Japji Sahib is regularly practiced as the first portion of a Kundalini Yogi’s Aquarian Sadhana.  I have a secret to admit.  For a while there, say several months, I neglected my Japji Sahib practice.  You know how that goes, the regular excuse comes up…well if I skip Japji I can still have lots of time to meditate and I don’t have to get up any earlier. 

So I skipped for a while and I came to realize that I missed it.

During Teacher Training we spent a decent amount of time learning about Japji.  I even bought and watched a CD class dedicated to it’s practice.  I’ve come to realize that a regular Kundalini Yoga practice allows a practicioner to start to move a large amount of energy within the mind, body, spirit system.  I’ve also come to realize that a regular Japji practice helps to regulate this energy.  Specifically for me it helps me to regulate the energy of my mind, which tends to have it’s way with me sometimes.  So when I had had enough of my mind having it’s way with me, I decided to pick up my practice of Japji again, for a very practical purpose.

Now then, I’ve also been keeping a journal.  It’s a daily review journal, but through additional meditation classes I’ve come to the understanding that during yoga and meditation is an excellent time to keep a personal Spiritual Journal of thoughts and impressions that come to mind.  When one is in a meditative state of mind, the thoughts and impressions tend to come from ones soul or sub-conscious mind.  These thoughts serve as clues for what one may be working through at that present point in their life.  So it turns out that during my Japji Sahib practice I keep a journal as well

This is all fine and dandy, however, I was fortunate enough that during teacher training my friend Akal Dev took the time to type up Japji in line with the effects the various pauris (stanzas) have on those who speak the Shabad.  So as I was keeping a journal of the thoughts that popped up in my head during Japji, I kept note of the pauris I was reading at the time of the thoughts, and thus their effects. 

For example, I was chanting pauri 19 when I had an idea, a great idea.  It just so happens that pauri 19 brings universal knowledge, inspiration and revelation.  Well hmmm, maybe I should act on the idea that I had while chanting pauri 19.  What was that idea, well hold tight, it’s going to take a little bit to manifest, but it will come and I’ll be sure to share.

So I’ve found my way back to Japji Sahib, and not only that I’ve found another way to bring soulful insight down into physical manifestation through practical application of Japji Sahib.

good times

Sat Nam!

Coping with death is rarely an easy process.  This past week the angel of Death paid a visit to my dear friend, Guru Kar Singh, aka Kenny Valez.  Kenny became my friend during my Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training experience.  He was so generous he allowed me to stay at his place on our overnight intensive weekends.

This extra time together afforeded me a special bond with Kenny as we related to one another on how we were integrating the experiences.  We became so close we even convinced him and his partner Peter to come visit us last year for a Farmer’s Marketing in Madison.  Kenny was like a brother to me.  At one time we got lost on a field trip and he said, “Krishan do you think we were brothers in a past life.”   I thought, ya know, probably and in fact he was a brother to me in this life as well.

I miss my brother.

Kenny’s passing brought back a slew of feelings and emotions about the loss of my best friend Tony a few years ago.  Coping with death is rarely an easy process.

I just learned that my dear friend Sarah lost her grandmother this week.  Sarah is my friend that opened my world up the chakras and my heart goes out to her and her family.

So how do we cope with death?

Coping with Death: Spiritually some Yogic Perspective

Energetically death is a very challenging thing to process for those whom are left behind.  Especially in the case of those who seem to leave us all too early, as was the case with Kenny, questions of Why pop up.  Why did this have to happen to him?  Why did this have to happen to him now?  Why didn’t I make a point to spend more time with him while he was still here?  Why?  Why?

Well one has to process this mental energy of questioning.  A useful means for doing this is through Acceptance.  It kind of makes it difficult to accept things when loss is involved, but we must take a step back from this temporal view of things.  When viewed from the perspective of the immortal Soul acceptance is a much more natural step in the process.  The Soul is the keeper of when it is time to go, in Kundalini Yoga it is said that every individual is born with a specific number of breaths, pranic cycles if you will, that will carry them through their present incarnation.  At the proper time, when the number of breaths has run out, the Soul transitions out of its present body.  The saying…”It was his time” is very true, humbling and useful in accepting death/transition.

For those more scientifically oriented acceptance of the fact that energy cannot be destroyed it can only be transformed or transferred also can bring a kind state of acceptance.

Transition is a more positive term than death for it implies that this is merely one step in the process.  In Kundalini Yoga there is a Spiritual practice for the living to assist the one who has transitioned in making the journey home.  We chant Akal for them.  Akal means Deathless, or Undying.

“You did not die.  Continue and go on.  I let you go.  This can encourage the soul to go onto it’s true home” The Aquarian Teacher

I began my practice of Akal the day after I heard Kenny had transitioned.  I continued it today and sent the energy to Sarah’s grandmother as well.  I had an interesting vision a couple days ago when chanting Akal, I saw a door opening, that’s it.  Simple, yet powerful at the same time–transition.  I have also found that chanting Akal helps to center my being in the knowledge that this crazy thing called life is just one step in the process and that my Soul is immortal, which brings further acceptance.

There is comfort in transition.  Comfort that you may meet your loved one again in Heaven, or possibly in another life time.  And when you get there you can say, “Hey you bum, why did you leave me so soon.  Next time stick round for a bit, I so enjoy relating to you.”

Being around friends and family also helps to cope with the loss of a friend.  It really just makes you appreciate them more and think of ways to be with them more, because that’s what’s really important.

I’ve also found that writing about those who have transitioned is also very good for coping.  Sharing these writings with others also helps.

I pray for those who have transitioned, may the light guide your way home.

I pray for those who are still among us, may you find your way on.

Akal

Well, it was that time of the year again.  Time to participate in my second White Tantric Yoga experience.  Last weekend I made the trip down to Chicago to participate with 100+ others in the all day meditation events.

White Tantric provides an optimal group experience, which is carefully faciliated, for breaking through blocks within the subconscious.  Lord knows I’ve got blocks in there.

Here’s a quick pic I took with my phone during the event:

This was the line of people I was in.  What’s really interesting to ponder on is that White Tantric works with Diagonal Z energy lines of force, so even though these peps were in my line, I was actually directly energetically linked with those sitting in other lines @ angles to me.

The first few meditations of the day were cake, but great warm ups.  Then in the afternoon we jumped into the 31 minute meditations.  If you have every sat still for 31 minutes  you can begin to relate to the mental energy that needs to be expended to maintain the posture.  What’s great is that the group energy helps to carry you through the meditation.

I found this White Tantric experience to be much more powerful for me than last time.  I think it’s because since I completed my teacher training I’ve been meditating daily as part of my Sadhana, for at least 20 minutes per day.  So I carried that vibration into the experience.

Now that  I’m through White Tantric for this year I’ve found myself able to carry my high vibration from my morning practice longer throughout my day.  Which really is the purpose of the daily practice.

If you get a chance to take a White Tantric course, go for it!  I do recommend some practice meditating prior to jumping in.

Oh and neck lock can be a life saver when you are sitting there for 31 minutes.

Sat Nam

Krishan

Staying true to my sadhana, I’ve completed a 40 day kriya, Heart Center Opener.

It was a lovely kriya I must say.  I live in the Midwest, which is considered to be the Heart land of America.  We’ve been getting blasted the past year with snow and rain.  Esoterically speaking this is a cleansing of the heart center.  In order to get more in tune with America, I decided to take on the Heart Center Opener kriya.

As a man thinkith in his heart so he is, or something like that.  This kriya has helped me to get more in touch with my heart center, to use this center of being for more guidance in my life.  The more people in the heart land of America, that can get in tune with their heart centers, the more we can collectively help to guide America forward in the Age of Aquarius.

Sat Nam

Krishan

I am, I am, I am

I know what you are thinking, what, I am what?

That’s just it, I am, I am.

One mantra used in Kundalini Yoga is, I am.  This week I had the fortunate experience to listen to Deepak Chopra in Madison.  His talk was fantastic, he took us through some quantum physics and provided some wonderful insights as key take aways.  One thread of discussion especially caught my attention, it dealt with karma.

Dr. Chopra said that thoughts which occur in your mind, and tend to make it challenging for one to mediate, are the result of karmas which are past memories, or desires for the future.  He then stated that by using the Mantra I am, I am, I am for 10 - 15 minutes you can counter those karmas.  Why?

Because I am is undefined.  It is a term that carries with it no karma, it’s simply a mantra of being.  How cool is that huh?  I am, I am, it’s so simple yet so powerful.  So the karma of your thought and the mantra I am cancel each other out, and then you are operating the the “gap” as he called it, which is the off time period in between the on phase of manifestation, which is a continuing cycle of on off on off.  This gap, Dr. Chopra stated, is your Soul.

I suspect Sat Nam is along a similar vibration to I am.

Anyhoot, it was an ah ha moment for me, so I thought I’d share.

I am

I am

I am

So today was the big day, yup Day 1 of the 1000 day meditation.  As I noted previously the Kundalini Research Institute is promoting a 1,000 day Meditation for an Invincible Spirit, leading up to the beginning of the Age of Aquarius.

Today was the first day, so if you are reading this and want to start for the 1000 go for it!

Experiencing this meditation today was a real treat and a surprise.  First of all it’s a lovely meditation, utilizing the mantra for the Aquarian Age which is put to a marching beat/rhythm.  The marching vibe is powerful and you can feel as if together we are marching towards a greater experience of humanity.

The surprise I received was the energetic experience of this global meditation.  This experience is being promoted and participated in across the Mother Earth.  By joining in the mediation one joins with the collective group energy of all participants.  I’d be curious to know, world wide how many are going for 1,000 days?  Anyway, that collective energy is strong, it forms a global network of light.  This network affect works to raise the vibration of humanities collective consciousness, which is exactly what we need during these challenging times of the transition energy.

Gotta give a shout out and a Sat Nam to Yogi Bhajan, Guru Ram Das and the Lord for this technology to help us through this transition.

Please note that you can join in to this group consciousness and collective Spirit at any time in during the next 1,000 days.

I’m totally hooked on this meditation and look forward to experiencing it until time of the Water Bearer is at hand, even though it’s an air sign

Krishan

Sat Nam,

My friend Nam Kaur, is teaching a series of Kundalini Yoga classes starting January 29th.

You can check details and sign up for the class here.

I’ll also be subbing for a few classes while Nam goes to India for a family trip to celebrate her wedding.

Congrats Nam Kaur

and students, we hope to see you there!

Krishan

I received an email from the Kundalini Research Institute announcing an International 1,000 Day meditation leading up to the Age of Aquarius.  After receiving it I thought, wow, that would be soo cool to be a part of that collective group consciousness leading up to the official beginning of the new age.

Details on the mediation can be found here.   I watched the video and downloaded the English versions with instruction.

It seems rather straight forward, but I can assure you the affects will be found on several levels.

I do have one question, in the overview it states that Yogi Bhajan said the Age of Aquarius will officially begin on November 11, 2011.  The numerology of 11/11/11 is super cool, however, there are many works out there stating that Winter Solstice of 2012 is the official beginning of the new Age, the end of the Mayan Long Count etc.  On page 7 of the Aquarian Teacher it also states that the cusp period last till 2012.  It will be interesting to watch the discussion over the official start of the New Age over the next few years.

Regardless, I’m super excited to take on my first 1,000 day practice, especially since it will be shared with others.

Bring on Aquarius!

Per my background, I’ve maintained a regular yoga practice for the past 5 years now.  However, I really didn’t start “meditating” until my teacher training program last year.  Since then I’ve been on a 40 days mission, or perhaps I should say a series of 40 day kriyas and meditations.  I have now moved onto my next mediation, which is very powerful, Meditation for Self Blessing Guidance by Intuition.  It powerfully stimulates the pineal and pituitary glands, while strengthening the magnetic feild.  The results of my regular practice and this newly integrating meditation are paying off.

As part of my additional Spiritual journey, I’ve decided to align myself more with the natural rhythms of the Earth.  As such I am putting myself more in tune with the Cycle of the Moon.  It is said that the full moon is a particularly auspicious time to meditate, and so I have started Full Moon meditations.  I haven’t had formal full moon meditation training, in this life time, but I figure I would simply sit quietly and get into the space.  The space of the Meditative Mind.

Through training I am now able to consciously shift my awareness into the Meditative Mind, at least I did last night during the Full Moon.  It was a profound experience really, the visions and sensations are my own for now, but powerful.  With focused attention, inward and upward towards the crown I dwell in that space.

It’s a pretty cool space really.  I am encouraged to keep up my practice so I can continue to access the Meditative Mind.

For my most recently completed 40 day kundalini yoga kriya, I practiced Nabhi kriya.  Nabhi kriya focuses on working the 3rd chakra, or navel center, or power center, it works your core.  The navel point is the source of our nurishment when we are in the womb of our mothers.  In yoga the navel point is the center where a human draws power to be used by the other centers. 

I added the breath of fire as a pranayam warm up prior to the kriya.  I figured hey, if I’m working on the fire in the belly, I might as well practice the breath of fire as well.  In hind sight I should have practiced a more cooling pranayam.  My body constitution, or dosha, is that of a kapha which means water.  I suspect the breath of fire, plus the belly fire work was somewhat counter balancing to my constitution.  I felt very firey, and wasn’t cooling myself off much during my practice. 

I was glad to have practiced this kriya for 40 days.  It absolutely provided a inflow of energy, which is needed from time to time. 

I supplemented this 40 day kriya with a 40 day meditation, from Yogi Bhajan’s book, The Mind- Creating Art by Projecting into the Future.  I weaved these together in order to channel the Nabhi energy into my projections of the future.  I’ll let ya know how they turn out when I get there

Keep up and keep practicing!

Krishan