Start with the Mind

TO CHANGE THE FORM Of THINGS By Donna Amrita Davidge

"The mind is given as a tool to you. Mind is not master. Mind was given to you to serve you. You develop all other facilities of the world- electric instruments, cars, air conditioners- but the biggest computer you have is your mind. You never developed it"

So said Yogi Bhajan, who was the leader of the Kundalini Yoga movement in the US, in Feb 1978.

In the 35 years he was in the United States (he passed away October 6, 2004) he proved the power of what one mind could do and taught this idea of self-reliance and growth through Kundalini Yoga sets and meditations. Not only did he do that, he started the American Sikh movement and 27 successful businesses, one being the Yogi Tea Company that many of you may be familiar with. He practiced what he preached and wanted his students to be, as he said, ten time greater he, to be full of greatness.

In Kundalini Yoga practice the job of the teacher, according to Yogi Bhajan, is to provide the tools for the student to feel elevated, by allowing their perception to become stronger.
These tools are both physical and mental, such as specific sets like transforming the Lower Triangle to the Upper Triangle, a challenging series of yoga movements, sound and breath, that opens the energy from the base of the spine, hips and navel (lower triangle) to through the heart to the Upper Triangle, which is the throat, third eye and crown.

Other forms of yoga can be transforming physically as well as mentally also. There are numerous stories of people healed from physical ailments and injuries through various forms of yoga. Iyengar is particularly known for its focus on alignment while Kundalini is known for adjusting imbalances in our energy and the chakras, a subtler but also important thing!! Ashtanga is a very physical practice that in the long run with patience and practice can help our body realign and become strong and supple. Because the practice is so physical the mind once again plays an important part, as does the breath. The breath can be extremely helpful for anxiety disorders and specific breathing techniques can be practiced for this and other mind-related transformation.

"The job of the mind is to think. The mind controls the entire human presence and the way one progresses to get out of the cycle of fortune and misfortune. You must have control of your mind. Our basic problem is we do not know how to concentrate. You have to have some time to be all to yourself, where there is nobody else, you have to work with yourself." Yogi Bhajan said in Dec 2001.

Yoga is a way to teach us to concentrate the mind, to transform our thoughts, patterns and habits. In Ashtanga Yoga, for example, if we are to reap the benefits of proper alignment adjustment, it is especially important to concentrate on each move, how you move and move specifically with the breath (as we also do in Kundalini Yoga but often with repetitive movements). This is a great beginning point for transforming yourself through Yoga practice, taking the time to breathe in a relaxed manner, never mind the pace of the practice.

In order to transform our lives through yoga (and some people say it does this simply by making them more mindful) it is helpful to use the tool of meditation as well to alter our old ways of thinking and being. Often we are forced to transform our lives through loss, pain or fear. Whatever the pain, be it physical or mental, Yoga can help us reach deep within to draw the lesson and learning. There is another set in Kundalini Yoga called Meditation to release Anger, Sadness and Fear. Much of the work in this set is for the Navel, where we often hold our anger and fear. It also works on the Heart, which is supported by the Navel. Processing grief in the Heart can transform the energy into acceptance and willingness to love and be loved. Forty days is the suggested an ideal time of length to practice Kundalini Yoga.

Sometimes we make all sorts of changes in an effort to transform our lives- change our diet, our job, our spouse, our weight, our hair color, the type of yoga we do! - Only to find some of our deep-rooted unsettling issues still present. The subconscious is a powerful thing that holds it in samskaras, issues from our Karma and past lives. Here is a powerful kriya (completed action) to help you break through and combat the negative effects of the subconscious mind, to transform on a very deep level. Try it at first a few times, don't give up, and build up the pace to 3, 5, 11 minutes or more.

SUDARSHAN CHAKRA KRIYA :


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