The Age of Aquarius is bringing unexpected changes so we should develop our strength and our talent and our IQ and our intelligence and our consciousness to face it gracefully. - Yogi Bhajan The times, it's crazy. This election process is a mammoth mirror, reflecting the confusion and turmoil that we are experiencing as a society and as individuals. There is division and there is union. There is deception and there is transparency. There is despair and there is hope. There is fear, and there is love. And all of this is happening inside of us. It may be important to note that what we don't like may not be as dangerous as the war onwhat we don't like. This does not mean that we accept the unacceptable. It does mean, however, that we need to take extra care not to become the unacceptable. First, recognize that the other person is you. When I get pulled into the craziness, I find the need to pull back into my own space and ask myself, who am I? Where is this anger, or disdain, coming from? Am I healing or fueling that source? Is it making me more compassionate or self-righteous towards others? Wanting change is more than okay. The question is, at what cost. I think of the character Annikan Skywalker from Star Wars who became the very thing that he fought against. When I judge (and I admit I am capable of judging fiercely) I know that I have touched on a hunger inside myself. I pray that I have the strength to take care of my hunger first before I let the beast ooze out of me, blind-sighting those around me. This election pushes many to a more primitive place. The bright side is that anger and hope can awaken us to create a better process together. Where we go with this awakening, and how we relate to it, will tell the rest of the story. Fear can lead to the dark side. Fall into it, and it leads to anger. Fall into anger, and it leads to hate. And hate leads to suffering... ...no matter who is in office. -inspired by Yoda Global 40 Day Meditation 4th Sutra of the Aquarian Age: Understand Through Compassion or You Will Misunderstand the Times 3HO in partnership with Spirit Voyage is leading a 40 Day Global Sadhana starting Monday, May 16 (and ending June 24) dedicated to Compassion. Even if you are getting this after the 16th, start today. Here is the meditation. Or go straight to the instructional video(left). Don't need the instructions? Play the video on the right to go straight to the meditation.
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The first thing we do at the beginning of class is chant the Adi Mantra: Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo This mantra connects us to the wisdom, or Infinite Intelligence, that resides within each in every one of us, as well as to the Golden Chain of teachers that have come before us. This mantra “…makes you very receptive and sensitive to the messages of your body, mind and intuition.” It guides us through our yoga practice. The Complete Adi Mantra immerses you in awareness and guidance for your personal situation. It establishes a guiding beam between you in your immediate state, and your higher consciousness, that is true through all states. It is also an excellent meditation for those in Shakti Pad. The mantra is Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo, Guru Dev Namo, Guru Deva Drishti (eye focus): tip of nose Mudra: both palms faced upwards and in gyan mudra (index finger and thumb together) in front of the heart center. Bring the sides of the pinky and base of the pinkies together, creating a “bowl” with both hands. Breath and mantra: take a full inhale, and on the exhale, chant the mantra ong namo guru dev namo guru dev namo guru deva 3-5 times in one exhale.
Continue for 11-31 minutes. This is the last of four Meditations to master the suspension of breath. This series helps to expand the pranic body. You will feel expanded, strong and your endurance increased. The Composite Polarity teaches subtlety and command. Take your time and build this meditation up to 11 minutes. The preciseness of the mudra is important on this one. Please note that this is an advanced meditation. Instructions:
Eyes are 1/10 closed. Elbows are relaxed at your sides. Hands come forward at the level of the heart, palms facing down. Bend the left wrist so that the palm of the left hand is facing forward. Leave the palm of the right hand facing down and parallel to the ground. Inhale slowly to the top and hold the inhale for as long as you can comfortably hold. Then exhale slowly to the bottom and suspend the breath at the bottom of the exhale for as long as you can hold (w/o feeling like you need to gasp for air). Then inhale slowly again and continue the cycle for up to 11 minutes. Sat nam. Sat nam! This is the 3rd of 4 in the Suspension of Breath Series. If you have come this far from the beginning, congratulations! If you are just coming to this, please note that this meditation is an advanced practice. It is advised that you begin from the Calm Heart Meditation to build up to this pranayam. This meditation is practiced from 3 to 11 minutes. Please practice this for as long as you can in full presence and build up to where you want to go. The Meditation for a Stable Self teaches constancy and visualization. This is great for increasing one's capacity to create and complete! It continues to expand the pranic body (which helps with endurance & vitality), and the biggest challenge here is the visualization part of the meditation. Stick with it. Observe the stuff that come up as you do it, and let it all be okay. This is the 2nd of 4 in the Suspension of Breath Meditation Series and is 3-5 minutes in length. If you are learning about this for the first time, and you are new to pranayam, or breath exercises, we suggest that you begin with the Calm Heart Meditation, which is super yummy in what it will do for you, and starts with the most basic components of conscious breathing. The Caliber of Life Meditation builds on the Calm Heart making it easier to practice once the Calm Heart is established. The Caliber of Life Meditation will offer you just that: Caliber. It helps with depression and feelings of discouragement. It expands the pranic body, which means that it strengthens lung capacity, endurance and vitality. It strengthens the nervous system (our response-ability), and promotes an overall sense of inner strength and wellness. It brings you up a notch in terms of your own self judgment! Try this for 40 days, and let us know how it goes for you. Breathe your way calm... This meditation will help to soothe and strengthen the nervous system, expand lung capacity, increase endurance and help you relax and find your center. Do this for 40 days, and you will find your breath slowing down, helping you to experience greater emotional balance, which translates to an overall better daily life experience. Review the Long Deep Breath and How to Properly Suspend the Breath. To master the suspension of the breath is to master the inflow and outflow of life itself.
Take the 40 day challenge in one or all of the following pranayam meditations, at the time of day that works for you!
**40 days to creates a habit, 90 days confirms a habit, 120 days makes it who you are, and 1000 days masters it. Japji is a magnificent prayer, which came from Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh faith. There are 38 paurees, or verses in Japji, and it takes about 20 minutes to recite the prayer. Each pauree has a certain effect. If there is a specific thing you would like to work on, it is said that chanting that corresponding pauree 11 times a day will grant it for you. A popular one is the 25th Pauree, which brings prosperity and the fulfillment of all of your needs. That explains the popularity! I have chanted this through one time; you can simply replay 10 additional times to chant this 11 times. The words are displayed on the screen for your ease and reference. Enjoy! This is the first of 7 in the Aquarian Sadhana mantras. If you had to choose one to chant for, say 11 minutes, this is a great one to do. It balances each of the chakras* and initiates the kundalini, thereby initiating the relationship between our finite Self and the Infinite.
*This is an ashtang (8-limbed) mantra: Ek Ong Kar Sat Nam Siri Wahe Guru. Each word corresponds to each of the 8 chakras: Ek corresponds to the 1st chakra (at the rectum, which governs our feelings of security). Color: Red Ong corresponds to the 2nd chakra (the reproductive organs, which governs our sexual & creative energies). Color: Orange Kar corresponds to the 3rd chakra (the navel point, which governs our personal power). Color: Yellow Sat corresponds to the 4th chakra (the heart center, which governs boundaries and compassion). Color: Green Nam corresponds to the 5th chakra (the throat center, which governs the projection/ expression of our personal power). Color: Blue Siri corresponds to the 6th chakra (the 3rd eye, which governs our ability to see the unseen, know the unknown- our intuition). Color: Indigo Wahe corresponds to the 7th chakra, also known as the 10th gate (the crown center- fontanel at the top of our head), which governs our ability to know the Oneness of all). Color: Violet Guru corresponds to the 8th chakra, also known as our aura (the magnetic field that surrounds us, which protects us from negativity and depression). Color: White While chanting Long Ek Ong Kar, you may also wish to focus on the corresponding chakra and visualize the color as you chant each mantra. 11 minutes of Long Ek Ong Kar with Savitree Kaur. Remember to Tune in with Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo (3x) before starting. And while I am not wearing a head covering here, it is an excellent idea to do so during this meditation. |
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Favorite LinksKundalini Yoga Quotes:“I’d never felt anything like it; it was just an opening of energy and a feeling of such liberation.” -Marika Bethel, owner, Glowing House |