kriyas and other styles

[Guest guest]

Is it prohibited to teach kriyas along with other hatha styles? Can on

do a kriya and lets say an iyengar set?

 

Javaughn

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam. Glad you asked. Yogi Bhajan was emphatic about NOT mixing in other disciplines when you teach Kundalini Yoga ( as taught by Yogi Bhajan!!) There are many fine types of yoga, but please do not mix and match. The Master of Kundalini Yoga, who brought us this sacred science was very careful, very precise, often saying that he did not add nor subtract from what he himself was taught, and he expected us as teachers to honor and maintain that respect and tradition. Shakti Parwha

[Guest guest]

Dear Javaughn:

 

Please don't mix! They are from different traditions. When you start

having a more subtle experience of yoga you will find that you are not

doing yoga alone. The experience is through masters of yoga,

especially with Kundalini Yoga. When you vibrate, you vibrate with the

masters. You want to keep the purity of the teachings partly because

you want to develop and refine that relationship with the masters.

 

If you want to do other styles of yoga, do them, but at separate

times. I know Iyengar yoga enough to know that people who want to

correct something physical in their body might very much benefit from

it. But Kundalini Yoga is totally different and has a different

purpose. Practicing Kundalini Yoga is not like sampling foods or

drinks, it is about communing with the divine. And that takes

commitment. And commitment (to it in its purity) will give you character.

 

Blessings, Awtar Singh

Rochester, NY

>

> Is it prohibited to teach kriyas along with other hatha styles? Can on

> do a kriya and lets say an iyengar set?

>

> Javaughn

>

[Guest guest]

I understand that many people who practice and teach Kundalini yoga

are not Sikhs, like me. This website appears to only present the most

fundamentalist veiws of the Sikhs close to Yogi Bhajan. Is that the

purpose of this site? Ranbir make a most enlightening post a while

back, but I didn't see much discussion of it. I am wondering if there

are others who read this regularly who would post if they thought

their thoughts would be welcome. I love practicing Kundalini Yoga and

have done so since 1971. I am not part of the " cult " so to speak, in

that I don't believe in magical beings, reincarnation, numerology,

etc., but have integrated Kundalini Yoga into my life in a way that

has enriched my life and hopefully of those around me. Many of the

ways I practice are not " orthodox " so to speak and I don't post my

experiences because I feel I would be annoying many people on here or

getting scolded for " not following the rules. "

[Guest guest]

Dear Steven,

I found your post intriguing. Many of your comments could have been

written by my daughter. I raised her as Sikh but she rejected everything she

considers magical or cultish, although she has continued practicing yoga and

meditation. I hope you will post often about your experiences.

 

I consider the most attractive aspects of the teachings of the Sikh

Gurus to be their eclectic, egalitarian, and inclusive practices, as well as

their scientific outlook on the world. The Sikh Gurus’ teachings

specify that we learn and share understanding with each other at every

opportunity. That is the primary purpose of Langar. Personally, I would view

anything that appears as magical as something we have not yet understood

scientifically. Archeological sites around the Mesopotamian region have

uncovered ancient teaching systems that provide instruction in both astronomy and

astrology as different veins of the same branch of knowledge, also physics and

metaphysics, math and numerology, chemistry and alchemy, etc. I would have loved

to have attended such a university!

 

I understand this is not your view and hope I am not causing you to

feel further alienated, but I hope you will post. If anyone is annoyed or

scolds you, they would not be properly representing Sikh Dharma.

 

Sat Nam. God bless you.

 

Gurumeet Kaur Khalsa

Create Inner Peace

www.createinnerpeace.com

www.gurumeet.net

Gurumeet

 

Posted by:

" Steven Ziebell " cmdzie

cmdzie

Fri Apr 20, 2007 9:18 am (PST)

kriyas and

other styles

I understand that many people who practice and teach Kundalini yoga are

not Sikhs, like me… I love practicing Kundalini Yoga and have done

so since 1971. I am not part of the " cult " so to speak, in

that I don't believe in magical beings, reincarnation, numerology, etc….

I don't post my experiences because I feel I would be annoying many people on

here or getting scolded for " not following the rules. "

 

 

[Guest guest]

Steven Ziebell " <cmdzie wrote:

>

> I understand that many people who practice and teach Kundalini yoga

> are not Sikhs, like me. This website appears to only present the most

> fundamentalist veiws of the Sikhs close to Yogi Bhajan. Is that the

> purpose of this site?

 

Dear Steven:

 

I am not sure what you mean by " fundamentalist views " . The way I use

fundamentalist is for views that have little tolerance. Is that your

perception of this group? The sense of little tolerance comes from

living with rules and then offering these rules as dogmas. I tend to

search why a practice is said to be taught a certain way and when I

get it, it no longer is a rule, it makes sense to not do it any other

way from a spiritual understanding. Whenever a master leaves, those

who learned have different ways of relating the messages they received

and sometimes these messages may sound rigid. They are not meant to

come from a place of rigidity, but more from a place of respect. A

" rule " can be heard as " fundamentalist " or with sensitivity and

receptivity if I follow this rule, I can ask myself what would my

experience be? If I did not follow this rule, what would my experience

be? Which is more powerful?

 

Not all of us on this site are Sikhs and those who are may not have

the same levels of commitments to Sikhism. This is a very varied

group, from different parts of the world. Yogi Bhajan never wanted to

bring people to a religion. So I would assume that those of us

considering themselves Sikh think of it as a technology, like

Kundalini Yoga, to bring oneself closer to one's truth, closer to the

experience of one consciousness (Ek Ong Kar).

 

I'll speak from what I know. Anyone can chose to be Sikh. There is no

" conversion " . When you realize you are Sikh it is usually, I think, a

recognition that the path allows you to be more who you are truly. But

you don't have to give up any other religion you may have been

practicing. Some in this group have been disappointed in Christian

religions. Others like myself feel independent of religions.

 

I was raised Catholic and I never felt anger toward or betrayed by

Catholicism. Instead when I felt it was teaching in a way that did not

fit my view of life, I stopped my weekly appearances to mass without

any animosity. I just thought: this isn't for me. That doesn't mean I

pledged never to go to a Catholic service again. I was always open to

going to a mass from a preacher with the guts to speak from truth, not

mechanically.

 

I went to a Presbyterian church for a while. I was never attached to a

denomination. It was the value of the minister that mattered to me.

 

One day I had an experience at the Espanola Gurdwara (Sikh temple)

where I chose to experience rather than apprehend from my mind. That

experience brought tears flowing down my cheeks the whole time, and a

sense of knowing the prayers we chanted from the depth of my being. I

needed no translation. I just felt the meaning and I knew the meaning.

I knew then I was a Sikh. I remained Catholic. I remained Christian. I

have never taken vows to be a Buddhist, but I know in my heart I am a

Buddhist. In the same way I am everything, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu,...

but more than anything I feel drawn to mysticism rather than

religions. I did start to wear the turban. It was a delightful

experience to feel my fear of showing myself with a turban and

entering the world of work and of Christian churches. I learned of my

fear of what others thought of me. I had to let go of that. I wore the

turban through 9/11 trusting that if that was what God wanted from me,

I'd be protected. And I never felt unprotected. Some folks at work saw

me in a different light. They thought I had courage and people at a

Presbyterian church wondered how I could marry Christianity and an

Eastern religion. They felt so much struggle, so much duality. My

presence with a turban in their church brought them a sense of peace

they could not yet fathom. But when you are a mystic, nothing is dual

anymore, everything has a place and everything contributes to the

rainbow of humanity. I don't just look for similarities. I look for

the beauty in differences too, in apparent contradictions like " Be

ready to protect and defend " vs " Do not kill " . I can live with both,

in peace.

 

After 6 years of wearing the turban, an experience led me to stop

wearing it. This time it was hard to stop. I thought I was betraying a

commitment to myself and to Yogi Bhajan. But what I experienced then

was that it was time to be me at a deeper level, not represent an

organization. I am NOT saying that if one wears a turban they are

automatically representing an organization. I am saying that for me,

it was easy to wear it like a costume, embrace the part and hope that

that would carry me where I needed to go. It was time for me to stop

asking to be carried somewhere. It was time for me to be me now.

Taking the turban off gave me that opportunity.

 

A friend of mine who was doing Kundalini Yoga had several meetings

with Yogi Bhajan. He was from India. One day he told YB that he did

not want to wear the turban. YB told him: " Then don't! " It is as

simple as that.

 

Blessings,

 

Awtar Singh

[Guest guest]

I feel that other " styles " of Yoga are to be practiced in

conjunction with Kundalini Yoga. Mix it in or not but use it as a way

of coming into balance with in yourself. It isn't about an egotistic

attachment to a " style " of Yoga. I do not feel it is about preserving

a " heritage " or a lineage of Yogic mastery. It is my opinion that as

the " energy " of Kundalini the " serpent fire " or call it what you will

awakens, it is most beneficial to practice the Hatha and the Kriya

and the Bhakti and many of the other Yoga's in tandem with the

Kundalini Yoga. This allows the infusion to permeate all the bodies

as it makes its initial changes in the body physical. The other

Yoga's will benefit the mental and the emotional and the other bodies

as this takes place. Think about what KY is. What does " Kundalini "

mean to you, and what experience with it do you wish to have? -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kundalini-Yoga , " Gurumeet Kaur Khalsa "

<gurumeet wrote:

>

> Dear Steven,

>

> I found your post intriguing. Many of your comments could have been

written

> by my daughter. I raised her as Sikh but she rejected everything she

> considers magical or cultish, although she has continued practicing

yoga and

> meditation. I hope you will post often about your experiences.

>

>

>

> I consider the most attractive aspects of the teachings of the Sikh

Gurus to

> be their eclectic, egalitarian, and inclusive practices, as well as

their

> scientific outlook on the world. The Sikh Gurus' teachings specify

that we

> learn and share understanding with each other at every opportunity.

That is

> the primary purpose of Langar. Personally, I would view anything

that

> appears as magical as something we have not yet understood

scientifically.

> Archeological sites around the Mesopotamian region have uncovered

ancient

> teaching systems that provide instruction in both astronomy and

astrology as

> different veins of the same branch of knowledge, also physics and

> metaphysics, math and numerology, chemistry and alchemy, etc. I

would have

> loved to have attended such a university!

>

>

>

> I understand this is not your view and hope I am not causing you to

feel

> further alienated, but I hope you will post. If anyone is annoyed

or scolds

> you, they would not be properly representing Sikh Dharma.

>

>

>

> Sat Nam. God bless you.

>

>

>

> Gurumeet Kaur Khalsa

>

> Create Inner Peace

>

> www.createinnerpeace.com <http://www.createinnerpeace.com/>

>

> www.gurumeet.net <http://www.gurumeet.net/>

>

> Gurumeet

>

>

>

> Posted by: " Steven Ziebell "

> <cmdzie?Subject=%20Re%3Akriyas%20and%20other%20styles>

> cmdzie <http://profiles./cmdzie> cmdzie

>

> Fri Apr 20, 2007 9:18 am (PST)

>

>

> <Kundalini-

Yoga/message/2641;_ylc=X3oDMTJybWRz

>

djNiBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzE3NjU3NzU1BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTEzNjM4MgRtc2

dJZAMy

> NjQxBHNlYwNkbXNnBHNsawN2bXNnBHN0aW1lAzExNzcxNjg4MjA-> kriyas and

other

> styles

>

> I understand that many people who practice and teach Kundalini yoga

are not

> Sikhs, like me. I love practicing Kundalini Yoga and have done so

since

> 1971. I am not part of the " cult " so to speak, in

> that I don't believe in magical beings, reincarnation, numerology,

etc.. I

> don't post my experiences because I feel I would be annoying many

people on

> here or getting scolded for " not following the rules. "

>

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam Chrism,

It isn't 100% clear what you are saying. Do you mean when you sit

down to do a single "session" of Kundalini Yoga that you will Tune in

and do just Kundalini Yoga OR that you will do several forms in that

one practice?

Please elaborate.

 

Outside of that, of course it is okay to have other practices

throughout your day/week/month.

Blessings,

Dharam

 

chrism wrote:

 

I feel that other "styles" of Yoga are to be practiced in conjunction with Kundalini Yoga. Mix it in or not but use it as a way of coming into balance with in yourself. It isn't about an egotistic attachment to a "style" of Yoga. I do not feel it is about preserving a "heritage" or a lineage of Yogic mastery. It is my opinion that as the "energy" of Kundalini the "serpent fire" or call it what you will awakens, it is most beneficial to practice the Hatha and the Kriya and the Bhakti and many of the other Yoga's in tandem with the Kundalini Yoga. This allows the infusion to permeate all the bodies as it makes its initial changes in the body physical. The other Yoga's will benefit the mental and the emotional and the other bodies as this takes place. Think about what KY is. What does "Kundalini" mean to you, and what experience with it do you wish to have? -

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam Steven,

 

I was first introduced to Kundalini Yoga back in the late seventies by an adventurer. After my second class with him, I had an awesome experience that never left me. After the class I experienced total bliss, total at one ment, no desire for anything. I was staying in NYC at the time. After class I felt so wonderful I walked from 54th Street and Madison Avenue to 88th and York with not a want or desire. Quite a walk but it was amazing. Back in those days I partied quite a bit. I never forgot it but I also don't know what had happen that I didn't go back. Perhaps the adventurer left the city. Could never find anything about KY until I went to massage school and was glad to see some classes.

 

This is perhaps a bit convoluted, but I guess what I want to say to you is that I am not a Sikh, except perhaps in my heart, I am a Christian, but honor all religions. I teach KY and have been doing since 1998. I believe this forum to be open to all and it is a great place to share and learn from one another.

 

Keep your practice in KY pure and keep on with your life how you see it. You may just find KY to be more than you knew. Keep an open mind and why not share.

 

Blessings to you.

Sat Nam,

Samantha (Ardas Kaur)

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam All! I love the respondse of Gurumeet, One of the greatest attributes of Sihks is thier support and value of the individual path. We are all on the path, and the more we share our knowledge, our fears, our compassion, our confussions, The more we are able to grow. You are the only one who will be you and yet we are one. "Truth" does not dwell in duality. Remember that "Yoga" means you in the finite connecting with the Infinite. The one universe constantly creating itself, Ek Ong Kar, really doesn't care if you believe in it or not-It just is. Love and Light and Peace--Please make lots of mistakes and ask all the questions you can think of--and 'natch, love yourself to overflowing Jas Pal Singh

Ahhh...imagining that irresistible "new car" smell? Check out

new cars at Autos.

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam Dharam,

To be fair it isn't what the " I " as the " ego

chrism " wishes to do, but more of what the energy of the Kundalini

will compel me to do. This is part of the surrendering process of

stepping aside and allowing the Kundalini to determine what style

will be used and in what order or context. Quite often a whole

series of different asanas and traditions will be blended into a

single practice and then changed the very next time.

 

We are all different in what we bring to our inner developments.

Those differences can often determine the diverse aspects of what is

brought into a practice as the inner fire begins to burn.

 

It is in the " combination " of different practices and traditions

and styles that allows us to open our own unique qualities that will

need to express inside an awakening of Kundalini, brought about by

practices such as Kundalini Yoga.

- blessings to you Dharam - chrism