Ardas Bhaee

Becoming a Living Prayer

Kundalini Yoga & Sacred Sound Workshop with Guru Raj Kaur Khalsa.

Friday November 30th.  6:00 - 8:30 PM.

Sacred Sound has been used through all time to inspire a merger of spirit and form.  Cultivating the self-sensory system with Kundalini Yoga, and using sacred sound with voice and subtle listening, we will be transported into a direct experience of our sacred self.  Vibrate the cosmos and the cosmos will clear the path.

(Please bring a yoga mat, blanket, and water bottle.)

Tai Chi Center of Chicago- 4043 N Ravenswood Avenue #228.

$45 by November 26th, $55 at the door.

This sounds like an excellent workshop

I came across a great post via SikhNet.

It provides an audio file of an affirmation provided by Yogi Bhajan.  One that I truly enjoy listening to during my Kundalini Yoga practice- Patience Pays.

I look at this affirmation as a prayer, wrapped in a meditation, with the power of mantra.

It is truly inspiring and gives me goose pimples when I hear it during my practice.

For those of you not familiear with the Sikh religion, SikhNet provides a great perspective on it. 

Based on my current understanding Sikh means Disciple.  In life there are many religions that speak of Disciples, in time I suspect that all walks of Disciples will become One.

Sat Nam,

Hershel

The Mantra Sat Nam

Sat Nam is a mantra commonly used in Kundalini Yoga and amongst its practicioners. It is frequently repeated three times at the end of a yoga session. But what is the importance of Sat Nam, what does it mean.

I’ve heard the following interpretations for Sat Nam via my Kundalini Yoga instructors:

• Truth is my identity
• My identiy is Truth
• My True Self
• Truth is our identity

It has been called the process of naming ones self Truth. It can be used similar to Namaste, (the divine in me aknowledges and pays tribute to the divine in you.) Where the “Truth” is the divine.

Being one who likes to get to “Source” info, I decided to do some further research into the nature of Sat Nam. I made an assumption that Sanskrit is a rather root dialect and that “Sat Nam” in Sanskrit would provide supplemental information on the nature of Sat Nam.

I found this Sanskrit Dictionary, and looked up the words, Sat and Nam.

Sat

1. being
2. real
3. that which really exists
4. the real existent truth

I’ve seen it written that Sat means Be, or more apprpriately Be-ness. Which would be the essence of being. (HPB’s Secret Doctorine) I suspect some careful analysis would find an interesting correlation between Be-ness and emptiness. (For those of Buddhist faith)

but onward to Nam.

1. To bow
2. To submit or subject oneself

And so one is bowing to Truth, to Be-ness the essence of being.

And the active interpretation of Sat Nam emerges.

Sat Nam

H~

Mantras are words, or a series of words spoken/chanted internally or verbally.  It is said that the universe and all MANifestation is built upon sound, and thus the power of mantras vibrates forth.  In the beginning there was the WORD… 

Mantras are used in Yoga in order to invoke a specific state of mind or being.  There is actually a yogic sciene in proper expression of mantras, when a person generates a sound their tongue is placed across varying locations of their upper pallet.  These locations correspond to meridians, or energy focal points, which in turn correspond to a humans larget energetic system as a whole.  By pressing the right combination of locations on ones mouth one is able to stimulate the proper energy paths in order to bring about the desired, or specific state of being. 

(I always find it interesting to speak about “desired” states of being, when the path to enlightenment requires the relinquishment of desires.  I often question the desire to be enlightened, but I digress)

Another perspective on mantra is that they invoke a specific energy pattern to be brought upon the yogic practicioner.  The repetition of this energy pattern, let’s say devotion, or Union with God, provides the proper inertia for that state of being to be carried on throughout ones day.

The power of words is a power to be mindful of indeed.

All definitions here are based on my understanding, learning and reading of Kundalini and other Yoga related texts, classes and websites.

I invite the Kundalini Yoga experts in the community to ellaborate on what I have presented here, and thus further the learning experience for visitors.