Sat Kriya - 2 approaches - and the effects near and long term

[Guest guest]

Dear Christa,

 

Here are 2 approaches or methods for Sat Kriya, one where the breathing is not

that important and the other where it is.

 

Sitting on the heels - rock pose (though Sat Kriya can also be done in other

poses) one proceeds as follows:

 

In both of these methods you pull the root lock, which is pulling up on the

anus, sex organs and pulling in on the navel, in a manner that you will feel a

squeezing or pulling along the base of the spine and up.

 

The effect of pulling te root lock with your arms above the head hands either

clasped together fingers interlaced with the index finger pointed up (venus

lock) or palms together, while pulling the root lock and squeezing the spine

upwards is to also stretch and squeeze the entire length of the spine up through

the shoulders, neck and into the head.

 

Regarding the method not requiring any particular breathing, where breathing is

just natural and rhythmic to the pulling of the root lock, you vibrate the sound

Sat Nam, pulling the root lock and squeezing the spine upwards on "Sat" and

relaxing the root lock and spine on "Nam." The times per 10 seconds may be 4 to

8 times. In this method, the sound of Sat Nam also vibrates the Kandal (the

pranic center between the navel and 4th vertebra), the spine and chakras and

centers in the brain.

 

In the second approach the sound "Sat Nam" is more of a whisper. You pull the

root lock strongly with the sounds "ssssss...." until the breath is nearly out,

then finishing with "at" ("ssssssssat") you will notice that the root lock pulls

up very forcefully and tightly. Then you inhale (let air back in to a normal

capacity - not a deep breath) with the sound "nam" which is naturally a kind of

whisper, as you're making the sound on an inhalation. (Maybe 5 repetitions per

10 seconds)

 

With either of these methods, eventually, there will be an electromagnetic

sensation in the area of the Kundal, where, as you pull the root lock, you will

feel a locking sensation (similar to the attraction pull of a magnet coming in

contact with steel), pulling up and locking. The prana flows from the Kandal to

the base of the spine and up through the spine. A feeling of fearlessness will

emerge in the consciousness and the pranic flow will feel entirely clear bright

balanced and upward streaming.

 

Kundalini Yoga students should practice Sat Kriya every day, followed by spinal

flex and alternate shoulder raising, and then while sitting on the heels,

leaning forwards and putting the forehead on the ground with the arms stretched

in front, palms together (gurpranam pose). Sat Kriya (108x, 5 minutes, 10

minutes, 31 minutes) twice as long each of the others. (This is what Yogi

Bhajan taught back in April 1971 when I met him the day after I arrived in LA

taking my first class at the center on Melrose Avenue.)

 

There is also a certain kind of pranayama that also relates to becoming aware of

this mechanism of the Kundal locking and pranic flow of reverse channels to the

base of the spine then upwards.

 

All these assist in the eventual manifestation of the Kundalini, where, as a

result of practicing Kundalini Yoga sets and kriyas, eventually you are aware

that the whole body is filled with a pranic pressure, a pranic charge that

builds within all the cells and nerves. The Kandal, which regulates the flow of

prana in the body has a higher voltage, so that, as the body fills with light

(prana - the awareness of energy as consciousness), where this overall pranic

field begins to have a similar voltage to the Kandal, the root lock comes up

automatically and you are aware of this flow of prana from the Kandal to the

base of the spine and up through the head (between the eyebrows and through the

crown).

 

This pranic flow is always there, only we are not aware of it. Our awareness,

which is the subject "I" and basis for the idea of identity, is focused on and

limited to the thoughts, images and impressions of the mind and sensations of

the body, which are a manifestation of prana. As a result of this limited

focus, we think "I am the body and thoughts with impressions about a separate

world." But through the practice of Kundalini Yoga, we begin to become

immediately aware of the flow of prana in the body as the mind becomes

etherically still above the frequency of thoughts and images. In time, the

awareness of the prana throughout the body field becomes so normal, that there

emerges in one's consciousness the awareness and sense of identity to oneself as

a consciousness, as pervasive light in which the thoughts and images and

sensations appear.

 

Thus, Kundalini Yoga is the Yoga of (expanding) Awareness (of one's identity).

This awareness expands until there is a recognition that one's awareness is

actually single and all-pervasive. Then, we read or are told (in any religion's

spiritual text or from a Teacher of the True Name) that this all pervasive

awareness of being is our True Self, and suddenly, there emerges in one's

consciousness a sense of recollection of one's self, one's Self, as the

substratum or ground of being upon which everything appears. This is the True

Identity or True Name where the "I" pulses as "I" from Its source in the heart,

in the nadi between the heat and brain and everywhere beyond time and space.

This recollection is called "hearing" (sunia, sravana) and leads to inner

reflection of the True Self that dissolves the identity of one's "I" to the

thoughts and images with a radical force of awakening, until we abide singly as

That Truth.

 

All this to say, keep practicing Kundalini Yoga sets Laya Yoga chants and

practice Sat Kriya everyday and see what happens.

 

Pieter

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thank you Pieter. Once again, you describe the answer in a perfect

way for me to understand -- very simply. This makes much more sense.

And I did Sat Kriya again this morning for 3 minutes, before checking

the board. This time I tried to 'breath naturally'. I found my breath

similar to this, but not exact. I also felt better about the method

this morning than the one I did yesterday.

 

Christa