Kundalini Yoga

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A Simple Guide to the Yoga of Awareness

Ku

dali

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1

The

wer

As

taught by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D.

Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa

KuNDALrNr YoGA Thl! r:row of

�tf!tnal Powf!t

A �irnpls Guids to ths Yoga of Awatsns�� A� taught by Yogi Bhaian, Ph.D.

�HAKTI PARWHA KAUR KHA�A

A Perigee Book

Published by The Berkley Publishing Group

A division of Penguin Putnam Inc. 375 Hudson Street

New York, NY 10014 Thanks to the 3HO Foundation for permission to use previously published material. Copyright © 1996 by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa

Book design and layout by Guru Raj Kaur Khalsa Interior illustrations by Shabad Kaur Khalsa Illustrative consultant Shiva Singh Khalsa Yoga postures photographed by Sat Simran Kaur Khalsa and Peraim Kaur Khalsa Yoga postures demonstrated by Sadhana Kaur Khalsa, Siri Simran Kaur Khalsa, and Nam Kaur Khalsa Cover design by Charles Bjorklund and Celeste Ranck Cover art by Charles Bjorklund All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. First Tune Capsule Books edition: June 1996 Time Capsule Books edition ISBN: 0-9639847-6-4 First Perigee edition: August 1998 Published simultaneously in Canada. The Penguin Putnam Inc. World Wide Web site address is http://www.penguinputnam.com Approved by the Kundalini Research Institute. This book has received the KRI seal of approval which is granted only to those product� which have been approved through the Kundalini Research Institute review process for the accuracy and integrity of those portions which embody the technology of Kundalini Yoga and 3HO lifestyle

as

taught by Yogi Bhajan.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Shakti Pawha Kaur Khalsa. Kundalini yoga : the flow of eternal power : a simple guide to the yoga of awareness a� taught by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D. I Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa. em.

p.

"A Perigee book." Originally published : Los Angeles : Time Capsule Books, 1996. Includes bibiographical references and index. ISBN 0-399-52420-7 1. Kundalini.

2. Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, Yogiji.

BL1238.56.K86S43

CIP

294.6'436-dc21

Printed in the United States of America

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17

16

15

I. Title.

97-52656

1998

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D E DI CA T I ON T his book is dedicated to those who have loved me, my best Teachers:

My Mother, who taught me to smile and gave me unshakable faith in God. My Two Brothers, who showed me that men can be kind and wonderful. Yogi Bhajan, my Spiritual Teacher, who gave me my Self His life of infinite compassion, inexhaustible patience and constant sacrifice has provided an awesome example of Keeping Up!

DESIGN & LAYOUT Guru Raj Kaur Khalsa ILLUSTRATIONS Shabad Kaur Khalsa ILLUSTRATIVE CONSULTANT Shiva Singh Khalsa YOGA POSTURES

Photographs

Sat Simran Kaur Khalsa Peraim Kaur Khalsa

Demonstrated by

Sadhana Kaur Khalsa

Siri Simran Kaur Khalsa Nam Kaur Khalsa

Confgnfg !!ocfion Ono THING!! TO KNOW (and a few T hing!: to Try) You Are Here-How to Read This Book 1

Chaph�r 1

Chaptor 2

Chaptor 3 Chaptor 4

Chaptor 5 Chaptor 6

Chaptor 7

Chaptor 8

Chaptor 9

Chaptor 10

Chaptor 11

What's It All About? 5 One Goal

11

Tuning in

13

Breath of Life 19 Mantra: "Magic Words" 35 Conquer the Mind, You Conquer the World

Mysterious Kundalini: "Where There's Mastery, There's No Mystery" 47 Chakras-Energy Centers. Where Are You At? Stress, Stamina, and Nerves of Steel Healing

Chaptor 13

Chaptor 15 Chaptor 16

Chaptor 17

Chaptor 18 Chaptor 19

Let's Talk About Food

Drugs

99

Sleep

107

Chaptor 22

Chaptor 23

Chaptor 24

Chaptor 25 Chaptor 26

63

79

97

How to Get Up in the Morning

11 S

Sadhana: Your Spiritual Bank Account

121

Woman is Spelled "Double-You-O-Man"

131

Four Teachers-Things Your Mother Never Told You My Spiritual Teacher, Yogi Bhajan

Chaptor 20 Com munication Chaptor 21

53

69

Chaptor 12 Creatures of Habit

Chaptor 14

41

159

The Snake That Poisons Everybody Happiness

145

149

164

165

Life is a Movie

167

Other Paths of Yoga Tantric Yoga The Ten Bodies Going Home

17 S

179

1� g

187

Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of £lerna/ Power

CONTI:NT�

!!oction Two THING!! TO DO General Guidelines for the Practice of Kundalini Yoga 197

TA K� CAR� OF YOU��lF M! A WOMAN The Magnificent Seven A Conscious Act

MANTRA and M�DITATION Key to Pronunciation 201

How to Chant 203 Invoking The Flow of Eternal Power: ONG NAMO GURU DEV NAMO

206

The Seed Sound: SAT NAM

272

270

Disease Prevention for Women The Power of Foods

Yogic Tidbits For Women: Foods, Health

205

Mantra of Protection 211

R�CIP�

20�

Meditation for Change: SA-TA-NA-MA Change of Habit: Breath Meditation

GGM: Grace of God Meditation 207

Raise the Kundalini: Chakra Meditation

Yogi Tea-The Original

210

Golden Milk

213

Meditation for Positive Communication

Meditation for Effective Communication 214

My Favorite Mantra: "Long EK ONG KAR's" 215

Meditation to Clear the Past, Present &. Future 217

"May the Force Be With You": PAVAN GURU

219

Shout It In the Shower: ANG SANG WAHE GURU! 220 "The Persian Wheel" Meditation 221 Sadhana Mantras for the Aquarian Age

KRIYM! and PRANAYA M (fxgrciggg Energy Up! Mul Bandh and Sat Kriya

s.

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222

Bmathing)

225

286

235

Balance Your Glands: Angles Stretch in the Morning

245

239

Breathe and Move in the Morning Sweat and Laugh ...(anytime) How To Give a Foot Massage Things to Do at Bedtime Three Stress Meditations

251

255

Digestion and Elimination

263

267

Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Hemal Power

259

249

280

285

Ginger Tea 286 Kitcheree 287 Potent Potatoes 288 Spicy Beet-Sweet Potato Casserole 289 Saffron Rice 290 Ghee 290

Sources and Resources Glossary Index

go7

291

gog

Sharpen Your Mind: Basic Breath Series 227

Loosen-Up, Tune-Up: Kriya For Elevation 229 Easy Set

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PO£M!! BY TH£ AUTHOR Prana 33 You Are What You Eat 94 Sleepy Time Song 114 Sadhana 128 Choose Your Words 162 Past Lives 174 The Choice 192 The Persian Wheel (Gatga) 221

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269

I. /here to Beg i n ? F i rst steps are i m po rtant and often color the rest lfV of the journey. This book puts you on secure footi ng i n the rig ht

d irection for a more fulfi lled l ife and a n awakened consciousness. Shakti's style to mix p rofound ideas with h umor and a person a l a l m ost "chatty" conversatio n ma kes the jou rney fu n and pai n less. She constantly h e l ps you along with a song, a poem, a story, and j ust enough b u ll et points to insure you rem e m ber what's i mportant. A student who had stu died for many years had become confused with all the opinions and the h u n d reds of a pproaches. All the student wanted was clear g u idance to establish a personal p ractice for a h a p py a n d spi rit fi l led l ife. The student a p p roached a m aster yogi . The yogi smi led a n d spread h i s fingers . H e p laced the l ittle finger a t t h e n avel a n d t h e th u m b ti p at the heart. H e said, "The jou rney you m ust travel is on ly six i n ch es long. Beg i n at the n avel a n d reach the heart." In other words, all the stu dies and i ntellectual ideas a re best dealt with by a practice, a way of l iving that takes you from the concerns of control and s u rvival to the experien ce of the heart, con nected a n d free. The Ku ndalini energy of awaren ess is i nitiated i n the body from the n ave l . Self u n dersta n d i ng awakens i n the heart center. The master said a l ot with a sim ple gesture . This i s Shakti's special g ift. F rom her first chapter t o t h e last y o u travel from basic habits to the heart center of l iving a better l ife with a truer sense of you r self. I am biased . I learned Kundalini Yoga at the feet of Yogi B haja n a n d

Kunda/ini Yoga: The Flow of Hemal Power

from Shakti Parwha i n 1 969. I have trained teachers of this science as D irector of Tra i n i ng for Ku n d a l i n i Research I nstitute and 3 H O for over twenty years. I n a l l this tim e I have n ot fou n d a better place to start than with the wit a n d wisdom o f Shakti . I am g ratefu l for her clarity, fidel ity to the orig inal teachin gs, a n d her d ecades of service to share this with all. Enjoy one of the best a n d q u ickest introductions to th is sacred science of being h u m a n . MSS Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph. D. Director of Training KRI (Kundalini Research Institute)

Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Hemal Power

Acknowledgment�

0

ne of the pillars of my faith is cal led seva. It means "selfless service." The spirit of seva permeated the creation of this book. Many wonderfu l peo­ ple gave generously of their expertise, ti me, and energy d u ring the fou r and a half years it took to complete. I had made th ree earl ier attem pts to write this book severa l years before the crucial December, 1991, Khalsa Cou ncil workshop facil itated by Subagh Singh Khalsa that motivated me to focus and commit to com pleti ng it. G u ruka Singh Khalsa and Siri Ved Kau r Khalsa gave val uable edi­ torial in put to those earl ier versions. Dr. Sat Kau r Kha lsa shared with me th ree usefu l-and for me i m perative­ suggestions. If you're plann ing to write a book, I suggest you also fol low them. They worked for me! 1) Make appointments with you rself for the actual ti me you plan to work on the book, write them down, and honor them. Start at the time you're com m itted to, and stop at the ti me you predetermined. Then write down you r next appoi ntment and stick to it. 2) Chant and pray before each writing session. 3) j ust write, before you try to edit. Get the whole th ing down on paper (or in the com puter) before you start the ed iti ng process. Writi ng and editing are two d ifferent modes. I n the proofreading and editing department I had extremely usefu l com ments from my designated readers, Harijot Kau r Khalsa, Sat Narayan S i m ran Kaur, Shanti Kaur Kha lsa, Susan Liebman Ladd, and Ted Garon. (Ha rijot's a rtistic eye also helped in selecti ng the i l l ustrations.) Gobind Ka u r Kha lsa not only held u p under the marathon final proofread ing sessions to meet the printer's deadline, but in the early stages hel ped organ ize the cha pters. G u ru preet Kau r Khalsa jumped in at a moment's notice to proofread, as did Ek Ong Kar Kau r Khalsa,

Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Hemal Power

and Sahib Amar Kau r Khalsa, computer expert, vol u nteered to enter all the punctuation and spelling corrections needed on the first d raft. Both Sat Simran Kau r Khalsa and Peraim Kau r Kha lsa spent endless hou rs try­ ing to take just the right photos to illustrate the yoga postu res. Nam Kaur Khalsa, Siri Simran Kau r Khalsa, and Sadhana Kaur Kha lsa demonstrated not only g reat yogic flexibility, but patience and endurance. A special salute to Sardarni Guru Am rit Kau r who was able to perform the miracle of ta ki ng a usable photo of me. Thanks to G u ru Raj Kau r Khalsa and Shabad Kau r Khalsa who rea l ly served above and beyond the ca l l of d uty! My deepest g ratitude to all of the above, as well as to Aradhana Singh Khalsa, Dr. Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Hari Nam Singh Khalsa, jagat joti Singh Khalsa, and the scores of others who have given such enth usiastic encouragement and support to this p roject. God bless you each and all. You r kindness is engraved in my heart. A few more tha n ks a re in order for this Second Edition of Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power. First of all to Susan R. Clark, who sent me (by e-mail, from Alaska) an amazingly detailed index she had prepared for her students . Second, than ks to t h e Senior Editor a t Perigee, Sheila Curry, w h o helped me condense the new index, and kindly did not tamper with the rest of the copy. And final ly, I bow to the wisdom of my new publisher, who omitted my pic­ tu re on the back cover! Hum bly yours, Shakti Parwha Kau r Khalsa August 1998

Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of ffemal Power

�gefion Ong

THING� TO KNOW and a F�w Thingg to Try

Before You Begin ... Always consult your physician before beginning this or any other exercise program. Nothing in this book is to be construed as medical advice. The benefits attributed to the practice of Kundalini Yoga come from the centuries-old yogic tradition. Results will vary with individuals.

YOU ARI: HI:RI:

How to Rgad T hig Book

r

is book is brazen ly personal. I have taken the marvelous technology of Ku ndali n i Yoga as taught by my spiritual teacher, Yogi Bhajan, the M aster of Kundal i n i Yoga, and presented it in my own conversational style . This is the way I have been teaching students in Kundalini Yoga Begi nners classes for twenty-seven years: straight, simple, and with a smile! This is not a manual or a textbook but it does have specific "things" you can do: b reathi ng, stretching, chanting, med itati ng. I 've a lso incl uded some psychological, philosophical, and I hope, i nspi rational com mentary, p l us many excerpts from Yogi Bhajan's lectu res. There a re some personal a necdotes and a spri n kling of my own poetry. Each topic cou ld be a whole book i n itself. Believe it or not, I 've tried to be b rief, but it's d ifficult to be b rief and thoroug h at the same time. You'll find new ideas, new ways of looki ng at you rself and the people in you r l ife, plus some yogic tid bits that you can apply to everyday activities. I want this book to whet you r a ppetite to experience more of the vast techno­ logy of Ku ndalini Yoga. I know it can transform you r l ife from the i nside out and the outside i n . I know, because I tried it. You won 't know u ntil you try it. You wil l find most q uotes in this book are Yogi Bhajan's words . After a l l, he's the Master Yog i ! Here is the fi rst:

I gen u inely love and val ue the teach i ngs I 'm about to share with you . I want as many people as possible to benefit from them because I know that the 1 Kundalini Yoga: Thl! Flow of Efl!rnal Powl!r

THING!:! TO KNOW

more people who p ractice Ku ndal i n i Yoga, the m ore happy people there wil l be i n the worl d . The more happy people there a re in the world, the better the world is going to be for me to l ive i n ! I hope you' l l read this book with a n open m i n d a n d a n open h ea rt, and practice the exercises a n d meditations. They have transformed my l ife; I know they can do the same for you . You d o n 't h ave t o read this book i n exact order (tho u g h it's p refer­ a ble) but I d o reco m m e n d that after you fi nish this that you rea d the first five chapters i n sequ ence. They wil l g et you off to �farling right now, you a good start. Then, if you wish, you can g o to the Table of Contents, see what g ra bs you, a nd read CAN t!hange your life. that next. The book is o rg a n ized i nto two sections: You CAN be Bountiful, the fi rst part is Things To Know (an d a few thi ngs to try) and the secon d part is s pecific Things To Do. Bli��fuls Beautiful. This can 't be a step-by-step book, beca use it's a In fal!f, you already are! book about l ife a n d we l ive l ife o n m a ny d ifferent Youju�f have to l evels going in m a ny d ifferent d irections a l l at the sam e ti me. We h ave a p hysical l ife, a m e ntal l ife, experienl!e if. a n d a spi ritual l ife h a p pe n i n g si m u ltan eously. These pages conta i n a b l u ep ri nt for b u i l d i n g a healthy, h a p py, a n d h o ly l ife. Yog i B haja n cal ls it the " 3 H O way of l ife . " It is your birthright. This concept was one of the fi rst thi ngs Yog i B h ajan tal ked a bout when I m et h i m in 1 968. The 3 H O Fou ndation was born as a result of his i nspiration . N ow a world-wid e organ ization with 300 centers in thirty-five countries, 3 H O is dedicated to shari n g these l ife affirmi n g teach ings. I h ave to pause h e re a n d exp l a i n what I m e a n by " ho ly, " othe rwise you m ay g et the wro n g i m p ression . H oly d oes N OT m e a n to be " holier than thou . " I t d oes n ot mean to be san cti monious. The 3 H O yog ic d efi­ n ition of h oly is p retty straightfo rward . I t h as two p a rts: F i rst, " Do u nto othe rs what you wan t them to do u n to you " (so u n d fam il i a r?), a n d sec­ ond, " Receive each i n h al ation conscio usly, g ratefu l ly aware that each b reath you receive is a g ift! " 2 l

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