Yogi
Bhajan
All rights reserved.
Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan ®
Points To Ponder
“It
is the job of a spiritual teacher to
poke, provoke, confront and elevate."
"May
I tell you something? There is only one
thing you should know. Conquer yourself."
"The
more Prana (breath of life) the
body
consumes, the more wealth comes.
It's a simple law: inhale the entire Prana,
and push out all the weakness and disease."
“When
the breath of life becomes short, you
become short-tempered. When the breath of life
becomes long and deep, you understand who you are."
"Yoga
is the science to unite the finite with Infinity,
and it is the art to experience Infinity in the finite.
So all those who practice Kundalini Yoga don’t have to
create different definitions. This is it, straight and simple."
"No
matter how good the diet is, we tend to exceed the
self cleaning capacity of our bodies. Uric
acid, (a byproduct of meat consumption), calcium crystals,
and many other wastes
and poisons get stored in tissues and joints. They make us stiff and
may cause many diseases. In Kundalini
Yoga, muscle stretching
along with internal massage brings waste back into circulation so
that the lungs, intestines, kidneys
and skin are able to remove it."
"When
your breath is eight times a minute you are near God.
When it is four times a minute you are the perfect image of God.
When you breathe one breath per one minute you are the living God."
"If
you do not breathe consciously for 11 minutes a day, you lose 40%
of the vitality of life. This 40% you cannot recapture by any medicine
or any exercise. But if you do breathe consciously for 11 minutes
and make it very long, deep and slow, that can do exactly what no
miracle can do, because your life is based on the breath of life."
"Your
thinking pattern is based on what you normally speak.
If you speak the word of God, your thinking patterns will
become divine. The nerves create the patterns of the
brain function by the movements of the tongue."
"The most precious thing in the human body is the breath.
A meditation which cannot bring normalcy and equilibrium to your
breathing is useless, because the rate and length of the breathing will
determine the rate of secretion of your glandular system, and that secretion
will give you physical stability. Physical stability will then give you mental
stability, and mental stability will project the radiance of the spirit, the soul in
you. And when the spirit becomes radiant and healthy, you will look spiritual."
"The
two most important things in your body are the upper palate, which
is the base of the hypothalamus, because the hypothalamus controls
the entire nervous system, and the tip of the tongue, which affects
the
central nerve channel, shushumna.
That controls your entire psyche."
"Discipline
should never be rigid. Discipline should be
self-acknowledging, so that you can go along with it."
Kundalini
Yoga*
The Technology of The Ancients
The how-to for relating to your Infinity
Sat Nam. For
thousands of years yogis preserved and carefully guarded the knowledge
of the inner and outer workings of a human being, very cautiously
revealing the technology, selectively passing it down verbally from
Master to chosen disciple. They were selective because knowledge gives
power, and power can corrupt. Kundalini Yoga was always kept very
secret. It was never taught publicly until 1969, When Yogi Bhajan
challenged the ages-old tradition of secrecy.
The word kundalini literally means "the curl of the lock of hair
of the beloved." It is a metaphor, a poetic way of describing
the flow of energy and consciousness which already exists within each
one of us. The practices enable you to merge with or "yoke"
with the universal Self. This merging of individual consciousness
with universal consciousness creates a "divine union" called
"yoga." The technology of Kundalini Yoga applies its science
to our bodies and minds, and is aimed at spirit which has no boundaries,
no discrimination. Therefore it is for everyone. It is universal and
nondenominational.
"It
remains true today, in the ancient tradition of ignorance,
that people of faith and otherwise good sense hasten to
ostracize and demonize any person or group whose
beliefs and customs are unlike their own."Hari
Singh
This is a yoga for householders, for people who have to cope with
the daily challenges and stresses of holding jobs, raising families,
and managing businesses. It gives results in the shortest possible
time. It does not require you to leave your home, become an ascetic
or sit in a cave. Kundalini Yoga is designed to give you "hands
on" experience of your highest consciousness. It teaches a method
by which you can achieve the sacred purpose of your life. In 1969,
when Yogi Bhajan saw the condition the young people were in from having
taken drugs, his compassion impelled him to teach them Kundalini Yoga.
He knew it was the fastest way to heal their bodies and minds, and
give them the spiritual awakening they were seeking.
Kundalini Yoga deals specifically with the most powerful thing in
the universe, the basic life energy, prana. Prana is the sub-atomic
energy, the life force. Kundalini Yoga is the path of discovery of
the source of the prana in us and teaches us how to use it. In Kundalini
Yoga we harness the mental, physical and nervous energies of the body
and put them under the domain of the will, which is the instrument
of the soul. Kundalini Yoga perfects the finite life while connecting
it to the infinite experience.
"Kundalini
Yoga is a science, i.e., it is a technical practice that results
in a predictable and reliable outcome or experience." Hari
Singh
The practice of Kundalini Yoga also balances the glandular system,
strengthens the nervous system and enables us to harness the energy
of the mind and the emotions, so we can be in control of ourselves,
rather than being controlled by our thoughts and feelings. Of all
the technology and wisdom that Yogi Bhajan could have taught from
his vast storehouse of mastery, he chose to teach Kundalini Yoga because
it is so effective, comprehensive, and so "do-able."
No matter what we achieve, what success in the world we have, it ends
up being hollow unless we fulfill the soul’s yearning to bring
higher consciousness into our daily lives. Kundalini Yoga is much
more than just a system of physical exercise. It is a dynamic, powerful,
tool for expanding awareness. Approach it with respect, with reverence,
and openness. See The Power and Dangers of Practicing Kundalini Yoga.
Kundalini
Yoga Basics
NOTES
FOR BEGINNERS
KUNDALINI
YOGA CLASS FORMAT
As
a beginning Kundalini Yoga student, you should go at a pace that suits
your flexibility and endurance. Practice at home - a one-hour morning
practice will prepare you for your day. If you can practice at the
same time each day, you will find that you improve rapidly. Take one
to three yoga classes a week and one workshop a month to establish
a firm foundation for an effective program that fits your needs, goals,
capacity and lifestyle.
Wear loose comfortable clothes to class, preferably of cotton or other
natural fiber. Bring an exercise mat or towel to sit on if you desire.
It is very important to make sure you go to the bathroom before class,
and not during. Getting up in the middle of class is very disrupting
to the group energy. Remember to turn off your cell phone. It is also
important to try to stay still and not fidget during class, i.e.,
drink water, roll neck, etc., especially during meditation
and when the teacher is speaking. This helps you to stay present and
have a deeper experience. It also demonstrates respect for the teacher.
The format of most Kundalini classes is as follows:
Class starts on time. The class "tunes in"
by chanting the Adi Mantra 3 times: ONG, NAMO, GURU, DEV, NAMO.
ONG
NAMO
GURU
DEV
NAMO
Infinite
Creator
I
Call On That
Transforming
Wisdom
Subtle
Energy
I
Call On That
Mantra
is vibration. Energy vibrates. There’s a particular vibratory
frequency corresponding to every sound in the universe. By vibrating
a particular combination of sounds (syllables), you tune-in to various
levels of intelligence or consciousness.
The mantra translated above can be read as: "I open myself to
the experience beyond my limited self. Let my unlimited spirit and
consciousness guide me. I call on the subtle knowledge of my own highest
mind to uplift me with what I learn" or "I bow to the Creator,
to the Divine Teacher within."
A theme or topic is introduced.
Yoga has collected many practical guidelines to keep your life vital.
Nutrition, exercise, proper sleep, meditation, breathing, body awareness,
and the relationship you have with your emotions are the basis of
some of these teachings. (Get
Deep Breathing app here.)
Warm-up exercises for 5 to
20 minutes usually follow.
The main "kriya",
or exercise series, begins.
A
kriya is a specially designed sequence of yoga exercises, each lasting
from one to three minutes. This series will "work out" a
certain component of your mind and body system - be it your glandular
system, your nervous system, your organs or your muscular system.
At the end of the series, you will be consolidated in a new physical
and mental state.
Now, we do a meditation. Your
body will be transformed as a result of the kriya; your mind and emotions
will now be made calm and clear by directing the attention. You will
sense and develop your quiet mind, your ability to concentrate and
project.
The meditation is either silent
or chanted, sometimes accompanied with music. It can last from five
to eleven minutes in a beginners' class; eleven to thirty-one minutes
in an advanced class.
Deep relaxation follows. It
is just as important to relax as to exercise vigorously. The exercises
and meditation will allow you to attain a deeper healing relaxation
than usual. It is an antidote for stress. Let your body become light
and beautiful. Let your mind become open and imaginative. Feel free
and joyous!
Class ends with a group projection.
After raising our energy and spirits, we project that feeling to the
whole world and to all those we love and care for. To do this we sing
a song:
"May the long time sun shine upon you ... all love surround you
... and the pure light within you ... guide your way on."
THE
BREATH
Consciousness
is eventually lost when
you stop breathing, so what happens to your
consciousness when you expand your breathing?
"When
the breath is shallow, all problems come in.
All caffeine, nicotine, all these drugs are the problem
of the shallow breath. All those who crave sugar
and sweets are shallow breathers." -- Yogi
Bhajan
"Left
nostril breathing gives you self-endurance, self
effectiveness and self respect. Right nostril breathing
gives you projection, sacrifice, power to attach, power
to penetrate and power to exert. That is why God
has given you both nostrils." -- Yogi
Bhajan
"In
my experience as a teacher of Kundalini Yoga,
I have observed many people, young and old, with
poor breathing habits. The practice of Kundalini
Yoga (inclusive of the Breath of Fire, Long Deep
Breathing, Stretching, Internal Massage, etc.), and
other aerobic exercising, can provide additional
and much needed oxygen for oxygen starved
cells, especially in the brain." --Hari
Singh
BREATH
OF FIRE
This
is a commonly used breath done in Kundalini Yoga. It is done by pumping
the navel point in and out while breathing rapidly through the nose.
On the exhale, the navel is pulled in. At first it is easier to focus
on the exhale and start at a slow rhythm. Eventually you want to have
a rapid, equal and consistant breath. This breath strengthens the
nervous system, purifies the blood and energizes the body. See
video.
THE
BANDHAS
The
Bandhas - gateways to developing core strength, sensitivity, and subtlety
- are fundamental to Kundalini Yoga.
The
Bandhas, or locks, are fundamental to Kundalini Yoga. Learning and
developing the skill and internal awareness necessary for the practice
of the three body locks bring both depth and effectiveness to yoga
practice. The locks, specific contractions of core areas of the body,
are indicated in many Kundalini Yoga meditations and kriyas (sequenced
yoga exercise sets). Applying the body locks properly will help you
clear blockages that impede the open flow of energy through your physical
body, Chakras, and subtle bodies. With a steady flow of energy, you
can bring harmony and balance to your life, you can have access to
your core values, and you can express yourself with integrity. Applying
the body locks heightens your awareness. See
video.
ROOT
LOCK Mool Bandh
This frequently used practice closes off the lower 3 chakras and allows
the kundalini energy to rise. You do this by contracting the muscles
of the rectum, the sex organs and the navel point - pulling in and
up on the navel. See video.
NECK
LOCK Jalandhar Bandh
The
neck lock, Jalandhar Bandh, is a basic lock applied throughout Kundalini
Yoga exercises unless you are moving the head, as in neck rolls, or
are otherwise instructed. Apply the neck lock during most pranayam,
breath control, practices and meditations, and while chanting. See
video.
To
apply the neck lock:
Sit comfortably with a straight
spine.
Lift your chest and sternum
upward.
Stretch the back of your neck
gently straight by pulling the chin in toward the back of the neck.
Keep your head level and centered
without tilting forward or to either side.
Keep the muscles of your face,
neck, and throat as relaxed as you can.
The
neck lock is automatically applied by the shift of relative position
between the chin and chest. Do not force your head forward or down.
It is common for new yoga students to stretch the neck when other
parts of the body are not flexible. When you apply the neck lock,
you allow your neck to be open and maintain its natural structure,
which helps you maintain better spinal posture in general. The neck
lock also "seals" the energy that is generated in the upper
areas of your brain stem, so it becomes easier to focus and meditate.
The Knot of Shiva - Jalandhar Bhand, applied consciously and correctly,
is said to help "untie the knot of Shiva." This "knot"
or gateway is located at your brow point. When the energy of this
knot is untied and flowing, you feel free of time and space. You associate
yourself with the timelessness and non-duality of the soul and the
Divine essence.
DIAPHRAGM
OR NAVEL LOCK Uddiyana Bandh
Your
diaphragm muscle forms both a physical and energetic barrier between
your heart and your lower torso. Below this barrier are your lower
Chakras, the ones that relate to behaviors that are more unconscious
or reactive. Above this barrier are your upper Chakras, the ones that
relate to behaviors that are more conscious and awareaware. See
video.
To
apply the diaphragm lock:
Be sure you do not have a full
stomach.
Apply this lock only with your
breath fully exhaled - holding your breath out.
Sit comfortably with a straight
spine.
Inhale deeply and exhale completely
through the nose. Hold the breath out.
Pull your entire abdominal
region, especially the area above your belly button, back toward your
spine.
Keep your chest lifted and
do not allow your chest to collapse downward.
Press the lower thoracic spine
forward gently.
Keep the lift strongly applied
for 10-60 seconds, according to your ability, without strain, and
maintain a concentrated sense of calm.
Release the lock by relaxing
your abdomen and gradually inhaling.
The
diaphragm lock, Uddiyana Bandh, helps to strengthen your digestion
by increasing the fire element, the element of transformation in your
abdominal region. This helps your heart center - your Heart Chakra
- to open and flow with energy. When your Heart Chakra is open, you
have the ability to be sensitive, compassionate, and kind.
The
Knot of Vishnu - When you apply Uddiyana Bandh correctly and consciously,
it is said to "untie the knot of Vishnu," The knot of Vishnu
is located at the Heart Chakra, the area of your rib cage, heart,
lungs and thymus gland. When the energy is no longer knotted at this
center, but is flowing and open, it is said you can feel the playfulness
of your life, and the larger cosmic plan with perspective and relaxation.
Kundalini
Yoga Basics Videos
The
Locks
Guru Prem Singh demonstrates the Mool Bandh
Root Lock as taught by Yogi Bhajan
Guru Prem Singh demonstrates the Uddiyana Bandh
Navel Lock as taught by Yogi Bhajan
Guru Prem Singh demonstrates the Jalandar Bandh Neck Lock as taught by Yogi Bhajan
Guru Prem Singh demonstrates the Breath of Fire
Pranayama as taught by Yogi Bhajan
Spinal
Flex
Guru Prem Singh demonstrates the Spinal Flex
as taught by Yogi Bhajan
*Note:
Pranayam or pranayama, is a Sanskrit word meaning "restraint
of the prana or breath". The word is composed of two Sanskrit
words, "Prana", life force, or vital energy, particularly,
the breath, and "ayama", to suspend or restrain. It is
often translated as control of the life force (prana). When used
as a technical term in yoga, it is often translated more specifically
as "breath control". --
Kriya
To Cut Through All Darkness (So Darshan Chakra Kriya)
Mudra: Sitting with a straight spine:
a. Block off the right nostril with the right thumb. Inhale slowly and deeply through the left nostril. Hold the breath. Mentally chant, “Wha Hay Guroo” 16 times. Pump the navel point 3 times with each repetition, once on “Wha,” once on “Hay” and once on “Guroo” for a total of 48 unbroken pumps.
b. Unblock the right nostril. Place the right index finger (pinkie can also be used) to block off the left nostril, and exhale slowly and deeply through the right nostril.
c. Continue.
Eyes: Gaze at the tip of the nose. (Note: So Darshan Chakra Kriya is not to be done with the eyes closed.)
End: Inhale, hold 5-10 seconds, and exhale. Then stretch and shake every part of your body for about 1 minute so that the energy can spread.
Time Constraints: No time, no place, no space, no condition is attached to this mantra. Each garbage pit has its own time to clear. If you are going to clean up your own garbage, you must estimate and clean it as fast as you can, or as slow as you want. You have to decide how much time you have to clean up your garbage pit, but start practicing slowly - the slower the better. Start with five minutes a day, and gradually build the time to either 31 or 62 minutes. Maximum time is 2 1/2 hours for practice of this meditation.
Kriya
To Develop Your Hidden Greatness Part One
Mudra: Sit straight. Left hand comes under the chin palm down, forearm
parallel to the ground; the right hand comes to meet the middle finger
of the left hand at the center of the palm, fingers pointing up to
the sky (hands make a T). Hands are long and straight, fingers together.
You are bifurcating the angles.
Eyes: Gaze at the tip of the nose.*
Breath: Long Deep Breath; breathe from the lower area of the belly;
breathe out through a round mouth. Yogiji demonstrates a very long
inhalation, from the lower belly to the collar bones. You expand with
the breath about an inch and a half. Continue for 20 minutes. This
is the most sacred exercise in Kundalini Yoga and gives people the
entire Universe.
*When your two eyes concentrate on the tip of the nose, the mind stops
flirting around. Yogi Bhajan
Part
Two
Switch
hands. Right hand comes under the chin palm down, forearm parallel
to the ground; the left hand comes to meet the middle finger of the
right hand at the center of the palm, fingers pointing up to the sky
(makes a T). Hands are long and straight, fingers together.
Mudra: Bring the thumbs just above the eyebrows at either side of
the Third Eye Point. Press the thumbs into the brow and allow the
hands to be in Prayer Pose.
Eyes: Tip of the nose.
Mantra: Sing with Ong Namo by Nirinjan Kaur. Continue for 1-1/2 minutes.
Whistle with the breath. Continue for 1-1/2 minutes.
Keeping the mudra, begin Long Deep Breathing and exhale through the
rounded mouth, as in Part One. Continue for 3 minutes.
Arms at 60 degrees, hands open and palms facing the sky. Begin Breath
of Fire. Use the strength of the navel. Continue for 30 seconds.
Inhale deep and put both hands in the lap, right hand resting in the
left. Relax the breath. Become thoughtless. No thought. "I forgive
my thoughts; I forgive the Universe; I forgive my friends." Forgiveness
should override everything. Whatever is bothering you, whatever you
ate, whatever you don't like, right now just feel an angel is before
you and you are willing to go with him and merge in infinity. Are
you afraid? Just drop the fear and proceed. All negativity, all negative
thoughts must go thoughtless. I am pure; I am divine; I am human:
I am a creature of god. My faculties are divine. Continue for 2 minutes.
To End: Inhale deep. Squeeze. Exhale Cannon Breath (powerful breath
through open mouth). Do this 3 times. Squeeze everything, ears, eyes,
everything.
Taught by Yogi Bhajan on May 14, 1997
Fire
Kriya
2010 Meditation
Beginning
in 2008, we entered a 5-year sequence, featuring the tattvas so that
we could balance them as we entered the Aquarian Age together. This
year we are exploring the Fire Tattva. The Fire Kriya shown below
creates tapa (internal “heat”) which purifies so that
your energy is clear, your body fit, and your eyes bright. In the
spring of 1978, Yogi Bhajan said that the Fire Kriya, “is a
powerful, absolutely sacred, secret meditation. It will take you as
far as you take it.”
Posture:
Sit straight in a meditative posture with neck lock.
Eye Focus: Eyes are closed except for small slit to let in some light
(99% closed).
Mudra: Reverse Finger Lock—interlace the fingers so that both
the fingers and the palms point toward the chest. Keep the fingers
as straight as you can; bring the fingers together so that the pads
of the fingers are touching. Right index finger on top; left little
finger on bottom, the thumb tips touch lightly. The mudra is held
with the elbows at natural shoulder level so that the fingers point
toward the body, at the level of the throat, above the heart. The
shoulders should feel relaxed as you keep the elbows, forearms and
hands parallel to the ground.
Mantra: Inhale deeply and chant four times on the breath in a steady
tone: Sat Naam Sat Naam Sat Naam Sat Naam Sat Naam Sat Naam Whaa-Hay
Guroo. More
Kriyas as taught by Yogi Bhajan. See 10
Reasons to Chant Mantras. --
Hari Singh Bird
"To serve is to succeed."
Hari
Singh is a Licensed Optician,
and he has a long history of teaching Kundalini
Yoga and meditation at numerous
facilities and locations, which include the Federal Prison in Littleton,
CO; the Colorado State Prison at the Buena Vista facility; the Youth
Detention Center, Brighton, CO; the Orange County Jail, Orlando, FL;
the Florida State Prison, Bushnell, FL; the YWCA, Orlando, FL; and
as a volunteer counselor and Sikh Chaplain
at the New Mexico Military
Institute, Roswell, NM; as well as several years as the Drill
Instructor for the Select Rifle Drill
Team at the 3HO Women's Training Camp (formerly KWTC, Khalsa Women's
Training Camp), Espanola, NM. See an inspiring
account of one woman's 1978 Drill Team experience at the Khalsa
Women's Training Camp.
"In
my experience as a teacher of Kundalini Yoga,
I have observed many people, young and old, with
poor breathing habits. The practice of Kundalini
Yoga (inclusive of the Breath
of Fire, Long Deep
Breathing, Stretching, Internal Massage, etc.), and
other aerobic exercising, can provide additional
and much needed oxygen for oxygen starved
cells, especially in the brain." --Hari
Singh Bird
"In
each and every environment, good
health and sustained wellness is dependant on
the rapid removal of waste." --The
Inner Clean Diet
"The
mere act of teaching implies that one
wishes the world well." -- Roger
Rosenblatt
Kundalini Yoga
Guidelines for Sadhana (Daily Practice)
*Consultation
with a health care professional should occur before applying adjustments
or treatments to the body, consuming medications or nutritional supplements
and before dieting, fasting or exercising. None of these activities
are herein presented as substitutes for competent medical treatment.