is are particularly beneficial.

The mind follows the breath. The slower the breath, the more the mind calms down. If we are breathing more than 10 times a minute we are creating stress. (Not true of breath of fire. To be discussed later.) When we slow our breath down to 4 or less breaths per minute, we enter a calm, meditative state.

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Connect with your Body

The breath is the perfect tool to help us connect with our bodies. Use the breath to consciously open up energy in your body, to feel the different parts of the body and to stimulate activity. As a culture we are too often in our minds and not in our bodies. One of our goals is to use Kundalini yoga and meditation to help us re-establish a vital connection with our bodies. We are often "out of our bodies" because it is uncomfortable to be in them. We are going to use Kundalini yoga to cultivate feeling comfortable in our bodies. Our end goal is to enjoy being in our physical form!

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Sat Nam - Seed Mantra

One of the features of Kundalini yoga that makes it so powerful is that we do several things simultaneously. We (1) breathe, (2) internally chant and (3) move (4) in a particular posture or Asana.

The internal chant that we mentally vibrate is SAT NAM. As we breathe, we mentally inhale SAT. As we exhale we mentally vibrate NAM. Listen to the sound Saaaaaat and Naaaam in your mind.

SAT NAM is a Bij Mantra or a "seed sound." Chanting Sat Nam is like planting a grain of sand in an oyster. Our truth gathers around the grain. Over time, as we accumulate our gifts and gather our true essence into our consciousness, we become the pearl of Self.

MEANING

SAT means Truth, unchanging universal truth. It is the vibration that is ever-present.

NAM means name, identity, to name, to call upon, to identify with.

SAT NAM means "Truth is my identity."

When we chant Sat Nam (out loud or internally), we resonate with our true identity, with our own truth.

Greeting others with the salutation Sat Nam, we acknowledge the other's true identity and our mutual divine identities. 3

Sat Nam is a potent affirmation and a powerful way to cleanse the mind of negative programming. Over time our minds tune into and resonate with who we really are and believe our soul instead of our limited ego. Sat Nam is inner psychology at work.

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Cultivating Awareness

Kundalini yoga is the yoga of awareness. Our goal is to cultivate greater and greater awareness of our own identity and our relationship with our body, others, our environment and the universe. The practice of Kundalini yoga opens our consciousness so we are able to receive more information and be more present and alert. Simply doing Kundalini yoga facilitates greater awareness. Optimal practice includes silent, "doing nothing" (passive) periods between exercises, and after tuning in (active) where we pay attention. We sit and sometimes lie down and bring our attention to what is happening without trying to influence it in any way. For maximum benefit, we cultivate awareness by monitoring our energy, how we feel, the sensations in our body and subtle changes that are taking place.

In our second lesson on Silence and Intuition we talked about the importance and power of silence. We gave several exercises to cultivate the art of silence. In our next lesson we will discuss Meditation and Choice. The point is that when we learn to be silent, we can actually hear our intuition and make choices that lead us to peace and freedom.

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Lesson Three

Hopefully you have practiced (or tried to practice) silent meditation without preceding it with any tune in techniques. Now try it again but precede it with "tuning in" as subscribed above.

For 11 minutes total do the following sequence.

Center yourself in your body with your breath.

Tune in with the mantra Ong Na Mo Guru Dev Na Mo.

Passively be with your breath.

Actively slow down your breath to 4 or less per minute.

Sit calmly and be silent. Look and listen within.

To end-Anchor and consolidate yourself in your body by feeling all your sensations simultaneously, especially places that feel calm.

Give thanks.

Observe any differences in you ability to focus. It is valuable to monitor the effects of the different techniques, to keep track of what works for you and how you can get the maximum benefits from your practice.

And if you want to meditate with another powerful mantra, do the meditation I recommended for the Eclipse. Here it is again.

SPECIAL HEALING MEDITATION

In addition to morning sadhana, as a part of it, or as an evening meditation here is a meditation that can be done for 11, 22 or 31-minutes. This is a very blissful meditation that keeps you in your body. When you need help chant this mantra. Vibrating with this mantra produces healing, magic and miracles. Now that is a handy channel to tune into! Enjoy!

Sit in easy pose, with hands on the lap, right on top of left. Sit absolutely still for this meditation for the full effects. Chant very quietly, in monotone, almost, but not a whisper, with the lips, so you feel a vibration in the lips:
GURU, GURU, WA HE GURU, GURU RAM DAS GURU.

Chant the words in each of the chakras. Bring your attention to the specific chakra, but do not move your body. (Tip-Guru is vibrated in every chakra except 3rd and 6th.)

Guru - 1st base of spine

Guru - 2nd sex organ, abdomen

Wa He - 3rd- navel

Guru - 4th heart

Guru - 5th throat

Ram Das -6th third eye

Guru - 7th top of head

Stay tuned!!

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FOOTNOTES:

1. page 15, Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa, Berkley Publishing Group, 1996.

2. Ibid., page 16-17.

3. Ibid., page 24.

Copyright © 2003 - Guru Rattana, Ph.D.