Beggar's Bowl

Thursday, December 24, 2015

TUNE IN - TUNE OUT


"Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo: I bow to the Divine Teacher within."
 

TUNING IN

I cannot stress enough the importance of tuning in before you begin your Kundalini Yoga  practice and tuning out as you conclude. We tune in to disconnect our Self from our current reality and plug our Self into a higher vibration. By tuning in, we open our Self to the possibility of what is: connecting with the present state of one's inner most Self while at the same time being open to the possibility of transformation and deep healing. We begin every session with the Adi Mantra

ONG NAMO GURU DEV NAMO

The translation from Gurmukhi:
I bow to the Divine Teacher within

We chant this mantra three times either on one or two breaths depending on lung capacity and preference. I prefer two breaths because I have more power in my breath and it also gives me an opportunity to vibrate the mantra from my heart center and not my throat. Remember, chanting is not singing. Listen here for the correct pronunciation and cadence of the mantraThis mantra links you to the Golden Chain of teachers that came before you while acknowledging that you are that which you seek. There is no need for a master, a teacher, a guru. They only provide the map for you to reach your destination. The true work is done by you through your daily practice. 

When one deepens one's practice, and if time permits, some yogis follow the Adi Mantra with the Mangala Charn Mantra. The Mangala Charn Mantra is said to surround the individual's electromagnetic field with protective white light.

AAD GURAY NAMEH
JUGAAD GURAY NAMEH
SAT GURAY NAMEH
SIRI GURU DEVAY NAMEH

Translation:
I bow to the Primal Wisdom.
I bow to the Wisdom through the Ages.
I bow to the True Wisdom.
I bow to the great, unseen Wisdom

TUNING OUT

After you conclude your meditation you may do a "sound bath." You can use a gong, bells, chimes, or tibetan singing bowl. You can learn how to play the gong with one of my teachers, Hari Jiwan here. I call sound meditations, "meditation from the outside...in." The gong is the sound of creation that washes over your subtle body and brings integration of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. The sound vibration "washes" over your subtle body clearing it of negative energy, psychic chords, and parasitic entities.  

Now, you may close out your session "as taught by Yogi Bhajan" with the LONG TIME SUN:

May the long time sun shine upon you
All light surround you
And the pure light within you 
Guide your way on. 

This comes from a Keltic prayer that was popular during the 60's when Yogi Bhajan began to teach in the U.S. We are in different times and yoga appeals to a more culturally diverse population. So in my classes, in lieu of the Long Time Sun, we close out with The Warrior Healer's Affirmations which came to me during a meditation:

I am infinite abundance and boundless prosperity.

I have unlimited potential, at this and every moment; I am the seed of creation.

I patiently await for what is mine; My destiny is already written.

I accept everything that comes to me, light and shadow, with graciousness and humility; Every thing is an extension of my Being.

I have a healthy detachment to objects and situations because I realize the transient nature of things; Nothing is permanent.

I use my awareness to raise my own consciousness, that of my family, my community and the cosmos; My existence is not in vain.

I am protected on all sides, at all times; I walk the straight path with no fear.

I trust and surrender to the process; Divine Loving Hands move all.

However you decide to close out your session, whether with the Long Time Sun or the Warrior Healer's Affirmations, it is important to do what resonates in your soul. You may even choose to say a prayer in your own religious tradition or recite a beautiful poem. I believe we are multi-faceted hu-man be-ings. It is important to honor all of your incarnations and integrate them in this life-time. The science of Kundalini Yoga can help you to do that. No sense in getting caught up in religious dogma if it doesn't sit well in your heart.  

If you are still feeling spacey after a session, drink water and/or touch the earth with bare feet.

And there it is R & B Yogis! More tools to live by. If you have any questions, you know where to find me.

See you in the ethers,

Mama Luz