Sadhana

A person once said about sadhana: “Once sadhana is done, nothing should happen to you.” I said, ‘No, when sadhana happens, everything should happen to you, and you should come out as a winner, you should come out victorious!” That is what sadhana gives you. It doesn’t give you a written guarantee from God. The one who does sadhana builds himself such a powerful personality, he can conquer anything! That is why I do my own sadhana. I have been doing it for years. I do it even now. Some people ask me, “You are a Master, why do you do sadhana?” I say, “To remain a Master!” -YOGI BHAJAN

Sadhana. Aradhana, Prabhupati 144 Why is it Important for a Kundalini Yoga Teacher to do Sadhana? 145 Yogi Bhajan on Group Sadhana 146 Preparing for Sadhana 147 The Effect of Sadhana 148 Yogi Bhajan: Wisdom, Commitment, Consistency Sadhana: the Ultimate Approach to Change Yogi Bhajan Answers Questions About Sadhana Sadhana Mantras for the Aquarian Age Guidelines for Leading the Aquarian Sadhana COPYRIGHT YOGI BHAJAN 2003 148 149 149 152 153

Sadhana

Sadhana means a daily spiritual practice. Sadhana is a self-discipline that allows one to express the Infinite within one’s self.  Sadhana is a discipline of the mind and body to serve the soul. Sadhana keeps the mind clear to accurately guide our actions.  Yogi Bhajan has given thousands of lectures full of yogic knowledge, exercises, meditations, recipes, remedies, and spiritual insights. Repeatedly he stresses that listening and reading are only a first step, and that one has to practice regularly. The motto of the Age of Aquarius, the New Age we are entering into, is “I know, therefore I believe. ” A practical personal experience is required to integrate these ancient spiritual truths. The regular personal daily practice of yoga, meditatio’n and related exercises is called sadhana. Saahana In sadhana the sadhu lives. In sadhana the nectar of God’s Love rains down. In sadhana come the blessings of Simran, Awareness, and Divine Understanding. In sadhana is the meditation of Raj Yoga. In sadhana see God’s glory. In sadhana experience Infinity. Sadhana is the dally meditation of the sadhu. Oh Yogi! Become one with God! -YOGI BHAJAN

Sadhana .. Aradhana .. Prabhupati THE ESSENCE OF SADHANA IS IN THE SEQUENCE sadhana, aradhana, and prabhupati-discipline, attitude, and mastery. These three steps are inseparable. To understand daily sadhana, we view it within the context of aradhana and prabhupati. SADHANA Sadhana means a practice of self-discipline that allows one to express the Infinite within one’s self. It is a time each day to notice the patterns that lead away from higher consciousness and to transcend those patterns. Sadhana is a conscious activity. We consciously choose to rise up, to exercise the body, and to meditate. Each day is different. Each day, we are different. Every 72 hours all the cells of the body totally change. Sickness comes and goes. Motivation waxes and wanes. But through all the flux of life, through all the variations of the mind and heart, we consciously choose to maintain a constant and regular practice. MORNING SADHANA-Cleaning the Subconscious The 108 yogic scriptures called the Kundalini Upanishads, call for at least two-anda-half hours of sadhana before the rising of the sun. The duration of two-and-a-half hours is determined by the law of karma: everything you give, you receive back tenfold. So if you dedicate one-tenth of each day to your higher consciousness, your whole day is covered by the returning energy. To exercise before sunrise is important because the angle of the sun to the Earth is very good for meditation. Also there is much prana in these hours, and the body rhythms are more set to support physical cleansing than during the rest of the day. Few people are awake and busy, so the clutter and bustle of daily activities does not interfere with your practice. Though many challenges may come to stop this constant early morning practice, as we conquer each one, we will build our willpower, confidence, and ability to concentrate. This is no small accomplishment. If at the same time each day, we tune all of our mental and physical rhythms to each other, then the entire day flows better. Besides this, if we learn to meditate at the same time every day, this natural rhythm will make it easier and easier. In meditation, we are clearing the subconscious of fears. As each fear comes up and we look upon it neutrally, the fear loses its power over us. We become more flexible and feel more free. Most fears were learned at a particular time of day. So these fears tend to occur most intensely at the time of day they were originally experienced. By meditating at sadhana time, we slowly attract the anxieties from all other parts of the day. Normally we react to anxieties on their time and conditions. In meditation, the effects of old fears come to us on our time and under our conditions. Since they come at the same time each day, it becomes easier and easier to deal with each one. Eventually the mind is cleared of the clouds of fear and begins to see the light and power of creative consciousness. Then the morning meditation clears out the daily worries and projections so no further long-term subconscious fears can accumulate. After practicing a regular sadhana for some time, the effect begins to seep into the deeper parts of the mind. This might take 40 days or one and a half years. It

It seems that on a daily basis, when you do sadhana, nothing happens. But you don’t do it out of greed. You do it to conquer your laziness, your ego, your stupidity, with your essence of commitment. That’s all sadhana is. We don’t do it to get anything. -YOGI BHAJAN depends on the individual. the intensity of effort, and the starting condition. The subconscious mind finally gets the message. It understands that we are sincere, that meditation is a priority, that every day at this time we begin to wake up automatically without the aid of an alarm, and that even when traveling we will meditate every day on time. The subconscious begins to support us, and sadhana begins to feel effortless. The subconscious, which directs about 60 percent of our activities and responses by habit, has now acquired a habit to have the consciousness of sadhana. ARADHANA-Connecting to the Universal Self In the beginning, sadhana may seem like a negative activity. It imposes discipline at the cost of some other activities such as sleep! It is difficult to deal with the many influences that resist your attempts to be regular. But as sadhana becomes aradhana, only positive feeling is left as a result of experience. The higher mind is able to connect with the Universal Self. The mind becomes more active now in its subconscious clearing. If we find resistance now it is not from external changes. We confront a basic inner question: “Am I willing to act and think in my highest consciousness, or do I want to hang on to my old identity even longer?” If the choice is for the higher self, then sadhana becomes a joy, and we leap up each morning to meet it. If we put off the decision , we will start feel ing tired or sick to avoid getting up, and we will fall asleep whenever we meditate in an attempt to avoid this commitment to the self. Another pitfall at this stage is the feeling that we have ” made it.” Since the physical habit is firmly established, we become lax in the mental discipline of concentrating on the Infinite. It is just like climbing a mountain: when we reach a high plateau, our impulse is to camp and look at the valleys below. But waiting too long makes the muscles slack, and soon we may even forget why we wanted to climb to the top when this level is so comfortable. We know the rest of the climb is harder, narrower, and colder than what we have already experienced. So we resist the last step. This is an apt metaphor for climbing the heights of self-realization. When we have practiced enough to confirm an attitude, we relax. We make it to sadhana, but fall asleep. We meditate, but sometimes the words are just mechanical motions without meaning, because we lose touch with our initial motivations. This is part of the subconscious reorganization of our motivation and intent. At some point in this, we may feel absolutely no motivation to do what we have set out to do. It is then that the regular habit of sadhana and the earlier commitments are essential. The thought of duty and of the Nam itself may become our only reasons for continuing. If we are constant through this dark time, we can tap new sources of energy and strength within ourselves. We will build a dependence directly on the Infinite and never need to rely on a finite motivation or structure.

PRABHUPATI-Mastery of the Universe The word prabhupati literally means “spouse of God.” Once aradhana has cleaned the subconscious. we enter into prabhupati. or mastery of the universe. This is the state of neutrality. Our motivation is neutral. No finite thing motivates us. No money, no fame, no sex, no personal advancement is enough to determine our actions. We cease to be manipulated by things. We stop being attached to our past, possessions. and hopes, so that we can creatively and freely act in the highest consciousness of each moment. In this neutral state, we sense the Infinite in all things. Nothing motivates us except the sense of the Infinite existence itself. Motivation comes from the center of our being. The stage of prabhupati represents the opening and atunement to the superconsciousness. The conscious mind has merged with the subconscious mind, and there is no conflict in the personality. Everything is experienced as a harmony even if the gross outward circumstance seems challenging The highest sadhana is or disastrous. A person feels more of the pain of the that your presence should remind people of God. What bigger and more powerful miracle than that can there be, that by your very presence you can invoke Godhood in people? -YOGI BHAJAN entire cosmos, and more of its joy, but rests in the neutral and sublime state of mind in the mastery of God. It is the full awakening and integration of compassion into the personality. Compassion gives one a capacity to forgive the unforgivable. In acts of compassion a kind of vacuum is created, for the law of action and reaction has been transcended. Nature does not love a vacuum and neither does the universe. So it always must help that yogi who has the compassion to serve . The person who is true to their sadhana begins to glow and gains the ability to guide and inspire others. just being in his or her presence helps clear the mind of useless conflicts. She has opened the guiding potential of the supermind in her aura.

Group Sadhana DOING SADHANA IN A GROUP DEVELOPS GROUP CONSCIOUSNESS. At the beginning of sadhana everyone has a different vibration. Some have traces of dreams; others are already filled with concerns for the day; and still others come with different expectations about sadhana. The more people there are. the more these individual differences balance out and create a harmony. The happiness of one person balances the sadness of another. Then the entire group finds its energy directed by the activity of the sadhana itself. The individual auras merge and form a group aura. If the group is well-tuned into the Infinite, a rainbow aura forms that reflects all colors. A bluish color of sincerity and devotion predominates. This auric transformation aids the practitioner in making the step beyond ego centeredness. By the end of morning sadhana, when everyone’s energy has intermingled and merged, it is easy to communicate and be on the same wave length. We experience this effect throughout the day. There will be fewer misunderstandings in the area of communications.

Preparing for Satthana WE SAY RISE IN THE AMBROSIAL HOURS AND BE WITH GOD, because God is Infinity. Anything which is multiplied by Infinity becomes Infinity. So, early in the morning, get up and multiply yourself by Infinity. ENVIRONMENT In a meditative sadhana you become supersensitive, and the environment that surrounds you has a huge effect on the ease of going into meditation. Colors, sounds and even the past usage of the room all register in your consciousness and affect its energy. There are rooms beautifully designed and used only for meditation. just walking in such a room inspires meditation, like being in a forest automatically draws one into a meditative state. The meditation room should smell fresh. Air should be allowed to circulate, and the temperature should be moderate. Too much cold may harm the body in deep meditation. Too much heat will induce sleep and poor circulation. The spot you sit on should be covered with an animal skin or a wool blanket, since they are non-static and insulate your psycho-electromagnetic field from the electromagnetic field of the Earth. Sharp noises and interruptions should be avoided during meditation and sadhana. In some stages of meditation a closing door may sound like an explosion. PREPARING YOUR BODY FOR SADHANA Create some routine for your early morning preparaton. Wake yourself gently in the morning and do the standard wake-up exercises. (See wake-up exercises in Yogic Lifestyle chapter.) Remember to drink a few glasses of water. Take a cold shower. You cannot meditate fully if your circulation is still in patterns suited for sleep or drowsiness. (See lshnaan in Yogic Lifestyle chapter for the correct way to take a cold shower.) After your cold shower routine, put on clothing which is neat and clean, loose and flexible. White is the best color for sadhana clothing. Do not wear the same garments to sadhana as you wore to bed. You must tell your consciousness that sadhana is a special activity that you prepare for and even dress specially for. Your mind will be more alert and more cooperative if it knows an important event is about to take place. Choose a meditation blanket or shawl made of wool, silk, or cotton. Use it only for meditation. Over a period of time, the shawl will absorb the vibrations of sadhana. Then just putting it on will immediately aid your efforts. YOGA EXERCISES An important part of sadhana is a kriya, an exercise series. The physical body must be exercised to keep the circulation balanced

and strong, to remove tensions and blocks created by emotions, to alter the glandular secretions so that they correspond to the state of consciousness you want to attain, to clean the circulatory system to prevent disease, and to stimulate the kundal ini. A strong exercise series awakens the will. Press through the minor pains of limbering and nerve strengthening. This helps you to stay alert during meditation and chanting. The exercises you practice should be sets as taught by Yogi Bhajan, or a series strictly following his guidelines. The series should leave you with a feeling of greater energy flow, mellowness, alertness, and enthusiasm. Too much exercise can tax the body so much that you will feel drowsy and lack motivation. Therefore, a very heavy exercise and cleansing sadhana should be done when there is plenty of time to relax afterwards. A balanced series of exercises that works on breathing, nerves, glands, and spine is perfect for sadhana. CHOOSING THE EXERCISES Each day of the week has its own energy. In astrology this is symbolized by associating each day with a planet. The daily sadhana exercise set could be chosen to relate to these energies. An emotional, calming pranayam for Monday; a nabhi (Navel Point) kriya for Tuesday; a brain cleansing set for Wednesday; a deep meditation Thursday; a sexual energy transmutation set Friday; a strenuous physical cleansing kriya Saturday; and a blissful projective Laya Yoga meditation Sunday. Ultimately you must use your own sensitivity to choose what kind of energy to deal with in the exercises. Or, you can use the chart as a guideline. DAY PLANET QUALITY Monday Moon Emotion Tuesday Mars Energy, combativeness Wednesday Mercury Business communication Thursday Jupiter Expansion & deep thought Friday Venus Love, sensuality Saturday Saturn Karma, constriction, discipline Sunday Sun Purity, energy of self LEADING GROUP SADHANA If all the physical preparations have been cared for, you can then set your mind for group consciousness. If you are leading the sadhana, check for unexpected visitors and guests. If they do not know the procedure. make them secure with a brief explanation. Clearly establish who is to start the sadhana. When you chant by yourself you are only one voice, but sitting with others the effect of your sound is multiplied by adding to the sound of others, and by others hearing and reflecting your voice.

The Effect of Sadhana CHANT ONG NAMO GURU DEV NAMO, AND FEEL THE IN-FLOW OF ENERGY and light to the body and mind, and the presence of the Teacher. Meditate on the higher Teacher within, and feel that in all devotion and humility we are asking for guidance in sadhana. Many people build a regular sadhana but fall into the pit of boredom, because of false expectations. They want an experience of flashing light and sparkling energy. Although this does occur at times, it is more important to have contact with the Infinite. Realize that doing the same chant or the same exercise we have done many times before can give us a totally different effect today. We are not at all the same person who went to bed a few hours before. The body’s cells have renewed themselves, and in the deep slumber of nocturnal meditation we have forgiven ourselves for all the errors made the day before. We are fresh. Let the individual mind rest in the neutrality of the Infinite Mind. OVERCOMING THE DUALITY OF THE MIND Yogi Bhajan: “When I tell you to get up and meditate in the ambrosial hours, it seems odd. Why should you get up at 3:30 am? Because you require those two hours to work out your own mind, so that the rest of the day you can work out your life. Amrit vela naam jaap. Rise in the ambrosial hours and meditate. Be with God. Whenever your mind will be in duality, you will be in trouble. There is no way you can function. ‘Should I go north? Should I go south?’ If you can’t decide which way you are going to go, you are going to sit right there. You’ll neither go north nor south. That’s called dual ity. Life is a gift of God, and duality is a waste of that life. It doesn’t matter who you are. You may be the President of the United States, or a beggar in the street. Whenever you have dual ity, you will be in trouble. That’s the law. Nobody can change it. To have no duality and to have oneness and clarity of mind, you have to keep your mind clean, smart, and healthy.” SPIRITUAL FITNESS There is a dynamic triangle within each of us between practice, experience, and your experience of the experience. There’s a constant cycle between those three. If you have many beliefs and no sadhana, how are you really changing? If you believe very good things about people and you serve no one, what good is that? Sadhana becomes a key. In terms of the body and posture there is one law for sadhana: ” Get up, set up, and keep up.” If you don’t set up for the day, if you don’t posture yourself. ready to engage the day, how are you going to keep up? And how are you going to have a set up if things are already happening before you even get up? So, first you have to get up before things are happening. Then you can set yourself in a posture, attitude, and commitment; ready to engage. Then you have the potential to keep up. If you keep up, you will start having a momentum above Time. And the effective human is timeless above Time. As long as you feel that you are just at the whim of Time, you’re not at the level of the extraordinary human that is your normal potential. And it all starts with sadhana and posture. That’s what a spiritual posture is. It gives you spiritual fitness.

INTEGRATION & COMMITMENT The lifestyle of modern civilization induces a split from nature’s rhythms and consequently from the natural attunement to our inner life. This leaves a split that runs between the two sides of our brain. It is a popular notion to recognize that our brain has two sides which have differentiated functions. The same difference has been recorded by the yogis. The two sides deal with action. emotion. and perception in opposite ways. Another element in the sadhana process is commitment. Yogi Bhajan once said that 90 percent of today’s insanity comes from a lack of commitment and the lack of a capacity to commit. Commitments set the values of the self. The values of the self al low you to subject the power of the self to create. Creativity allows detachment. Detachment allows judgment. Judgment plus forgiveness give progress in the process of expansion of the self. Sadhana acts as a counselor to the two sides of the self. It encourages a central self to become bilingual and translate the languages of the two sides. Sadhana creates a meditative mind which can absorb all the stimuli in the environment. compute it, and then act wisely instead of just reacting. The inner observer can understand logic as well as intuition. activity as well as rest. science as well as art. We must develop the bilingual self. fully prepared with a clean sense of values and a deep capacity for commitment. This capacity comes through sadhana.

Yogi Bhqjan Answers Questions About Sacthana Question: What is the greatest reward of doing sadhana? Answer; The greatest reward of doing sadhana is that the person becomes incapable of being defeated. Sadhana is a self-victory. and it is a victory over time and space. Getting up is a victory over time, and doing it is a victory over space. That is what sadhana is. And when you do a sadhana in the sangat. you enrich yourself in multiple ways. First. the isolation which can hit anybody and make them go totally crazy is defeated. Secondly, when all of you meditate on God. the total effect of your sadhana becomes multiplied by the number of people participating. Sadhana is not a matter of advantages and disadvantages. It is simply a means through which you can defeat all your miseries. misfortunes. and handicaps. It is a very personal thing which does not relate to anybody except yourself. You are supposed to go through self-evaluation every day. That is what sadhana is. On one side is God. the superiority of you; on one side is you; and on one side is the devil or the inferiority of you. Between the three you have to assess yourself. A sadhu is a being who has disciplined himself. Sadhana is the technique to discipline yourself. It is a scientific way to live. Question: I have been having a problem with sadhana. I fall asleep in the same posture every morning. Answer; Whenever you have a problem with sadhana. you are very fortunate. because it indicates you are working on something. That is the time to conquer it, and get it out of your system. Question: How can I find out what it is? Answer: There is nothing to find out. just go through it. Whenever you have a problem with sadhana. luck is smiling on you. That is what you have been waiting for. There is a challenge-you can challenge it. and go through it. Question: How do you challenge it? Answer: Challenge it by doing it. Sadhana gives fearlessness and a sense of self. as well as projection. polarity combination. equilibrium. respectability, totality. internal and external self-knowledge, purity, dignity, divinity, and grace. In addition. it gives you radiance, pranic and auric shakti. Finally, it gives you the quality of metal which is ever shining. You become a shining. living grace. This quality is embodied in loh-iron-which can absorb all the heat. Sarab loh means that which absorbs the entire heat and cold of all the universe. and still remains neutral. That is what sadhana gives you. When you want to be bountiful, do sadhana.

.Question: Is leading the yoga exercises in sadhana the same as teaching a yoga class? Answer: No. There are differences. One difference is the amount of talking that should be done. In an outside class, there is more need for inspiring, coaxing, and explaining. Sadhana occurs in the quiet ambrosial hours. At this time, mostly we should listen to the Infinite . .Question: Should I change the exercises and kriyas every day? Answer: One part of the sadhana should stay constant long enough for you to master, or at least experience, the changes evoked by a single technique. Each kriya and mantra has its individual effects, although they all elevate you toward a cosmic consciousness. Learn to value the pricelessness of one kriya, and all others will be understood in a clearer light. There is a natural 40-day rhythm to habits in the body and mind. It takes about 40 days of consistent practice to break a habit. It takes about 90 days to establish a new habit in action and in the subconscious. It is good to take these biorhythms into account when designing your practice. .Question: 1/ 1 have to leave sadhana, what is the best way? Answer: The same way you entered. Be aware of the presence of the teacher by bowing in your consciousness. Be quiet so nothing is disturbed. Choose a time to leave that is between kriyas and meditations. A sharp noise during a deep meditation is a shock to the total system. Do not come and go as you please, but to please the highest teacher. .Question: Should I wake someone up who is sleeping in sadhana? Answer: No. God should wake him. The experience of sadhana is between the individual and God. Do not interfere. You can inspire beforehand. If sleeping is a chronic habit, discuss it with the person at a convenient time, but do not abruptly wake someone. He may be at a different level of experience than you think. It is our intention, of course, to stay alert and awake during sadhana. If you are leading the sadhana, you can lead exercises which can stimulate the brain and supply blood to the brain to help people to stay awake. Sadhana is to bring physical and mental awareness. Some people pretend to be tired. They are not fortunate enough to catch up with that gap. But it is very unfortunate on the spiritual path when, instead of inspiring people, we start criticizing them. That is projecting your hatred. I feel that in the morning when you go for sadhana, you are going to be sadhus. What does it matter if somebody just gets up to say, “hmmmmmm?” That person is still doing something.

At least he is not sleeping. It is far better than a person who is snoring at home in bed. Do you understand? Sadhana is a willful effort to prove you are not lazy about your own Infinity. When the sun rises early in the day, even idiots rise. But blessed are those who rise before the sun and prove that they are the children of the Almighty. Does it sound clear to you? Those who have guts will open the gates of the heart at 3 :30 am. .Question: As the leader of sadhana, should I participate in all the exercises? Answer: As a leader, your responsibility is to set a good example and to give clear instructions for each step of the sadhana. You should do as many exercises as you can without becoming unaware of the group. You must check to make sure that everyone understands the exercise before beginning yourself. Sometimes it will be better not to participate at all. Always join in during chanting, though. When teaching a class outside of sadhana, you should participate as little as possible in the physical exercise. Concentrate only on inspiring and serving the students. .Question: Is it mandatory for the same person to lead sadhana every morning? Answer: In all Kundalini Yoga sadhanas, the same teacher teaches every sadhana – Guru Ram Das. Anyone who is qualified to teach can lead a good sadhana. It can be very beneficial for the group to experience the effects of slightly different styles of leadership. .Question: When ehanting in the morning, the pitch often gets low. What, if anything, should be done to change the pitch? Answer: Chant at a constant, mid-range pitch as much as possible. If your breath rhythm is not correct, your spine is not kept straight, or you do not take complete breaths in the Adi Shakti Mantra. the chant will lose energy and drop in pitch. If you project the sound of the mantra from the back of the mouth in a full and roundish way, the power of the chant will increase as you continue, and the pitch will stay constant. If you are constant and listen to the sound of your chant, you will hear different pitches. These are actually overtones of the basic sound you are creating. The overtones will be high-pitched, subtle, and seem to float around the room. You cannot identify that tone with one person since it is formed by the combination of group sounds. The overtone is a good sign that the sadhana group is tuned in to each other and beyond each other. As you listen to the first overtone and become very calm, you may begin to hear higher and more subtle overtones. This awareness aids meditation on the etheric echo of your chanting, as you sit silently after chanting aloud.

Question: Is it alright to harmonize with the main tone? Answer: Chanting is not singing. It is vibrating all the cells of the body, all the thoughts of the mind, and the core crystal of the soul to the same shabd. Chanting in meditation is beyond personality. Chanting like a choir with many harmonies turns the group consciousness, which is striving for universality, into individual consciousness responding to social consciousness. Leave vocal harmonizing for kirtan and group songfests. Learn to harmonize the body, mind, and soul while chanting. Question: When I am sick, should I attend sadhana? Answer: If you are going to be in bed all day with an extreme sickness, then no. If it is not extreme (this includes most menstrual periods), then attend sadhana and do what you can. If you cannot exercise or meditate well, then at least attempt to meditate. Afterwards, lie down and rest in sadhana while mentally listening to the shabd. This way you will get well faster, and maintain the rhythm of a regular sadhana. It also eliminates the tendency to have minor morning illnesses to escape the self-discipline of a constant sadhana. In other words, participation in a group effort and regularity of discipline are paramount. But do not be a fanatic to the point of aggravating a serious illness. Question: 1 am a beginner and can only spare one hour on sadhana. Will one hour have any effect? Answer: Always do some sadhana no matter how short, because every effort of the individual mind to meet the Universal Self is reciprocated a thousand-fold. The ideal is a perfect two-and-a-half hour sadhana. But if we are to run, we must first learn to walk. An hour is excellent. As you grow into sadhana, you will find time to extend it if you really want to do so. It is good for some people to start slowly. If you try to climb Mt. Everest without climbing even a foothill beforehand, failure could discourage you from all other attempts. Build slowly and constantly at a pace you can maintain, but definitely do something. Question: Do we need a special place for sadhana? Answer: A special place or altar is ideal. The care you give the external environment is a sign and symbol to the mind of your intention. The outer reflects the inner. If the place of meditation is sloppy, it usually means you do not value relating to that Infinite Self. or you value it, but do not believe in it or yourself. When traveling, you do your best to bring a sense of specialness with you to wherever you meditate.

Question: Should I bring my children to sadhana? Answer: Your children are the future. The future will only be as secure as the foundation that is built into the young generation. It is very inspirational to see the radiance from young children who attend sadhana. There is no restriction. These hours of soothing sleep for them are the best, but they are in good vibrations, and subconsciously they have experienced the sadhana. So you can just bring them with you so they can live in those vibrations. Whether or not your particular child should attend is an individual determination. If he has been raised in the yogic tradition where chanting and exercise are a natural part of his environment, then bring him. If he is disruptive during sadhana, then his attendance should be discussed with the rest of the group. Question: Is it important to wear a head covering during sadhana? Answer: During sadhana, be sure to cover your head with a nonstatic, natural cloth like cotton, and keep the hair up. The hair regulates the inflow of sun energy into the body system. To let the solar energy flow without obstruction, let the hair grow to its full natural length, and take good care of it. If this is done, the amount of energy that goes downward from the Seventh Chakra increases tremendously. The kundalini energy is activated by the radiant force of the solar plexus and moves upward in response to the solar energy coming down. This balances the body energy and maintains the total equilibrium. If the hair is down, unkept, or uncovered so that it is electrically imbalanced, this natural process of raising the kundalini energy will be impeded. Question: Is right after sadhana a good time to take a nap? Answer: Right after sadhana is a time to do anything-even to eat ice cream. Right after sadhana do whatever you want. What is God’s, give to God through sadhana. Take what you take during the rest of the day-it is your day.

Sadhana Mantras (or the Aquarian Age

YOGI BHAJAN GAVE THE FOLLOWING SEQUENCE OF MANTRAS ON JUNE 21, 1992, with instructions to continue using them for morning sadhana in this order for 21 years. So, until the year 2013, we are set with the best sadhana tools possible. Total time is 62 minutes. 1. The Adi Shakti Mantra: Ek Ong Kaar Sat Naam Siri Wha-hay Guroo (7 minutes) “One Creator created this Creation. Truth is His Name. Great beyond description is His Infinite Wisdom.” The cornerstone of morning sadhana is an Ashtang Mantra, the Adi Shakti Mantra, also called Long Ek Ong Kars or Morning Call. This mantra initiates the kundalini, initiating the relationship between our soul and the Universal Soul. Long Ek Ong Kars are chanted without musical accompaniment, whereas the six mantras that follow may be chanted using various melodies with or without instrumental accompaniment. (Musicians take note: instruments are for background to accompany and support the voice. Also, be sure to preserve the original rhythm of the mantra by keeping the length of the syllables intact.) 2. Waah Yantee .. Kar Yantee (7 minutes) This mantra uses the words of Patanjali. It represents thousands of years of prayer. With it, we call directly on the Macroself, beyond the gunas, beyond creation. Waah Yantee .. Kaar Yantee Jag Ooot Patee .. Aadak It Waahaa Brahmaadeh Traysha Guroo It Wha-hay Guroo Great Macroself, Creative Self. All that is creative through time. All that is the Great One. Three aspects of God: Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh (Shiva). That is Wahe Guru. • 1 52 • KRI INTERNATIONAL TEACHER TRAINING MANUAL LEVEL I 3. The Mul Mantra (7 minutes) The Mul (Root) Mantra gives an experience of the depth and consciousness of your soul. There are 1 08 elements in the universe, and 108 letters in the mul mantra (in the original Gurmukhi script). This mantra expands creativity and projects us into action in line with the Creator, and our destiny. In chanting the Mul Mantra: � Leave a slight space (not a breath) between ajoonee and saibhang. Do not run the words together. � Emphasize the “ch” sound at the end of the word such. This adds power. Ek Ong Kaar One Creator, Creation Sat Naam Truth Identified (Named) Kartaa Purkh Doer of Everything Nirbho Fearless Nitvair Revengeless Akaal Moorat Undying IUoonee Unborn Saibung Self-illumined, self existent Gur Prasaad Guru’s grace (gift) Jap! REPEAT (Chant) Aad Such True in the beginning }ugaad Such True through all time Hai Bhee Such True even now Nanak Hosee Bhee Such Nanak says Truth shall ever be 4. Sat Siree .. Siree Aka/ (7 minutes) Yogi Bhajan has called this the Mantra for the Aquarian Age. With it, we declare that we are timeless, deathless beings, Sat Siree Siree Akaal Siree Akaal Mahaa Akaal Mahaa Akaal Sat Naam Akaal Moorat Great Truth Respected Undying Respected Undying Great Deathless Great Deathless Truth Identified (Named) Deathless Image of God Wha-hay Guroo Great beyond description is His Wisdom

5. Rakhe Rakhan Har (7 minutes) This is a shabd of protection against all negative forces which move against one’s walk on the path of destiny, both inner and outer. It cuts like a sword through every opposing vibration, thought, word, and action. It is part of the evening prayer of the Sikhs (Rehiras). Rakhe Rakhan Har was composed by Guru Arjan, the Fifth Guru. Rakhay rakhanahaar aap ubaaria-an Gur kee pairee paa-i kat:U savaari-an Hoaa aap tla-iaal manaho na visaari-an Saatlh janaa kai sang bhavt:Ual taari-an Saakat nintlak tlusht khin maa-eh bitlaari-an ns saahib kee tayk Naanak manai maa-eh )is simrat sukh ho-i saga lay tlookh jaa-eh Thou who savest, save us all and take us across, Uplifting and giving the excellence. You gave us the touch of the lotus feet of the Guru, and all our jobs are done. You have become merciful, kind, and compassionate; and so our mind does not forget Thee. In the company of the holy beings you take us from misfortune and calamities, scandals, and disrepute. Godless, slanderous enemies-you finish them in timelessness. That great Lord is my anchor. Nanak, keep firm in your mind, by meditating and repeating His Name All happiness comes and all sorrows and pain go away. 6. Wahe Guru Wahe )io (22 minutes) Chant this mantra sitting in Vir Asan. Sit on the left heel, with the right knee against the chest, with hands in Prayer Pose. Eyes are focused at the tip of the nose. Wha-hay Guroo Wha-hay Guroo Wha-hay Guroo Wha-hay )eeo Wahe Guru is a mantra of ecstasy. There is no real translation for it, though we could say, “Wow, God is great!” or “indescribably great is His Infinite, Ultimate Wisdom.” jeeo is an affectionate but still respectful variation of the word jee which means soul. We establish ourselves for victory and the right to excel. 7. Guru Ram Oas Chant (5 minutes) Guroo Guroo Wha-hay Guroo Guroo Raam Das Guroo This in praise of the consciousness of Guru Ram Das, invoking his spiritual light, guidance, and protective grace. We are filled with humility.

Yogic & Functional Western Anatomy

Introctuction AS KUNDALINI YOGA TEACHERS WE NEED A BASIC ORIENTATION TO THE BODY. We need to know its fundamental structures and their primary systems and functions. Anyone who teaches exercise and physical awareness needs to understand the tool that we use-the body. As kundalini yogis we recognize the subtle anatomy such as the meridians and chakras along with the physical structures recognized in medicine. We are aware of the subtle anatomy of energy and consciousness as well as the gross anatomy we learn in standard textbooks like Gray’s Anatomy. By understanding these essentials we gain a deeper appreciation of the power and design of the human body and the exquisite flow of energy in each kundalini kriya. Kundalini Yoga kriyas work on the total being. bringing natural balance to the various systems as they interact with one another. Kriyas re-pattern the body systems. systematically breaking down energy blocks and simultaneously releasing the mind. This brings a deep sense of the infinite. and establishes our connection to our soul. Kundalini Yoga recognizes the presence of the Grace of God in the whole process. We call Kundalini Yoga a sacred science. Please note that in this Western Anatomy section the suggestions of yoga sets and exercises specific to each area are only examples. Keep in mind that the comments accompanying the Kundalini Yoga kriyas are ones that Yogi Bhajan gave while teaching or else brief elaborations of basic anatomy-either gross or subtle. They are intended to raise your awareness. give you interesting teaching comments. as well as motivation to keep up in the exercises or habits. The few examples in this chapter are not meant to limit you but rather to simply steer you in the right direction. Please use the vast resource of sets. kriyas. exercises. and meditations gathered over the years in all the many valuable Kundalini Yoga manuals.