Meditation to Conquer Self-Animosity

Originally taught by Yogi Bhajan in March 1979

Meditation to Conquer Self-Animosity

Sit in an Easy Pose, with a light jalandhar bandh.
Maintain an alert attitude.

MUDRA: Relax the arms at the sides and raise the forearms up and
in toward the chest at the heart level. Draw the hands into fists, and
point the thumbs straight up toward the sky. Press the fists together
in such a manner that the thumbs and fists are touching. The palms
are toward each other. This meditation requires the upper torso to be
held straight. without rocking back and forth.

EYE POSITION: Fix the eyes at the tip of the nose.
There is no required mantra other than the subtle sound of the breath.

BREATH: Inhale through the nose.
Exhale completely through the mouth.
Inhale deeply and smoothly through the mouth.
Exhale through the nose.

TIME: Continue for 3 minutes. Gradually build the time to II minutes. Practice daily, but do not exceed 22 minutes in anyone session.
TO END: Inhale and stretch the arms up over the head. Keep the stretched position as you take 3 more deep breaths. Relax.

COMMENTS
There are no enemies. There are challenges to our creativity. The greatest enemy is the self. Self-defeating activ­ity and self-animosity occur where we do not accept ourselves. We instinctively reject self-confirmed continuity.
We will oppose our own success and accomplishment just to break with steadiness. That break is the assertion of ego: an attempt at marking and possessing something in Time and Space. This self-animosity distracts us from the real gift of human life: the capacity to confront and experience the self in relationship to the Unknown Infinity of our Self.
This meditation conquers the state of self-animosity and gives you the ability for constant consciousness in sup­port of the core self. 

Yogic tips for survival in the modern times section.

Yogic tips for survival in the modern times section.

Handling Our Emotions in these Shifting Times

When it gets right down to it, everyone wants to be Happy. Sometimes we just don't know how.  In the Yogic Scriptures it states, "It is our Birth Right to be Happy."  We are not born in guilt, nor sin - we are actually blessed to be human.  This University called Earth is where we come to learn and the challenges we are given to grow sometimes appear rough. Once we commit to remain happy, the entire psyche of this planet benefits from our decision - so we are making an offering towards World Peace! 

My Teacher, Yogi Bhajan, used to tell us to count our blessings, not our curses.  Meditate on the gravity of this. When you accept you are blessed, blessings start appearing everywhere. I love his statement, "If you can't see God in all, you can't see God at all."  

Discovering the subtle mystery in all places, people and situations makes life much more exciting. But we're human.  And things bug us, make us mad, so we don't always see the Divine at play. Here are a few tips: 

  

• For 40 days, No Negative Words: Say nothing negative, hear nothing negative, not even against your worst enemy. Every breath is a new breath of life. Negative reactions merely eat up our energy, so let's forgive the past and move on.

• Our moods make us burst out with words that shake the trust of even very loyal friends.  Speak not in anger; try this: press your tongue against the upper palate very firmly and begin long, deep breathing through the nose. Slowing the breath to 5-7 times a minute for 3 minutes will alter the mind's frequency, calm the emotions, and your tongue will occupied so you can't speak.  

• Hydrate: We get upset when we are dehydrated.  Take some water, say a prayer over it, and drink it.  We can't stay mad if our water level is ok. 

• Chew on a carrot or celery stick.  It'll occupy and channel a lot of the inside disruption. One man used to fight with his wife all the time. He started chewing on celery instead, and their relationship totally improved. It's also good for the nerves and blood sugar.

• Lastly, connect with your soul's journey here.  We didn't come to bicker.  Sit quietly; feel your own Infinite purpose. Don't get angry over the small things.  Forgive Yourself, Forgive the Universe, Forgive Others.  This is a very Divine trip to Planet Earth where we want to see everyone blossoming like beautiful flowers, spreading their fragrance everywhere.

YOGI BHAJAN: FATHER OF HUMANOLOGY

YOGI BHAJAN: FATHER OF HUMANOLOGY

Yogi Bhajan

 August 26 is the time of great happiness and joy as we celebrate the birth and life of our Dear Teacher, the Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, fondly referred to as Yogi Bhajan. 

When he arrived in the United States in December of 1968, Yogi Bhajan stated his mission quite clearly. He said, "I have come to create Teachers, not to gather disciples. Determined to train leaders and teachers with the power to heal, uplift, and inspire humanity, he taught Kundalini Yoga openly to the public, breaking the tradition of secrecy which had surrounded it for centuries.

  

Born on August 26, 1929, in what was then India but is today part of Pakistan, he was born with the mark of a saint on the bottom of his foot. He

was taken to many holy places by his parents as a small baby, and thus

The Masters Feet

began his training in higher consciousness.  During his childhood he learned from his wise and saintly grandfather, who sent him to a Spiritual Teacher when he was 7 years old. At the age of 16-1/2 he was declared a master of Kundalini Yoga under the unrelenting guidance of the great Master Sant Hazara Singh.

He was a teenager during the partition of India in 1947. When his village became part of Pakistan; he was put in charge of leading over a thousand people to safety in Delhi, through a country in tremendous upheaval.

  

After settling his family in Delhi, he attended Punjab University where he received his Master's degree in Economics and was a champion debater and star athlete. He served the Government of India until he came to the West.  He was married to Dr. Bibiji Inderjit Kaur in 1953.  Together they had three children, and five grandchildren.

Yogi Bhajan Teacher: Sant Hazara SIngh

Yogi Bhajan had a deeply reverent connection with Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, who represents healing, service and love for all.  Over the years we have dedicated many of our yoga centers and businesses to this healing and uplifting Vibration of Love and Service.  

Yogi Bhajan was gifted with a special mantra, "Guru Guru Wahe Guru, Guru Ram Das Guru," by Guru Ram Das, and he told him whenever the students of Kundalini Yoga are in need, to recite this mantra and he promised to be there for them.  It is a mantra of protection and miracles.  

He left us with so many beautiful and inspiring, and yet simple, life-guiding statements.Here are just a few:   

"Happiness is Your Birthright."

 "It's not the life you life, it's the courage you bring to it."

"It is not that the Teacher is a super human being.  

The Teacher gives you a chance to become a super human being."

Meditation to remove haunting thoughts

A MEDITATION FOR REMOVING

HAUNTING THOUGHTS 4-10-90

This meditation can cure phobias, fears, and neuroses. It can remove unsettling thoughts from the past that surface into the present. And it can take difficult situations in the present and release them into the hands of Infinity. All this can be done in just 40 seconds!

1. Lower the eyelids until the eyes are only open 1/10th. Concentrate on the tip of the nose. Silently say, “Wahe Guru” in the following manner: “Wah” – mentally focus on the right eye. “Hey” – mentally focus on the left eye. “Guru” – mentally focus on the tip of the nose.
2. Remember the encounter or incident which happened to you.
3. Mentally say “Wahe Guru” as in number 1.
4. Visualize and personify the actual feeling of the encounter.
5. Again repeat “Wahe Guru” as in number 1.
6. Reverse the roles in the encounter you are remembering. Become the other person and experience that perspective.
7. Again repeat “Wahe Guru” as in number 1.
8. Forgive the other person and forgive yourself.
9. Repeat “Wahe Guru” as in number 1.
10. Let go of the incident and release it into the Universe.

These are ten steps to peace, given by Yogi Bhajan. Share them with a friend!

Sat Nam.

Meditation for self authority

Sit in an Easy Pose, with a light jalandhar bandh. Keep
the torso straight at all times. Do not lean forward or
backwards.
Mudra: Bring the hands in front of the body at the level
of the Heart Center. Close the fingers over the thumbs
into fists with the thumb tips at the base of the little
fingers, if possible. Press the fists together at the first
knuckles from the tips of the fingers in such a manner
that the base of the palms are together and the backs of
the palms face away from the center.
Eye Position: Fix the eyes on the tip of the nose. There
is no required mantra except the subtle sense of the breath
itself.
Breath: Begin the following steady breathing pattern:
Inhale deeply through the nose. Exhale completely
through the mouth with pursed lips. Inhale smoothly
through the mouth. Exhale through the nose.

Time: Continue for 3 minutes. Build slowly to a steady
11 minutes. Build the meditation to a maximum of 22
minutes.

To End: Inhale and hold the breath as you stretch both
hands up over the head. Exhale and continue to stretch for
2 more deep breaths. Relax.

Comments:
Caliber is the ability to maintain the projected status and
activity of our committed self. When we become our own
directive authority, then the psyche can fulfill the self,
and you can be happy. Normally we reject authority and
initiate chaos out of an attempt to create individuality by
difference rather than through integrity and wholeness.
This meditation enhances your capacity for caliber, to
hold and execute self-authority.

Meditation on creating your future

Become still and project the mind to create your future and your relationship to the world. Posture: Sit in Easy Pose. Stretch the spine straight and become very still. Eyes: Eyes are closed. Mudra: Relax the hands in Gyan Mudra across the knees. Part A Drink the breath in a single, deep, long sip. Close the mouth and exhale through the nose, slowly and completely. 7-15 minutes. Part B Inhale and hold the breath comfortably. As you hold the breath in, meditate on zero. Think in this way: “All is zero; I am zero; each thought is zero; my pain is zero; that problem is zero; that illness is zero.” Meditate on all negative, emotional, mental and physical conditions and situations. As each thing crosses the mind, bring it to zero—a single point of light, a small, insignificant non-fact. Positive things—notice without zeroing. Exhale and repeat; breathing in a comfortable rhythm. 7-11 minutes. Part C Think of the thought you need the most. What quality or condition do you most desire for your complete happiness and growth? Summarize that thing in a single word like “Wealth,” “Health,” “Relationship,” “Guidance,” “Knowledge,” “Luck,” etc. It has to be one word. Lock on that word and thought. Visualize facets of it. Inhale and hold the breath as you beam the thought in a continuous stream. Lock onto it. Relax the breath as needed. 5-15 minutes. To End: Inhale and move the shoulders, arms and spine. Then stretch the arms up, spread the fingers and breathe deeply a few times. Comments: Your mind does not have a limit on its creativity when it is beamed with a focus after clearing it of other distracting thoughts and attachments. The best way to practice this is on an empty stomach with only liquids taken during the day. Yogi Bhajan • June 12, 1990

All About Kundalini Yoga: A Brief History of Yoga & Patanjali’s Sutras

By Ramdesh Kaur

"The ashrams and Gurus of ancient India used to be mental workshops.  They taught and molded the minds of people to be clear, strong and to act righteously under all possible circumstances.  If all the spiritual teachers started to teach faith in the Self and stopped teaching faith in a personality, this world would be heaven.  This existence with its infinite mind is at your command.  You need guidance and training to experience and manifest this." ~Yogi Bhajan

The history of yoga is long and generated over many schools of thought and over thousands of years.  By appreciating and learning some of the background of the tradition, we are able to recognize patterns and order within the development of philosophy and thought.

Let's tackle the timeline...

Prehistoric Epoch (?-1800 BC)
Archaeology only gives us hints about yoga during this time period, but fragments of writing from later time periods do reference yoga during this time.  Yogi Bhajan once taught that the oldest references in Tibetan scrolls mention flourishing civilizations over 40,000 years ago.  Massive shifts in weather forced migration that led to cross cultural fertilization and created many of the seeds for yoga traditions.   Closer to 1800 BC the archaeological record gets clearer and we know that cities containing as many as 50,000 people knew and practiced meditation and used symbols for the divine masculine and divine feminine.

Vedic Epoch (1800 BC - 1000 BC)
The cultural roots of yoga from this time period were influenced by the Aryans, a Sanskrit speaking people from central Russia.  At the core of their culture was a belief in self-discipline.  Their long period of invasion resulted in the Mahabharata, a huge epic poem of which the Bhagavad Gita later became a part.  Earliest versions reflect disciplines and sadhanas and a strong belief in transcendental states of being.  As the Aryan and Indus cultures merged, they spawned the Vedas (Book of Knowledge), composed by great rishis from a transcendent state.

Brahmanic Epoch (1000 C - 800 BC)
Priest class called Brahmins control yogic knowledge.  Highly ritualistic.

Upanishadic Epoch (800-500 BC)
The Upanishads are full of ecstatic writing from sages, both brahmins and ascetics.  A time of iconoclasm and reverence for teacher-student relationship.  King Janaka, a great master of Kundalini yoga, ruled during this time.  The Yoga-Upanishad deals directly with the instruction of yoga.

Gita Epoch (500 BC - AD 200)
A great period of transition. The teachings of the Upanishads were added to, and the Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita were written.  The Ramayana is the epic tale of love between Sita and Ram. It demonstrates the virtues that lead to liberation.  The Bhagavad Gita is a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna on a battlefield.  It teaches Karma Yoga.

Classical Epoch ( AD 200 - AD 800)
A great period of education when yoga philosophies were codified into 6 schools (Purva-Mimamsa, Vedanta, Samkhya, Yoga, Vaisheshika, Nyaya).  The masterpiece "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali" was written during this time.

Puranic Epoch (AD 800 - AD 1469)
The Puranas were written.  The emphasis on tantrism, and esoteric teachings on the chakras, glands and auras expanded.  The emphasis  turned to the discipline of daily sadhana to lift consciousness. The concept of being able to gain spiritual well-being without being an ascetic became accepted and this lead to a growth of Shakti philosophy, of which Kundalini yoga is one.

Bhakti Epoch (AD 1469 - 1708)
During this time period the status of the householder was elevated to that of cave-living ascetic.  During this time the knowledge of the 10 Sikh Gurus came forth, combining to create the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, said by Yogi Bhajan to be the fifth Veda, a completion and culmination of the texts.  The scripture itself is the Guru.  The Sikh Gurus emphasized non-attachment, service and the holy Naam.

Modern Epoch (AD 1708 - AD 2011)
The rule of Britian over India curbed the Bhakti devotional fervor and increased secularism and materialism.  In the early 1900s a wave of yogic teachers came to the West (Yogananda, Yogi Bhajan, et al.), leading to a great fusion of knowledge in the West and East.  The Modern Epoch is all about expansion, discovery and merger.

Aquarian Epoch (AD 2011 - ?)
This time is all about globalization.  Experiences must be authentic and universal.  Everyone will use tools that work, regardless of the traditions they are from.  How long and how beautiful this period of unity lasts will be up to us.  We are the pioneers of the Aquarian Age.  Yogi Bhajan's teachings were specifically geared to support people during this age.

More about Patanjali's Sutras...
Patanjali's "Yoga Sutras" is the masterpiece of yoga.  They are an overview of the practice and purpose of yoga.  They were written assuming that you were deciphering them with the help of a teacher, so reading a wise master's commentary on the subject can be extremely helpful.  It is believed that Patanjali systemized rather than originated the teachings within his text.

What's the difference between Patanjali's teachings and the teachings of Kundalini yoga?
Patanjali's teachings are often called "Classical Yoga".  These teachings were intended for monastics.  Kundalini yoga was always intended for householders, and so some of the finer points of practice and tradition vary.

Patanjali's Eight Limbs of Yoga (Ashtanga Yoga) -- The Eight Fold Path to Union
Samadhi -- Awakening
Dhyana -- Meditation
Dharana -- Concentration
Pratyahar -- Synchronization of senses and thoughts
Pranayam -- Control of breath
Asana -- Physical practice
Niyama -- 5 Disciplines: Shaucha (purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (purification), Svadhyaya (study), Ishvara pranidhana (devotion)
Yama -- 5 Restraints: Ahimsa (non-violence), Satya (truthfulness), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (Sensory Control), Aparigraha (non-possessiveness)

How do the 3 minds (positive, negative and neutral) relate to the Eight Limbs?
Both Patanajali's Sutras and the teachings of Yogi Bhajan are concerned with the control of the mind.  (Take a look at Yogi Bhajan's masterpiece "The Mind" for more information on this subject.)
The negative mind is mastered with the yamas and niyamas.
The positive mind is mastered with asanas and pranayamas.
The neutral mind is mastered with pratyahar, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.