MySense
By Hari Singh Bird

Hari Singh Bird

CAUTION
About Shakti Pad

Sat Nam! Yogi Bhajan frequently warned about the inevitable drift of many students away from Kundalini Yoga as he was taught, and as he taught us. The emergence of Shakti Pad, i.e., the status or mindset of a person, group, or institution, which knows far less than they think they know, and which fails to acknowledge same. Shakti Pad is a normal consequence of 'riding the tiger,' the Path. However, as Yogi Bhajan points out, one must be alert to the signs and take appropriate actions.

The worst case scenario is to fall into the trap of convincing yourself and others that only you know the best way, and that the old way needs to change, going forward. Beware of the tiger's bite! Check out the commentary* below and be well!

SPECIAL NOTE: Yogi Bhajan gave this meditation to help get past Shakti Pad called, “The Complete Adi Mantra for Individual Meditation”, which can be found in the Aquarian Teacher Training Manual.

Use this mantra in its complete form anytime you have a lack
of faith or any similar thing. Many of you will enter Shakti Pad, or
you are in it, this mantra will help. With the grace of Guru Ram Das,
when this mantra is chanted 5 times on one breath, the total spiritual
knowledge of all teachers who have ever existed or who will ever
exist on this Earth, is located in that person. -- Yogi Bhajan

Mudra: The hands are in Gyan Mudra with the thumbs touching the index fingers. The sides of the left and right hands are touching. The elbows are at the rib cage and the palms are around the heart center and facing towards the head.

Mantra: Chant the FULL Adi Mantra 3-5 times per breath.

The FULL Adi Mantra is: Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo, Guru Dev Namo, Guru Deva. Listen here.

Time: 11-31 minutes. --

See What Is A Spiritual Teacher by Yogi Bhajan. See Yogi Bhajan On Teaching Kundalini Yoga. See The Mahan Tantric.

*COMMENTARY
By Nihal Singh

Spiritual Practice at a Plateau? You may be at Shakti Pad.

Are you feeling withdrawn from your practice or from the people in your yoga community? Feeling that you have outgrown the teachings? Feeling like you are better than others? Doubting your spiritual path?

Then you may be in Shakti Pad. This is a natural stage on the spiritual path. This is a very critical part as this is the fork in the road for many. Some will fall away from their spiritual practice here, others will stay here and then there are those that will transcend to higher stages.

Shakti Pad, as Yogi Bhajan taught is a stage where the student has gained some power from their spiritual discipline. This power could be deeper intuitive awareness, control over the subconscious mind, a stronger sense of yourself, etc. Now you are feeling like you made it. You think that you are a “Master.” This feeling is the glitter at the bottom of the ladder as Yogi Bhajan has said. You are very much caught up in how important you think you are, that you cannot see beyond your own limited self. This is where people can start to think they are God’s gift to yoga and that they are better than others. The teachings are much bigger than any one individual.

Every spiritual master has gone through Shakti Pad. It is an important step along the way. It is a major test, too. Can we let go of ourselves to something bigger? When we think we know it all, then we shut ourselves off from new information. There is so much to learn and we can want to control the little we think that we know.

Remember when you first started your practice? Everything was fun, new and exciting. However there was no real responsibility. You can show up when you want to and don’t have to commit to anything. However like in any relationship, the honeymoon period ends. You begin to deepen your practice and everything isn’t so new and exciting. It is actually hard work. The deeper you go, the harder it gets because your awareness is that much greater. Your responsibility grows. Many get discouraged at this point because there is a misconception that the deeper you get, the easier it gets. If reality was easy, the world wouldn’t be running away from it.

With Shakti Pad comes the challenge of responsibility. You know and therefore you are responsible. When first starting out in the practice, a student is dependent on the teacher. Shakti Pad is the period where the training wheels start to come off. You now must trust in the teachings and follow through on them. What you have learned are no longer just “cool ideas” but have to be applied.

This is the stage where we have to remain committed and faithful in the bigger picture to our practice.

Yogi Bhajan gave a meditation to help get past Shakti Pad called, “The Complete Adi Mantra for Individual Meditation” which can be found in the Aquarian Teacher Training Manual.

Mudra: The hands are in Gyan Mudra with the thumbs touching the index fingers. The sides of the left and right hands are touching. The elbows are at the rib cage and the palms are open and held at a position around the heart center, upwards, and towards the face.

Mantra: Chant the full Adi Mantra 3-5 times per breath.

The full Adi Mantra is: Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo, Guru Dev Namo, Guru Deva

Time: 11-31 minutes. See Shakti Pad Example One. See Shakti Pad Example Two.

Using a recording helps to deepen your practice and take you further into the Naad. It’s like a performance enhancing tool. There's a recording you can use with your practice to help you chant along. See Ignite Your Light by Sat Kirin Kaur Khalsa. -- Source.

  CAUTIONARY NOTICE: After you have the physical movements of pranic breathing down... one cautionary note before you begin: If you have high blood pressure, you should not hold your breath longer than one second. Although pranic breathing stimulates the navel, which is the body’s primary storehouse of prana, it also stimulates the Meng Mein Chakra, which is located opposite the navel on the back. The meng mein controls blood pressure. Thus, for people with hypertension, a longer breath retention could increase their blood pressure beyond their safety range. -- Master Stephen Co