Guest guest Posted March 5, 2007 Report Share Posted March 5, 2007 Hi-A quote from Ravi Singh and Ana Brett's newsletter, re: sheepskin--i like this-- I have noticed that many Kundalini Yogis sit on sheepskin rugs. Isn't this duplicitous if you're advocating a vegetarian diet? Thanks for writing. While it is true that Kundalini Yoga does advocate the use of sheepskins for practice, we are vegetarians, and personally do not believe in using sheepskin rugs. In all of our DVD's Ana does her practice on a type of shag rug, never sheepskin. The ancient yogis' criteria was that they would use an animal skin if it had been found already dead, or had already been killed for other purposes (animal skins are said to shield one from the earth's magnetic field for deeper meditation) in the same manner that Native Americans relied on buffalo for their survival and did not waste anything. This justification might also be given by modern day Kundalini yogi's. Nevertheless, we agree that sitting on a dead animal skin should be questioned if one is advocating and practicing a conscious lifestyle, given that their are alternatives (anything with natural fibers). We believe, that for the good of the planet and our fellow creatures, one should not take anything for granted and try to take the high road whenever possible. Peri Lyonsacvi347 244 5402"what's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding?" Peri Lyonsacvi347 244 5402"what's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 Sat Nam Everyone, In regards to the Sheepskin debate I thought i would go ahead and post this article from my teacher, longtime student and Custodian of the Archives of the Teachings of Yogi Bhajan, Tej Kaur Khalsa: WHY DO WE USE SHEEPSKINS IN KUNDALINI YOGA? Often you will see students of Kundalini Yoga using sheepskins to sit on, practice on, and meditate on. To people who are not familiar with this tradition, it may seem strange. Here is a brief overview of why we practice using the sheepskin. Kundalini Yoga is a very powerful science, which uncoils the " Kundalini, " the spiritual energy in the body. Kundalini Yoga has the power to release karmas not only from this incarnation but MANY incarnations, so when a person comes to this path, they are entering a new phase in their own soul's evolution. Many aids have been suggested by the ancients who handed this tradition down over the centuries. We have been instructed to put our hair on top of our heads in a rishi knot, to help raise the kundalini. Wearing white, we automatically increase the size of our aura. Another tradition which has been passed down is to sit on some type of skin during meditation. For centuries, rishis would sit and meditate on the skins of animals that happened to die in the wilderness. Sometimes it would be a bear skin, or that of a deer. The practice is not necessarily only to sit on the skin of an animal who has passed on-- you can also sit upon some type of wool if you prefer –- but the purpose is to help break the pull that the earth's magnetic field has upon the meditator. In this way, the practitioner becomes a more self-contained unit, able to experience the uncoiling of his own spiritual energy, beyond the distractions of the earth's constant motion. The earth's energy does have an effect upon us, and this is why we have also been taught to sleep east/west (adds energy) instead of north/south (depletes energy). When we are going into the deeper stages of meditation, we have been instructed to sit on something made out of wool, such as a sheepskin, to cut off the influence the earth has on us. We are also instructed to cover our head, to protect our solar centers, and to cover our spine and shoulders with a shawl or blanket, to protect against the changes in temperature the body goes through when we enter deeper meditative realms. People have questioned if we are vegetarian, why do we sit on the skin of an animal. Yogi Bhajan answered in this way. " We have been doing this for centuries. When the deer died a great rishi sat on its skin. When we sit on a skin and vibrate, we liberate, we don't kill. Thou shall not kill. " He explained that the animals are killed in modern days for their meat, and the skins are only a by-product. He told us we have the ability to liberate this soul or take it to its next higher incarnation when we sit and meditate on the skin. Practically speaking, the sheepskin is also very protective when we rock on the spine during certain poses. Keeping the spine limber and allowing the nerves of the spine to carry the energy to various parts of our body is an important part of this yogic practice, and the sheepskin provides a cushion to the spine. Kundalini-Yoga , Peri Lyons <acvi wrote: > > > > > > Hi- > > A quote from Ravi Singh and Ana Brett's newsletter, re: sheepskin-- > > i like this-- > > > >> > >> I have noticed that many Kundalini Yogis sit on sheepskin rugs. > >> Isn't this duplicitous if you're advocating a vegetarian diet? > >> > >> Thanks for writing. While it is true that Kundalini Yoga does > >> advocate the use of sheepskins for practice, we are vegetarians, > >> and personally do not believe in using sheepskin rugs. In all of > >> our DVD's Ana does her practice on a type of shag rug, never > >> sheepskin. The ancient yogis' criteria was that they would use an > >> animal skin if it had been found already dead, or had already been > >> killed for other purposes (animal skins are said to shield one > >> from the earth's magnetic field for deeper meditation) in the same > >> manner that Native Americans relied on buffalo for their survival > >> and did not waste anything. This justification might also be given > >> by modern day Kundalini yogi's. > >> > >> Nevertheless, we agree that sitting on a dead animal skin should > >> be questioned if one is advocating and practicing a conscious > >> lifestyle, given that their are alternatives (anything with > >> natural fibers). > >> We believe, that for the good of the planet and our fellow > >> creatures, one should not take anything for granted and try to > >> take the high road whenever possible. > > > > > > > > Peri Lyons > > acvi > > 347 244 5402 > > " what's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding? " > > > > > > > > > > > Peri Lyons > acvi > 347 244 5402 > " what's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding? " > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 Sat Nam, Yogiji explained to us that when we sit on a skin, it reflects our own energy back to us. So not only is nothing lost, our energy is amplifyed. The best skins for this purpose come from animals that are closest to the earth’s poles, such as from the long-wooled sheep of Australia. The best for peaceful purposes are the skins of grass-eaters. Blessings, Guruprem Kaur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 Thank you for sharing the lovely posting by Tej Kaur on Sheepskins! Gurumeet Kaur Khalsa Create Inner Peace ww.createinnerpeace.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2007 Report Share Posted March 8, 2007 Who is the best merchant to purchase sheepskins for Kundalini practice? Adi Kaur We won't tell. Get more on shows you hate to love(and love to hate): TV's Guilty Pleasures list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 8, 2007 Report Share Posted March 8, 2007 I found that this site has a good sized sheepskin for $65 and it is vegetable tanned, so not the same as others that use harsh chemicals: http://www.yoursheepskin.com/index.html?lmd=39055.396088 Dev Saroop ________________________________ Kundalini-Yoga on behalf of mimi brown Thu 3/8/2007 11:48 AM Kundalini-Yoga Re: sheepskin Who is the best merchant to purchase sheepskins for Kundalini practice? Adi Kaur ________________________________ We won't tell. Get more on shows you hate to love <http://us.rd./evt=49980/*http://tv./collections/265> (and love to hate): TV's Guilty Pleasures list. <http://us.rd./evt=49980/*http://tv./collections/265> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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