I had recently read an article about the Golden Bridge Center in the Yoga Journal. Reading through the article I thought to myself, “Wow, this center sounds fantastic!” In digging through the story I began to think that Madison, and other cities would do well for a healing center such as this. I can’t wait to visit there sometime.

It would seem as though the magical process of manifestion has been quickening for me.

I am fortunate to live a life where I travel from time to time. And this time I am fortunate to have happened out to the West Coast with my beautiful soon to be wife, Jamie.

While out in CA we decided to take a class with Kundalini Yoga instructor Gurmukh. The journey through the Golden Bridge Center was nothing less than absolutely magical. There is a presence that resides in a healing center that emminates a sense of well being, and this force was very strong here.

Here’s a pic of me outside, waiting with anticipation

This was my first class with such a large group, and as such I was ever so excited for it! Group consciousness and practice allows for a deeper practice. The sacrifice, (make sacred,) of the self for the benefit of the group is divine indeed.

From the first moment we tuned in, my consciouness was lifted. The group sounding forth of the mantra elevated the spirit in just a few moments. (I wait with anticipation for the next large group class.)

We focused on the Liver, and detoxification. The work was very challenging, yet rewarding at the same time.

I am super pumped to take another class with Gurmukh. After class we went and introduced ourselves. Gurmukh is a kind humble lady, a true mark of a great teacher, she asked us where we were from and chit chatted with us for a while. I informed her that I was an aspiring Kundalini Yoga Instructore.

After class they served salad and rice, which was yummy and healthy. It was nice to socialize with others that shared in the lovely group experience. (and they get to benefit from that experience all the time!)

Here is my future bride inside Golden Bridge, stunning scenery

The Golden Bridge journey reinvigorated my committment to Kundalini Yoga. When the soul speaks to you and confirms that you are on your path, the experience is not to be ignored. I shall be focusing some energy on achieving proper certification.

I purchased another Chakra Book to add to my collection on the way out, “Your Life is in your Chakras, by Gururattan Kaur Khalsa. I can’t wait to dig into the materials

We closed class with a lovely group meditation song of (care of Yogi Bhajan via Gurmukh);

I am Beautiful, I am Bountiful, I am Blissful.

I am, I am.

Sat Nam

H~

Let’s face it, anger is a natural occurance in this day and age. It seems as though every day we have a choice as to if we want to let something make us angry or not. Sometimes what tends to happen is that something makes us angry, but we bury it deep inside and forget that we were angry in the first place. At a surface level this may seem as though we are happy, but that stuck emotion creates energetic blockages within our emotional, mental and even physical bodies.

One of the great things about Yoga, Kundalini Yoga specifically for me, but really all yoga, is that it provides an excellent outlet for the proper useage of anger.

Yoga- Anger Management Skills

• Controlled breathing, or pranayama helps to facilitate the ability to calm ones self when stressful situations occur
  
• Physical activity allows one to “work out” the anger in a positive manner, transference of that energy into a positive result of health and well being
• Mind control facilitated by yoga assists an individual, so that they do not lash out when angry impulses come their way
• Emotional healing associated with exercizing the various chakras, helps to flow stuck emotions, or anger through ones system so it does not get locked in place

I came up with the idea for this post, because I am back into my teacher training program, with Lisa Lawrance after my long stretch of having a thron in my hand.
During the Tuesday Twilight yoga class Lisa lead us through a kriya on anger management. It was a great set, it worked our 3rd chakra, and helped balance the energies across our bodies. I especially liked the alternate punching portion, through an O mouth to the breath of fire.

An interesting thing happened to me during and after the session. Now I like to think of myself as a pretty happy guy. I don’t get angry and carry it around with me, right? Wrong, wrong wrong. What’s so interesting is that it wasn’t last night that the emotion came up in me. It was this morning during my meditation session. So there I was deeeeeep into the mind, conscious, sub-conscious where ever it may have been. Then all the sudden I became aware of a little energetic interplay going on between my energy centers, most specifically around the heart center. Now only bits and pieces came down into my conscious awareness, but I came to realize that I was working through some anger.

It was a great interplay, I was amazed at how the emotion just simply gets stuck within the body. And thanks to a Kundalini Yoga practice, I am able to help move those stuck emotions and transform them into a positive.
How has yoga helped you to control anger in the past?

As every day goes by I am more an more encouraged by the online communities interest in the chakra energy system.

Erin Pavlina has provided some good quick overview chakra information as well as a useful exercise for helping to open ones chakras. Erin uses the concept of “clogged chakras” as opposed to blocked chakras. I tend to prefer the blocked term, since it communicates that they are able to be unblocked, but it is simply rhetoric.

Erin provides a useful cleansing exercise …”Sit quietly in a chair or lay down. I like to listen to meditation music but that’s not required. You could even light a candle. Knock yourself out. Locate your root chakra and imagine a red energy spinning clockwise in that location. “… visit her site for more info.

I’ve also just come across an article that details information on Chakras, Reiki and the Endocrine System. Now I’ve mentioned Reiki Healing for Chakras, in the past so this article really caught my attention.

An interesting note from the article is as follows

“In a Reiki treatment the hand positions correspond with the body’s endocrine glandular system and the seven main chakras. “

I was very pumped about this article because it has to do with the Endocrine system. I hope to create some additional content on this site over time about the Chakra system and how it ties into our Endocrine system. I will be sure to follow up.
It is my sincere hope that information about Chakras online spreads like a fire across the internet. I believe we will see a steady ramp up of exposure about the charkra energy system over the course of the next several years, to a point where it will simply become integrated into our world society as a daily part of life.

I have come across an interesting perspective on chakras. Essentially this one gentleman took a class on Chakras that peaked his interest. However, he remains hesitant to believe 100%. It really got me thinking. (First off I really appreciate his perspective on this.) I would imagine that many folks are at this type of a situation within their own evolution. They have been experimenting with Yoga and other holistic paths, yet they simply have not reached the tipping point of belief.

I personally believe it will take less than 20 – 30 years for chakras to become mainstream, as yoga has. In fact I am going to make one of the purposes of this website to bring knowledge of chakras more into the mainstream among health practicioners and scientists alike.

What I do think is needed is a slightly different approach to the chakra energy system than the in your face, let’s open and start balancing your chakras. I always was fond of science. Let’s talk about matter for a moment. Scientists will agree that matter is a collection of protons, nutrons and electrons. Therefore, at one of its most scaled down states the human body (which is a form of matter) is nothing more than just energy.

Okay so our bodies are just energy. Second of all, scientists will agree that brain activity and the reactions of the nervous system have an electrical interplay, that is to say an activity initiated in the brain is passed down throughout the body via energetic transmissions.

Scientists have also taught me that our central nervous system contains the core functions, which happens to lie right down the spinal column.

Now that being said I would propose a hypothesis to scientists, that throughout our spinal column lie 7 centers of energy that the yogis call Chakras.

I would propose that the Chakra energy system is here and NOW. Not only that it has always been here and now, just perhaps in a different view. (Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on your ones own point of view- Obi Wan Kenobi)

As energitic healing and knowledge of the chakras become proven via scientific method, we shall indeed see chakras becoming more and more mainstream. With the mainstream knowledge and appreciation of the chakras will come new forms of healing and a spiritual up liftment that will bring in the New Age.

May healing and knowledge of Self flow.

Sat Nam,

H~

(I’ve placed this into the 5th Chakra category as it is a communication about the Chakras)

I ran across this nice little chakras test online via this forum.

Here are my results:

Percentages go from -100% to +100%

The test appears rather valid at first glance. There is also a very useful Chakras questionairre in The Kundalini Yoga Experience book. Based on my results it appears as though I need to polarize and increase flow to my crown and root chakras. I shall have to tap into the Creative force of my second chakra, to assist with the energy transference. I am a Scorpio, which tends to indicate that my life force centers around my 2nd chakra, (the water sign correlates to the fluid nature of the sacral center.)

I’ll see if I can leverage the navel center, for a power boost into the upper ones.

I think I will work on my centers the following ways over the next month or so:

1. Root chakra
2. Navel center
3. Crown chakra

That should help facilicate the balance.

I love Kundalini Yoga because it helps prescribe work to be done based on energy flow needs.

H~

I am very encouraged by the recent steps of the 3HO Foundation to reach out to people online via blogging as a communication vehicle.

Rion- of the the 3HO International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association is spreading the word across the globe, it looks as though he has just been through a membership drive as well.

If you have exciting news about Kundalini Yoga in your area, visit this location and send Rion a note!

Sat Nam

Hersh

I have finally gotten around to putting some useful information about Reiki here.

I thought it appropriate to give thanks to my Reiki instructor, and Light Body Instructor as well, Esther Turner.

Reiki is a means of providing energy healing to individuals. It provides an excellent channel for working with peoples chakras in a non-invasive way. Reiki is the channel, in this lifetime, where I came to know that I needed to understand the chakra energy centers a bit more in order to feel fulfilled in life. A friend of mine used Reiki to entice the Kundalini to fly up from the base of my spine and out through my 5th chakra to clear up a blockage.
As you may read in the Reiki Healing overview, Reiki provides a practicioner the ability to channel life force energy through their hands and into another individual. The way one is actually able to perform Reiki healing is via attunement sessions/classes.

All Reiki practicioners come from Dr. Mikao Usui- (okay okay they come from God) I thought I would provide my Reiki Lineage as a tribute to the teachers that have come before me and for the benefit of all those that may come after.

• Dr. Mikao Usui
• Dr. Chujiro Hayashi
• Hawayo Takata
• Iris Ishikuro
• Arthur Robertson
• Rick & Emma Ferguson
• Margarette L. Shelton
• Kathleen Ann Milner
• Arline E. Rowden
• Esther A. Turner
• Hershel (that’s me)

Benefits of Reiki Healing

• Improved flow of energy throughout the body, chakras included!
• Increased energy level
• Pain decrease
• Works wonders on head aches and leg cramps
• No drugs required
• Non-invasive, we are talking about healing energetic vibrations here
• Get excited about magic in the world

If you are looking for a session in Wisconsin, Madison in particular, I’ve noted some resources for reiki here.

enjoy

Hershel

Starting place for a Kundalini Yoga Practice

I was showing a coworker of mine this great new website I have and he got back to me on it and said:

“Hey man, I am interested in Kundalini Yoga. Can we chat about it sometime?”

I was soo excited that my website had already made an impact inspiring another to try Kundalini. I chatted with him and followed up with the following bits of info.

Getting Started with Kundalini Yoga

1. Set a time for yoga, torns pop up all the time, I tend to suggest waking a little earlier to start your day off on the right foot
2. Buy a Yoga DVD for some expert guidance, I suggest A Journey through the Chakras, okay Ravi Singh, suggested this one to me on the phone one day, but its a great suggestion
3. Find a Kundalini Yoga instructor near you, here is a great Kundalini Yoga Directory
4. Purchase a Yoga book, I suggest the Kundalini Yoga Experience, its got great background info on the chakra system, Numerology, the tools of Kundalini Yoga and Kriyas that focus on specific chakras for balancing
5. Set your intention to integrate Kundalini Yoga into your busy schedule
6. Get Started and keep it up!

There are plenty of other things to do, but this is a great starting point.

I am fortunate enough to have carved out an entire room dedicated to spiritual practice. But you can make due with just some floor space, a yoga mat and some motivating music.

Comments on getting started are most welcome

Hersh

What does a thorn in one’s yoga practice mean to you?

To me it represents a symbol of the things that get in the way of staying true to our practice. Often times a little thing called life can so easily get in the way of keeping up with our practice. I’ve been guilty of it before, something comes up and you simply can’t do your morning Kriyas.

You go on vacation and decide to hold off on practice, you have a deadline on a proposal to make and decide to stay up all night, thus exhausting yourself the following morning.

So many things can get in the way of impeeding our yoga practice. This is a natural occurance, what is important is how you deal with those things and how you keep on top of your yoga.

I began my teacher training program late last year. I have not been able to complete my training because I had a thorn in my hand for the past 8 months, okay kind of crazy I know but I didn’t realize I had a thorn in my hand till recently.

Now this thron, which was about an inch in size did keep me from continuing with my teacher training program, but it did not hinder my practice. I continued to practice yoga almost daily at home. Now that this thorn has been removed from my hand I am ready to continue to follow my path to teach and inspire others.

Kundalini Yoga is a yoga that fits into ones busy lifestyle and allows you to excel in your daily life. Practice is not a thing to be sacrificed. Practice is sacred, and must be endured if it is to help transform your life.

The thorn in my yoga practice, (teacher practice really) has been removed.

What can you do to remove the thorn from your yoga practice???

Background of Krishan Singh

I began my yoga practice back in 2004. At that time in my life something was missing, something more than the usual speed of life. I had such a hole in my life that it manifested as a phisical ailment and I was forced to go into the hospital for testing on my stomach. Nothing was medically wrong with me. What was wrong was my connection to that greater source of purpose and understanding. For some time I had been thinking,”Hershel, there is no way you can see yourself lifting weights through your 80′s, maybe you should try Yoga”

Then while visiting with my friends Jason and Sarah I was fortunate enough for Sarah to provide a Reiki healing session on me. It turns out I had a blockage of energy in my 5th chakra, my center of communication. Throught the reiki session a miraculous event occured. When Sarah located the stuck energy, she concentrated really hard…

All of the sudden an emense wave of energy, kundalini, shot up from the base of my spine and out through my throat center. It was an experience I shall never forget. I thought to myself,

“Perhaps I should learn more about these things called Chrkras”

In my studies I actually found a Yoga that focused on the Chakras, Kundalini Yoga. It was divine free will at its greatest. Since then I practice kundaliniy yoga nearly every day.

My first instructor was Courtney Ofetdahl. In time I began to realize that I could help fulfill my soul purpose by helping others to find their path through Yoga. And so I worked with Courtenay’s instructor, Lisa Lawrence on training for instruction. I am still in training with one of the finest Kundalini Yoga instructors. Lisa received her yoga instruction through Ravi Singh.

I am fortunate to have come to Yoga and to be surrounded with such brilliant lights upon the planet. As I continue my studies in Yoga and in the Charkras, those seven supplemental centers of energy I hope to share my experiences so that they may gain the benefits that Kundalini Yoga has provided me.

I am a Level II Reiki Practicioner, and recieved my attunement via Ester Turner. Ester Turner has also been my teacher in, Light Body Meditation course work. By integrating reiki and my meditations into my yoga practice I have been able to become more in tune with my own chakra system. This has allowed for a deeper understanding of self, which in turns allows for a deeper understanding of the Whole.
Sat Nam.