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These are the very first
things that you do before you begin any
Kundalini Yoga Kriya or Meditation. Sit Straight! This
means that your spine is a straightened, naturally flowing "S" curve in which each vertabra is squarely set upon
the other, providing your whole body with strong, natural support and balance! All this attention to posture allows the Kundalini energy to flow much more freely up your spine
and through the higher spiritual centers in your head! As a matter of fact, when I am truly in a meditative space, the
energy itself will draw me into this posture! LEGS If you are sitting in a chair, be sure that your legs are uncrossed
and that your feet are flat on the floor, preferrably without your shoes and socks. If you are sitting on the floor, usually on a sheep skin, a yoga mat, a towel, or something else
to insulate your energy from the floor, your legs are generally crossed in "Easy Pose" with your feet under your
legs. Or you can use "Half Lotus"
in which one foot is on top of the thigh of the other leg, or "Full Lotus" in which both feet are on top of the
opposite thighs. Or you can also sit in "Rock
Pose" in which your legs are folded under you and you sit on your heels. And just between you and me, if your legs start to cramp or fall asleep, you can put one or both
legs out in front of you or to the side as you continue your Kriya or Meditation. Then when your legs are relieved,
you can put them back in position. Just one
thing, though. If you happen to be meditating in a Sikh Gurdwara where the "Guru"--our scriptures are located--as
a matter of respect, please don't point the soles of your feet towards it. Thanks! SPINE First,
feel free to bend out the kinks in your spine. Then
to create your straight posture, make sure that your weight is balanced on your "sits bones," which are the bottom
extensions of your hip bones. You can feel that if you pull the back of your waist a bit further forward than your buttocks.
Then balance the top part of your spine as
a column curving above your waist, back up to your shoulders so your shoulders are straight and your chest is pulled up.
You may want to put a small pillow under your bottom to change your "angles" to help keep your spine straight.
Your chin and head are pulled back slightly,
like a soldier at attention. And your head is level--not looking up or down, nor tilted to one side. Tune In! Now, bring the palms of your hands together in "prayer pose" with the thumb side of your
hands pressing somewhat on the middle of your sternum. You are stimulating the "mind nerve" when you do this. Close your eyes and go within. Inside your closed eyes, roll
your eyes up to look at your "third eye point." This is directly above the bridge of your nose by about an
inch. This action puts pressure on your pituitary gland and changes your consciousness to a higher frequency, rather
like pressing the "Mode" button on electronic equipment to change your system of connections. Now here is the mantra (sounds or words embodying spiritual capacity)
that you will chant to "tune in." ONG
NAMO, GURU DEV NAMO. It means: ONG--The sound of Infinity as it relates to Creation.
(OM is Infinity, but doesn't relate to Creation.)
NAMO--"I name" or "I identify,"
meaning "I put myself in the presence or space of..."
GURU--That which takes you from dark
to light, or the very intimate Teacher aspect of the Infinite.
DEV--Unbounded Light of the Highest Consciousness!
NAMO--"I name" or "I identify!" So, inhale deeply and fully chant this mantra in a montone, but with the word "Dev" going
up a little in tone. Be sure to vibrate the word "Ong" in the top of your nasal passages to stimulate your
pituitary gland. Chant this mantra three times,
each time on the length of a full breath. When
you finish that, inhale fully, then exhale, and begin your Yoga or your Meditation.
Click here to hear Ong Namo....
Then we often follow that "Ong Namo.."
with "Aad Guray Nameh" three times. Please click here for more information on that.
This "Ong Namo.." is such a simple mantra,
but it is beyond amazing! It tunes you into the Golden Chain of Teachers for guidance and protection. When I was teaching at Omega summer camp where lots of different
kinds of spiritual practices were being taught, I found that a few folks were doing strange things such as involuntarily leaving
their bodies and having a hard time coming completely back to them, or getting lost in past lives, etc. I asked them to do this mantra for different lengths of time, and
they came back just fine! My observation is
that this mantra is one of the wonderful safety measures that Yogi Bhajan has put into place to safeguard us from any extreme
effects of this powerful Kundalini energy, and to transform it in a way that is most advantageous to us as we spiritually
expand our everyday lives here on Earth. And
I know of no one--in the decades that this wonderful Kundalini Yoga has been taught, or of the hundreds of thousands who have
practiced it that has had any difficulty assciated with it. However, I want to be very clear that you must not be under
the influence of any non-prescription drugs, including marijuana or alcohol when you do Kundalini Yoga. If you do, you
are putting yourself at extreme risk! This body
of Kundalini Yoga teachings was formed by Yogi Bhajan to heal our past, expand our present and power our Destinies!
And as you practice it, I can promise that you will find remarkable results!
Ongoing Guidance!
Now, here is a variation
on the tuning-in mantra that was explained above. Use this for as long periods of time as you want, for as long as you
want. Do it whenever you are looking for very wise guidance--and trust that it will come when you do this mantra!
It is: ONG NAMO, GURU DEV NAMO, GURU DEV NAMO, GURU DEVA (notice the
addition of the word "DEVA") It is done in a lively way in a montone, but it is
not dependant on the length of the breath. On the last "DEVA," the DE is lower than your monotone, and then
steps up with an additional tone to reach the monotone level. Enjoy this, my Dear Ones!
I expect that you will be mightily pleased and your Soul will be satisfied as you do these Kundalini Yoga and Meditation practices!
MEDITATION
Now you can move into a whole medtiation, by just
continuing to sit straight, and look up at your third eye as described above. Then put your hands in "gyan mudra"
with the tips of your pointer fingers locked just under the tips of your thumbs, making a circle of those fingers on each
hand. The other fingers are relaxed. Then rest the backs of your hands on your knees if you are sitting cross
legged, or on the arms of your chair. Now begin Long, Deep Breathing with the mantra "Sat
Nam" attached to your breath. To learn how to do that, please click here. As you recognize the inevitable
thoughts coming up, you can just gently re-focus on the mantra and your breath, continuing your focus at the third eye, with
straight spine while you let your thoughts drift away. At the outset, you can set your kitchen
timer to continue this full exercise for the yogic time period that you choose--3 minutes, 11, 31 or 62 minutes. Notice
the results! At the end of your time, inhale fully, hold the breath in and let the energy circulate,
then exhale. Do this 3 times. Then you can sing the "Long Time Sun" song (for the words, click here)
with your palms together in prayer pose in front of your heart, and you have completed a great mediation!
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