Kundalini Yoga by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa

.
A Simple Guide to the Yoga of Awareness
Ku
dali
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 KHAA
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
20
19
18
17
16
15
I. Title.
97-52656
1998
14
13
12
11
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
Chaphr 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 YOUlF M! A WOMAN

The Magnificent Seven
A Conscious Act
MANTRA and MDITATION

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
RCIP
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.
27 6
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
27 5
POM!! 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
27
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)
Acknowledgment
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,
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 Fw 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
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.
Blifuls 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
Youjuf 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<undalini Yoga: The Flow of Hemal Power
YOU ARf HfR
Learn ing how the yog is define concepts gives us a welcome new perspec
tive on life. That's a nother featu re of this book, getti ng a new perspective on
everyth ing, including who you a re.
I refuse to clai m that reading this book and learning new terms wil l solve
all you r problems. But it will g ive you powerful, practical tools to meet the
challenges in you r l ife and consciously, courageously conquer them.
Starting rig ht now, you can change you r l ife! As Yogi B hajan says, "you can
be: Bou ntiful, Blissfu l, and Beautifu l . I n fact, you ALREADY ARE! You j ust have
to experience it.
3
kundalini Yoga: The Flow of fternal Power
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CHAPUR 1
WHAT'!! IT All ABOUT?
What'g It All About?

You Don't Have to Be a Pretzel
Y:
og i Bhajan pointed to me and said to the class he was teaching at Claremont

College, "See, Shakti's doing it; if she can do it, anybody can do it."
That was in 1969. I stil l consider myself one of the least physically coordinated
people on the planet, and yet, here I am, twenty-seven years later, not only doing
Ku ndali n i Yoga, but teaching it, and writing a book about it, because I sincerely
bel ieve it's true, if I can do it, anybody can!
The physical exercise part of Kundalini Yoga is just one aspect of this Yoga of
Awareness. Among the many outrageous q uotes from Yogi Bhajan is, " If flexibility
of the body is the only yoga, then clowns i n the circus are the best yogis."
I mportant as the physical body is, and as desirable as flexibility is, there is m uch
more to be gained from yoga, there is you r entire happiness and success in l ife.
When you buy a new automobile, a toaster, or a VCR (al most a nything with
', t ,, ,. movi ng parts) the manufacturer provides a book of instructions.
The owner's manual recommends procedu res to get maxi m u m
....._
,_,,
efficiency. It l ists checkpoi nts and times for period ic maintenance .
It tells you what to look for if it's not working pro perly a n d it sug
gests how to avoid futu re problems.
So where are the instructions for your care and maintenance? When you were
born you didn't come neatly packaged with a tag tied around you r big toe,
labeled "Care and Feeding." Though a human being is surely one
of the most com plicated mecha nisms ever created, stil l an instruc
tion manual isn't provided with each newborn baby. Perhaps the
Manufacturer assumed that mothers would study di rectly with the
experts to learn how to care for the new arriva l . And who are these "experts" ? Not
the psychologists and ped iatricians, not wel l-meaning friends and neighbors,
(
'r;
5
TO KNOW
mothers and g randmothers (though the latter probably have learned a lot
through trial and error) .
The trained experts, the people who developed the finest methods to care
for, maintain, and get maxi m u m m ileage out of this human mechanism (not just
physical ly, but mental ly, emotionally, and spiritual ly), were the yogis.
Detai led i nformation on the care and feeding, maintenance and preservation
of a hu man bei ng was reveal ed to the yogis thousands of years ago. They have
been custodians of this tech nology ever since. They are the expert m echan ics,
scientists, engineers, and problem-solvers for the i ntricate human machine in all
its aspects: body, m ind, a nd sou l .
THf Cif:NCf O F KUNDALINI YOGA

For thousands of years this yogic knowledge was carefully h a nd ed down by
ora l tradition from Master to d isciple. The Master spoke, the student memorized
and practiced . Eventually a portion of this vast body of knowledge l eading to
enlightenment, or self-mastery, was written down. Some of these sacred teach
i ngs can be found in a ncient Vedic texts. 1
There's a yogic a rt and science to all aspects of h uman l ife. There's a yogic
way to get up in the morning; there's a yogic way to go to sleep at n i g ht. A way
to eat, and a way to breathe! Virtually every aspect of h u ma n existen ce has an
en l ightened, efficient, and effective way to do it. This legacy of technical and
spiritual knowledge that Yogi Bhajan studied and mastered i n I n d ia is the g ift he
brought to the West.
THf YOGr GIFT

Kundalini Yoga was always kept very secret. It was never taught publicly until
1969, when Yogi Bhajan challenged the ages-old tradition of secrecy.
He spent many years in I ndia learning, mastering, and perfecting the habits
and practices of Ku ndalini Yoga . It sometimes took months of waiting patiently
and being tested in many ways before a Teacher wou ld reveal anything at all to
him. Yet he has offered to share these ancient secrets with us, openly and honest
ly. His motive? Com passion . He wants us to stop suffering. He sees the real ity of
our in ner beauty, power, and potential and he wants us to discover it for ourselves.
6
CHAPU:R 1
WHAT' IT All ABOUT?
Yogi Bhajan started teaching Kundalini Yoga i n easy-to-digest yogic "tid

bits." I want to share these teach i ngs with you that same way. I want to make
it as sim ple and easy as I can for you to apply them in you r daily l ife so you can
feel better, look better, and be a happier person .
Of all the technology a n d wisdom
If jg the birlhrigh f Of every human
that Yogi B hajan could h ave taught
from h is vast storehouse of mastery,
being fo be healthy. happy and holy.
he chose to teach Ku ndalini Yoga
because it is so effective, comprehensive, and "do-able . "
This is a yoga for householders, for people who have to cope with t h e daily
chal lenges and stresses of holding jobs, raising famil ies, managing businesses. It
gives results in the shortest possible time. It does not require you to leave you r
home, become an ascetic or sit i n a cave. Kundalini Yoga i s for everyone who
wants the ski l ls to cope successful ly with the challenges of l iving in this day and
age. 2 (And you don't have to be a pretzel . For the physical exercises, if you can
breathe, and just lean in the rig ht direction, you'll be benefitted . I told you, if I
can do it, anybody can . )
WHAT DOE!! KUNDALIN I YOGA DO?
The practice of Kundalini Yoga balances the glandular system, strengthens

the nervous system and enables us to harness the energy of the m i n d and
, , \ ,1,1 'I' 1
the emotions, so we can be i n control of ourselves, rather than bein g con::......
...
trolled by our thoug hts and feel i ngs.
Another pu rpose of this book is to d ispel the mystery, the myths and
misunderstanding, that exist about Kundalini Yoga. It is a precious gem of
sacred knowledge and power. I a m going to show you some of its m a ny brill iant facets. It can make you r life shine. It is like a magic jewel that I can give to
you and stil l keep for myself. I n fact, sharing it makes it brighter for me!
11_/
._
THE GOAl
Ku ndal i n i Yoga is d esigned to g ive you "hands on" experie n ce of you r
highest consciousness. I t teaches a m ethod by wh ich you can achieve the
sacred p urpose of you r l ife. This can be described in m a ny ways, such as:
7
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power
Experience you r in ner l ight of consciousness.

Experience you r own h ighest consciousness.
Discover your real I d entity.
The practices enable you to merge with or "yoke" with the u n iversal Self.
Th is merging of individual consciousness with universal consciousness creates a
"divi ne u n ion" cal led "yoga . "
The p ractice that leads to this state of self-mastery i s also called "yoga. " So
the road and the destination have the same name, "yoga." There a re many d if
ferent kinds, or schools of yoga . (See Many Paths.) Those who practice yoga a re
ca l led yog is and those who master yoga are also called yogis.
The technology of Ku ndalini Yoga appl ies its science to our bodies a nd
minds, and is aimed at spi rit which has no boundaries, no d iscri mi nation.
Therefore it is for everyone. It is u niversal and nondenominationa l .
I!! YOGA A RfliGION?

Ku ndalini Yoga is not a rel igion. Ku ndalini Yoga is a Sacred Science. It is
sacred because it deals with the GOD ("G": that wh ich Generates; "0" : that
which Organizes; "D" : that which Delivers or Destroys) i n you . It is scientific
because it provides a technology, a method by which anyone who p ractices it
can experience that d ivine identity with i n . The way you choose to worship that
G-0-D is you r rel igion .
Yes, Ku ndalini Yoga d oes req u i re FAITH (not belief), j ust as
a cou rse in chem istry requ i res the faith of the student to d o
t h e laboratory experim ents so h e can p rove t h e val id ity o f the
formulas for h imself.
lONG TfRM GAIN / !!HORT TfRM GAIN

As you work toward achieving the goal of Yoga or l iberation, you become
more capable, more confident, and more efficient in whatever you ' re doing in
your external l ife. Simu ltaneously, you become prog ressively more awa re of you r
self on all levels. It's a win/win situation !
8
CHAPUR 1
WHAT' IT All ABOUT?
CRT OF POR
To ful ly appre c iate the value of this g reat gift Yogi Bhajan has broug ht us, we
need to understand why, for thousands of years, the Yogis kept it secret. They
p reserved and careful ly guarded the knowledge of the i nner and outer worki ngs
of a human bei ng, very cautiously reveal i ng the technology, selectively passing it
d own verbally from Master to chosen disci ple. They were selective because
knowledge gives power, and power can corru pt. Traditional ly, d isciples had to
s pend many years proving their trustworthiness and ethical pu rity to receive the
sacred science of Kundalini Yoga. Only after the student demonstrated h u m i lity,
self-disci pline, and obedience wou ld the Teacher reveal the secret Kriyas. Yet Yogi
B hajan has taken it u pon h imself to share h is knowledge openly with everyone.
'
(See the chapter My Spiritual Teacher for more about this remarkable human being,
Master of Kundalini Yoga and White Tantric Yoga.) He has done this in order to pre
pare h umanity for the major changes that the planet is goi ng th roug h . The world
we knew even ten years ago has total ly changed-geog raphically, social ly, eco
nomically, morally. We have already crossed from the Piscean Age into the Age
of Aquarius. 3 As he has said, "What used to work, won't work anymore . " It's a
n ew Age already, and this ancient technology of Kundalini Yoga can give us the
awareness and the strength to m a ke our transition smoother.
TH POWR OF PRANA
\.I
' ....-,.,,_
.
't.,--
,, I
. .
"
Kundalini Yoga deals specifical ly with the most powerful th ing i n
-.,;.._
the u niverse, the basic l ife energy, prana. Prana is the sub-atomic --:;;-A
"' /
energy, the l ife force. It was known to yogis for thousands of years, , '
',
long before the scientists split the atom. It is prana that you receive /},.1 Ji I
with every breath . It's mighty powerfu l stuff. Kundalini Yoga is the path
of d iscovery of the source of the prana in us and teaches us how to use it.
, I
,,
"'
' /:Y
,
',
\ ''
WHY PRACTIC KUNDALI NI YOGA?

People decide to practice K u n d a l i n i Yog a for m a ny reasons. Possibly you r
c h i ropractor suggested it. O r you r psycholog ist, physician, o r next-door neig h
b o r recom mended i t to h e l p you relax, cope with stress, a n d fin d peace of
m in d . O r, perhaps you're sim ply curious. It doesn't matter what you r reason, you
THING!! TO KNOW
a re welcome! But be warned: If you gen u inely practice it, you wil l fi nd you rself
and your l ife changing. If you don't want to change, if you 're total ly content with
you rself and you r l ife as it is now, then don't go any fu rther. But if you want to
explore the possibilities of you r highest potential, then keep reading.
Kundalini Yoga is much more than j ust a system of physical exercises. It is a
dynam ic, powerfu l tool for expanding awareness. Approach it with respect, with
reverence, a nd with openness.
The purpose of this book is to get you to try it for you rself, so you can have
you r own experience of the benefits it has to offer.
"DOING I BliB'ING."
Let the words on these pages help you take the next step on you r personal
journey of self-discovery. You a re, i ndeed, a u nique a nd wonderfu l bei ng with a
very special destiny. Let Kundalini Yoga, the Yoga of Awareness, help you achieve
you r personal best!
10
l<undalini Yoga: Tho Flow of Etornal Powor
CHAPnR 2 ON GOAl
Ong Goal
piritual TravQJ
I I th ings com e from God, everyth ing wil l eventually retu rn to God,
including you . H ow you get there is you r particular path . The Yog i
wants t o h ave that experience sooner a n d chooses a path to travel that best
suits his 1 tem pera ment and capabilities.
D ifferent paths s u it d ifferent people. Going for a h i ke? You
can m a ke the rugged, u ph i l l climb or fol l ow wel l-marked trails
a n d stro l l along at a leisurely pace. Want to go farther? You can
fly d irect to N ew York from Los Angeles, or m a ke stops along the
way. You can even change planes. If you h ave l ots of ti me, you
may decide to take a bus or a tra i n along the scenic route. Some
fol ks enjoy d riving across cou ntry. The c hoice of " h ow" to g et there is you rs.
The c hoice of "when" to get there is affected by the "how." The "where" is
p redetermined, because a lthoug h there a re m a ny paths back " Home," there's
no p lace else to go.
Kundalini Yoga m ight be cal led the d i rect, non-stop jet route. I t is a very
com prehensive technology, yet idea l ly suited to people who l ead active l ives
in today's world .
I n the back of this book you can read brief descrip
tions of some of the other paths of yoga . S ince
Ku ndal ini Yog a is what this book is a l l a bout, I ' m
going t o g ive i t a l ot m ore space than the others . I
th i n k that's fai r, don't you?
K u n d a l i n i Yog a balances the g l a n d u la r system , stre n gthens the 72,000
n e rves in the body, expands the l u n g capacity, and p u rifies the bloodstream .
I t b ri n g s balance to the body, m i nd, a n d sou l . I t teaches positive, self-
1 Anytime you see

"he" or "his" for a
non-specific person,
please assume I also
include "she" and
"her." Let's save ink.
11
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow o f Eternal Power
THING!! TO KNOW
e m p owerin g attitud es of th i n k
i n g . It is on-the-job-tra i n i ng for
success a n d excellence i n l ife. It
b u i lds i n n e r stre ngth and self
aware n ess so you can fu lfi l l you r
h i g h est poten ti a l .
I n Kundalini Yoga we harness
the mental, physical, and nervous
energies of the body and put
them u nder the domain of the
wi l l, which is the instru ment of
the sou l . Ku ndalini Yoga perfects
the fi nite l ife whi le conn ecting it
to the I nfinite experience.
12
CHAPUR 3
TUNING IN
Dng Namo Guru Dev Namo
Tuning In
Wg alway!: tung in bgforg doing
a ny practicg of Kun da l in i Yoga .
h e n you want to watch you r favorite tel evision show, you h ave to
select the rig ht c h a n n e l . If you want to watch the World Series,
you d o n 't tu rn to the Home-Shopping c h a n n e l . You g et what you wan t by
selecti n g the p a rticular wave l en gth that is b roadcastin g the p rog ram you
want to see.
The T.V. log h as d ozens of l isti ngs. Al l the T.V. stations b roadcast si m u l
tan eo usly. You r screen shows o n ly the p a rti c u l a r o n e you h ave selected .
Why? Because of the principle of attu n e m ent. You g et the station or c h a n n e l
you wan t b y tu n i ng t o t h e correct freq u e n cy. W h e n y o u use the rig ht "ca l l
l etters" y o u g et t h e channel y o u want. T h i s s a m e p ri nciple g overns
the scien ce of m antra.
Tuning in i!: !:imply l!hanging l!hannel!:

on the felevi!:ion of your mind.
MANTRA
We l ive i n a sea of energy. Energy vib rates. There's a particular vi bratory
frequency correspond in g to every sou n d i n the u n iverse. By vibratin g a par
tic u l a r com bi n atio n of sou n d s (syll a b l es), you tu ne-in to various l evels of
i ntel l i gence o r consciousness. You ' re c ho os i n g p rog ra m s a l l the ti m e,
whether you k n ow it o r not.
13
THING!!
TO KNOW
Consciously or u nconsciously, pu rposely or at random, you personally

choose the programs that play on the screen of you r m i n d by the thoug hts you
th i n k (vibrate) and the words you speak (vibrate).
Mantras a re combinations of syl lables consciously construct
ed to con nect with specific levels of i ntell igence. Using a mantra
is l i ke dialing a phone n u m ber. If you want to tal k with you r friend
i n Florida, you don't cal l the San Diego Zoo.
The knowledge of the meaning and power of sou nds and the use of the
soun d cu rrent is contained in the ancient tech nology of Mantra Yoga. It is a
major factor i n the p ractice of Kundalini Yoga.
,gpirituality ea n not b
We've a l ready said that Ku ndal i n i Yoga is a
taught t
ha!: to b eaught sacred science. It is a spiritua l p ractice. " S p i ritua lity"
I
l ike th ma!:l!: .
is contagious. You h ave to get it fro m someone
who's g ot it. That's why we start each c lass by "tu n i n g i n " to the wave
length of the teachers who've "got it" -so we can receive the i r vibra
tion . The mantra we use to acco m p l is h this is ONG NAMO G URU D
NAMO. These code l etters n ot on ly i nvoke the blessin g of you r own h ig h
est self, b u t they open t h e protective l i nk betwee n you a n d the l o n g
l i n e o f S pi ritua l Masters w h o h ave preceded u s o n t h e path . Th is trans
m ittin g of higher consciousness from Master to d isciple which has been
goin g on for thousands of years is sometim es called the "golden c ha i n . " Yog i
B hajan, M aster of Kundali n i Yoga, i s the i m m ed iate con nection to this chai n
for a l l of us w h o p ractice Ku n d a l i n i Yog a .
ONG NAMO GURU DfV NAMO i!! chantgd (vibrated) to aggurg

the pure!!t inner guidance for your practice of Kundalini Yoga.
Here's how to tu rn the dial of you r m i n d a n d switch to the channel that wil l
give you the clearest reception for the tech nology of Ku ndalini Yoga, a n d the
elevated consciousness (vib ration) that com es with it. I ' m going to explain th is
in g reat detai l, because it's real ly i mportant that you get started correctly from
the very beg i n n i n g .
14
Kunda/ini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power
CHAPITR 3
TUNING I N
Ready? Get set:

Sit with you r spine straig ht. Preferably sit cross
legged on the floor (use a mat, fol ded blan ket, or
som ething firm for paddi ng). I n yog ic terms, th is
cross-legged position is ca l led Sukh Asan which
translates as "easy-pose, " thoug h it may not be easy
for you . If you can 't sit on the floor, you can sit on a
chair, j ust make sure that both feet a re planted firm
ly on the floor with weight eq ually balanced. Keep
you r spine straight. Place the pal ms of you r hands
flat together at the center of you r chest, fi ngers
pointing u pward at a very slig ht angle outward . The
sides of you r thu m bs press l ightly but firmly at the center of the ster- PrayQr PosQ i n
num. This p ressu re sti m u lates a nerve ending that goes u p to the !!ukh Asan
bra i n; we cal l it the "mind nerve. " This m u d ra (hand position) is (asy PosQ)
cal led "Prayer Pose. " Not only d oes it make you look saintly (not a
bad i mage), but it helps concentration. Bei ng able to concentrate, being one
pointed, and able to keep you r attention focused is not only useful for med
itation; it also comes in handy for baki ng a cake, writin g a symphony, or rid
ing a bicycle. Successfu l com pl etion of a ny job requ i res us to corral and har
ness the m u ltitud e of scattered thought fragments flyi ng wildly a bout i n our
u ntrai ned m inds.
Keep the pal ms pressed fi rm ly together. The palms contain nerve endi ngs
corresponding to the left and rig ht hemispheres of the bra i n . Pressing them
together helps to balance the l og ical hemisphere of the brain with the cre
ative, i ntu itive hem isphere. This balance is i m portant for successfu l concen
tration.
P u l l you r chin back slightly, to hel p straighten the spine, al lowing freer
movement of the Kundalini energy u pwards .
15
Kunda/ini Yoga: The Flow of Hemal Powor
TO KNOW
ONG NAMO GURU OW NAMO

"I Bow to thg C.rgator. to thg Diving Tgachgr Within."
ONG means the Creator - the One Who created you .
NAMO means reverent g reetings, sal utations.
GURU is the giver of the technology, the Teacher.

Teacher: the one who gets rid of ignora nce
GU = darkness, RU = lig ht, that wh ich d ispels darkness.
DIN means transparent (nonphysical).
Ready? Read the fol lowing instructions first, then close you r eyes, keeping
them focused at the center of you r forehead and beg i n .
Take several long deep breaths, i n hali n g d eeply through you r n ose, then
exhaling com pletely out through the nose. Do this several times, then :
I nhale deeply th rough the nose, and vib rate the syllable ONG at the back of
the th roat and feel the sound going out th rough the nose.
Then slide into the sound NAMO (the NA is a short syllable, while the MO is
extended . See pronunciation g uide.) and com plete the rest of the mantra, raising
the pitch of the syllable DIN (wh ich rhymes with "save") about a third-tone
h ig her than the rest of the mantra .
Fin ish exh aling all the b reath as you chant the fi n a l NAMO.
If you ca n d o it, chant the e nti re m a n tra a l l in o n e b reath without a p a use.
If you fi n d you n eed to catch you r b reath s l i gh tly before chanti n g G'ROO
(rhymes with "who"), you ca n take a q u i ck s i p of a i r th rough th e m outh after
O n g N a m o, j ust as you do auto m atical ly when you a re speaki n g, but d o n 't
16
CHAPHR 3
TUNING I N
i n h a l e t h ro u g h the n ose d u ring the m antra. ( Note, the syl la ble GU in G u ru, is
extrem ely b rief.)
After each com plete round, i n ha le very deeply th roug h the nose before you
chant the enti re mantra again . Conti n ue this seq uence at least th ree ti mes,
breathi n g on ly throug h the nose. Continue chanting ONG NAMO GURU DIN NAMO
as many more ti mes as you wish u ntil you feel "co n nected . " It is l i ke letti ng the
phone ring u nti l someone picks up.
There is a basic melody we usually use, but the
melody is not so i m portant as the rhyth m and the
breath . This holds true for all mantras - the most i m por
tant factors are the rhyth m and the breath .
When you h ave fin ished chanting ONG NAMO GURU
DIN NAMO, i n hale deeply. Feel you rself bei ng fil led with
energy, l ife, l ight and joy! Hold the breath as long as you
can do so comfortably. Then exhale completely, feeling
the breath carryi ng away tension and fatigue. Feel you r
self getti ng rid of worry or disease. Take a few more of
these long deep breaths, using each breath as a self-heal
ing meditation. There are many powerfu l meditations,
but the re is noth ing more powerfu l tha n meditation on
the b reath .
Let m e repeat: Always rem e m ber to c h a nt ONG
NAMO GURU DIN NAMO at least th ree ti m es before you
beg i n each session of Ku n d a l i n i Yog a . Be conscious of
the i m p o rtant m ea n i ng of the m antra w h i l e you a re
chanti n g so that it d oes n ot becom e a m e re ritua l .
ONG NAMO GURU OW NAMO i s such a valuable mantra that Yogi Bhajan had
a forty-five min ute tape of it made with conti nuous cha ntin g by N irinja n Kau r.
We often meditate or chant along with it d u ring yoga classes, and it's used fre
quently for meditation in Wh ite Tantric Yoga vid eo cou rses. The beautifu l
melody on th is tape is d ifferent from the orig i n a l .
17
CHAPU:R 4
Brgafh of Life
OW TO BRATH (DONT I AlRADY KNOW HOW?)
We g ive our children piano lessons, we eagerly enco u rage them to wal k
a n d tal k, b u t how many of u s train them t o b reathe? D i d you r parents
teach you? The good news is that we are born with enough built-in
b reathi n g s ki l l to keep us alive. The bad news is that u nti l we learn to
breathe consciously, we' re only "half-alive." We' re l i ke cham pion racing
cars that n ever get out of first gear.
IN!!PIRATION-A!!PIRATION: R!!PIRATION !
Some of the m ost profound truths, the "secrets" of the u n iverse, are con
tained in the most simple, basic facts of life. B reathing is one of these secrets.
It is so fundamental, it seems so natu ral and effortless, we usually take it for
g ranted . We don't real ize its tremendous significan ce and potential power.
It is wel l known that you can go without food for wee ks . You can su rvive
without water for days. But a very few m i n utes without breath and you ' re
dead. We a l l know th is, so what's the point?
The point is that you r enti re futu re, you r l ife itself, total ly depends u pon
whether o r not you receive you r next i n halation . N oth ing is more im portant to
you tha n that next i n h alation .Yet there is a bsol utely no g u a ra ntee that you're
going to get it. You r guaranteed life expectancy is l iteral ly on ly one breath ! Al l
you r wealth, a l l you r possessions, a l l you r relationships, power, prestige, hopes,
and plans a re useless u n less you are b reath i n g .
That is why t h e first pri nciple i n Ku ndalini Yoga is:
Value Your Breath

19
TO KNOW
Each b reath is given to you . "You" a re n ot b reathi ng; someth i n g is b reath

ing i n you . Thi n k a bout it. From the moment you were born, u p to this very
moment i n tim e, twenty-fou r hou rs every day, seven d ays a week, 365 days a
year-- n o holidays, no vacations, no time off; whether you a re awake or asleep,
conscious or u n conscious, happy or u n happy; som ethi n g b reathes i n you,
keeping you a l ive.
H e re comes a most significant thoug ht: Some people cal l that a m azi ng
power, energy, or force that breathes in you : "GOD." Yes, it is true, the One
U n iversal I ntel l i gence that Generates, O rganizes, and the n Delivers or Destroys
a l l creation is precisely what is breath ing in each of us.
Hold on a m i n ute, a re we tal ki n g a bo ut rel ig i o n h ere? N ot Defi n itely n ot.
Religion is h ow you c hoose ( if you choose) to wors h i p That-Which-Breathes
i n -Yo u .
B reath is the delicate thread that l i n ks you, the creatu re, to the O n e who
created this e ntire u n iverse (including you and m e) . Each i n halation you
receive is a rem in d e r, a reaffirmation of that
..If there i!: anything Divine
d ivi ne p resence in you .
I n the O rient, it is said that when a child is
in you, it'g your breath."
born, the l ife-span is a l ready predeterm ined,
-Yogi Bhan
premeasu red, preordained a n d predestined
not by years, but by the n u m ber of breaths a l lotted . Therefore, we can con
clude, and rightfu l ly so, if you breathe slower, you will l ive longer. You wil l a lso
l ive healthier. A slower rate of breathing is m uch easier on the nervous system,
the m eta bol ism, a n d the d igestion.
The rate a n d rhythm of the breath are intimately con nected to our mental
and emotional states. I n fact, j ust as the emotions and the mind cause the
breath to vary, by consciously controlling the breath we can gain control over
the m i n d and the emotions. By slowing down the breath, we cal m the mind and
cool down our emotional energy.
The average rate of breathing for most people is a bout fifteen times per
min ute. When the rate of breath ing increases, or if it becom es rapid and i rreg
ular, the m ind a lso becomes d istu rbed and erratic. We a l ready know this i nsti nc
tively. I n a m ovie, when we hear someone gasping, b reath i n g heavily, even if we
20
CHAPTR 4
BRTH OF
UH:
\\
can 't see them, we feel the tension, we assu me they're u pset. When we want to
know if the baby is asleep, we l isten for slow, even breathi n g .
PRANA AND THf AIR
'j
_)!_
Yes, breath is l ife, but it isn't the air we breathe that keeps
us alive. It is the subtle essence of the breath, carried to us by the a i r, that con
tains our l ife energy. This l ife energy is cal led prana. The prana that we receive
with each breath is the same energy that was
released when scientists split the atom. It is
nothing new.
For thousands of yea rs the yog is h ave
worked with p rana. Yogic breathing exercises
a re cal led pranaya m . P rana is the basic building
block of the u niverse. It is given to us with each
i n h a lation . What cou l d be more powerful?
When a person dies, the body sti l l contains
air. But the pra na, the d ivi ne life force, has been
withd rawn .
Inco ming brath o f l if

ig PRANA.
Outgoing brath ig calld APANA.
More about apana later.
PRANAYAM: CON!!CIOU!! BRfATHING

My very first class with Yogi Bhajan consisted entirely of slow, long, deep
breathing. He told me to lie down flat on my back on the floor (fortu nately there
was a mat) and start i n haling and exhaling as dee ply as possible through my
nose. Then he left the room ! Forty-five min utes later he retu rned . That was my
i ntroduction to Ku nda l i n i Yoga .
21
THING!! TO KNOW
Yog i B haja n d i d n 't g ive me a ny tec h nical, d etailed i n structions. He just said
to lie straig ht, keep my a rms at my sides and breathe long and deep through
the n ose
consciously. Conscious breathing m eans focusing you r attention
o n each i n h alation and exhalation. It's a very d ifferent experience fro m sim p ly
l ettin g the b reath " h appen" as we d o m ost of the tim e .
The most fu ndamental yog ic breathing technique is simp ly Long Deep
B reathi n g .
LONG DEEP BREATHING

What is the effect of Long Deep B reath ing? It wil l cal m the m i n d, balance
the emotions, and harmonize body, m ind, and spirit. It is used i n m ed itation,
and in the practice of yoga exercises. Long Deep B reathing can be used in every
day situations where you want to be in control of you r emotions, able to th ink
clea rly and act effectively. Remem ber, the slower you b reathe, the calmer you r
m i n d . Used i n conj u n ction with positive affirmation, Long Deep B reath ing
becomes a very dynamic self-healing tool .
So, let's do it! S i t u p straight, or you can even l i e d own flat on you r back.
Close you r eyes. Tune in with ONG NAMO GURU OW NAMO. (See Tuning ln.) The
main req u i rement is that the spine m ust not be bent a nywhere; it m ust be
straight. We' re going to use Long Deep Breath ing as the p ranayam with a
Meditation for U niversal Wisdom . (See facing page.)
You can use Long Deep B reath ing as a guided med itation for m a ny aspects
of self-hea l i n g . Choose you r own l ist of q ualities to meditate on a n d conscious
ly receive and accept whatever concept you choose with each i n halation . Then
release, o r let go of the opposite quality with each exhalation . For exam ple:
INHALJ;
health
dtength
enetgy
faith
eace
22
J;XHALJ;
dieae
weakne
fatigue
feat
tenion
CHAPU.R 4
BREATH OF liF
MfDITATION FOR UNIVfAL WI!!DOM

To focus your energy on the quality of wisdom, with your hands resting on your
knees (palms can be up or down), curl your forefingers and capture the tip of the nail
of the forefingers with the pad of the first joint of your thumbs. The other three fin
gers of each hand are straight and close together. Your arms are
straight, with no bend in the elbows, but they are not rigid. Your
body is like a pyramid, balanced, symmetrical, and stable. The majes
tic yogi!
Inhale deeply through your nose. Feel as though you are pulling
the breath down into your navel center. As the
breath then starts to fill the lungs, your diaphragm
will expand. You can think of the abdominal area as a balloon. Keep
inhaling until your lungs have taken in all they can hold. Your chest
will be expanded.
Keep track of the breath and feel it as it comes in and goes
out. Breathe deeply, feel the breath going all the way down to the navel point. When
you exhale, empty the lungs completely.
Use your total lung capacity, make every inhale and every exhale as long and full
and complete as you can. It will soon take greater concentration to maintain the
depth of the breath - because as the breath slows down, the mind slows down also,
and tends to put you to sleep. (This principle comes in handy when you want to go
to sleep at night. We'll talk more about this in the chapter on Sleep.) Try to stay alert
and continue to make each breath full and deep.
Keep your abdominal muscles relaxed during long deep breathing. The abdomen
will move naturally with the breath. It's the diaphragm that's doing all the work.
Consciously feel yourself taking in and absorbing universal wisdom with each inhala
tion, and getting rid of doubt and confusion with each exhalation.
Continue for three minutes. See how peaceful and mentally clear you feel after
only three minutes! Of course, you can do long deep breathing for longer periods of
time (eleven minutes, thirty-one minutes, or more), but as usual, we recommend
moderation. Begin with short sessions and gradually increase your time.
23
It seems so sim ple, but believe me, it works! You a l ready have that infi nite
creative flow of eternal power with in you . Th is is one way to use it. Kee p remem
beri ng that breath is l ife, and therefore breath can rej uvenate and regenerate.
CORP!! PO!!
You can do Long Deep B reathing (or a ny pranayam) lyin g flat on you r back,
keeping you r body in a straight l i ne, a rms down at you r sides, palms faci ng up.
Then you can tel l you r friends you mastered one of the H atha Yoga Asanas (pos
tu res)! It is cal l ed Corpse Pose. This position gives opti m u m support to the spi ne
(wh ich has all 72,000 nerves attached to the twenty-six main vertebrae) and
allows the free-flowing of energy th roughout the body.
li NKING TH BRATH WITH MANTRA

One of the simplest but n evertheless most powerfu l ways to med itate on the
breath is to thi n k the sou n d !!AT" with every i nhalation and th i n k the sound
"NAM" with every exhalation. Hear the syl lables in you r m i n d . (Su u u u u u u u ut. . .
rhymes with "but, " N aaaaaaaaam, rhymes with "calm .") M enta l ly create th ese
sou nds. Take you r ti me. Take ten long, deep, fu l l breaths, meditatin g on each
breath with the i nfin ite sou n d of !!AT NAM.
Why do we use those particu lar syl lables? !!AT NAM instantly attu nes us to
our highest Self. SAT NAM affirms that "Truth is our Identity." It tra nslates as:
"Truth is God's Name." We' l l ta l k m uch more a bout mantra later, meanwhi le, a
l ittle explanation a bout a big concept:
..
"In the beginning wag the Word.

and the Word wag wi th God, and the Word wag God ."1
!!AT NAM
!:!AT NAM is a Bij Mantra, or "seed sou n d . " !!AT mea ns Truth, the u lti mate,
u nchanging, U n iversal Truth . NAM means name, or identity. When we say "!!AT
NAM" to each other, we a re acknowledging our m utua l d ivin e identity. And, at
least for that b rief moment, we a re u nited, "one in the spirit. " There a re no bar
riers, no walls of fear or separation between us. By using Sat Nam as a g reeti ng
24
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow o fEternal Power
CHAPU:R 4
BRATH OF liF
(I even h ave it on my voice mail) we have attu ned ou rselves to our highest con
sciousness, at least for a moment. After that we can decide to disagree a bout
a nything we want! But at least we have established a basis of com m u nication
that is in total harmony and acceptance. I thi n k it's cal led love.
XPAND Y OUR LUNG CAPACITY
When you r m i n d is cal m, meditative, and u nder you r control, you r

rate of breathing wi l l be slow, steady a n d cal m . So, i t i s logical that by
breathing slowly and stead i ly you wil l cal m you r mind. Yes, to repeat,
it's a fact: As you change you r rate of breathi ng, you change you r state
of mind. To breathe more slowly, it is necessary to have a larger l u ng capacity.
One of the fi rst thi ngs we work on is increasing the l u ng capacity. The fastest
way to achieve that is by p racticing B reath of Fire.
NAM
BRf:ATH OF FIR
Here is a pranayam that wi l l not only i ncrease you r lung capacity (so you can
easily breathe slower and deeper) but it wi l l also:
Strengthen you r nervous system

Pu rify you r bloodstream
Energize, sti m u late, and wake you u p !
I ncrease you r vital ity
This pranayam is cal l ed B reath of Fire. It is one of the fi rst things I teach my
beg i n n i ng students. I want to teach it to you rig ht now. So please "Tu n e I n" with
ONG NAMO GURU DW NAMO, and we'l l be ready to beg i n .
Let u s sit properly l i ke yogis, i n Su khasan, easy cross-l egged pose. If you
become too uncomfortable, try sitting on you r heels (Vaj ra Asan - Rock Pose),
or sit in a chair, or l ie on the floor. The main thing is you a re going to BREATH E
CONSCIOUSLY, with you r spine straig ht.
I nterlace you r fingers in you r lap. Ideally, apply "Venus Lock." Ven us Lock wi l l
h e l p you contain the i ncreased energy from the additional prana that you a re
going to bring into you r body when you d o B reath of Fire.
25
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of Homal Powor
THING
TO KNOW
Look at the i l l ustration careful ly. Note that the th umbs a re not crossed. The
hand position is opposite for males and females. (Female lock illustrated.) The tip
of one th umb is pressing firm ly i nto the web
between the th u m b and forefi nger of the
other hand, wh ile the opposite th umb is
pressing the fleshy mound between the
th umb and the wrist. Make sure to alternate
the fingers. You don't wa nt to have two fin
gers from the same hand next to each other.
HOW TO DO BRATH OF FIR
vnm: lock
B reath of Fire is s i m p ly a rap i d a n d powerful b reath thro u g h the nose. To

l ea rn it, be s u re you r spine is stra i g ht, keep you r mouth closed, a n d b reathe
rapidly th roug h the n ose. I n ha lation and exha l atio n wil l be a bout equ a l . (It is
not the H atha Yoga b reath " Bastri ka" which e m p h asizes the exh a lation a n d
foc uses o n t h e l ower sto mach m u scles.)
Inhale and l ift your chest and hold it still. Exhale and pull in on your navel. Note
that the upper abdominals and the diaphragm move as the navel point pulls i n . The
breath is powered from the navel to the
litgn to thg ound of your brgath.
diaphragm. In the beginning, you may find it
Imaging that you arg making thg ound helpful to think primarily about the exhala
traek for a film howing fwgnty-gven
tion which is synchron ized with the pulling
in of the navel.
team gngine going uphill.
Start out slowly as you' re lea rn i ng, u ntil
you get used to the rhyth m and can easily coord i n ate the b reath with
.
the m ovement of you r n avel poi nt. Then pick u p speed u ntil you' re
'
breath ing approxi mately 1 20 to 1 80 times per m i n ute.
Listen to the sou n d of you r breath . I magine that you a re mak
ing the sou d track for a fi l m showin g twenty-seven steam engi nes
.
I
.HY
4 go1ng
uphill.
On each exh alation, p u l l you r n avel point i n towa rd the back of you r
spine. O n each i n ha lation, rel ease it. Don't pause i n between . W h e n B reath of
F i re is d o n e correctly, it is a n easy b reath . The m uscles d a n ce i n rhyth m a n d
v -_j
26
CHAPHR 4
BRfATH OF UF
you stay e nerg ized rather tha n

beco m i n g ti red .
Are your nerve!: "frayed"?
Breath of Fire is not hyperven
Do you fly off the handle at the
tilation . I n hyperventi lation, the
g/ighfegt provocation?
breathing is deep and erratic. The
upper chest is not held supended,
TRY THI WffK'!! PfCIAL PRANA YAM
and usua l ly people a re "chest
"BRfA TH OF FIRE"
breathing" or they may be reverse
breathing, in other words exhal
Breath of Fire virtually inmlate!: your nerve!:.
ing with the navel pushed out
It eoat!: them with an invisible but powerful
instead of pulled i n .
proteetive
pranie eu!:hion that ean last for day!:
Conti n ue B reath o f Fi re,
Praetieed regularly. Breath of Fire i!:
breathing rapidly a n d conti n u
guaranteed by the Yogi!: to end any
ously i n and o u t without paus
embarras!:ing temper tantrum habit.
ing, for a bout thirty secon ds for
Amaze your friend!: and family with
you r first practice sessio n . Keep
your ealm. serene di!:po!:ition.
you r s ho u l d e rs rel axed, keep
you r face relaxed . Allow you rself
to do B reath of Fire without ten
sion . Keep you r s p i n e straight,
but not rig id.
Do not inhale or exhale
through your mouth to catch you r
breath . If you should start to feel you a re run n ing out of breath a n d you th i n k
you m ust stop, sim ply take a few long, slow, deep b reaths th rough
you r nose u ntil you feel ready to resume. Then try aga i n .
Don't pause o r h ol d you r b reath o n eithe r t h e i n h alatio n o r
exh a l ation . B reath o f F i re is one conti n uous b reath . Even t h o u g h
it m ay seem l i ke a l o t o f i n ha lations a n d exh a l atio n s, it is consid
ered to be a l l o n e b reath, from the ti m e you sta rt, to the ti m e
you sto p . That i s why i t i s s o m a rvelously effective i n ca l m i ng
you r m i n d . (Th e slower the b reath, the cal me r the m i n d . )
W h e n you d o B reath o f F i re for even j ust o n e m i n ute, the
27
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of fternal Power
THING!!
TO KNOW
effect is as if you had ta ken o n ly one b reath d u ri n g that whole m i n ute!

B reath i n g l ess tha n fou r ti m es per m i nute puts you i nto a m ed itative state.
F u rthermore, b reathing slowly i ncreases the flow of you r i n n e r i ntu itive g u id
ance.
BRATH AND I NTUITION

Here's how it works: When you breathe less than eight tim es per m i n ute,
you stim ulate the secretion of you r pitu itary gland . Not only is the pitu itary the
master gland of the body, but it is also the gateway, the control panel for you r
intu ition . The more you r pitu ita ry secretes, the more active a n d accessible you r
i ntuition becomes . This means that you become more aware of actions you
need to take. You will find you r inner guidance, that d irect, instanta neous
awareness of "si m ply knowi ng," becoming more frequent, stronger, a n d clea r
er. Through Ku ndalini Yoga meditations you wil l a lso lea rn how to use you r
meditative m i n d a n d how to cal l u pon you r i ntuition a t wi l l .
PHY!!ICAl FFCT!!
B reath of Fire is a clea nsing and pu rifying br ath, so if you a re doing B reath
of Fire for the first tim e, you may notice some physical effects. Especial ly if you r
bloodstream i s holding a lot of toxins, you may feel slig htly giddy or d izzy i n the
process. Don't worry about it, j ust keep on breathi n g . It may be u ncomfortable
but it is not harmfu l . You a re simp ly feeling the poisons com i n g to the su rface
where they can be elimi nated .
I n a ny clea nsing p rocess (such as a very strict cleansing d iet or fast) you may
feel weak at first, possibly even a l ittle worse than before you started. By con
tin u ing, you wil l get rid of those toxins that wou ld otherwise stay locked u p
inside you r body u ntil some fine day they decide to reveal the mselves, when you
"get sick."
Other sym ptoms can occur when you start doing Breath of Fire . You may
feel heat or cold i nside you r nostrils. You may feel a pressu re at the root of the
nose. Some people feel "itchy" or tingly. Some people feel none of the a bove.
The various sensations a re i ncidental, tem porary adjustments made by you r
body. Ignore them . B reath of F i re generates a lot of heat s o i t warms u p the
28
CHAPUR 4
BR[ATH OF LIF:
body. (Try it on a cold day!) Since it usually increases you r circulation, women
should not practice B reath of Fire d u ring thei r month ly period .
T NAM
You can make Breath of Fire even more powerfu l by adding the
mantra (menta l ly hearing the sounds), Wahe Guru, Wahe Guru, Wahe T NAM
Guru... (pronounced Waa Hay G 'roo-see Pronunciation Guide) repeated
T NAM
rapidly over and over i n rhyth m with you r breath . Wah! Guru means T NAM
"Wow, God is G reat! " It is a mantra of ecstasy. Or you can silently repeat
T NAM
the Bij Mantra, !!AT NAM, six times, "Sat Nom, Sat Nom, Sat Nom, Sat
T NAM
Nom, Sat Nom, Sat Nom, then add : Wahe Guru! to each cycle.
WAH GURU
HOMf:WORK A!!!!IGNMf:NT
Be ki nd to you rself. Start practicing B reath of Fire on a reg u la r basis. Every
single day, sit down with a watch or a timer, and sim ply do it. G ive you rself five
minutes every day, starting with 30-second seg ments . Take a few long, deep
breaths in-between when you need to. Keep practicing! Work you r way u p to
longer segments each day and by the end of a week you wi l l be a ble to
do Breath of Fire comfortably for two m i nutes without stoppi n g . Of
cou rse, practice on an em pty stomac h ! You don't want to eat a ny
thing within one hou r before a ny session, and eat only very l ig htly
with in two hou rs prior to doing Kundalini Yoga .
B reath of Fire is a very i m portant factor i n many Kundalini Yoga
exercises, so PRACTICE, P RACTICE, P RACTICE! Discover how ener
gizing it is, and how good it makes you feel !
TWO NOTRIL ARf BfTTfR THAN ONf I

We've tal ked a bout the b reath a n d its relationsh i p to our state of m i n d .
We've learned the two m ost fu n d a m e ntal pra naya ms: B reath of Fi re, the
p ranayam that strengthens the nervou s system a n d expands you r l u n g capa
city, and Long Deep B reath i n g .
Now let's tal k about why you have two nostri ls and then learn how to use
them individually.
29
TO KNOW
You r body tem pe ratu re is reg u l ated by the flow of the p ra n a t h ro u g h

a lternate n ostrils. They fu n ction somewhat l i ke a n a i r-con dition i ng u n it a n d a
fu rnace, tu rn ing on a n d off, switc h i n g back a n d forth from h eati n g to cool
i n g every two a nd a h a lf h o u rs, keeping you r tem pe ratu re n o r m a l and you r
energ ies i n balance.
You r pitu itary gland - the master g la nd of the body - serves as the thermostat to control the switches. The left nostri l d raws i n the cooling,
soothi ng, m i nd -expan d i ng energy of the moon. It is the "water" ele
ment. The rig ht nostril draws on the sun's energy. This is
for vitality, activity, and menta l alertness; it h eats the
body. You can experiment right now and fin d out which
""
of you r nostri ls is working. P lace a finger u nderneath you r
nose a n d gently exhale. You wi l l d iscover that the a i r is
flowing mostly out of only one nostri l .
The rig ht nostril controls o u r energy level and the left controls o u r emotions.
Conseq uently, if we a re ti red, breathi ng long and deep th roug h the rig ht nos
tril wi l l g ive us added energy. B reath ing th rough the left nostri l can calm us
down when we are u pset a n d emotional, a ngry, frightened, or j ust g e ne rally d is
turbed .
Although you r body has its own rhyth m for a utomatica l ly alternati ng n os
trils for breath ing, there a re times when you wil l benefit from consciously con
trolling this function . M any pranayams use one, both, or alternate nostrils,
depending u pon the effect desired .
LfFT NOTRIL BRfATHI NG : CALM DOWN AND COOL OFF

If you're u pset, ang ry, ag itated, menta l ly/emotionally d istu rbed, or just plain
moving too fast and fee l i ng p ressu red a n d stressed out, try th is:
Find a private place where no one wil l d isturb you, and take five m i n utes for
th is pranayam .
Sit with you r spine straight. Using the thumb of the right hand, keeping the
other fi ngers together and pointing straight u pward l i ke a nten nae, close you r
rig ht nostril . Begin long deep breath i n g i n and out through the l eft n ostril only.
30
CHAPTfR 4
BRI:ATH OF UF
TWENTY-SIX long deep breaths through the left nostri l wi l l do the job. When
you are calm, then you can decide how to deal with whatever situation req u i res
you r action, because you won't be triggered into any emotional knee-jerk
response.
ALTRNAT NOTRIL BRATHING:

NRGIZ AND CALM TH NRVOU!'! !'!Y!'!TfM
Here's a b reathi n g tec h n i q u e using alternate n ostri ls
to soothe a n d ca l m a n d at the same ti m e energ ize you r
whole nervous system . I t works because the energy of
you r nervous system is d i rectly p ro po rtional to you r
b reath .
I n only three to five m i n utes you can revital ize you r whole nervou s system .
This particular tec h n i q u e can come i n h a n dy when you feel "off-cen te r" a n d
yet h ave t o fu nctio n a t you r job, or i n school, or a t h o m e . S u p pose y o u h ave
an i m portant business meeti n g sched u le d but you ' re feeling extrem ely n e r
vous a n d i rritable. This p ra nayam ca n h e l p you ca l m d own so you can be
effective in you r com m u n i cation at that m eeti n g . H e re's how:
Sit comforta bly with you r spine stra i g ht. Use you r th u m b and i n dex fin g e r
o f t h e rig ht h a n d . M a ke a " U " o f you r t h u m b a n d forefi nger. U s e the th u m b
to close off the rig ht n ostri l w h i l e b reath i n g i n o r out th ro u g h the l eft n ostri l,
and the i nd ex fi nger to close off the l eft n ostri l w h i l e b reathi n g in or out
thro u g h the rig ht nostri l . Keep you r othe r h a nd i n you r l a p, or resti n g on you r
l eft knee.
The b reath seq uence goes l i ke this:
Close the left nostri l; i n ha l e deeply th ro u g h the rig h t n ostri l . At the com
p letion of i n ha lation, close t h e rig ht n ostril a n d exh a l e th ro u g h t h e l eft o n e .
N ow i n h a l e th rough t h e l eft n ostri l fu l ly a n d deeply. T h e n close the l eft n os
tril and exhale th rough the rig ht o n e . Aga i n, i n hale th ro u g h the rig ht n ostri l
31
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of Etornal Powor
THING TO KNOW
a nd exhale th rough the l eft. Conti n u e this b reath i n g pattern for th ree to five
m i n utes.
B reathe fu l ly on both i n h a lation a n d exhalatio n cycles. After th ree to five
m i n utes, i n ha l e d ee ply, h o l d the b reath in for a few seconds, then l ower the
h a n d a n d exhale th ro u g h both nostri ls. Relax a n d fee l g reat!
"TH ON M I N UT YOG I "

Catch youn,:glf brgath i n g !
When you' re wa lking d own t h e street, sittin g i n a resta u rant,
open ing you r m a i l, waitin g for the l ig ht to cha nge, d u ri n g the TV
com mercial- catch you rse lf b reath ing ! Wake u p to the fact that
you a re b reath i n g a nd therefore you a re al ive. Reme m ber WHO is
g ivi ng you each i n halation, and say "Th a n k You ! "
Meditation on the breath i!: one of the

highe!:t form!: of meditation.
Never Undere!:timate The Power of Your Breath.
32
CHAPHR 4
f=' R
A N A
God is not off somewhere

Inaccessible and far.
Each inhalation confirms God's presence in you
Right here, right now, right where you are.
Why should Truth between man and God
Not be spoken aloud?
What is that lie man told to man
To keep him from feeling proud?Proud of the God
Who breathes within
Divine Being of Light
Covered with skin.
When a body "dies " there 's still air inside
What's gone is PRANA, essence of life itself,
Can't be bought with the greatest wealth.
Prana, subtle essence of God
Primal energy released when the atom was split
Basic building block of the universe
All human life depends on it.
God's loving gift of life constantly renewed,
Power to hear and see and sayHow you choose to use it liberates or condemns you
Moment to moment, every day.
Take away Prana,
Breathe slowly, breathe deeply
Only a shell remains
Your mind will be calm
No matter what wealth
Besides, you 'll live longer
Or material gains.
And seldom be wrong.
Value your breath, it's sacred, it's pure

If there's anything Divine in you - it's your breath for sure!
33
CHAPITR 5
MANTRA
Mantra
HI!!TORY. MYTH.
"Magie Word
l[G[ND
One story I read when I was a child told about a beautifu l princess who
was held prisoner in a tower. She gai ned her freedom by guessi ng the name of
her captor. (It was " Rumplesti lskin," i n case you've forgot
ten .) Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves fou n d the treasure cave
by sayi ng the magic words, "Open sesame," whereupon a
h idden door miracu lously a ppeared . These words were, in
effect mantras. It's no fairy tale, it's a fact, when you know
the "magic" words, you can fi nd the hidden treasure!
The scientific use of sou nd to affect consciousness is
called Mantra Yoga. Next to b reathing (necessary for any
endeavor), the use of Mantra is the most i m portant aspect of
the practice of Kundalini Yoga .
"MAN " means mind. "TRA" means t o tu ne the vibration (j ust a s one tu nes
the strings of a gu itar). Mantra is a sou n d cu rrent wh ich tunes and controls
mental vibration. It is the "di rective psyche, " a
word or words, combinations of syl lables, wh ich
..Manfram !:iddhyam,
help focus the mind. Such words have enor
!:iddhyam Parame!:hwaram. ''
mous power.
"What does it mean to master a m antra?
HQ who magfQrg m antra .
When you have repeated it so m uch, so often,
magfgrg God H i mgeJf.
and so wel l that you hear it with i n you r being,
and it comes handy to you - especial ly at the moment of death - you have
mastered a mantra ." 1
35
THING!! TO KNOW
Claims for mantras may seem like mi racles, but mantras a re actua l ly form u
las that work accord i ng to physical and metaphysical laws.
" Repeati ng a mantra (aloud) restructu res the patterns i n the m ind that allow
experience. Silence makes you aware of the many experiences in the m in d . "2
GOOD VIBf I
We l ive in a sea of energy. Energy vibrates. Everythi ng i n the m a nifest cre
ation is vibrating. Even seemingly solid, inanimate objects a re constantly vib rat
i n g . They a re simply vibrating at a slower or lower freq uency than a n i m ate
objects. Some vib rations a re audible, they a re sou nds we can hear with our ears.
Thoughts a re silent sou nds, electromag netic vib rations. The higher the fre
quency, the less dense and more etheric the quality of the vib rations we hear
and speak, the more our own vib rational freq uency is raised . Raisin g our own
vib ration brings us closer to experiencing and merging with the highest vibra
tion of all, GOD, the original cause of the creativity of the u niverse.
O u r e ntire u n iverse was b u i lt on sou nd, on
vi b ration . Puttin g it poetica l ly : G od spoke, a n d
t h e world cam e into bei n g . O r, m o re p recisely,
God vib rated, a n d a l l the u n iverses a n d worlds,
sol a r systems, ocea ns, l a n d, a n d s ky, a n d the
myriad of beings that i n h a b it the m a p pea red .
There's a vibratory freq u e n cy that corre
sponds to everyth i n g in the u n iverse. By vibrat
i n g a particu l a r com bination of sou n d s, you
tu n e in to va rio u s l evels of i ntel l i g en ce, or consc i o u s n ess.
S ituations, people, and events respond to the sig n a ls you send
out. The vib ratory fre q u ency of a m a n tra d raws to you whateve r
y o u a re vibratin g . You a re l i ke a m a g n et attracti n g vib rations to
you by what you sen d out.
Cha nti n g m a ntra s, either silently o r a l o u d, is a conscious
m ethod of contro l l i n g and d i recti n g you r m in d . H a p p i n ess o r sor
row, joy or reg ret a re vibrato ry freq u e n cies i n the m i n d . We ca n ca l l t h e m atti
tudes, or beliefs, but fu n d a m ental ly, they a re vibratory frequenci es or tho u g ht
36
CHAPITR 5
MANTRA
waves. They d eterm i n e the k i n d of p rogram o u r m i n d "plays . " Wh ich scen a rio
we choose to hold o n to becom es our vi b ration, d efi nes h ow we fee l a n d
what w e p roject t o others . We c a n exercise o u r rig ht t o choose a t a ny ti m e .
When w e chant a mantra w e a re choosing to invoke t h e positive power con
tained in those particular syl lables. Whether it's for prosperity, peace of m i nd,
i ncreasing i ntu ition, or a ny of the other m u ltitude of possible benefits i n herent
i n mantras, simply by chanting them we a re setting vibrations into motion that
shall have an effect. It doesn't actually matter if we u nderstand the meaning of
the sou nds or not.
We are creating with every word we spea k, and even with every word we
thi n k. Words a re l i ke boomerangs, every vi bration we send out shall com e back
to us sooner or later. We get what we tune in to.
YOUR PRONAl MANTRA

Some people thi n k they need a personal mantra. Actua l ly whatever mantra
you chant becomes you r personal mantra ! As the Master of Ku ndal ini Yoga h im
self has said:
"The word ' mantra' means mental vi bration to the infin ite m i n d .
It's a direct con nection between G o d and you . Mantra is personal. It
affects us personally. Its vibrations a re personal. Because, if it is you r
heartline telephone, and you're dialing it, a n d you' re reach i ng God, it's
not m ine, and it's not a nybody else's. It's you rs." 3
"The conversation of the m ind with the sou l is the essence of mantra .
Mantra means to project and protect the m i n d . It gives the m i n d d i rection . . .
When lang uage a n d rhythm blend to i nstil l a
thought at the deepest level, it is a powerfu l
"Day by day in every way.
mantra. It i s sacred speech . It is a special use of
rm getting bgtfgr and b etter."
lang uage. "4
TH POWR OF POITIV THI NKING WORK

Dr. Emil Coue created a major sensation in the early part of the twentieth
century when h is affi rmation, " Day by d ay in every way, I ' m getti ng better and
37
better, " beca me the rage. The concept of positive th i n king seemed revolution
a ry! Dr Normal Vincent Peale reached m i l l ions of people with h is famous best
sel ler, The Power of Positive Thinking. Dale Carnegie appl ied these same princi
ples in his How to Win Friends and Influence People. These men d iscovered and
taught the creative power of words. The yogis u nderstood this power very wel l .
I n yogic terms, positive th i n king i s the substitution of a positive thoug ht
wave i n the m i n d for a negative one. Positive affi rmation is a form of mantra .
Positive words c a n heal, uplift, and inspire. The other s i d e of the c o i n is that
careless, u n ki nd, negative words can h u rt. Words a re l i ke sharp tools, which
people can use like a s u rgeon's sca l pel to save a l ife, or a butcher knife to
"-..
kill .
It's been said, "The pen is m ightier than the sword ."5 Each word
we th i n k or say l iterally starts a creative p rocess i n the u niverse.
Don't u nderestimate you r power of the Word . Be carefu l what you
say. I n fact, be especial ly carefu l wh at you pray for, you're l iable to get it!
WHY DON'T Wf CHANT IN fNGU!!H?

Sometimes we do. However, to achieve the g reatest i m pact on our con
sciousness, we use mantras in G u rban i, a language based on the science of
NAAD. These mantras are the most effective. Affi rmations and m antras i n
Eng l ish certainly have a n effect on our m inds a n d emotions, but t h e most pro
found changes in our consciousness take place on a m uch deeper level. The
actual chem istry of the brain has to change for us to experience I nfi n ity.
THf !!Ci fNCf OF NAAO

"Naad means harmony, a p rocess of harmony th rough wh ich the "Aad, " the
I nfin ity, can be experienced . N aad is the basic sound for all lang uages th rou g h
a l l times. Th is sou nd comes from one com mon sou rce cal led t h e sou n d current.
It is the u n iversal code beh i nd language and therefore behind h u ma n com m u
n ication .
"The Science of Naad works between the movement of the ton g ue i n the
mouth, th rough lang uage, and chemicals in the b rai n . There is no nerve con
necting system from one section of the brain to a nothe r. There is no wi ring,
38
l<undalini Yoga: The Flow o f Eternal Power
CHAPTfR 5
MANTRA
instead there is a sol ution, neu ro-transmission fluid. Different chemical liquids
a re secreted from all d ifferent parts of the brain . Messages are tra nsmitted very
fast from each part of the brain th rough the fl u ids which are cal led " N aad
Nam odam Rasaa. " Naad means com m u nication, namodam means add ressing
and rasaa means j uice ... " 6
COMBI NATION LOCK

In addition to the vibrations set in m otion, someth i n g else h a p
pens when you cha nt. This is real ly i m portant. There a re eig hty-fou r
m e ri d i a n poi nts, o r p ressu re poi nts i n the roof of the m outh . Every
ti m e you speak you sti m u l ate them with the ton g u e . By sti m u lati n g
these p ressu re poi nts o n t h e u pper pa late i n a particular seq u en ce,
using the rig ht access code, you i n c rease the secretion of the hypo
thala m us g la n d and a ctua l ly b ri n g a bout a c h a n g e in the perm utatio n a n d
com bi n atio n o f you r b ra i n cel ls. You affect t h e chemistry o f t h e b ra i n . W h e n
g ivi n g i n structions for c h a nti n g certai n m a n tras, Yog i B haja n has been specif
ic i n sayi ng," Use the ti p of you r ton g ue . "
"Yo u ca n feel t h e u pper palate with t h e ton g u e a n d experi ence its d iffer
ent s u rfaces. There a re two rows of meridian poi nts on the u pper pa l ate a n d
o n t h e g u m beh i n d t h e u pper teeth . T h e ton g u e sti m u lates those m e ri d i a n
poi n ts, a n d they i n t u r n sti m u late the hypotha l a m us w h i c h m a kes t h e p i neal
gland rad iate. When the p i n ea l gland rad iates, it c reates a n i m p u lsati o n in the
p itu ita ry g la n d . When the pituitary g la nd g ives i m p u lsation, the enti re g l a n
d u l a r system secretes a n d a h u ma n being obta i n s b liss. T h i s is the scie n ce . " 7
It's as if you h ave a n electro n i c, com puterized secu rity system i n you r
m outh . P u nch i n the rig ht code o n the u pper pa late a nd you g a i n e ntry to the
b ra i n and you r i n ner c h a m bers of h i g h e r consciousness!
When we chant, we a re also using p ra n a, the l ife force of the u n iverse
("ato m ic energy") to create a sou n d c u rrent. No wonder chantin g is so pow
erfu l .
39
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of f.ternal Power
KNOW
TfCHNICAl TfRM
(in eagQ you'rQ intQrQgfQd)
K I N D!! OF !!OUND
We usually thi n k of sou nd as audible but sound can also be subtle. It can be
vi brated with one part of you, or with you r whole self.
The yogis define several d isti nct kinds of sound or shabd .
BHAKRH: Using the tip of the tongue to form the syl lables aloud is cal led
"Bhakree. " It is the easiest way to chant.
KHANT: This is the sound cu rrent that you hear in you r mind when you
read silently, without moving you r l i ps. It is subliminal vocal ization . The "sound"
is silent, but the syl lables vi brate at you r Th roat Chakra (Fifth Center of
Consciousness).
HARDAY: This is the sound cu rrent that vibrates in the heart. Th is is how a
mother can "hear" the voice of her wou nded son crying out from the battlefield
six thousand m iles away.
ANAHAT: This sound cu rrent is sometim es cal led the "Unstruck M elody. "
It is when the mantra resou nds i n every atom and fiber of you r being; every
nerve is attu ned to it. Its vib ration becomes a part of you . It is a n in ner sou n d .
It i s created when the sound i s produ ced from the navel center (Nabhee) using
the tip of the tongue. Th is combination triggers the higher glands to prod uce
the "nectar of bliss, " a m rit.
Because of its power, the science of mantra was kept a carefu l ly guarded
secret in the Orient for thousands of years, but Yogi Bhajan has ope n ly taught
the "secret code" words and the techology to open the doors of our i n ner per
ception . His attitude is, "What is that Truth between God and man wh ich can
not be spoken aloud?"
In the Things To Do section you wil l find the mantras I 've selected to share
with you, with detailed instructions on how to chant them for the best results .
40
C.HAPITR 6
C.ONQU[R TH[ MINO
Con qu(!t th(! M ind,

You Conqu(!t th(! Wotld 1
"Mind your own buin
UMind your mannr''
.. M ind ovr maff4lr"
"'N vr msn d . . ."
.. Mind your mothrl"
.. 1 don't mind if I do . . ."
o ntrary to popu l a r belief, you r m i n d is n ot you . You r identity is m u ch

m o re permanent tha n that. Th i n k h ow often you r m ind c h a nges (or
you "cha nge you r m i n d ") . But you r i d entity d oesn 't change. You ' re sti l l
"yo u , " n o m atter what you r m i nd is th i n ki ng, p l a n n ing, advising, o r a rg u
i n g a bo ut.
j ust as you r physical body is not "you," neither is you r mind. It is eq u a l ly
a veh icle, to help you fu nction here on earth. It's supposed to be you r useful
servant, you r friend, not you r boss!
H ave you ever watched you r m ind? It can be a very educational experi
ence! The very fact that "you" can watch you r m i n d demonstrates that the
mind is not you . The mind is someth ing separate from you, an "object" that
you can observe.
M astering the mind is one of the aims of Kundalini Yoga (or a ny yoga)
because u ntil you can control the mind, you can 't get beyond it to liberatio n .
Liberation is the experience of you r own i nfin ity, a n d l ies beyond t h e m i n d .
That doesn't mean that you th row away t h e m i nd, or destroy it, or s u p
press it. I n fact, you want to make the m ind sharper, clearer, and even more
useful than ever.
41
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of Hornal Powor
TO KNOW
You can use the breath to control the mind, for the mind always follows the
breath and the body fol lows the m i n d . Self-mastery starts with the b reath . If you
haven 't a l ready done so, please go back
.,.Thg m i nd bgl!omg a montgr whgn and read the chapter on breath . And look
u p the Basic Breath Series that is especially
it bgl!omg your matgr. Thg m i nd
recom mended to h e l p make the m i nd
sharp
and clear.
i an anggJ whg n it i your grvant.
-Yogi Bhan
THRff: MIN D!! ARf B fTTfR THAN O N f

C.ON!!CIOU!! M I N D!!
You actually have th ree m inds (no wonder sometimes it's so hard to
"make up you r m i nd"). Count 'em :
1 . The first mind is your p rotector, it acts as an alarm system . It is called
the N egative M i n d . It warns you of the d a nger or d isadvantage i n any
u pcom in g situation or d ecision . It's val uable. You need it. It's the
;:
m i n d that keeps you from ste p pi n g i n front of m ovin g trains. B ut
';/ J
you d o n 't want to m a ke it the fin a l a uthority i n you r l ife. When
carried to extrem es it cou l d m a ke you afrai d of trains that a re DANGER
sta n d i ng sti l l .
2 . The second m i n d is the Positive M i n d . Th is is the m i n d that -reveals to you the possible g a i n or a dvantage you can get out of a situation . It
should start com m u n icati ng with you with i n a few seconds, a l m ost i m m ed i
ately after the N egative M i n d h as g iven its i n p ut. By a l l m eans l isten to you r
Positive M i n d, but don't act yet. After you receive a l l the pros a n d cons, you
sti l l d o n 't know enough to m a ke a d ecision, u ntil you fin d out what you r th i rd
m i n d has to say.
3 . You r th i rd m i n d is you r N eutral M i n d . It is n ot clouded by fea r a n d i nse
cu rity. It's not fooled by wishfu l th i n k i n g . Its o n ly bias is to p rovid e the best,
m ost conscious, wise sol ution to a ny p roblem . This is the m i n d you can trust.
It has you r best interests at heart (an d in m ind).
f?:J;f:::
/
.. __ .
..?!_. .
-
42
l<undalini Yoga: Tho Flow of Hornal Powor
C.HAPTI:R 6
C.ONQUI:R THI: MIND
Whether it's in you r business or personal relationshi ps, health, or where to

spend you r vacation, in order to determine what's really best for you now and
for the future, you not only need to be aware of what opinion is held by the
Positive M i nd and what opinion is held by the N egative M ind, you also need to
consult you r Neutral or Med itative M i n d for a d ecision.
The p ractice of Kundalini Yoga h e l ps to develop the Neutral or Meditative
M i n d so that it becomes more and more powerful and active and you can go to
it very q uickly for problem-solving advice .
!!UB-CON!!CIOU!! M I N D
I n addition to you r conscious m ind, you also have a very active su b-con
scious m i n d and deeper tha n that, a vast subterranean a rea of t h e unconscious.
The conscious mind is just the tip of the iceberg . Most of
what motivates us is below the surface. A h uge proportion of
our beh avior is d ictated by promptings we get from the sub
conscious m ind, wh ich doesn 't know fact from fiction. It is a
catch-al l for the verbal i n put and even the nonverbal in put
we receive constantly. It doesn't j udge what it receives, a nd
pretty m uch accepts everything as gospel, coloring our habits of th i n king,
speaki n g, and acting - with its l i m ited u nderstanding.
You can use the gullibility of the subconsc ious to heal yourself. If you repeat
"I am perfectly healthy" over and over, even while you're running a fever of 1 03,
you r subconscious will believe it and you wil l heal faster.
Whatever the subconscious mind bel ieves, the body tends
to manifest. "As above, so below. " Another reason
why positive affirmation works! But u ntil we get rid
of the fea r and the neuroses in the subconscious we
are very handicapped in our l ives.
Th i n k a bout a n elephant. They say elephants
never forget (neither do people). H ave you ever wondered why a h uge two
thousand pound elephant wil l stand so obediently i n one place, tied to a short
stake i n the g round, held only by a thi n chain a round its a n kle? The elephant
doesn 't try to move, because he has been p rog ram med to believe he can 't.
43
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow o f ftomal Powor
THING
TO
KNOW
How? Simple. The baby elephant is tied to the stake when he is very you n g .
Whenever he tries to move, t h e chain bites i nto h is leg . He can't get away,
because he's not strong enoug h . Every time he tries to move, he gets h u rt - a
lot. The elephant very q uickly catches on to the fact that movi ng is pai nfu l . I n
order to avoid getting h urt, h e gives u p tryin g . Even after h e has g rown to fu l l
size, a n d cou ld easily tear out the chain, a long with the post, a n d probably the
whole circus tent, this gigantic, powerfu l elephant doesn't even try to get free,
because he believes he can't.
Similarly, we let ou rselves suffer from low self-esteem, thi n k of ourselves as
"si n ners, " and accept defeat or fai l u re because our su bconscious m inds have
accepted these false concepts. We bel ieve thi ngs that we've been told, th i ngs
we may not even consciously remember heari n g .
You c a n go to a psychiatrist or psycholog ist and spend a lot of hou rs and a
lot of dollars to sort through and examine the self-defeating attitudes in the sub
conscious. Or you can use the techniques of meditation and mantra, d issolve the
pain, and just get rid of the garbage that is clogging u p you r su bconscious m i n d .
WHR DO THOUGHTf! COM FROM?

The intellect releases one thousand thoughts per wink of the eye. Yes, every
one-geni us, idiot, and the rest of us in between, each person gets one thousand
thoug hts every time he or she blinks! And these thoughts have to be processed .
WHR DO THOUGHTf! GO?

Each thought becomes either a
Feeling
Emotion or
Desire
When you r desires don't work out, you feel u pset. When you don't h ave
intuition to guide you, mostly you won 't get you r desires fulfi lled . U nfu lfi l led
desire becomes neurosis, and that can d evelop into psychosis.
All thoug hts and feel ings go i nto the su bconscious. When that gets fi l led u p
to ove rflowing, the excess spills into the u n conscious, and that becom es the
sou rce of n ightmares for you . Once they fal l into the u nconscious, those atti
tudes, feelings, and habits a re extremely d ifficult to reach to change or modify,
44
CHAPHR 6
CONQUI;:R THf MIND
m uch l ess eliminate. That is why it is so essential for san ity and survival to clear
out the su bconscious on a regular basis, to prevent that "overload" of thoughts
and feeli ngs going into the u nconscious.
DP C.lAN I NG I N OT JUT FOR PR I N G

Sadh ana, the daily practice of med itation/mantra, i s o n e of the best, most
efficient housecleaning services for the su bconscious corridors of you r m i n d .
Because sadhana i s a cleansing process, you h ave t o b e prepared for t h e d ust to
fly. That's why meditating is not necessarily blissfu l . Old fears, buried a nger,
deep negative emotions a re broug ht u p to the su rface by the process so that the
power of the mantra can d issolve them . (One vi bration d issolvi ng/absorbing the
other.) Otherwise they remain bu ried and becom e more deeply entrenched in
you r su bconscious, or become a permanent part of you r unconscious, causing
you even g reater suffering and u n happiness.
FOC.U O N MANTRA
When painful, negative thoughts and feelings come out, let them go on by.
Keep b ringing you r mind back to focus on the mantra you a re chanti n g . And
keep on chanting! This is su bstituting the positive thought wave of the mantra
for the negative thought waves in you r m i n d . The high vibration of mantra, l i ke
a good detergent, d issolves the g reasy, g ri my, painfu l thought waves. It's a
p rocess. Go th rough it.
Supposing you're just sitting and worrying, or you wake up with doubt or
fea r in you r mind. "You can, by you r free wil l, create the thought that 'God is
with me. God and me, me and God a re One.' To every thought that comes, if
you m eet it with th is thoug ht, you wil l be plus, not m i n us . . . . Because you a n d
G o d together wil l b e meeting t h e thoug ht, a n d y o u wi l l win ." 2
H OW TO WI N
Choose an affirmation or mantra (See Chapter on Mantra and also the Persian
Wheel Mantra) to use whenever you catch you r m i n d i n a negative mode. Use it
so m uch that it becomes "second n ature" to you . Let that sound cu rrent carry
away you r worry or confusion, doubt or fea r!
45
KNOW
Here are two imple ample ound current

to clear your mind:
"GOD AND Mf, Mf AND GOD ARf ONf"

Bo gum to affirm thig with eongeioug aeeoptaneo that ifg truo!
''ANG NG WAJif GURU"

(pronouneod Ung S!ung Waahay G'roo)
{"God i!: in every limb, every part, every fiber of my being. "}
46
CHAPUR 7
MY!!URIOU!! KUNDALINI
M ytriou Kundalini
"Where fhere 'g magfery,
fhere 'g
no
mygfery.
''
-Yogi Bhan
u nd a l i n i energy is real . It is powerfu l, a n d it's flowi n g th roug h you r

body rig ht n ow. It feeds you r entire n e rvou s system . For centu ries,
k n owledge a bout it was kept secret because of its tremendous power.
B ecau se of the secrecy a n d lack of accu rate i nformation, m a ny fa lse rep re
sentations h ave been put forth by otherwise respectable, so-cal led a uthori
ties. Someti m es people have had s ponta n eous experiences of the kundali n i
energy risi ng, b u t h ave not h a d t h e p repa ration a n d u nd ersta n d i ng t o p ro p
e rly i nteg rate a n d use the energy. That is w hy Yog i B hajan 's teachings a re so
val uable a n d i m portant. U nder his g u i d a nce as m aster of Ku n d a l i n i Yoga,
worki n g with the kunda l i n i energy becom es si m pl e, the raisi n g of the ku n
d a l i n i h a p pens very easily, and the positive i nteg ration of the ta lents i n her
ent i n the various chakras takes place a l m ost a utom atica l ly. Usi n g h is m ethod
of teachi ng, p ractical ly a nyone can p ractice K u n d a l i n i Yoga . (If I can d o it,
a ny bo dy ca n .)
Let m e repeat, raising the ku n d a l i n i is relative ly si m ple. Keeping it flow
i n g so that a l l the energy centers (ch a kras) a re o p e n a n d ba l a n ced is m o re of
a cha l le n g e . To u n derstan d the val u e of this, we n eed to know more a bout
the cha kras a n d especi a l ly the fu n ction of the p i n ea l a n d pituita ry g la nds.
(See chapter on Chakras.) So, bea r with m e t h ro u g h this n ext "scientific" sec
tio n . Lea rn h ow the g la nds, the c h akra s, a n d the " mysterio us" ku n d a l i n i a l l
work together t o i m pact you r awaren ess. A n d y o u c a n learn som e yogi c
terms.
47
THING!! TO KNOW
Fi rst of a l l, the word ku n d a l i n i (fe m i n i n e gender) l itera l ly means, "the

c u rl of the lock of hair of the beloved . " I t is a m etaphor, a poetic way of
d escribing the flow of energy a n d consciousness wh ich a l ready exists
withi n each one of us. S i nce a n cient ti m es, sacred truths h ave been
hidden from the com m on m a n by usi n g sym bols a n d metap h o rs
to pass along the knowledg e .
H ave you ever n oticed t h e sym bo l p ri nted o n t h e p rescri pti o n
you get from you r d octor? It's cal l a "Ca d u ceus. " It rep resents t h e
flow of ku n d a l i n i energy. Th is ancient sym bo l o f the m ed ical p ro
fession sh ows two serpents i ntertwi ned a ro u n d a staff. But, ku n d a l i n i is not s n a kes! It's just that i n mythology a n d fol klore, serpents a re
often associated with wisdom, a n d the route the ku n d a l i n i energy trav
els as it goes u p a n d d own the spine is serpenti ne. The Cad uceus rep re
sents the ris i n g of the ku n d a l i n i energy th ro u g h two n e rve c h a n nels that
i nte rtwi ne a ro u n d the centra l n e rve of the spinal col u m n .
These two nerves act a s m a i n cond u ctors . O n e of them
is cal led the Ida, the other, the Pingala. Each of them
m a kes two and one- h a lf turns a ro u n d the centra l col
u m n of the spine (Sh us h m a na), as they spi ra l u pwards from
the base of the spine. The ku n d a l i n i energy they carry feeds
the entire n e rvous system . The Ida and the Pingala con d u ct
the basic positive a n d negative, sol a r a n d l u n a r energ ies of
the body.
The I da, the nerve wh ich ends at the l eft nostril, brings i n
the cooling, sooth i ng, m i n d-expan d i n g energy of the m oon . The Pingala,
ending in the right nostril, brings in the stim u lating, energ izin g, heati ng
energy of the su n . I n add ition to the ku n d a l i n i energy which is a l ready
flowing in us, there is a vast reservoir of u ntap ped, or "dorm ant" kundali
n i stored u nder the fou rth vertebra of the spinal col u m n .
Th rough the p ractice o f Ku n d a l i n i Yog a, w e sti m u late a n d rel ease th is
u n used ku n d a l i n i energy, and a l l ow it (it is n ever forced) to rise up the
cen tra l col u m n of the spine u ntil it reaches the top of the s k u l l, a ctivat
i n g the secretio n of the p i n ea l g la n d . This b ri ng s a bout a m ajor c h a n g e
48
CHAPH:R 7
MY!!H:RIOU!! KUNOALINI
of consciousness. Whe n this energy retu rns d own the Ida a n d Pingala a n d
activates a n d bala n ces t h e various energy cente rs, there i s a major change i n
t h e person 's l ife. Altho u g h there a re cases of t h e ku ndali n i risi n g sponta
neously, without p u rposefu l spiritua l p ractice, you r reservoir of k u n d a l i n i ener
gy u s u a l ly rem a i ns d orma nt th roug hout you r enti re l ife. It's l i ke h avi n g a raci n g car a n d n ever g etti n g out of fi rst gear!
RAI!!I NG YOUR KUNDAU N I

Raising you r ku ndalini is not d ifficu lt. I t hap pens so natu ral ly
when you practice Ku ndalini Yoga that you may not even recog n ize
the actual moment that it happens. If you ' re expecti ng bells to ring,
can nons to go off or lig hts to flash, forget it. Seeing visions, hearing
sou nds, h avi ng some physical sensation might som eti mes happen,
and cou ld seem q uite im pressive, but it can also be very m iswami Vivgkananda gaid .
leading. S uch phenomena are
not the goal of the practice of
--wherever there wa!: any manifegtation
Ku ndalini Yoga. There may be
of what i!: ordinarily called !:upernatural
no physica l sign at all, or possibly j ust a very slight indication .
power or wigdom. therg a Iittig currgnt
I n case you do experience such
of kundalini mugt havg found itg way
th i ngs, don't let you rself get
sidetracked . They don't prove
into the ghu!:hmana . Only. in the vagt
a nyth ing. They are not the crimority 0f !:UCh cageg, peop 1 e h a d
teria for whether the ku ndalini
ignorantly !:tumbled on !:orne practice
h as rise n . Yog i B haja n ca l ls
them "g l itter at the bottom of
which ggt freg a minutg portion of thg
the ladder. " 1
coilfld up kundalini . All worghip,
congciougly or uncon!:ciougJy. Jgadg to

thig gnd :'2
49
THING
TO KNOW
The true te!:t of whether kundalini ha!: been rai!:od i!: in tho
con!:i!:tont character and noble behavior of an individual .
I !! TH[ KU NDALI N I DANG[ROU!!?
The Master answers:
" I s money dangerous? It is just a n energy. Ku ndalini is a latent energy that
can be used for total consciousness. The only d angerous th ing is the person
whose ku ndal ini is raised properly. That person is total ly conscious. He can n ot
be l ied to or cheated or political ly swayed . The ku ndalini is essential. As long as
you practice a total d iscipline or a com plete and balanced kriya, there is no d if
ficulty. I n Kundal ini Yoga, you wi l l notice that every meditaion a n d kriya has
som e form of mantra i n it. This ensures the cha n nelization of the energy." 3
CR[ATIV[ POT[NTIAl
"What ig Kundalini? The energy of the glandular system combines with the
nervous system to become more sensitive so that the total ity of the b rain per
ceives signals and interprets them, so that the effect of the sequence of the
cause becomes very clear to the man . In other words, man becom es total ly,
wholesomely aware. That is why it is cal led the Yoga of Awareness. As all rivers
end u p in the same ocean, all yoga ends u p by raising the ku ndalini i n the m a n .
What is t h e ku ndalini? The creative potential of t h e man . " 4
THf IUIDIVINf GLAND"

PITUITARY
The pituitary gland, i n addition to bein g the master gland of the
body, also controls i ntuition . Sometim es called the "Th i rd Eye, " the
sixth energy center of the body (Agia or Ajna Chakra) i nvolves the
pituitary gland.
50
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow o fHemal Power
PINf.AL
The pi neal gland is associated with the seventh energy center, the
S hashara Chakra, sometimes cal led the "Thousand Petal led Lotus," "Te nth
G ate, " "Gate Of Salvation," or "Crown Chakra . " (The soft spot on the top of a
newborn baby's head, the fontanel, is at the 7th center.)
51
THING TO KNOW
BALANC
I n Ku ndal ini Yoga, balance is extremely i m po rtant. That is why we teach a
total l ifestyle, rather than just focusing on exercises to raise the ku ndalini ener
gy. Everyth ing we do in our l ives affects our ku ndalini energy, and o u r kundali
n i energy affects everyth ing we do in our l ives.
The vi brations of every word we speak, every thought we th i n k, i nstantly
raises or lowers our ku ndal i n i . It is as if we are reg isteri ng our thoughts, moods,
words, and actions on the most del icate and sensitive thermometer
ever invented . It responds instantly to the slightest change in our
vibration . Keeping the ku ndal ini thermometer u p requ i res monitoring
every thought and word, otherwise, our vibration or freq uency d rops,
or falls into the lower chakras. Al l the chakras are valuable, and we
need to use all of them, but when the ku ndalini energy is primari ly
focused in our lower chakras, and we do not exercise a ny control over
them, then we become slaves to our m inds and emotions.
Without the consistency of mainta i n i ng a h ig her perspective by using the
neutral m ind, (See Three Minds are Better Than One in Conquer the Mind) there
is seldom contentment. No matter what we achieve, what success i n the world
we have, it ends u p being hol low u n less we fu lfi l l the sou l's yearn ing to bring
higher consciousness into our daily l ives.
The eggential nature of the goul ig purejoy.

If I'm not experienl!ingjoy,
then I'm not experienl!ing my goul..
52
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow ofHemal Power
CHAPITR 8
CHAKRM!
Chakra!:
{fngrgy nfgrg)
where are you at?''
nti l Yogi Bhajan taught what the chakras actually are, and how they
i nfluence our l ives, I had no desire to explore the labyri nth of Sanskrit
terms and esoteric symbology in the yoga books I had seen. The bri lliantly col
ored lotus flowers, petals decorated with deities, ani mals or other sym bols por
traying the chakras were very pretty, but I d idn't u n dersta nd what con nection
they had to my life. Fortu nately, what he has taught us a bout the cha kras does
not req u i re a ny investigation i nto the occu lt. It's not mysterious at a l l . On the contrary, the nature of the chakras and
their fu nctions is simple and to the point.
The point being: wherever the majority
of you r ku ndalini energy is focused or
polarized affects the way you a re. The
chakras do play a vital role in the way
we h u ma n beings fu nction, so let me go
into a l ittle d etail and share with you the
understa n d i ng the master of Kunda l i n i Yoga
has given us.
Chakras a re centers of conscious
ness. They a re focal points of energy
which have a d irect, i m mediate and
profound effect on our daily l ives.
53
J<undalini Yoga: The Flow of Hemal Power
TH TRNAL FLOW OF POWR

H u ma n beings have been designed by the Master Arch itect with patterns of
energy flows. Energy flows through our spine, th rough our arms a n d legs and
through eight specific energy centers, or chakras . Six of the projected centers of
consciousness that correspond to these chakras a re located in the body, whi le
the seventh is just above the top of the sku l l, and the eighth chakra is the a u ra
or mag netic field.
The energies of the first five chakras correspond to the five basi c elements
of wh ich we are made: earth, water, fi re, a i r, and ether.
WHR AR YOU AT?

The particular energy center or chakra where the majority of you r kundalini
energy is primari ly focused-or polarized-influences your basic behavior and
attitudes. Let me make that even stronger, the chakra that you use as home-base
for your kundalini energy pretty much determines the kind of person you are. The
location of the major portion of your kundalini energy also accounts for the kinds
of situations you attract to you.
j ust as in real estate, the th ree most important components are: location,
location, location. Events become more understandable when we know
where our energy is primarily located . Why? Because energy acts like a mag
net. We constantly attract vibrations to ourselves that are on the same wave
length as the chakra from wh ich we are operati ng. These vibrations are
experienced as events and situations. People are drawn to us (not necessar
ily consciously) by the vibrations we project-knowingly or unknowing ly.
Yes, it's also true that "opposites attract." Raisi ng our kundalini to activate
the neutral mind (sixth chakra) enables us to balance the forces of positive and
negative that exist in every situation . Balance is one of the main keys
to self-mastery and contentment. The yogi strives to achieve bal
ance so that he is never th rown off base. In yogic terms it is said,
"A yogi is not affected by the pairs of opposites." We practice
Kundalini Yoga in order to balance and coordinate the functions
_ -LJt:;;;;::-
of the lower chakras and to experience the realms of the higher !""
chakras.
54
CHAPHR 8
CHAKRA!!
After the ku ndal ini energy rises and becomes accustomed to flowing freely
through a l l the chakras, there is a defin ite change of consciousness, a noticeable
transformation i n the character of an i nd ividual. The person looks at l ife differ
ently, feels d ifferent and therefore acts d ifferently. The real "proof" that some
one's ku ndalini has risen l ies in the u pg rading of that person's attitude toward
l ife, h is relationships with other people, and with hi mself.
Raising the ku ndalini has
Cherdhi Kalaa. "high pi rit reult when
to do with spiritual elevation.
It is not to be confused with
Kundalini returng down through Ida and
hea ri n g s o u n d s or see i n g
pinga 1 a an d openg a 11 th e ch a k ra.I
visions. Whe n the ku ndalini is
a l l owed to rise th roug h the practice of Ku ndalini Yoga, it wil l not make a person
weird or u nbalanced. Note that the operative word here is "allowed . " Kundalini
Yoga does not force the kundalini to rise; it p repares the body to allow it to rise
so that you can experience you r higher consciousness. The object achieved is to
coord i nate and balance the fu nctions of the chakras that a re concerned with the
needs of daily l ife with the u n iversal consciousness and expansion that a re found
i n the higher chakras. When this balance occurs, you become em powered, you
a re able to be a com passionate, conscious, and capable h u man bei ng.
Some people think that merging with u niversal consciousness is a loss of
identity. O n the contrary, it is a loss of l i mitation. It is the discovery and experi
ence of one's g reater identity, which is i nfi n ite. Succi nctly put, "Sat N a m : Truth
is you r identity."
T H f f i G HT C.HAKRA!!
As my mother used to say, "There's a tim e and a p lace for everythi n g . " Each
chakra has an i mportant and necessary fu nction to perform for us. We need all
of them . N o one chakra is better or worse than a nother, no chakra is more
i m portant than another. By u nderstanding their pu rpose, we can make the best
use of their power. The energy of the fi rst five chakras corresponds to the five
elements, Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether. Thi n k a bout the characteristics of
55
l<undalini Yoga: The Flow of f.temal Power
THING!!
TO
KNOW
these elements and you wi l l have some clues as to the properties of the chakras
associated with them .
F I R!!T CHAKRA: farth

The first chakra represents the earth element in us. It is located in the rec
tum at the conjunction of 72,000 nerve endings. We cou ldn't get along with
out the fi rst chakra . It enables us to eliminate solid waste, a most essential fu nc
tion of the physical body. The fi rst chakra concerns h ave to do with the basic
q uestions of security and su rvival. When function i n g properly, this energy cen
ter gives a person strength a nd confidence. If it is not fu nctioning properly, a
person l ives in fea r and insecu rity and can have a perverted approach to l ife.
!!fCO N D CHAKRA: Watr

The second projected center of consciousness has to do with the water ele
ment in our natu re. It is located in the sex organs. When the second chakra is
fu nction i ng properly, a person is creative and imaginative, energized and l ively.
Blockages in the second chakra can create an obsession with sex, to the point
that noth ing else matters i n the person's l ife. There may also be an u n h ealthy
i n d u lgence in many kinds of fantasy, not only sexual fantasy.
TH IRD CHAKRA: Fir

The thi rd chakra represents the fi re element i n us. It is located i n the navel
point, a m ajor focal point of energy where all 72,000 nerve endings meet. It
controls the fire of d igestion . The energy here is concerned with identity,
domain, and j udg ment. If there is a n i m balance, it can manifest in the person 's
character as excessive g reed and an overwhelming d rive for personal power. No
matter how m uch a person gets, he a lways wants more. Noth ing is ever
enoug h, no matter whether it is needed or not.
As we do with the energy of all the chakras, we want to harness the energy
of the thi rd chakra so we can use it for o u r own benefit. On the positive side,
th ird chakra energy gives us in itiative a n d courage. Its fi re can ign ite a burning
desire i n us to accomplish g reat deeds and g ive us the zeal to keep u p !
56
CHAPTtR 8
CHAKRM!
lOR TRIANGl MT HIGHR TRIANGl

Although God can be real ized th rough any one of the chakras, the fi rst th ree
chakras are designed mainly to deal with the physical needs and concerns of
worldly l ife. It is the fou rth chakra that is the balance point between these lower
chakras and the h igher cha kras that are more concerned with u niversal con
sciousness.
FOU RTH C.HAKRA. or HART C.NTR: Air

The fou rth p rojected center of consci ousness is someti mes cal led the " Heart
Center" or the "Center of Christ Consciousness. " It is located at the center of
the chest, not i n the physical organ of the heart. The fou rth chakra relates to
the element of a i r in us. The power to sacrifice, born of u niversal divine love,
comes from this chakra. It is the home of true maternal love.
Any selfless act of giving without expectation of retu rn comes
from the heart center. It is the a rena of ki ndness (the highest
virtue) and com passion . When we tru ly speak " heart to
heart" with someone, our lang uage is sweet, kind, and u plifti ng, and the message gets across. When a n awakened h u ma n
being dwells i n t h e fourth chakra, he i s accessi ble, con nected, lovi ng, a n d com
passionate.
Some people thi n k of the heart center as the open ing of feeli ngs and emo
tions. Not true. Actually, it is the second chakra that opens sensory i ntensities,
whereas the fou rth chakra gives you a relationsh i p to you r feelings that changes
commotion to d evotion . It transforms passion to com passion. Coming from the
heart center m a kes you act consciously about the whole range of feelings, it
doesn't j ust intensify them.
LOVf
We guffer a great deal in our live!: becau!:e our kundalini energy

i!: !:tuck in our lower three chakra!: (the lower triangle), mogt of the
time. It i!: only when the heart chakra i!: !:timulated and
become!: active. that true love can be experienced.
57
THING!!
TO KNOW
What u s u a l ly passes for " love" i n o u r society is, at best, a busi n ess d ea l . It
wou l d be m o re accu rately d escri bed as possessiven ess o r l ust. "I'll l ove you
if. . . . " Tru e l ove has no bou n d a ri es, no demand s, a n d n o l i m its. I t is a total g iv
i n g . Total acceptance. Love is b l ind, it d oes n 't q uestion, a n d it d oesn 't fin d
fau lt. Very few of u s h ave ever experienced such true l ove, therefore w e d o n 't
u n d e rstan d it. The saints a n d masters who h ave offered it to h u m a n ity h ave
usua l ly been crucified .
ro liv ig to lov . to lov ig to giv. to giv ig to hav lov ." 1
F I FTH CHAKRA. thg THROAT CHAKRA: t:thg r

T h e fifth energy center has to do with the power a n d i m pact of speec h .
When w e speak from the fifth chakra our words a re d i rect a n d penetratin g . They
also may be painfu lly blunt. One of the primary characteristics of this fifth chakra
is the power of projection. Anyti me you succeed in penetrating with you r
words, the fifth chakra must operate. The fifth chakra com ma nds by the word .
Being p rimari ly focused at the throat chakra means we th i n k a bout, tal k
a bout, a re interested in nothing but Truth (i.e., God). However, when not fu nc
tioning properly, the energy here can make us h ig h ly opin ionated and what we
com m u n icate is our own personal limited version of "truth . " The fifth chakra
g ives access to the a rena of knowledge.
THt: !!IXTH CHAKRA: I ntuition

The sixth chakra, or Ajna Chakra, located at the center of the forehead,
slig htly a bove the eyebrows, is sometim es cal led the "Th ird Eye. "
Here is where we can "see the u nseen, know the u n known . " It is from
the sixth chakra that we gain access to, and increase our faculty of, i ntu"" ition . The sixth chakra is the direct pipeline to the i nfi n ite sou rce of u n i versa! knowledge and wisdom in each of us. When we function from the
sixth chakra we can use our neutral or meditative m i n d; and tap into the
knowledge of the past, the present, and the futu re.
""-"-''

58
CHAPHR 8
CHAKRM!
As you focus more and more on the sixth chakra, you r intuition becomes
more active, and you wi l l increasingly recogn ize and cherish breath, l ife, and
i ntuition as gifts you have received.
The sixth chakra is the place to set you r goals and assess the long-range
effects of your actions. It is the a rena of projection and sophistication .
The more we sti m ulate the pitu ita ry gland via the sixth chakra, the more it
will secrete, and the more powerfu l ly intuition will serve us. We will just know!
I ntuition is a higher faculty than i ntel lect. It is in a d ifferent real m than the
i ntel lect. Nor is being i ntuitive the same as being psychic. Psychic power uses
energy from, and fu nctions th rough, the th ird chakra, not the sixth . Psychic a bi l
ities can be very usefu l, but psychic powers have m a ny pitfalls. Being psychic is
very i n d ividual and subjective, and there is a broad marg i n for error. Also, there
can be a g reat tem ptation to use psych ic power to control other people.
TH !!VNTH CHAKRA
Someti mes cal led the "Thousand Petalled Lotus, " the seventh center of con
sciousness is a t t h e top of the sku l l . It is also referred t o as the
"Gate of Salvation," "Tenth Gate, " or "Crown Chakra . "
When a person raises and experiences t h e kundalini energy at
the seventh chakra, he or she merges into a state of bl iss (anand)
that has been described as "i ndescribable." Hence the mantra of
ecstasy, "Wahe G u ru," wh ich means "Wow! The experience of
God is so fantastic, wonderful, and g reat I can't d escribe it! "
This state of d ivine union is known as "yoga " (sometim es referred to as
samadhi) . When a yog i leaves h is body consciously to merge with the I nfin ite, it
is th roug h the seventh chakra. These a re the e n l ig htened bei ngs. They teach us
that "All th i ngs come from God and all th i ngs go to God . "
IGHTH CHAKRA: Aura

The Eig hth Chakra is the magnetic field generated by the vibrations of a
h u ma n being. You r a u ra surrounds you . It norm a l ly extends several feet i n every
d i rection. The q ua l ity and size of the aura reveals a lot a bout the person . It is
either a projection of power or it can reveal the wea kness and depression of
59
KNOW
d efeat. This eig hth chakra is you r protective sh ield . It changes in color, strength,
and size depend i ng u pon you r general physical health, a nd you r moment-to
moment thoug hts and feelings. Many people a re a ble to see the a u ra, many a re
not - but it's there. Kirlian photog raphy claims to capture the
image of the aura on fil m . It is one of the many tech n ical devices
people have used to explore ways to reg ister the changes in the a u ra
and subtle body. 2 We may not see a person's a u ra, but we can feel
it. We a re often attracted or repell ed by someone from our contact
with thei r electromag netic field.
BALANC
Once the kundalini has risen u p the central col u m n of the spi n e and then
retu rns down the ida and the pingala nerve chan nels to be d istributed a nd bal
a nced in all the chakras, a person 's l ife takes on a new q ua lity. Not too strong,
a nd not too weak, but J U S T rig ht (i n perfect balance), is the way we want a l l
of our chakras to fu nction .
CHAKRA. KUNDAU N I . A N D M Y HAP P I N

Where my kundalini energy is primari ly focused affects how I am vi brating.
Happi ness does not l ive in low vibrations. It can 't exist there. They a re m utual
ly exclusive. It's a l l a matter of vibration . It's not a matter of moral judgment. It's
al most a mathematical eq uation : thoughts and words of kindness, com passion,
generosity, love, sacrifice, etc, h ave a high freq uency or vibration; whereas
thoug hts, words, and feelings of anger, jealousy, resentment, g reed, egotism,
fear, selfish ness, etc. have a very low vibration . And so, of cou rse, when we a re
i nvolved in them, they pull us down to our lower chakras. It's al most like a piano
keyboa rd . Whatever note you strike, that is what vib rates. When you h it middle
"C, " that is where you're at. (Secondari ly, that tone vibrates all those notes that
a re in harmony with it, even on other octaves.) You r consciousness is exactly,
p recisely at that place, at any g iven moment, where you r thoug hts a nd words
a re vib rating.
60
CHAPUR 8
CHAKR.M!
61
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of Hemal Power
KNOW
TO !!UMMARIZ:
You ca n i m p rove you r mood, l ift you r spi rits, a n d b rig hten you r d ay sim
ply by raising you r ku ndalini e n e rgy. We suffer when we l et the fi rst th ree
c h a kras control us, instead of contro l l i n g a n d u s i n g their val u a b l e energ ies
for p ositive, constructive pu rposes. Each element has a positive a n d n eces
sary fu n ctio n in o u r l ives. Watch you rse lf. Are you sta rti n g to get a n g ry? (You
know that's bad for the d ig estive system !) Take a few long deep conscious
b reaths, b ri n g you r concentratio n up to you r s ixth c h ak ra, and with you r neu
tral m i n d, decide, d o you real ly want to l ose you r tem pe r? That fire energy
ca n be tra n s lated i nto enth usiasm, i n itiative, and cou rage. You can even
choose to ta ke th i rd c h ak ra e n e rgy a n d use it to ru n
a rou nd the block. Do you r card io-vascular system some
good . The point is to be able to c hoose a n d u se, i n stea d
of l iving i n self-abuse where y o u l ose contro l .
As you read t h e fol lowi n g cha pters, a nd try t h e vari
ous sets of exercises, you ' l l be auto matica l ly using the
energy of each cha kra to work for you, n ot against you .
O KAY, you may b e thi n ki ng, that a l l sou n d s very n i ce,
but just exactly h ow do we raise the ku n d a l i n i ? It's s i m
p l e : G o t o t h e Things To Do sectio n a n d l e a r n t o a pp ly
the Root Lock o r M u l B a n d h . The n p ractice Sat K riya .
Any exercise i n which you a p p ly the root lock helps to
raise the ku n d a l i n i . The root lock closes off the three
lower chakras (th e lower tria n gle) and therefore the k u n
d a l i n i energy m ust flow u pward . I t is l i ke closing flood
gates. There's n owhere to go but u p !
!!at Kriya
62
CHAPU:R 9
TR. TAMINA s N[RVH! OF HR
tre!:!:, tamina
& Nerve!: of feel
hen I was a l ittle girl back in M innesota i n the early thi rties, appli
ances were built to last. I don't remember my mother ever buying
a new toaster or a new i ron . But period ically she wou ld show us a
frayed electric cord with the fabric wrapped around the cord worn
so thi n that the copper wires inside were exposed. She'd say it was
time to get a new cord, because a frayed cord was d a ngerous. She
explained that without insulation, bare wires coul d cause a short,
blow a fuse or even start a fire!
I can sti l l pictu re those frayed cords, with their frazzled ends
and the ba re wires exposed. When I think about the nerves in our bodies, I see
a network of 72,000 "wires" intertwin i ng and con necti ng, carryi ng messages
back and forth to the brain and throughout the nervous system . No matter
how good our intentions, if our nerves a re weak, frayed and frazzled, we can,
and often do, blow a fuse. However, when our nerves a re strong and wel l insu
lated, they give us physical and emotional endu ra nce. Strong nerves make it
possible for us to have patience. Othe rwise, when o u r nerves a re weak, we can
fly off the handle at the slightest provocation and easily lose our tem pers.
When anyone loses his tem pe r, it means he has lost self
control. Unfortu nately, yel l i ng a n d scream i ng in anger cre
ates a false sense of personal power. That rush of ad rena
line feels g reat-for the moment. But it doesn't last. When
a person gets angry, the adrenals kick i n to fuel the body's
automatic defense system . The s u rvival insti nct of "fight
or flig ht" triggers secretio n of the a d renal g l a n d s .
'
63
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of f.ternal Powor
THING!! TO KNOW
Secreti n g l a rge a m o u nts of a d renaline not o n ly overloads the a d re n a ls, but

taxes the pa ncreas as wel l . Those of us with wea k ad re n a ls and those who
h ave hypog lycem ia m ig ht just as wel l take poison as g et a n g ry! I t h as the
sa m e effect.
Self-con trol a n d com mon sense go o ut the wi n dow in a fit of a nge r. The
rati o n a l m i n d stops fu n ctio n i n g . People often say and d o thi ngs they d eeply
reg ret later. Feel i n gs can be h u rt, a n d long-term relati o n s h i ps can be d a m
a g e d o r d estroyed b y careless words spoke n i n the h eat o f the m o m e nt.
Apolog izi n g can n ever e rase the i m p ri nt
RgJation!:hi pg erumbJg whon
of the pa i n that was i nflicted . People m ay forg ive, but they u s u al ly d o n 't forget. I n fact,
you givg anggr a tum b Jg .
there is a perma n en t l og of every word ever
uttere d . I t is cal led the Akashic Record . It's n ot o n paper, but it's there, j u st
the sa m e . Vi b rations set i n m otion when we speak d o n 't j u st d isapp ea r.
So, if you a g ree anger is d a m ag ing, d oes that m ea n that you s h o u l d stifle
you r e m otions? G rit you r teeth, bite you r ton g u e, a n d " stuff it" when you ' re
p rovoked o r agg ravated? N o . N ot at a l l . Please rea d o n . There's a better way
to deal with frustrati n g situations.
THt;: F IR!!T !!Tt;:P I !! TO B U i lD !!TRONG N t;:RV!!

M ost of us want to be kind, relaxed, and lovi ng people. We want to be wise
and patient pa rents, u nderstanding spouses, and good friends. But how can we
be a ny of those th i ngs when every nerve is so raw it's sh rieking in pain, and
we're "on the edge, " about to "lose it, " most of the ti me?
!!TR!!!!
If our nerves a re not strong enough to withstan d the onslaught of l ife's daily
challenges, then we a re going to suffer from the n u m ber one kil ler d isease of
modern tim es : STRESS!
Every day bri ngs some stressfu l situation, som e test, big or small, wh ich we
have to face, to solve, to overcome. That's l ife, fol ks ! Life is a school, and earth
is a gia nt classroom and the tests a re going to conti n u e u nti l we g rad uate. The
outer events that occur, the daily challenges at h o m e, in the office, the super64
CHAPUR 9
TR. TAMINA s. N[R\/H! OF UH
market, on the freeway, are all tests. They a re exercises i n learn

ing to master our mi nds and emotions so that we a re not
u ptight and u pset.
Learni n g how to be patient, cal m, com passionate, and
ki nd, no matter what happens around us, or to us, is not only
a p ractical accomplish ment. It's a yogic ski l l !
I n California, w e have earthquakes. As yet no one h as fig u red o u t how to
p revent them. No one can control them. It has been fou nd that the main cause
of inj u ry is not the earthquake itself, but what hap pens when people panic.
I nstead of waiting cal m ly for the danger to su bside, when pan ic takes over, peo
p le ru n madly about and get hit by fal l i ng debris, or electrocuted by l ive wi res.
We may not be able to change the circumstances happening a round us, but we
can lea rn to control the way we respond. And I don't mean by sq uelching or sti
fling our reactions or denying our emotions. Developing a strong meditative
mind th rough Kundalini Yoga is a major step toward developing our own
indomitable inner strength and seren ity with the a bi lity to cal l u pon it when
ever we need it.
ROBOTIC. R[AC.T I O N
..Don't react-regurrect."
Th rough med itation, mantra, a n d pranayam, we

-Yogi Bhan
can tap i nto the a bsol utely cal m and tranquil i n ner
peace and stability that already exists inside us. With
strong nerves and a balanced glandular system, we won't j ust " react" to situa
tions. We wi ll be in such a stable and secu re mental a n d e motional cond ition
that whatever and whenever challenging events occur, we will be
com petent to evaluate our response and decide how we want to
handle them.
As aware yog is, we can stop bei ng reactive robots, and
becom e cal m and capable h u ma n beings, masters of our emo
tions and m inds. Strong nerves play a big part in helping us to
achieve a l l of the above.
65
TO KNOW
There may be tim es when you want

to act forceful ly, dyna m ically. There a re
ti mes when you h ave to be assertive.
That is d ifferent from being reactive.
People who practice martial a rts know
they d i m i n ish their effectiveness if they
get angry. They uti l ize the breath to
center themselves. They i n hale deeply
before a p p ly i n g a ka rate chop or
breaki ng cinder blocks with their bare
hands. Remembe r, b reath has atom ic
power. Use it wisely.
There may be tim es when it's use
ful to let people thi n k you ' re angry.
There may be tim es when it's requ i red
to yel l and scream . But as for me per
sonal ly, I h ave had to give u p that "lux
u ry" because j ust going th roug h the
motions of bein g angry, m uch less really feel ing it, m a kes me physically i l l .
M y system can't handle the adrenal i ne s o I can 't afford to b e a t the mercy
of my emotions. I need to be able to choose i ntel ligently when a n d where
and how to respond to all situations. Besides, I don't want to be just a reac
tive machine, with buttons that a nybody can push. I d efi nitely don't want
a nybody to have that kind of control over me! H ow a bout you?
You do not have to let you r emotions rule you . You can start by recog
nizing that you r emotions a re not you . You r emotions a re not you r identity!
You can experience them and observe them happening at the same time,
just as you wil l learn to observe you r m i n d i n action .
66
CHAPUR
TR. TAMINA & NtRV[!! OF UH
N fRVf. M UClf. AND YOGA

Our nerves support our muscles and give us endura nce. Endu rance
allows us to exercise longer and develop stronger m uscles. When Yogi B haja n
was a you n g man i n college in I nd ia, he was an all a rou nd ath lete and track
star. He played hockey and was captain of the soccer tea m . He says he used
to train for athletic events primari ly by doing yogic breathi ng
exercises (pranayam). He knew yoga would give h i m the sta m i
na and endu rance to win the trophies. And wi n he did ! .
I n the "Thi ngs To Do" section of this book, you ' l l find some
exercises that a re specifical ly for balancing you r g la n du la r system
and strengthening you r nerves. Wil l they real ly work? You'll h ave to
practice them to fi nd out. As we keep sayi ng, " Doing is believing."
For a fair tria l, g ive you rse lf forty days of reg ular p ractice. It takes
that long to develop a habit. It takes n i nety days to confirm it, and
after 1 20 days, others wil l verify it!
67
THING!!
TO KNOW
68
CHAPTI::R 10
10
Healing
Doctor diagnof!. hf!rb
&
mf!dicinf!
curg , hgaJ ing i a g ift of God .
F:
rom time i m memorial, there have been "healers, " people who seem to
have a special gift to ease pain, bring comfort, and cu re others . Yet no
person is real ly a healer
however, everyBODY can be a healer, including you
and me.
Each of us can i ncrease o u r a bi lity to brin g m o re h ea l i n g e nergy to o u r
selves a n d to oth e rs . We can d o this by tap p i n g i nto the sou rce of a ll h ea l i n g
power, t h e O n e C reator who b reathes i n each o f u s, reg enerati ng u s with
each i n ha lation .
What d oes " heali n g " mean? H ea l i ng means b ri n g i n g l ife to a situation o r
condition that i s d eteriorati n g . H ea l i n g means rep a i ri ng, rej uvenati n g, regen
erati ng .
Th rough the practice of Ku ndalini Yoga kriyas, breathi n g tech niques, and
mantras, we increase the l ife force, the pra na, flowing th rough our bod ies . It
flows th roug h our hands, our eyes, even our voice. We can use these as tools
to heal ourselves and others.
Th rough the use of words vi brating i n the form of m antra : positive affir
mations and positive thi n king, we can hea l . Every word has its own wave
length, or frequency of vi bration . Every word is a sound cu rrent (even if inaudi
ble) which sets energy i nto motion . Th is energy goes out i n ri pples or waves
and (to switch analogies in mid-ocean) the vibrations eventu a l ly retu rn to us
like a boomerang, b ringing more of the same. There is power i n positive thi n k
ing and positive affi rmations! That power can work to expedite the heal ing
process for ourselves and others.
69
KNOW
lF- H AliNG
Do y o u bel ieve it? C a n you accept the fact that no matter what t h e outer
ci rcu mstances in you r life may appear to be, you h ave
a rig ht to be, Healthy, Happy and Holy?
Even if you ' re feeling lousy, especi a l ly if you a re
fee l i n g lousy, a n d you' re ru n n i ng a fever of 1 0 3
deg rees; o r y o u just b ro ke you r a rm a n d l ost you r

job, the truth i s that there i s a l evel of you r bei n g
that is perfectly healthy, h a ppy, a n d
h oly a t a l l ti m es .
W h e n y o u affi rm (state a n d repeat )
that you a re " H ealthy, H a p py a n d
Holy," you l iteral ly change you r su bcon
scious perception of what is h appen i n g .
That perception accelerates the healing
p rocess.
We create whatever situation we
affi rm . Everyth i n g is "in the eye (or
ear?) of the beholder. " By m enta l ly cre
atin g h ealth, we set up favorable cir
cumstances for that condition to m a n i
fest physical ly.
I n the m ea ntim e, follow m ed ical p ro
ced u res. Don't th row away the pre
scription m edicine yet, but u nderstand
(stand-unde r) a n d know that God is
hea l i n g you rapid ly, and keep tell in g
yo u rself t h a t you a re now a l ready
vibra ntly healthy! Positive affi rm ation is
done in the p resent tense, because it is
happen i n g n ow in the sub-conscious.
H ow we view events and circum
stan ces d efin es the i m pact they h ave on
70
us! Using our conven ient TV analogy, we can "switch chan

nels" on our i nner view screen from misery to com edy,
from tears to laug hter at a ny given moment. We each h ave
that power. Try it, you m ay l i ke it!
A m ntal f!ondition can t!hang

ingfantly , th phygif!al takg longr.
HAU NG OTHR!!
Everybody is a healer and n obody is a healer. There is o n ly one true heal
er, sometim es cal l ed God, or God Consciousness. It is o n ly th rough that O ne
Divin e Power that healing really takes place. Some people d evelop themselves
to be especially clear condu its for it. You r very p resence can heal othe rs when
you r vibration reflects and projects the d ivine rad iance of you r sou l .
Did you ever shake h a n d s with someone whose touch felt s o s l i my, you
cou l d n 't wait to go a n d wash you r hands? It's as if you ' d been holdi n g a dyin g
fish . O n t h e other h a n d (pardon the p u n), d i d you ever shake h a n ds with
som eo n e a n d feel the warmth of love, stren gth, and kin d n ess
11 f
flowing i nto you ?
What y o u feel i n both cases is t h e othe r person 's e lectro
m ag n etic field . H is or her vib ration is bei n g tra n s mitted to you .
I t i s the vibrations people emanate that w e feel, especia l ly th rough
touch. When a person is i l l, their vibration lacks prana. We can, therefore, influ
ence someone else's conditio n by transm itti n g p rana th ro u g h our touch, o u r
words, a n d o u r thoughts.
One of the interesting th ings a bout h ea l i n g is that when we p ray to heal
som eo n e e lse, we often heal o u rselves. The way it works is that "What g oes
a ro u nd, comes a ro u n d . " "As you sow, so shall you reap . " The inju n ctio n to
"Do u nto othe rs as you wou l d h ave them do u nto you , " is a very p ractical
g uidel i n e for l ife.The more we g ive, the m o re we shall receive.
71
l<undalini Yoga: The Flow of fternal Power
THING TO KNOW
AC.RO!!!! T I M f AND !!PAC.f
RAA MAA DAA AA AA A Y 0 HUNC
Here is the most powerful healing vibration/mantra that I know. (See facing
page.) It tremendously enhances your effectiveness as a "healer. " Regular practice
brings increased prana into your hands. For hea ling at a distance, th is is the
mantra . It cuts across time and space so you can send healing energy to someone
thousands of m iles away as easily as you can send it across the room. I have
included the m usical notation for the way I first learned it, with the instructions
Yogi Bhajan gave for chanting it. (Later, he taught other variations of this melody.)
72
CHAPHR
10
Hf.ALING
RAA MAA DAA y 0 HUNG

TO !![NO GOD#!! H[ALING POwt;:R
[N[RGY
To be chanted powerfully from the navel point for 1 1 minutes.
Sit in easy pose with the elbows tucked comfortably against

your ribs. Extend forearms out at a 45 degree angle out from
the center of the body. Palms are flat, facing up, fingers
together, thumbs spread . Consciously keep the palms flat
during the meditation . Be aware they may tend to cu rl up.
Eyes are 9/1 0 closed .
Pu l l in the navel point powerful ly on
!!0 and HUNG and "clip off" each of
these two syllables, making them short.
Particu larly note that H U NG is not long
and drawn out. You clip it off forceful ly
as you pull in the navel.
Chant one complete cycle of the entire
mantra, and then inhale deeply and
repeat.
(Remember, chanting is not si nging, it is vibrating.)
After 1 1 minutes, close you r eyes, inhale deeply and hold the breath as
you offer a healing prayer, visualizing the person you wish to heal as being
total ly healthy, radiant, and strong . Then exhale and inhale deeply agai n,
hold the breath and offer you r prayer. .
You can d o this several ti mes, each time creating in you r mind a picture
of the person completely healed . You may want to imag ine the person
completely engu lfed in healing white light.
To com plete the meditation, inhale deeply, lift you r arms up high and
vigorously shake out your hands and fi ngers. Relax.
Raa maa-aa daa saa
saa sa-ay
so
hung
73
KNOW
WORD THAT H[Al[D-NOTI

The Power of Nogative Thinking
j ust to heal the physical body is not enough . (See chapter on Ten Bodies.) If
we don't also heal the mental and emotional causes of a p roblem, it wil l most
likely return in the same or some other form . That is why we emphasize the
necessity for positive th i n king and doing sadhana. (For information on sadhana,
personal spiritual practice, see Chapter on Sadhana.)
Followi ng is a true story. I know, because it h appened to me.
It was one of those "cold" (for Los Angeles) rainy, wi nter days, and I was sit
ting on the floor of my old apartment on Preuss Road, doing bookkeeping for
our newly formed 3HO Foundation. I n the early 1 9 70's I had no office so I
worked at home. The fi nancial department of 3 H O consisted of some shoe
boxes with recei pts I kept in my closet. I held a fu l l-ti m e job at the Beverly
H ilton, wrote letters for Yogi Bhajan, and handled the fi nances for his 3HO yoga
classes in my spare time.
That historic day, I decided I cou ld use a cup of hot tea to warm
u p . So I heated up the ever p resent pot of Yogi Tea on the stove
a n d carried a steaming cup into the living room.
My feet felt cold, so I set the cup down carefu l ly on the floor
beside my books and papers, and went into the bed room to put on a
pair of socks. Tal k about putting you r foot into it! I came back into the l ivi ng
room, a nd forgetting the cup was there, I stepped right smack i nto the boi ling
hot tea . I let out a yel l and ran to the bath room . M ore accurately, I hopped on
the other foot wh ile clutching wi ldly at the sock, tryin g to tea r it off as fast as I
could, since of cou rse the wet wool retai ned the h eat of the liquid, and was
burning furiously. I grabbed some ointment from the medicine cabinet and
spread it on the injured foot, which a l ready was tu rn ing a bright and angry red .
Yogi B hajan had just come back to town from one of h is teaching tours a n d I
knew he was at G u ru Ram Das Ash ram, half a block away. I picked u p the phone
and cal l ed h i m, assu ming he would come run ni ng over immed iately to comfort
and heal me. Forget it!
When I tol d h i m what had happened, he said, "Yo u ' l l be all rig ht. I ' m send
ing Pink Krishna (n ickna med for her rosy com plexion, the happy resu lt of
74
CHAPUR 10
HfALING
m onths of eatin g only g reen vegetables) over to take care of you . " And so he
did. She a rrived i n just a few min utes, and hel ped set up a place for me to lie
down on the couch. I knew I couldn't possi bly sleep i n my bed, and I didn't
expect to sleep m uch a nyway.
I phoned the Beverly Hilton, told the manager I had severely bu rned my
foot, so I wou l d not be able to come to work the next day. I lay down, closed
my eyes and settled in for a restless night. I slept fitful ly off and on, but lo and
be h o l d , when morn ing d awned,
-'You'v got to Ae-cent-U-At th Pogitiv
there was not the slightest trace of a
burn . There was no d iscoloration of
-lim-in-at th Ngativ and
the skin and n o pai n . I was amazed
Lateh on to th Affirmativ.
and th rilled .
Don't mgg with Mr. lnbtwn...
I cal led m y mother and said,
-Hit !!ong by Johnny Murcur. circa 1940
"Gu ess what happened . . . " I told her
the whole story of the hot tea, the burning sock, the amazing healing, and fi n
ished by saying " I don't believe it!" I called at least fou r other people and repeat
ed the story, each time ending with the words, "I don't believe it! " By fou r
o'clock i n the afternoon my foot didn't bel ieve i t either. It started to ache and
b u rn aga i n . The redness retu rned i n ful l force a n d I spent several weeks waiti ng
for the slow process of nature to heal my foot. I learned that day about the
power of my words!
We do create with every word we speak, a n d the power of positive (or neg
ative) thi n king and speaking is not a fantasy, it's a reality.
I had a d ifferent opportun ity to experience the power of my words many
yea rs later when I slipped and fel l down a fl ight of cement steps early one morn
"
ing and broke two ribs. One of the advantages of breaking ribs is that they heal
themselves back together perfectly (and people a re very kind to you while
you' re recuperating). However, i n the mea ntime, you can 't laugh or cough or
even take a deep breath without severe pai n . The pain, i n spite of medication,
cou l d be q u ite intense, so I decided to try som e of the yog ic technology I had
been p reachi n g . And, I discovered, " By George, it works! " Whenever I felt a
major twinge of pain, I'd say out loud (or j ust th i n k), "Th a n k you God, I accept
you r wonderful g ift of pain," and it wou ld ease up i mmed iately.
75
THING!! TO KNOW
G ratefu l ly accepting everyth ing that comes to us as a g ift of God i nvokes

a rem arkably dynamic response from God . An "attitud e of g ratitud e" i nvites
a n d a l l ows the power of God to work faster a n d easier to bless a n d heal us.
Try it for you rse lf. W h e n ever a nyth i n g h ap pe n s - good, bad, p leasa n t,
u n pl easa n t, d esi ra b l e, u n d es i ra bl e - see it a s s o m eth i n g that G o d is
d oi n g . Then verbally exp ress a n d affi r m you r g ratitud e . S ee what h a p pe n s .
A t l ea st h ave t h e faith t o try i t as a n exp e ri m e n t. Even i f som e o n e d oes
somet h i n g l o usy, tha n k G od that it's n ot you d o i n g it! The pers o n d o i n g
t h e l o u sy t h i n g has that l o u sy ka rma t o d e a l with . H ow you res p o n d
becomes you r ka r ma .
GURU RAM DA TO TH RCU

At one point in his l ife, when Yogi B haja n was th reatened and harassed by
people trying to do him harm, he meditated and p rayed, cal l ing on G u ru Ram
Das for help, and Guru Ram Das gave him this special mantra to use whenev
er he - or a nyone - is in danger. (You can use it, too.)
G U RU G URU WAH f G U RU , G U RU RAM DA G U RU

When we chant to G u ru Ram Das, we a re not chanting to
a person, but rather to the consciousness that he embod
ied, and we a re invoking the special q ualities that he repre
sented . " Ra m " in itself is one of the H i n d u names of God,
and " Das" means servant. Ram Das was i ndeed, a beloved
servant of God . He was a Raj Yogi a n d the fou rth in the l ine
of Sikh G u rus. Each of the ten G u rus person ified and exem
plified special vi rtues, a n d m a nifested certain q ua l ities, to
demonstrate that a person i n a ny wal k of l ife can be d ivine.
Loved and respected for his h u m i lity, service, and com pas
sion, G u ru Ram Das was also a g reat Yogi, especially
renowned for his extraord i n a ry gift of healing.
76
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow o f Hemal Power
C.HAPH:R 10
HrAUNG
HAIL G URU RAM DA!!
a n d H fA L T H f WORLD l
What you a re about to read is a true story. No names have been
changed . Th is real ly happened .
I n 1 9 38, when Yog i Bhajan was nine years old, he contracted a serious
ea r i nfection . Neither his father, who was a physician, nor any of the doc
tors and healers consulted, cou ld fi nd a way to cure it and the infection
was spreadi n g . He was d iagnosed as incu rable. He was expected to d ie.
During his sleep one nig ht, the you ng boy had a visit from Guru Ram
Das who told him that he should ask his father (Dr. Kartar Singh Puri) to
put some on ion juice in the infected ear. He told his father of the strange
req uest. Sure enough, the treatment worked !
From that time onward, Harbhajan Singh Puri, later to become Yogi
Bhajan, looked u pon Guru Ram Das as his special protector, teacher, and
g u ide. 3HO Ash rams around the world a re named i n honor of the great
sou l of G u ru Ra m Das.
G u ru Ram Das was a "Raj Yogi . " The famous Golden Tem ple i n
Amritsar, I n d ia, was built in h is honor. I t i s cal led Hari Mandir Sahib a n d i s
considered the holiest of holy places by Sikhs a l l
over the world. Open to people of all religions,
all colors, all nationalities, it is a sacred shrine
where tens of thousands of people come to be
inspired and u p lifted by the vibrations of the
G u ru, and to sip and d i p in the heal ing waters
su rrounding the Temple. Hari Mandir Sahib is
built half of marble and half of gold .
As a young man, Yogi B hajan washed the
marble floors of the Golden Tem ple every night
for fou r years, to cleanse a nd pu rify himself praying to G u ru Ram Das. He went in as a yogi a nd cam e out a saint. Such
is the power and majesty of G u ru Ram Das.
77
BRIF l!!!!ON I N HI!!TORY OF TH !!IKH GURU!!

Of the ten Sikh G u rus, one was a very young child, several were very old
men, som e were married, some were sing le. Some were poets, some were sol
d iers. G u ru Ram Das, who l ived from 1 5 34 to 1 58 1 , was the fou rth G u ru to
carry the d ivine l ig ht and i nfin ite consciousness of G u ru Nanak, the first G u ru .
G u ru Nanak taught that everyone i s i n herently d ivin e, a n d that people should
not fig ht a bout how to worship the One God who b reathes i n everybody. His
followers, or students were cal led "shishyas, " or " Sikhs . " Sikhs no longer wor
s h i p a ny person as G u ru, but look to the Siri G u ru G ra nth Sah i b, the e m bodi
ment of the Word of God (Shabd Gu ru), as their l ivin g G u ru .
78
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Eforna/ Powor
CHAPITR 11
lH'!! TAlK ABOUT FOOD
11
Lgtg Talk About Food
ere a re som e cliches that are true (cl iches often a re):
You are what you eat.

Your body iY the living temple of God.
at to live, don't live to eat.
For thousands of people, controlling their d iet is one of l ife's biggest chal
lenges. It's a daily battle of wil l power versus com pu lsion a n d h abit. Health
clu bs, gyms, and spas a re overflowing with bod ies stretching a n d strain
i ng, h uffi ng and p uffi ng, g runti ng and sweati ng to "get rid of ug ly,
u nwanted body fat" and achieve ideal body weig ht. Fat or thin, we can
be bad ly u ndernou rished, if we' re not getting the foods o u r bodies
need .
Dining on expensive gourmet food smothered i n rich g ravies and
exotic sauces seems to be considered a sign of "success" i n o u r society.
Of cou rse u lcers, gastritis, consti pation, and overweig ht, not to men
tion high blood pressure and heart d isease, can resu lt from
overeating or eating the wrong foods (and you don't have to
be rich to gorge on foods way too high i n fat content or
salt). Overweight is not only damaging p hysically but psy
chologically.
Dozens of d ifferent books promoting dozens of d ifferent
diets are spil l i ng over the bookstore shelves. Television ads
79
THING TO KNOW
a bo u n d with weig ht-loss p rog rams. Each one claims to have the perfect solu
tion . However, being able to apply any sol ution req uires a change i n our ha bits,
including our habitual way of th i n king about ou rselves. Fortunately, the yog is
have g iven us methods to help us change our h abit patterns. (Please read the
chapter called Creatures of Habit, and refer to the "Meditation to Change Habit
Patterns.) Meanwh ile, let's tal k about food .
liVI NG TO fAT
or
fATING TO UVf?
There are two kinds of eating. The first kind is what is ca lled recreational eat
ing. Th is is eating purely (actually not pu rely) for taste or to be sociable.
Recreational eating often consists of junk food . What do I mean by junk food?
Any substance that leaves an excess of toxic waste in the body that you can't
eliminate within twenty-fou r hours . Any food that depletes the body of vitami ns,
overstim u lates the nerves, or overtaxes the pancreas is j u n k food in my book!
The second kind of eati ng is the kind of eating that nourishes, sustains, and
energ izes the body. It's known as "eati ng to l ive . " We spend a large portion of
our l ives eating. What and how we eat affects us p hysical ly, mental ly, ar.d emo
tional ly. Let's tal k about eating from the sta n d point of the yog is, whose pu rpose
is to g et the best out of every aspect of l ife.
Let me share with you some yog ic information, keeping i n m i n d that each
of us is d ifferent and has individual d ietary req u i rements. One man's meat
rea l ly is a nother man's poison. Each of us n eeds to find the rig ht balance,
the chem ical combination of foods that best serves our meta bolism and
bod i ly needs. Meals should look appetizing and taste good, too. Healthy
food doesn 't have to be d u l l and bori ng or taste l i ke straw. Eati ng a
healthy d iet does not have to be d istasteful .
TO fAT OR NOT TO fAT?

I n ancient books of knowledge, the Vedas, we can find instruc
tions on how to eat, such as, "never eat to ful l stomach . " O n ly
one-half of the sto mach's capacity is to be used for solid food, leav
ing one-quarter for liquid, and the remaining one-quarter is l eft empty to a llow the
d igestive process to take p lace more easily.
80
CHAPITR 11
U:T!! TALK ABOUT FOOD
It is a lso recom mended to leave a gap of fou r to five hou rs between mea ls
for the same reason . Otherwise, the blood is kept so busy worki ng in the d iges
tive a rea that other parts of the body are cheated out of their blood supply. The
eyes, ears, nose, a n d throat pa rticu larly need good circu lation. When these areas
a re weak and u ndernourished because of poor circu lation, they a re vu l nerable
to attack from bacteria and vi ruses that cause colds, fl u, and i nfections. If you
need to eat more often, okay, but you don't have to eat a lot. Try a l ight snack
when you r blood sugar gets low.
A person with a hypoglycemic condition whose blood sugar level fluctuates
wildly because the pancreas is not able to do its job correctly, usua l ly needs to eat
someth ing every two hou rs. Do read Dr. Paavo Airola's book Hypoglycemia, A
Better Approach. You'd also be wise to read the book called Sugar Blues by Duffy.
You may be served the best, most delicious meal i n the world, but, as my
mother used to say, if it doesn't "agree with you," if you can't d igest and elim
i nate it properly, it's probably doing more harm than good . Food is supposed
to g ive us energy. It's supposed to be fuel for the body, feed the cel ls, and be
transformed into blood, bones, and tissue. Whatever we eat that is not used for
these p u rposes becomes waste matter, and needs to be elimi nated . If the body
can not eliminate it fast enough, it becomes toxic and we get sick. We have l it
era l ly poisoned ou rselves. Whatever we eat shou l d be digested and assi m i lated
with i n 1 8 hou rs for a female and 24 hours for a male.
There's a way to tel l if you're
CH fW., CH fW, C H fW!
digesting you r food properly or
not, which cou l d be cal led the
You d o nt h ave teeth i n y o u r !!tom aeh !
"float test. " If most of what you
eat is being correctly uti lized by the body, and is servi ng to heal and nourish,
then what is left over as roughage wi l l be m i n i mal, and when you eliminate, it
wi l l float. If you r stool sinks to the bottom of the toilet, then you can bet
you have not gotten m uch rea l val ue out of you r food i ntake.
A major factor in proper digestion takes place in you r mouth . Food
has to be wel l chewed so the digestive enzymes in the sa liva can m ix thor
oug h ly with it. If you gobble your food in a h urry, you miss the crucial first
step in the digestive process. Then when the food reaches the stomach,
81
KNOW
it's not prepared for proper digestion to take place. Take your time eati ng. Try
cou nting twenty to fifty chews per mouthful-it wil l real ly slow you down .
Another tip, if you're trying to cut down on portions: wait about five min utes
before taking seconds on anything. Usual ly that waiti ng period is enough for the
body to recognize it real ly has had enough . Otherwise, when you're eating too
fast, you often keep on eating when you're not actually h ungry any more.
VVATR. VVATR. VRY\VHR

(You NfH!d Moro Than A Drop To Drink)
Another clue to good digestion : Dri n k lots a n d lots of water, but don't wash
down your food by d rinking a ny liquid i m med iately after you take a bite of food .
Wash i ng down you r food d i lutes the enzymes that a re needed for p roper diges
tio n . Do you r kid neys a favor, start you r day with two g lasses of water after you
brush your teeth . (See Chapter on How to Get Up in the Morning.) Keep a pitch
er of water on you r desk at work, and d ri n k water a l l day. Eight g lasses a day
a ren't even enoug h-try for sixteen-or at least twelve . At nig ht, j ust before
bed, drin k a g lass of water. You can monitor the hea lth of you r kidneys by
observin g the color of you r u rine first thing in the morn i n g . It should be lig hter
tha n gold. If it is darker, you're i n trou ble. D ri n k more water. M aybe it's time to
get a medica l check-up.
AT TO LIV
O kay, so what is a healthy yogic d iet? Wel l, for one thing, it's not fanatic, or
wei rd, or tasteless. It is a balanced combination of:
fruits
n uts
vegetables
g rains
legumes
dairy p roducts
Despite what most airl ines th i n k, many veg etarians do eat dairy produ cts
a lthough we don't eat eggs. When you p ractice Kunda l i n i Yoga with B reath of
Fire, it tends to eliminate m ucous. Therefore, you want to replenish the system
82
CHAPTt::R 11
LH' TALK ABOUT FOOD
with a certai n amount of mucous wh ich dairy products can stim ulate. M ucous
keeps the b reath ing passages l u bricated and protects the mem branes. If you a re
a l lergic to cow products, then try soy or goat substitutes. Everyone is d ifferent,
you h ave to fin d what works for you .
You may have noticed that meat, fish, pou ltry, and eggs are not on our list
of foods. You a re correct. Yog is don't eat them . You don't need them. You can
get a l l the prote ins, vitamins, and m inera ls you need from other foods. We do
our a rteries a big favor by avoid ing foods that clog them u p . A yogic d iet is a
vegetarian d iet. There a re excellent reasons for this. Here a re th ree of them .
THR XCllNT Rt:A!!ON!! TO AT A VGTARIAN Dlt:T

XCllNT RA!!ON # 1
When we eat meat we' re feeding ou rselves the poisonous ad renaline that
was secreted by the terrified animal just before it was slaug htered .
If i t cou l d eve r wa l k . ru n . c rawl . !: wi m .

XCllNT RA!!ON # 2
Lions a n d tigers and
or fly a wa y . I don ..t wa nt i t o n my p l a t !
othe r carn ivores (whom
God obviously i ntended to eat other animals, to keep the balance of natu re) a re
p rovided with fangs, claws, and a very short intesti nal tract. They
411 -4 d
can process flesh very qui ckly and eli inate it before it putrifies
.
.
.
and becomes tox1c. Our d1gest1ve tract 1s very long, so we can't.
\ ,\\\ '
If you're worried about being weak without eati ng meat, th i n k
;;'}jl
a bout the elephant. Th is g reat and powerfu l beast who feeds only
on plants - l ives very long, and is extremely inte l ligent.
.-.-/-,
-_ :!:J
'\
_
XCllNT Rt:A!!ON # 3
M eat wil l leave a residue of u ric acid in the bloodstream . U ric acid is con
sidered by som e to be a carcinogen (cause of cancer) . U ric acid is a toxin that
makes it harder to reach the hig her, clearer meditative states because it is a n i rri
tant in the bloodstream .
83
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of ftornal Power
COM MO N !!N!!
Ancient yogic teach ings prohibit the eating of flesh and of anyth ing that is
bu rnt, stale, or decayed . Food that is simple, wholesome, fresh, and as natu ra l
as possible i s recommended.
POOR FI!!H I
What about fish? You've heard the expression, " poor fish ! "
Cau g ht by a cruel hook in its mouth, when i t i s d ragged painfu l ly
out of its home in the ocean, river, lake, or stream, it d ies a n ago
n izing death deprived of water. If fish is not put into water or ice
i m med iately, it begins to decay and stin k. Even after it is eaten, it sti l l demands
water. N otice how thirsty you get after eati ng fish? It is still demanding water.
Eati ng fish dehyd rates the body. That sagging flesh u nder the upper a rms can be
traced to eating fish. Any questions?
GG!!: YOU HAV TO DCID

O kay, let's tal k about eggs. Setting aside a ny d iscussion about the l ivi ng or
dead aspect of the potential chicken i n each egg, there is a very h ig h cholesterol
level in eggs. If you want to be ki nd to you r a rteries, whether you ' re a yog i or
not, you don't eat eggs.
THROW OUT TH !!TAK?

Good g rief! No meat, no fish, no chicken (that's rig ht, no fowl either), no
eggs, what am I going to eat?
A vegetarian d iet does not mean to take a plate with a steak, a
baked potato, and a serving of peas and th row away the steak. Nor
does it mean to fil l u p on pasta a n d b read . There is a vast assortment
of del icious food g rowing i n the g round, on trees, plants, and vines
to c hoose from. And you don't have to l ive on a farm to get them .
Hea lth food stores and su permarkets al most everywhere carry plenty of things
that a re good and good for you . Aug mented with m a rvelous herbs and spices
which add flavor and a re h ealing as wel l, vegeta rian meals can be g lorious expe
riences. By following an intelligent wel l-balan ced vegetaria n diet, you can l ive
longer, be more energetic, and even sleep better. The H u nzas a re said to live
84
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of fterna/ Power
CHAPITR 11
UT!! TAU< ABOUT FOOD
longer tha n any other g roup of people in the world, and they a re vegetarians.
We shouldn 't forget that we live on prana. We need to g et p rana from the
food we eat and the water we d ri n k as wel l as the air we b reathe. Some foods
g ive us more p rana tha n others, depending u pon their quality and condition .
I n the reci pe section of th is book you' l l find a few of my favorite recipes that
even you r non-vegetarian family and friends wil l enjoy. I 've a lso l isted the cook
books I personally recom mend to help you d iscover some creative and del icious
meals you can make that wi l l be kind to you r body and satisfy you r a ppetite.
For more information on meat eating, please refer to Diet For a New America by
john Robbins and What's Wrong With Eating Meat? by Barbara Parham.
M U N G BAN!! AND RIC AR N I C

One of the most nou rishing and easiest to digest foods is a d ish cal led
Kitcheree. It's a trad itional I ndian reci pe made of m u n g beans and wh ite basmati
rice. Polished rice is not recom mended because it has been stri p ped of its ben
eficial vita m i n content. B rown rice is not recom mended either, because it is very
hard to digest u n less it is cooked for many, many hours.
The mung bean is a ti ny, hum ble l ittle bean, d a rk g reen in color. It packs a
lot of energy, and is high in protein. A basic reci pe for kitcheree is in the recipe
section of this book. You can vary it q u ite a bit to suit you r own taste and cre
ativity. One of the best th ings a bout kitcheree, besides the fact that it tastes so
good, is that it contains fou r of the most i m portant basi c yogic foods for heal
ing. Read on . . .
TH B I G FOUR: .. H RB ROOT TRI N ITY'" PlU!! O N

On ions, garl ic, a n d g inger, often cal led the Herb Root Trin ity,
work tog ether to c leanse the body and prod uce a n d maintai n
energy. T h e beneficial effect of each of them separately is a m p li
fied when they a re cooked together.
GARliC
You may have heard that some ascetics wil l not eat garl ic
because it makes them more sexua l ly potent . Garlic does h e l p p rod uce more
semen (powerfu l creative energy) in the body. This i ncreased sexual energy is
85
THING!! TO KNOW
control led and moreover uti lized by the practice of Ku ndalini Yoga. So we a re
not afraid of it. On the contrary, we want to i ncrease it so we can channel it
u pward for g reater spi ritual awareness.
Considered a sacred herb by the ancients, for its powerfu l therapeutic effect,
garlic oil has been found to battle effectively against many types of viruses and
bacteria. Garlic and garl ic extracts have been used agai nst gastrointestinal d is
orders, septic poison ing, typhus, and even cholera . In fact, garl ic was known in the
former Soviet Union as "Russian Penici llin" !
Best eaten raw, garlic can also be taken in capsule form (i n case you r friends
don't share you r enthusiasm for this frag rant herb). You can make a very palat
able spread for toast or crackers with finely chopped raw garlic mashed into avo
cado. A whole b u l b of baked garlic is delicious spread over toast. You j ust
sq ueeze out the individual cloves, after it's baked . Very gou rmet! Garlic is most
at home cooked in combi nation with on ions and g i nger.
O N ION!!
The on ion has a wel l earned reputation for being a u n iversal hea ling food.
It not o n ly attacks harmful bacteria and purifies the blood, but it helps build new
b lood . It has been recommended for such things as colds, fever, laryng itis, and
diarrhea (dri n k onion ju ice mixed with hot or col d m i nt tea) . And it has even
been said, "An onion a day keeps the cancer away. " If you ' re going to travel to
a ny foreig n cou ntry where you r body wi l l have to deal with strange a n d u nfa
m iliar bacteria, eating one raw onion every day for a cou ple of weeks before
you r trip, as wel l as while you're away from home, wi l l help you avoid dysen
tery. If you can't handle eating onions raw, at least eat them cooked . Get them
into you r system somehow. There is even the claim that eating raw on ions helps
mental clarity.
GI NGR ROOT
G i nger root is both soothing and strengthening to the nerves when the
body is u nder stress. It helps strengthen the nerve cente rs in the spine by nour
ish ing the cerebrospinal fluid. You can make a delicious a n d revita l izing tea out
of g inger root very easily. j ust sl ice an inch or two of g i nger root (available in
most g rocery stores, supermarkets, and of cou rse in health food stores) and boil
86
CHAPITR 11
LH'!! TALK ABOUT FOOD
it i n a q u a rt of water for a few min utes. For this recipe you don't even have to
peel the g i n ger. j ust strain the tea after it has boiled for a while, and it's ready
to d ri n k. You can add sweetener a nd/or m i l k if you wis h . Gi nger tea is particu
larly useful for women to dri n k during menstruation . It is g reat as a "pick-me
u p" if you' re feeling d roopy and debilitated . Try it. It strengthens the nerves
i nstead of d estroying them the way caffeine does.
TURM[RIC
Good for the skin and m ucuous membranes, especial ly the female repro
ductive o rgans, tu rmeric is one of the main ingred ients in cu rry powder. It adds
flavor and can be used i n many reci pes, casseroles, soups, g ravies, and sauces.
It's a standard i n g red ient in Kitcheree. The virtues of tu rmeric h ave been lavish
ly praised by Yog i Bhajan . One of its most i m portant properties is that it makes
the bones a n d joints more flexible. j ust a smal l amount has a positive effect. See
the reci pe section for Golden M i l k, a g reat beverage for you and you r children .
Turmeric is on the spice shelf of you r supermarket. Warni n g : be carefu l not to
spi l l it on you r clothes when you're cooking, because it stains when it's wet.
Ku ndalini Yoga teach ings recom mend eati ng the herb root tri nity, garl ic,
onion, a nd g inger dai ly. Also, it's a good idea to get some tu rmeric in you (not
on you) every day and d ri n k at least one cup of:
YOG I T[A
This section wou l d not be com plete (and as it is, it's only a ti ny
peek at the vast a mount of information and technology avai lable
about food . The Ancient Art of Self Healing by Yog i B h ajan descri bes
many more yog ic uses of food), without a major m ention of Yogi
Bhajan's famous YOG I TEA recipe. Yes, it's available now com mer
cial ly, i n b u l k or i n tea bags. I n 1 969 Yogi Bhajan tau g ht m e h ow to
make it from scratch. He told me how he used Yog i Tea when he
was out i n the field, commanding a batta l ion of the I ndian Army. A
serious epidemic of fl u broke out so all the troops were being sent home from
maneuvers. However, he kept h is men h ealthy and they stayed on d uty because
he had them fi l l their thermos bottles with Yogi Tea and d ri n k nothing else, not
even water. None of them got sick.
87
THING!! TO KNOW
This a mazin g beverage is a standard item i n the 3 H O way of l ife. If you'd

l i ke to m a ke it from scratch, you' l l find h is ori g i n a l copyrig hted rec i pe i n this
book. The fu n part of making you r own Yog i Tea usi n g the d ifferent s pices, as
Yog i B h ajan tau g ht me, is that after the water comes to a boil, you add the
cloves first a n d "watch the m dance . " S u re enoug h, they pair off, a n d d ance
a ro u n d i n g ro u ps of twos and threes! Then, i n a m i n ute or two, when the
cloves h ave su rrendered their essence to the water, that's when you add the
othe r i n g red ients.
The black pepper is to p u rify the bloodstrea m, the m i l k is to soothe the
colon so the black pepper doesn't i rritate it. The ci n n a m o n is for the bones,
ca rd a m o m for the colon, and cloves for the nervous system . The g i n ger root
is o ptional, but is hig h ly reco m mend ed . If you want to clean out you r system,
you can g o o n a Yog i Tea fast. For one or two d ays-maxim u m th ree days
l ive o n Yog i Tea . D ri n k as m uch as you want, a n d d o n 't eat a nythi n g else. See
how l ig ht and energ etic you feel .
At l east o n e cu p of Yog i Tea per day i s a g reat idea . Yog i Tea i s more than
a reci pe for a g ood tastin g d ri n k, it is a form u l a for a com plete self-healing
ton ic ! Don't o m it the black tea; it's part of the form u l a . These days, Yog i Tea
also com es com mercial ly packaged in various flavors. Ah, m od ern tech nology.
H IDDN I NGRDI NT
A m ost healing and effective ingredient in the food you cook, especially if
you're a woman, is the VI BRATION you put i nto it. This is for rea l . It's not imag
inary. When you p ray and chant over food wh ile you cook it, you enhance its
power to nourish and hea l .
Let m e tel l y o u a true story a bout vib rations g o i n g into food . A n u m ber of
yea rs ago a you n g wom a n ca me to stay at the 3 HO cente r i n Los Angeles to
sort out h e r m arital p roblems and g et her l ife on track. S h e was an excellent
cook, and she wou l d p repare m eals for severa l staff m e m bers every d ay. The
food tasted delici ous, but every afternoon after l u n c h we all felt sick. Finally we
fig u red out that s h e was so a n g ry all the ti m e that it was affecti n g the food she
cooked . We sto p ped eatin g her cooking u nti l s h e cam e back the n ext yea r.
Then, since s h e was i n m uch better shape emotion a lly, we fou n d we cou l d
88
l<undalini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power
CHAPITR
11
LIT'!! TALK ABOUT FOOD
enjoy h e r meals without g ettin g sick. (Much more on the subject of the extra
power of women in the chapter on women.)
Speaking of cooking, I used to worry and agonize over h avi ng to prepare
m eals for a nyone, especially unexpected guests. I was never confident that
they'd l i ke what I made. What Yogi Bhaja n taught me a bout cooking was to "use
whatever you h ave, and chant while you prepa re the food . "
Vibration real ly makes a d ifference. And, of cou rse, Yog i B haja n is a fabu lous
cook. Many of his personal recipes were used i n the Golden Tem ple Conscious
Cookery Resta u ra nts th roughout the world and a re included i n the cook book
he wrote. (See the Cookbook section of the book list.)
FOOD THAT U K YOU

A word i n p raise of zucchini. It's sooooooo easy to digest, h a rd ly seems to
have a ny calories, and is real ly fast to cook. You can slice it or not and sim ply
steam it, or you can saute it with onions and garlic and even put
tomato sauce over it.
Use lots and lots of g reen vegetables in you r diet. Use foods that
are fil led with prana (life energy), such as ripe, juicy fruits and almost
anything that is in season and fresh . Ideally eat fresh rather than frozen
foods, and frozen rather than canned. You can squeeze lemon juice on vegetables
instead of using salt. There are many salt substitutes on the market made from a
com bination of herbs. The yogis say to avoid salt after age thirty-five. Read labels
when you buy products. Avoid MSG and other chemicals. As m uch as possible use
foods in their natural state, in other words, the less processing the better.
HOW WT IT I!
We a re a sweet n ation . Americans consume tons of sugar a n nually. Sugar
depletes the system of Vita m i n B . Personal ly, I have fou n d, my body and my ner
vous system can not tolerate white sugar. It makes me very short-tempered . If I
lose my tem per, I blow out my adrenals and then I get sick. It has happened
enough tim es for me to be sure of the sequence of events, a n d the conse
q uences I suffer. There a re plenty of ways to avoid sugar if you ' re serious a bout
it. For one th ing, taste can be conditioned .
89
THING!! TO KNOW
I try not to add any sweetener at all to my Yogi Tea or other beverages. There
are other things to eat that can appease the desire for sweets, and that craving
diminishes when you're eating enough of the good stuff that you r body needs.
Applesauce cooked with cin namon in it tastes lovely. You can use
van i l la for flavor in yogu rt or milk shakes. I like to put a frozen banana
in the blender with milk (I use soy milk), a pinch of cinnamon, and a
dash of vanilla. It can be made thick like frozen yogurt to eat with a
spoon, or thinner like a shake - tastes g reat. For baking, maple syrup,
maple sugar, or barley malt sweetener a re available. Honey, although
a very pure food, unfortunately is so concentrated that it can be hard on the pan
creas. Some people do fine with fructose, whereas some people do not. Watch
out for aspertaine. It's been reported to produce u nwelcome side-effects.
Did you ever notice how "hyper" children get after they have eaten the sugar
candy, ice cream, or cake treats we give them? One th ing I know for su re, refined
white sugar causes me to suffer, so I sim ply don't eat it. I can vouch for the d if
ference in my life, health, and behavior since I stopped eating sugar. Read labels
careful ly and proceed accordingly. Sugar can be hidden in unexpected places.
C.HOC.OlAT
Chocol ate contains caffeine a nd theobromine. It is addic
tive. If you m ust have chocolate, at least try to get it sweetened with someth i ng
other than wh ite sugar. Sugar and chocolate seem to form a leth a l com binatio n .
More and more people a re becoming aware of t h e detrimental effects of sugar
and chocolate, and there a re a n u m ber of a lternative p roducts on the m arket.
Check them out. You m ay actually l i ke them, and they m ay l ike you, too!
The Surgeon General of the U n ited States issues warni n gs sayi n g that s mok
ing causes can cer, but sti l l, people s moke. So I don't expect my readers wi l l g ive
u p their chocolate h abits very easily. Some of us h ave weaned ourselves from
90
CHAPITR 11
UT!! TALK ABOUT FOOD
chocolate by training the taste buds to enjoy carob . Some people can tolerate
chocolate when it's sweetened with honey or maple syru p, but personally, I don't
want to get hooked on the taste of chocolate i n a ny form . One of the key i m pacts
of chocolate is that it sti m u lates neurochemicals in us that a re cortical mood
alte rers. It produces feel i ngs of con nection and intimacy. No wonder chocolate
is addictive! When you need consolation and comfort, you m i g ht try tal king to
you r soul, it's the g reatest chocolate kiss!
CAFF1 N
Caffeine depletes the pranas, and do I real ly have to say anything about what
caffeine does to the nervous system? A yogi usual ly avoids all sti m u la nts. ' N uff said.
AlCOHOl
For rubbing, if you need to take down a fever, alcohol can be useful . As a bev
erage, it acts as a sti m u lant - at first - and then a depressant. It causes the l iver
to deteriorate a n d damages the bra i n . Alcohol ics Anonymous can give you plen
ty of i nformation a bout alcohol as a n addiction .
YOU AY YOU AT A ROCK?

If, perchance, by m istake you eat too m uch (we Americans ten d to stuff our
selves at every opportu nity, eating too m uch and too often), there's a way to get
some relief from that overstuffed feeling. Try sitting on you r heels for a few m i n
utes. Probably best not to do this i n public, u n less you want to attract a crowd .
But if you're at home, sit i n rock pose, Vajar Asan, for a few m i nutes after d i n ner.
It is said that one can d igest rocks by sitting in this posture. Or, for med itation
it's supposed to help you sit steady as a rock.
lF-HALI NG KRIYA FOR DIGTION

I n my youth, out of ignorance, I fool ishly tried some very fan atic experiments
with fastin g . They left me with serious digestive p roblems. My d igestive system
was so bad that when I met Yog i B hajan, I coul d n 't even d ri n k a g l ass of water
without sufferi n g . He tau g ht me Vatskar D houti Kriya, and told m e to do it for
forty days, without m issing a day. It helped me tremendously. Want to try it you r
self? Turn the page . . .
91
THING!! TO KNOW
MAKING A TRAN!!ITION
I became a vegetarian in 1 95 6, when it was suggested to me that if I
stopped eating meat, my health would i m prove. I d id, and it d i d . One approach
to vegetaria n ism is to slowly and g rad u a l ly su bstitute meatless main dishes i n
your mea ls and start eati ng more fresh fruits a n d vegetables. You cou l d try bei ng
a vegeta rian for one or two days a week at fi rst, then g rad u a l ly i ncrease the
n u m ber of days. Or there's the "cold tu rkey" (no pun i ntended) approach, such
as the transition d iet Yog i B haja n gave in 1 969. That d iet consisted of thi rty days
of eating just fru its, n uts, and vegetables. Many of the students who went on it
92
CHAPITR 11
liT.!! TALK ABOUT FOOD
reported feeling ki nd of weak for the first few days, but they said after that the
energy level picked up amazingly. After th irty days you add g ra i ns and dairy
back i nto the pictu re, a nd, congratu lations, you have made a g raceful transition
to a vegetaria n d iet!
THANK!!GIVIN G
..
Vgg eta ri a n g d o n t g a t a n y th i ng
At l east one d ay i n the year, most

that h a d a m oth e r."
America ns rem i n d themselves to be
-Yogi BhC!_jan
g rateful for the bou nty we receive from
the Creator. B lessed a re those who g ive than ks every day, with every breath .
G iving tha n ks before we eat anyth ing, asking the real Giver of the food to
bless it, is a very valuable habit. Blessing food adds prana to it. P rayers don't
a lways have to be eloquent and lofty. I 've heard Yog i B hajan say th ings like,
"Thanks a lot, God, we were real ly h u n g ry and you gave us food . Please bless it
and bless us. Tha n ks."
!!UM MARY
To conclude this chapter, I suggest that you decide what you wou ld like to
incorporate or change i n you r existi ng pattern of eati n g . I n any l ifestyle change,
it's i mportant to be moderate and sensible rather tha n fan atic. If you've always
been a big meat eater, don't try to become a vegetarian overn ig ht. On the other
hand, some people have successfu l ly done it just that way. Use you r own best
judg ment and com mon sense. And remember to:
Che w eve ry mouthfu l of foo d t h o ro u g h l y .
D ri n k l otg of wate r.
Oon t e a t too often , d o nt eat too m u eh .
la u g h a l ot .
93
THING!!
TO KNOW
OU
A R E WHA T
YO U
EA T!
Tigers have fangs and long sharp claws

If they devour a deer or a lamb, they're obeying natural laws
All carnivores whom God intended to be
Have short intestinal tracts -Not long ones, like you and me.
Whatever we eat has to take a circuitous route
We're much better off with vegetables and fruit,
Nuts and berries, grains, milk, and cheese
Vegetarian diet designed to please.
If it walks, swims, or crawls
A vegetarian doesn't eat it at all
Elephants live long and carry plenty of weight
You won't find a steak on an elephant's plate.
Whatever you eat, make sure it digests
What's not used by the body
Must be eliminated in 1 8 to 24 hours-or less.

Some foods may have a wonderful taste,
But they produce lots of toxic waste
Uric acid in the bloodstream is carcinogenic
Roast beef may be tasty, but is flirting with cancer worth it?
Ayurvedic advice, a word to the wise:
Never eat to full stomach, whatever your size
Leave enough room so you can digest
Following proportions are deemed to be best:
With solid food fill half, with liquids, one quarter
This division is how the Vedas say we ought to
Handle your diet for health and well-being
Chew your food well, saliva you 're needing.
94
CHAPTI:R 11
U::H! TAlK ABOUT FOOD
No teeth in the stomach, so don 't gulp it down

Digestion starts in the mouth - and smile, don 't frown!
Laughter is the best medicine, it's medically true
Have a sense of humor, whatever you do.
The h uman need for protein is highly overrated
You can get all you require in the foods that I've stated
Buy a cookbook, dare to try
Eating to live before you die.
A trio of friends I'd like you to meet:
Garlic, onions, and ginger will make your life sweet.
Onions purity blood and fight disease
Garlic makes you potent as semen increases
Ginger root strengthens nerve centers in the spine
Drinking ginger tea eases menstrual pain.
A dangerous spice I shall now introduce
Be very careful in its handling and use
When it's wet and it spills on your clothes
It's hard to wash out (believe me I know!)
What is the spice that does all this?
It's called "turmeric, " put it on your shopping list.
Fantastically healing and tasty too
Makes bones and joints flexible-a tiny bit will do.
Golden milk you can make, the recipe's here
Serve it to all the folks you hold dear.
Yogi Tea, more than a beverage, a formula for health
Which, as you know, you can't buy with wealth
Each ingredient a purpose to serve
A scientific blend, a recipe to cure.
Help your digestion, prevent colds and flu
No medical claims (of course), but this is what the yogis do.
95
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C.HAPUR 12
12
Creaturgg
C.RJ:ATURE!! OF HABIT
of Habit
T:
ere is no doubt that we are a l l creatu res of habit. A h uge proportion of what
we do, how we feel, speak, relate, is si m ply habit. A saint h as saintly habits, a
cri m i na l has cri mi n a l habits. I don't want to use the word "si n ner. " Thi n king of
themselves as s i n ners has caused people too m uch damage a l ready. I don't s u b
scri be to the idea of sin, except as the Vedantists say, the sin of bein g ignorant of
your d ivine n ature.
Habits control us so strongly that it is said we can actua l ly change our destiny
by changing our h abits . According to ancient yogic wisdom, there a re six specific
areas of habitual behavior to be changed:
way of walking
way of dea l i n g
way of talking
way o f eating
way of dre!H:ing
way of won: h i p
Of course, t h e best way to break a habit i s to replace i t with a d ifferent one. This
is one way yogis p ractice the concept of " resist not evi l . "
TWO KI N D OF HABIT1
"It has been seen i n our entire concept of life, that we are 1 5o/o slaves to a rou
tine, to habit. Man must have certain habits without which his l ife can not go on. But
he can attain liberation by changing the character of these minimu m-required habits.
"There are two kinds of habits : promoti ng habits and demoti ng habits.
Demoting habits make you u n happy physical ly, mental ly, a n d spiritua l ly. Promoti n g
habits make you happy physica lly, menta lly, and spiritua l ly. I n you r life, i f you h ave
a l l the habits which are promoting habits, you wil l end up as a l i berated, divine per
son . If you have demotin g habits, you wi l l a lways end u p as a p hysical wreck, men
tal ly insane, a nd/or spiritu a l ly defu nct.
97
"Habit is a m ust of your personality and mind. For that period when you a re acting
under a demoting habit, you are total ly in the negative personal ity. It is a lso a fact that
if you get into any one negative habit, you wil l automatically attract its fou r sister habits,
for they love to stay together. These five demoti ng habits of behavior and attitude are:
greed, anger, lust, attachment, and negative ego. When one sister enters the house, she
calls the others to joi n .
" Each habit is supported o n two tri pods:
It take 40 day to etablih a
Physical, Mental, and Spiritual,
habit, 90 day to eonfi rm it,
Past, Present, and Futu re.
"There are two guiding i nsti ncts in man. He is
1 2 0 day-eve ryone wi l l know itl
either improving his futu re or blocking h is future
im provement. If you are conscious of th is, and have an honest and sincere urge
to im prove you r future, you wil l always have promoti ng habits. Oh man, if you
are to care not even for God, at least care for the future. When you ca re enough
for your futu re to have promoting habits, you wil l become a l iberated person .
"A l i berated person is always a happy person . He does not lack in a ny material
comfort. He does not know any power on Earth which can insult him. He lives in
grace in this world and when he leaves the body he is respected for generations
to fol low. Everyone can be l i ke that.
"Yesterday's greatest sinner can be a sai nt this minute. The only thing required is a
decision : 'Am I to guard my futu re and choose to be a liberated person, or am I to block
my future and go by the material-physical aspect of the world?' . . . Maintain a positive
attitude with promoting habits for forty days, and you can change your desti ny. "
There is a fu ndamenta l meditation that works on changing habit patterns . It's cal led
the SA-T A - N A - M A med itation . You ' l l find the original form, in which Yog i B hajan first
taught it, in this book. Later he gave a beautifu l visualization technique to p ractice with
it. I 've incl uded that for you as an optional bonus-extra. I thi n k you wil l enjoy it.
You wil l also find a breath m editation designed to help control addictive behavior
(habits).
rm
UGG!!TD PRO M OT I N G HABIT

Do one special meditation every day for forty d ays. Kee p a d ia ry of you r p rogress,
and the changes you go th roug h .
98
CHAPITR 13
DRUG!!
13
Drugg
nThg C.hi ngg took opium a n d lot thgi r ivi li zatio n . I nd i a n
took marijuana and l ot thg i r ivi lization . Thg fgy ptia n
ugd pgyotg a n d othg r hgrb a n d thgy lot thgi r ivi l i zati o n .
Thg Grggk and Roman lot thg i r ivi l ization with a l o ho l .
Thg Unitgd tatg ha thgm a l l ."
-Yogi Bhan
hy do people take d rugs? To get out of facing real ity. But d rugs take
you to non-real ity. The use of d rugs has become so widespread now,
it's even considered "fashionable." Yet thousands of people conti nue to die from
d rugs and thousands of l ives, careers, and marriages a re destroyed by d rug a buse.
Babies are born already addicted because their mothers were users. The n ew
"designer" d rugs a re even more lethal and dangerous than the d rugs com monly
used in the '60s. I n 1 994 a promising you n g actor, just twenty-two yea rs old,
River Phoenix, collapsed i n front of a club i n Beverly H i l ls and d ied shortly there
after, a nother victi m - of what? D rugs? Ignora n ce? Arrogance? ("It won't hap
pen to me.") Social pressu re?
When Yogi Bhajan a rrived i n Los Angeles in December of 1 968, the "drug cul
tu re" was a way of l ife for almost a n entire you n g generation . They had started
taking d rugs in order to fi nd God. They had rejected society's material values and
they wanted t o experience spi rit. Yes, they wanted to get " h ig h, " but for the
majority it was a si ncere spiritual q uest, not just thri l l-seeking.
U nfortunately, they didn't know the results of taki ng those d rugs. They didn't
know how much they would suffer from the side-effects. Out of twenty m i l lion
you ng people, millions died, were permanently damaged, or went insane.
For those of you who were not there and d o not remem ber the 60s (and for
those of you who were there and do not rem e m ber the 60s), the fol lowi ng q uote
from Yogi Bhajan wil l i l l ustrate the point:
99
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow o f Eternal Power
THING!!
TO KNOW
"There is a possi bility that some of you m i g ht feel, once i n a whi le, to
rem e m ber the '60s. Some of you a re very i n n ocent. You do not u ndersta n d . I
was addressi ng one situation today. At one ti m e that person had taken so m uch
d rugs that the neu rons in the b ra i n were d amaged . You h ave seven p lates of
n e u rons. If a plate is damaged because of acceleration and contraction, you can
u nderstand the su btle damage. It is j ust l i ke a car wh ich has a very weak bat
tery. The caffeine, the sti m u lants, and a l l these thi ngs, at that moment m ay
h e l p you . But over a long tim e, they damage you . "
When the Siri S i n g h Sahib, then known si m ply a s "Yogiji," saw t h e condition
the young people were in from havi ng taken d rugs, his com passion was a roused
and i m pel led him to teach them Kundali n i Yoga . He knew it was the fastest way
to heal their bod ies and minds, and give them the spiritual awa kening they were
seeki n g . He decided to teach Ku ndal i n i Yoga publicly, in spite of the fact that
trad itional ly, because of the power it gives, it was forbidden to do so.
H e u nderstood thei r d rive to use d rugs was a n atte m pt to change their con
sciousness, to fi l l a n i n ner e m ptiness. They took d rugs because they h a d not
been taught any other way to take control of their in ner l ives . Drugs were a
rejection of in ner pain and stagnant menta l states. But d rugs did not provide a
way to build a ny real basis for a new consciousness. He knew that Ku n da l i n i
Yoga creates i m mediate, actual changes i n consciousness. Although many d rug
users thought of Kundalini Yoga as a nother way to get "high," it is a way to
becoming the higher self! It is getti ng out of pain, su bconscious turmoil, a n d
boredom. It does give you energy from withi n that can not b e given or created
by a ny outside substance.
Yog i Bhajan knew that by doing Ku ndali n i Yoga, the students wou l d n ot
only experience an even higher "high," but they would be repai ring their ner
vous system and brain. He said it wou ld take three years of doing Ku ndalini Yoga
and eati ng a healthy diet to repair the damage that d rugs had done. That was
the beg i n ning of the 3HO Drug Rehabilitation Program . We even sta mped a l l of
o u r 3 H O outgoing mail with the slog a n :
"'Mak thi a d rug-fr nati o n .

Hlp th 3HO Fou ndati o n ."'
100
CHAPHR 13
DRUG!!
Yog i B haja n never tol d students o utrigh t to stop taking d ru gs, but h e
poi nted o u t t h e effects of takin g them, a n d h e g ave sim ple things t o d o as a n
alternative :
W h e n you feel t h e urge for some sti m u lant, take seven l o n g d e e p breaths,
hold ing each i nhalation to the maxi m u m . Or (if you ' re not out i n public, that
is), do B reath of Fire. It is the
WhQn y o u fQQI thQ urgQ for a gtim ul a nt
most powerfu l remedy!
" If you do a half-hou r of
takQ gevQn long deep breathg . holdi n g eaeh
Breath of Fire every day, there
i nhalation to the m axi m u m . O r ( if you're
are a lot of troubles that you
not out i n p u b l i e . that ig ) . do Breath of
can keep miles away. 1 "
Fire . I t i g the m ogt powerfu l remedy I
H e let people discover for
themselves they cou l d get
higher on Kundalini Yoga than on anything else. He poi nted out that it's a per
manent spi ritual experience. There a re no damaging side-effects. It's a lso legal
and less expensive than d rugs. Not only did every yoga class help heal past dam
age, but it gave a n i m mediate "up" experience.
Armed with Yogi Bhajan's masterful technology, a special ful l-care, d rugless
3HO Drug Rehabilitation facil ity in Tucson, Arizona, was beg u n . Staffed by q ual
ified professionals, it evolved i nto "Su perHealth, " a haven for anyone wanting to
relax, rej uvenate, and regenerate. Using Ku ndalini Yoga as the main featu re of
the program, g uests or clients were given massage, cou n seling, diet, and moti
vational techniq ues to i m prove the quality of their lives.
lltRe e reat i o n a l d ru g " i a n oxy m o ro n .

D r u g n e ithe r e reate n o r re-ereate , they det roy .
MARIJ UANA
N ot even marijuana is "safe." Marijuana attacks the nerve centers i n the
spine. Therefore, the entire nervous system, all 72, 000 nerves in the body, are
damaged . Another major effect of marijuana is damage to the memory fu nction .
101
THING!!
TO KNOW
The two hemispheres of the brain expand and contract depending u pon
the activity of the nostrils. What happens when a person smokes "pot" is that
wh ichever nostril is "open" expands the corresponding hemisphere of the
b rai n . This creates the euphoric experience and the distortion of space per
ception and vision, "spaciness. " The p roblem is that whenever the b rain is
affected by d rugs, its usual control factor of the expansion and contraction is
destroyed . From then onwa rd, whether the person is smoking "grass" or not,
that hemisphere can expand any time, a ny place. People get spaced out, for
get what they are doing from one moment to the n ext. My observation was
th at marij uana made the most i ntell igent people incom petent a n d u nde
pendable. Marijuana sti m u lates the brain cel ls and it constricts the spinal fluid.
Yog i B h ajan poi nted out to us that m a rij u a n a g rows wild i n I n d ia, but
n o body bothe rs to smoke it a nymo re, b ecause t h ey k now its d isastrous
effects.
!!lPI NG Pi ll!!
Thi rty-five m i ll ion people in this cou ntry can n ot sleep at night. M a ny take
sleeping pills. Sleeping pills make you neu rotic, because they make the
body slee p, but they do not let the su bconscious sleep. Everythi ng gets
pushed i nto the u nconscious. And when things get put into the
unconscious, man is a l iving "crazy. " H e has a bsolutely no
"
nervous control system . The parasym pathetic does n 't even
come throug h . And there's not yet a medicine wh ich can cure
this d isease, because they do not deal with the root cause.
They just cover the surface.
Yogiji taught us the yog ic procedu re for how to go to sleep at n ig ht with
out pi lls, sleep better and deeper, a n d wake up refreshed. You can read all
about it i n the chapter on Sleep.
CYCl!! OF Uf
H uman beings have three d istinct tim e periods, or cycles when major
changes take p lace. These a re in the real ms of consciousness (seven years),
intelligence (eleven years), and physical (eighteen years) .
102
CHAPUR 13
D u ring the first eighteen yea rs of l ife, the body is g rowing, so it seems as if
we can get away with just about anything without noticing a ny i l l effects. Kids
can eat j u n k food, go without sleep, get no exercise, even smoke and d ri n k, and
sti l l feel pretty good . F rom eighteen to thirty-six the body goes on reserve and
so it stil l seems as if we can get away with u n h ealthy habits because the body is
using its strong recuperative power to adjust and adapt. But after the age of
thirty-six, look out! Al l the damage we have done, a l l the a buse a n d the neg lect
of the health of our physical body comes back to h a u nt us. We' re no longer on
reserve. The body starts to manifest the effects of all the past m isuse and abuse.
We get the aches and pains: bursitis, a rth ritis, and digestive problems that seem
to come with age. It's not age fol ks, it's deficiency.
Fortu nately, it's never too late to try to i m prove conditions. Even if you a re
over th irty-six, don't despair. By p racticing Ku ndalini Yoga you have al ready
begu n to mend and repair, heal, and strengthen you r body.
Ku ndali n i Yoga is not necessarily "easy" -because you h ave to DO it, you
don't j ust pop a pill in you r mouth, or stick a n eed le in you r a rm . Two of Yog i
Bhajan's earliest sayi ngs a re worth q uoting here. They a re true!
T h e re/!: n o freed o m wh i c h i!: fre e .

T h e re#!: n o l i be ra t i o n wit h o ut l a b o r.
" I k now you m ay h ave taken LS D, you m ay h ave taken P C P, but you can
g et rid of the after-effects of these d rugs if you a re h o n est with sad h a n a, (reg
u l a r d a i ly s p i ritua l p ractice). This is h ow it works. These ki n d s of d rugs, sti m u
lan ts, u ppers, d owners (include sleepi n g p i l ls i n this category), n o m atter
what they a re, control the o pen i n g a n d clos i n g capacity of the worki n g of the
b ra i n 's m etabolis m . It is permissible to take a d ru g o n ly u n de r d i re m ed ical
e me rgency. Othe rwise, i n a ny normal fu n ction i ng b ra i n , when you take
d ru gs, you m a ke it fu n ction a bn o rm a l ly. A l ot of p eo p l e who stick to sad h a n a
(See chapter on Sadhana) h ave been fou n d t o be total ly c l e a r of t h e effects
a n d abnormalities c reated by the use of d rugs. An a bnormality i ncludes a ny
p hysical, m ental, o r s p i ritual abnormality. That is why sad h a n a has been d es
i g nated and d esi g n ed in th ree p a rts: one p a rt rel ates to the p hysical, the sec103
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Etomal Power
KNOW
o n d p a rt relates to the m en ta l, a n d the thi rd pa rt relates to the s p i ritu a l . We

want to d ispense this every morn i ng with the idealistic tho u g ht that the per
son m ay g rad u a l ly benefit fro m it.
" If you h ave to be addicted to somethi ng, be addicted to doi ng sadhana
daily. Otherwise, addiction is not a sou rce of freedom. And you are not free by
taking d rugs. The neurons of the brain will become feeble. Take the d rugs.
What's it to me? But it's you who wil l lose you r nostri l pituitary sensitivity. You
can never smell the su btlety of l ife. You'll a lways be d rag g i ng you r l ife. " 2
COCA I N
Cocaine g ives a person a false sense of i nvincibility, a n d that, of cou rse, is
especial ly appea l i ng to young people. I guess they don't believe all the statistics
that d emonstrate that cocaine is an add iction that is usual ly fatal . Or maybe
they believe it but they thi n k it can 't happen to them. We a l l tend to thi n k that
d isasters happen to "other people, " not to us.
HABI T OR ADDICTION?
Behavior patterns a re the resu lt of the radi ance of the psych e a n d fre
quency of the m a g n etic field in rel ationshi p to the u niversal psych e a n d mag
n etic force. When I first heard Yog i Bhajan exp l a i n this, I h a d to write it d own
and read it over and over to u n derstan d it. What is i m po rtant to u n derstan d
i s that w e a l l h ave h abit patterns. We cou l d n ot fun ction without the m .
H owever, w e often outg row the patterns that we've created. We change, so
we wan t to change our patterns. O r, we want to change because we
know that by changing o u r h a bit patterns, we can change o u r
l ives!
Whether it's overeating, ta kin g d rugs, s moking, d ri n ki ng, o r
g a m bling, w e can get i n to h a b its that c a n b e very self
d estructive. H ow to change these patterns? I ncrease you r freq uency. The tool for doing th is is the m antra !!A TA NA MA wh ich is the
n uclea r form of the seed sou n d, !!AT NAM. M antra means m i n d p rojectio n . It
is a tec h n ical d evice for regu latin g the mind. (See chapter on Mantra.) The !!A
TA NA MA m ed itation was i ntrod u ced i n the Let's Talk About Food chapter, a n d
104
CHAPHR 13
DRUG!!
referred to again i n Creatures of Habit. Here's more i nformation a bout why

these syllabl es a re so effective.
Seed sounds or " Bij" mantras are sounds which total ly rea rrange the habit
patterns of the su bconscious mind. By vibrati ng the sou nd current of !!AT NAM
you activate that particular energy in the mind that erases and esta bl ishes habits.
It represents the soun d embodiment of Truth itself: !!AT (truth) is the reality of
what exists and NAM (name, identity) is the vibration which creates what it
names. !!A TA NA MA is the basic evol utionary force in the human psyche, and
its effect is the same as spl itting the atom.
!!A is the i nfin ite, the beginning. TA is l ife: from the i nfinite comes life and
existence. NA is death : from l ife comes death or change. From d eath comes the
Consciousness of the joy of the infi nite, which leads back to l ife, MA. or rebi rth .
Turn the page for a meditation for B reaki ng Addiction, usi ng this " Bij"
mantra . . .
..D iffi L! u lt th i ng g ta kQ a l o n g t i m Q :
T h Q i m pogg i b i Q ta kQg a l itti Q l o ng Q r
..
"'3
105
THING
TO KNOW
BRfAKI N G ADD I CT I O N
B y Rgarranging Your ubeongeioug M i nd

I n this meditation, the thumbs rest against the temples. The pressure
exerted by the thumbs triggers a rhythmic reflex cu rrent d irectly under
neath the stem of the pineal gland. It is imbalance in this obscure area that
makes mental and physical addiction seemingly u n breakable.
I m balance in the area below the pineal u psets the pulsating radiance
that regu lates the pituitary gland. Since the pituitary reg u lates the rest of
the glandular system, the entire body and mind go out of balance when
the pineal is dormant. This meditation corrects the problem. It is excellent
for everyone, but particularly effective for rehabilitation efforts in drug
dependence, mental illness, and phobic conditions.
Although this meditation wil l produce resu lts within 5 to 7 minutes,
work up to a maxi mum of 31 minutes a day. Human habit patterns are set
or broken in forty-day cycles. More deeply ingrained patterns may take
longer to correct.
Once the pineal gland has started secreting, it wil l give you rad iance. It
wil l free you from old patterns.
Sit in a comfortable pose. Straighten the spine and make sure the first six
lower vertebrae a re locked forward . Make fists of both hands and extend
the thumbs out straig ht. Place the thumbs on the tem ples where there is a
smal l indentation about an inch beyond the eyebrows. This is the lower
anterior portion of the frontal bone above the tem poral-sphenoidal suture.
Lock the back molars together and keep the l i ps closed. Vibrate the jaw
m uscles by alternating the pressure on the molars with the rhythm of A
TA NA MA. A muscle wil l move under the thu m bs. Feel it massage the
th umbs and apply a firm pressure with the hands.
Keep the eyes closed and look toward the brow point. Silently vibrate
the syl lables A TA NA MA there. Continue 5 to 7 min utes, working up to
3 1 minutes over a period of daily practice sessions.
106
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow o f Horna/ Powor
CHAPTI:R 14
ave you ever had i nsom nia? H ave you ever had to take sleeping pills? Do
you som eti mes wake up in the morn i ng feeling as if you've been ru n over
by a ten-ton truck, or stepped on by a n elephant? Do you thi n k
you need more sleep? Do you wish you cou ld get along on less
sleep? This chapter is for you !
The pu rpose of sleep is to allow the body and the m i n d to
rest, recuperate, regenerate - and do some self-hea l i n g . You
should wake u p rested, refreshed, and alert, ready to face the d ay. Do you?
FOUR !!TAG!! OF !!lP

There a re several stages of sleep:
1 . The first stage is the tossing and tu rning and worrying stage. It's a big
waste of tim e a n d energy. It's not necessary to go th rough it at a l l, if you prepare
you rself properly for sleep!
2 . N ext is usual ly a l ig ht dream, " reverie" stage (also not requ i red), from
wh ich you go into a n even more energy-draining stage:
3 . D ream state. You may thi n k you enjoy you r d reams, but the fact is that
whatever adventu res you experience while you're d rea m i n g take ten times more
energy out of you tha n if the events actually happened while you were awake.
No wonder you wake up exhausted. Especial ly if you ' re being chased by tigers,
or attacked by monsters from outer space. We don't n eed to experience this state
either. What we want to do, what we're aiming to reach, is:
4. The deep, d rea m l ess sleep state. It is only i n this fou rth stage of sleep that
we are actually rejuvenated, a nd o u r batteries get rech a rged .
107
THING5;!
TO KNOW
fxp l o d i n g t h 1 f1 i g ht-h o u r m yth .

HOW M UCH lP DO I ND?
Now that you ' re not going to waste precious tim e in the fi rst th ree stages of
sleep, you don't need eight hours of "sleep, " honest!
Here's why: When your breath becomes erratic, when it is not slow and
steady, it tears down your nervous system. After between four and a half to five
and a half hou rs of sleep, your rate of breathing changes, so it's not a good idea
to sleep any longer than that at one stretch. The deep sleep state actually on ly
lasts a maxi mum of two and a half hours. The faster you can access the deep sleep
stage, the less time you have to spend in the other stages. However, most of us
take a little while to get into the deep sleep state and a l ittle while to come out.
A hea lthy, ful l-g rown ad u lt livi ng a reasonably healthy l ifestyle real ly doesn't
need to sleep more than five and a half hours! (It is said that those who have
perfected their sleep s ki l ls can get all the benefits they n eed i n only 3 1 minutes!)
Such g reat achievers as Madame Curie and Thomas Edison were known for
thei r ability to take periodic "cat naps. " They never slept for long hours at a
ti me. One of the yogic powers m uch to be desired is the conq u est of sleep!
Bei ng able to rejuvenate you rself in j ust a few m i n utes is a g reat asset i n l ife.
According to a n a rticle in the L.A. Ti mes, 2 "President j o h n F. Ken nedy used to
work i n the Oval Office u ntil 2 or 3 a . m . and then get u p at 7 : 30 a . m ., with daily
one-hour naps. President Clinton tries to get by o n five hours a n d a nap.
Salvador Dali felt he o n ly needed fou r hou rs of sleep a d ay. When overtired, he
used to sit holding a s poon over a tin plate on the floor. When he fel l asleep,
he'd d rop the spoon, waki ng hi mself u p, claiming to be com pletely refreshed.
Leonardo Da Vinci d ecided to sleep five minutes every fou r hours, a total of a
half-hou r each day. After five months he gave u p-reportin g that he felt all
ti ngly arou n d the head and was biting his tongue freq u ently-an d went back to
his reg ular fou r hours . "
Wel l, obviously, Da Vinci went a bit overboard . H owever, w e can lea rn how
to relax so com pletely that j ust an eleven-minute n a p ca n do wonders (in addi
tion to a good yogic n i g ht's sleep, of cou rse). In fact, taki ng two such eleven
min ute naps every d ay is highly recom m ended, especial ly for women . 3
108
CHAPITR 14
!!U:lP
U nfortun ately, many of us go to bed so loaded with a nxiety that our minds
keep going over and over the same problems and concerns, l i ke a b roken
record . We even worry a bout whether we'l l be able to go to sleep or not, and
that keeps us awake. If we do fal l asleep, it's a restless sleep.
It's a vicious circle: if our sleep is restless, then our rate of b reathing becomes
erratic. If the breath is erratic, the mind is d isturbed . If we a re menta l ly d istu rbed
in sleep, the deep sleep stage may never be reached . Resu lt: We wake up more
ti red than when we went to bed .
AT-WT I BT
For maxi m u m efficiency a n d benefit from sleep, place you r bed so that it is
positioned east/west. Yes, you want to sleep in a l i n e that cuts across the
earth's mag netic fie l d .
J ust a s t h e n eed le o f a com pass i s always p u l led toward the north,
you r personal e nergy wil l g et swallowed up by the p u l l of the earth's
m ag netic field u n less you sleep with you r electromag netic field at rig ht
angles to it. Positioning you r bed north/south cou l d be the reason you wake
up ti red and g rouchy in the morning.
Your entire nervous system is affected by the direction in which you sleep. It
doesn't matter which end your head
is at, the im portant thing is to have
the lines of force in your body going .. Two wo rgf Q n Q m i Qg of y o u r !: p i n Q a rQ
east-west. East-West is Best!
a utomobi iQ!: a n d OFT B fD .'' WQ a l l
B K I N D TO YOUR PI N
nQQd t o wa l k m o re a n d d rive le!:!: .
A soft bed may feel cozy, but to support you r spine prop
erly, and get the best night's sleep, you need a very firm sur
face to sleep on. This isn't meant to tortu re you . It's not nec
essary (or even desirable) to sleep on a bed of nails. But if
... IlLII ...... ........... you want to give maxi m u m relaxation to you r enti re nervous
system, you have to give maxi m u m support to you r spinal col u m n . All 72,000
nerves in you r body a re con nected to those twenty-six vertebrae in you r spine.
So, "Good-bye waterbed, " "So long, thick feather mattress! "
109
THING
TO KNOW
Get the firmest mattress you can fi n d . Or try a three-inch futo n or foam
pad . You need to get rid of soft, non-supportin g beds i n order to experience
the rest and relaxation you n eed and d eserve. M a ny people who can afford
every luxury sti l l choose to sleep with only a Persian rug a n d a s h eepskin for
padding on a carpeted floor!
Okay, n ow you know h ow to get you r bed ready. The re's more to do before
you get into it.
110
CHAPltR 14
!!LP
Other ways to set you rself for To bg ga n g . two t h i n g g y o u n gg d to

successful sleep a re to:
do gvgry d a y : !!WAT & LAU G H !
Read something inspirational
( MaybQ you can laugh whiiQ you'rg out wal ki n g ! )
Say you r prayers
Meditate
Tu rn on you r auto-reverse tape recorder and play some beautifu l med itative
music wh ile you sleep. Subliminal tapes do work.
Now you're ready for a big treat. It's you r foot massage!
If you don't have anyone handy to give you a foot massage, you can do it
you rself. (Complete instructions in the Things To Do section.) By the way, if you want
your husband, wife, sweetheart, ch ild, parent, or sibl ing to total ly adore you, give
them a foot massage! It is the kindest, most sooth ing, comforting act of healing.
There's one more very i m portant thing to do before you go to sleep:
Bafora you go to gJaa p . taka a l l your worriag,

eonearng, idaag, a nd problamg. wrap thorn u p i n
a paekaga a n d put thorn o n a ghalf i n y o u r m i nd
labalad G - 0 - o : laava thorn thoro . You"ll ba
a mazgd at how many a ra gona. golvad . a n d
i mprovad b y tho t i m a you waka u p . T h o whola
paekaga may hava van i ghad l
.
..
Don't forget to set you r mental ti mer to wake you u p i n the morn i n g . Yes, you r
subconscious mind has a g reat sense of time. I t wi l l respond to you r d i rective.
j ust before you go to sleep, tel l you rse lf what ti me you ' re going to wake
up. At first you'll probably also want to use a n alarm clock, j ust for
i nsura nce. You'll be su rprised how q u ickly you can develop you r own
i nternal wake-u p system . This ability wil l come in handy when you
want to practice " H ow to Wake U p i n the Morn i ng " the yogic way.
I n the Beginners Kundalini Yoga Series, I teach a special b reath medi
tation to practice at bedtime. It's i n the Things To Do section, along with som e
exercises that work wel l a t bedti me .
Now you're ready for t h e yogi c secret t o d e e p sleep:
111
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow o f Hemal Pow"f!r
THING!! TO KNOW
112
CHAPTER 14
!!lP
TfCH N I CAl !!TUFF

I n case you ' re i nterested, h e re's a more scientific exp l a n atio n of the yog ic
terms for some stages of sleep as d escri bed by M SS G u ru c h a ra n S i n g h Khalsa,
P h . D., who knows a l l the tech n ical terms. I just know what works !
Awake i s n o r m a l awaren ess o f earth a n d d efi n i n g t h e self b y circ u m

stan ces a n d outer o bjects.
Juga rat (or h owever it is spelled) is the self with the sense of the i n ner
worl d : d reams, i ma g es, psych i c i mp ressions, the su bcon scious storages of self.
oopan is heavy d ream stage. (Very exhausti n g !)

koopat, o r d ream less, is b eyon d the p u l l of the five e l e ments a n d i nto
the sense of m e rg ed s p i rit where identity is n ot based on the worl d .
Turiya is awakened sleep. Awa ke as I nfi n ite S p i rit a n d aware o f t h e oth e r
rea l m s o f self. T h a t is w h y Yog i B h ajan says h e knows n oth i n g a bout d reams.
" I n ever had one." He has a state of Tu riya i n which Reality of Self is a lways
p resent. The su bconscious a bsorption i n to d rea m s a n d sym bols is not n eed
ed . A sym bol experienced in Turiya is a vision o r an i ntuition .
113
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of Eternal Power
THING!! TO KNOW
SL
E E P Y T I M E S ON G
Shakespeare said t'was "Sleep that knits up the ravell'd sleave of care-"
I guess he never had insomnia, nor dreamed he was chased by a bear
Sweet dreams are not so sweet at all
They take ten times the energy to run or fall
T'would take if t'were happening awake
So, yogis say, "avoid dreaming, for heaven 's sake!"
Drink some water at bedtime we recommend
Give your stomach a rest - it will be your friend
Put your troubles on a shelf before you retire
Mark it "G-0- D " and see what transpires
In the morning they may be gone forever
Meanwhile, forget them overnight - aren't you clever?
Breathing slower and slower, your mind slows down too
Left nostril engaged, sweet Morpheus woo
Deeper and deeper you drift away
To awake refreshed to a brand new day
Prepare your body, instruct your mind
Sleeping becomes a pleasure you 'll find!
A foot massage is a bonus delight
Sets your nerves at peace for the night
(Wash feet first in cold water - feels great)
Play your auto-reverse with an inspiring tape
Firm mattress placed east and west
(Yogis concur, this is the best)
Do some exercise
you can't go wrong
And this is the end of my Sleepytime song!

114
CHAPHR 15
HOW TO GIT UP IN THI:: MORNING
15
How to Gt1t Up i n tht1 Morni ng
TH WAY TH YOGI DO I T
I You can, of course, set a n alarm, have a wake-u p service phone you, or
. . .
ask someone to cal l you . But ideal ly (if you're smart), you wi l l have conscious
ly set you r i nner alarm the n ig ht before by tel ling you r su b-conscious what time
you want to get up. The subconscious mind has a very accu rate sense of ti m e
and wi l l be happy to serve you !
A l wa y g com e o ut o f g J e e p g J o wl y a n d g ra d u a l ly .
N o g u d d e n m oveg ( Be k i n d to y o u r n e rvou g g y gte m .
If you leap out of bed when the a la rm rings, that a bru pt tra nsition from
sleep to waking is a shock that damages you r nervous system . I nstead of the
j u m ping-jack scenario, when it's ti m e to wake u p, try th is:
115
THING!!
TO KNOW
KP YOUR y ClOD
I n hale very deeply and stretch you r arms way up and back over you r head .
Take a few long deep b reaths, s-t-r-r-r-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g you r spi ne, a n d then do a:
CAT TRTCH
Bend one knee u p to you r chest and swing it across the front of you r body
to touch the bed on the opposite side; then do the sam e thing
with the other knee. Twist and tu rn and bend to the maxi m u m .
This i s good for you r circu lation and for the nervous system . You
a re letti ng the electromag netic field balance itself.
Stretching first th ing in the m orn ing is a major factor in helping you go
th rough the day balanced and cal m . Be sure to do it.
TH y HAV IT !
You 've done a l l the stretch ing with you r eyes closed . Now, lyi n g flat on you r
back, p u t the pal ms of you r hands tig htly over you r closed eyes. Then, b u t not
until then, open you r eyes, look d irectly i nto the palms of you r hands. Slowly
very slowly, conti nue to gaze at you r palms (reading you r fortu ne?) as you l ift
you r hands straig ht u p to about eig hteen inches a bove you r face. This gives
you r optic nerve a chance to adj ust g radually to the l ig ht and distance, and
helps to keep you r eyesight strong . Protect you r eyesig ht, always avoid a ny sud
den shock of l ight.
WAK UP YOUR FAC

F rom the eighteen-inch heig ht, b ring you r fin gerti ps down to the center of
you r forehead, and with a circular m otion, massage you r forehead from the cen
ter out to the tem pl es and down both sides of the face to the tip of you r chi n .
(There a re special p ressu re points on either side of t h e chin, wh ich a re l u n a r cen
ters.) Now massage you r nose and you r ears, squeeze you r nostri ls a n d you r ear
lobes briefly to get the circu lation going. Take a few more long deep b reaths to
open u p you r l ungs a n d get ready for:
116
CHAPH:R 15
HOW TO GIT UP IN THf MORNING
!!TRTCH PO!!
Lyi ng on you r back, legs straig ht, b ri ng you r heels together and l ift you r
head and you r heels about six inches off the bed (twelve i nches, maxi m u m), bal
a ncing on you r buttocks, whi l e keeping you r eyes open and focusi ng steadily on
you r big toes (or the blan kets coveri ng the toes!). Hold the position for one
m i n ute with B reath of Fire. Arms a re held straight at you r sides, pal ms facing
you r thighs, but not touch i n g . (Sort of l i ke a sentry at Bucki ngham Palace,
except that you can smile.) If you r eyes water, that's OK, it's good l u brication for
them. If you r body shakes, that's okay. It ind icates the nervous system is adjust
ing. If you can't maintai n stretch pose for the
ful l minute, do it in seg ments, even if it's only
ten seconds at a time. J ust do the best you can,
and keep tryi ng! It's tim e wel l spent because:
trgtf!h pogg a dj u gtg y o u r n avgl p o i n t . i nf!g t h g n avgl i g

t h g fol!a l p o i n t for a l l 72 . 000 n grvug i n t h u bod y . gfrutl!h
pogu i g a t u n u- u p for y o u r who l u n g rvou g g y gtum ag wgl l
a g y o u r d ig ugtivg g y gtu m . I t a l go gtru ngthung y o u r
rup rod ul!tivg o rg a n g a n d g l a n d g ( thg guat of y o u r
l!ruativity a nd p ro d u l!fivity ) .
N O TO KN
After one minute of stretch pose, relax for about 15 seconds a nd then bend
you r knees to your chest, wrap you r a rms around them and hold them tight
against you r body, l ift you r head and put your nose rig ht in between your knees. I n
this position d o Breath of Fire for 3 0 seconds to one minute, pumping you r nave l .
This stimulates the apana (out-going l ife breath) a n d helps you r elim ina117
THING!!
TO KNOW
tion. j ust as prana is not breath itself, but carried on the i ncoming l ife breath,
apana is the eliminating force of the body, carried on the outgoing, or eliminating
breath . It is the cleansing breath of l ife that gets rid of the toxins. Add to the bene
fit of this exercise by metally repeating the mantra WA H [ G U R U or gAT N A M over
and over in your mind, synchronized with the breath . Hear it loud and clear as you
inhale and exhale. Then in hale deeply, exhale, and relax the breath as you . . .
HAV A HART!
Keeping you r knees tightly clasped to you r chest, tu rn b riefly onto you r
right side and rest for a m i nute o r two. This postu re strengthens the heart.
Warni n g : thig pogtun may bQ dangQroug

yourQ liabiQ to fall back to gJQQP and bQ latQ for work.
TAK A WAlK
Now you're ready to get out of bed and wal k to the bath room . Don't put
on you r slippers yet. It's better to go barefoot, so that you r body can d ischarg e
a ny excess electromagnetic energy you 've accum u lated overnight. T h e fi rst
stretching you did in bed was to b reak through the "cocoon " of you r i n d ivid ual
electromagnetic field and reesta bl ish contact with earth . Touching the wal ls a n d
touching t h e faucets with both h a n d s wi l l hel p conti n ue t h e process o f " g round
ing yourself" for the day ahead.
BATHROOM AlRT
As we explain in the chapter cal l ed, " Let's Tal k About Food, " when you go
to the toi let first thing in the m orn i n g, you can verify how wel l you a re d igest
ing your food by looki ng to see if you r stool floats. If it does, it means you r body
has gotten the benefit of a l l the food value in whatever you ate, a n d it is just
eliminating what it cou l d n ot use to build blood, bone, and tissue. If you r stool
si n ks, then someth ing is wro n g, either with you r diet or with you r d ig estive sys
tem, and probably both . And, you can tel l by the color of you r u ri n e h ow you r
kidneys are doing. The color should not b e darker than gold.
118
CHAPUR 15
HOW TO GIT UP IN TH MORNING
BRU!!H YOUR TONGU

N ot just to wh iten and brighten you r teeth, but for the sake of you r health,
here is a yogic recipe for oral hyg iene: Take two parts powdered potassi u m
a l u m 1 m ixed with o n e part of co_111 mon household salt a nd use it
l i ke tooth powder to brush you r teeth . More i m portantly, brush
the root of your tongue. Why?
D u ring the nig ht, you r mouth tu rns into an i ncu bator,
warm, moist, and cozy. I n that envi ro n ment, bacteria have a n
o rgy a n d they m u ltip ly like crazy. U n less you get rid of that toxic
accu m u lation, you wil l swal low it with the first sip of liquid. So, to avoid poi
son i ng you rself, use you r tooth brush and reach way back to the root of you r
tongue u nti l you gag and cou g h u p that d isease-producing m ucous. The two l it
tle g la nds back there cal led "mon key g la nds" need to be cleaned out.
Another benefit is that as you g ag, it m a kes you r eyes water. Ancient yogis
cal l ed that "cataract" water, a n d said that it hel ps preserve the eyesight. So, a
word to the wise: use this astri ngent com bination of a l u m and salt every morn
i n g . I keep the m ixture in a clean, d ry, e mpty m ustard jar. I pou r a l ittle, a bout
the size of a quarter, i n the pal m of one hand, wet my toothb rush and dip it i n .
You can finish with you r favorite tooth paste on you r teeth, if you wis h . I do.
Oil AND WATR. TH B!!T M IXTUR

N ext on the morn i ng agenda is the biggest chal lenge of the day, the ever
popular 3HO trademark, the COLD S H OWER! But fi rst, before you get u nder
the shower, yes, before you get wet, massage you r body ai r over
with a l ittle oil. Oil is more easily absorbed by the skin when it
;, . is m ixed with water-an d you won 't be g reasy afterwards.
,' Al mond oil is h ig h ly reco m mended si nce the a lmond conta i ns
1
so many minerals, a n d it nou rishes the body throug h the pores
1 1
of you r ski n . Go for it! When the cold water hits the s u rface of
you r skin (wh ich has fou r l ayers) all the blood from way deep
i nside you r body rushes to the su rface i n self-d efense, vastly i m provi ng you r cir
cu lation on the spot. This is cal led hyd rotherapy. It strengthens you r enti re ner
vous system . People pay h uge sums of money for what is now cal led
'/;Iff
(/
119
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow o f Etornal Powor
THING!!
TO KNOW
" Hyd rothermal therapy, " when i n reality a l l you need is you r own two h ands,
col d water, and cou rage.
An added benefit is that you wil l probably become very holy the m oment
the cold water h its you r body, because it is very l i kely you wil l shout, "Oh my
God ! " You m ig ht try exclaimi ng, " Wahe Guru" ("Wow, God is G reat!") or "Ang
Sang Wahe Guru" ("God l ives in every l i m b of my bein g . ") Rememberi n g God
is a lways a blessin g .
Go i n and o u t o f t h e water fou r times, constantly massaging you r body u ntil
the water no longer feels cold . Be sure to get the arm-pits (major nerve centers)
a n d the i nsides of the thighs. You can even stand on one foot and m assage the
top of it with the other foot, but don't s l i p or trip! Women, be sure to massage
you r breasts.
Then, you r first victory of the day achieved, d ry off b riskly with a rou g h
towel til l the body real ly shines; put on loose, comfortable exercise clothing, and
you ' re ready to do you r sadhana, you r personal daily spiritual p ractice. (See
Sadhana: Your Spiritual Bank Account.) God bless you, you're boun d to h ave a
wonderfu l day!
Note, for women, there are exceptions to the shower ru le! One: Don't take
cold showers d u ring you r monthly period . Two: No cold showers after the seventh
month of pregnancy; take lukewarm, body-temperature showers instead . From the
one hundred-twentieth day (when the new soul enters the wom b) u ntil the
seventh month, give the baby a cold shower with a very good massage, but not
more than three minutes, and you wil l hel p build a very strong, d isease-free baby!
" It's: n ot tha I ifa th a t rn a ttats:.

it's: th a co u taga y o u b ti ng to i t.
If you rea l ly l ove hot showers, won d e rfu l . Ta ke them at n i g ht, or some
ti m e when you ca n wra p up afterwa rds in lots of b la n kets and sweat for at
l east a n hour or two . But in the m o rn i n g, cold water is yo u r best frien d . The
m orn i n g shower is for you r c i rc u l ation, a n d sti m u l ation of you r n e rvou s a n d
g la n d u l a r systems.
120
CHAPHR 16
DHANA
16
adhana: Your pi ritual Bank Account

f n vy of thQ A n g eJ g
(AnggJg C.an"t Do ad ha na )
t has been said that even the a ng els envy us because it is o n ly when a being
has evolved i nto the h u ma n form (after 8.4 m i l lion l ifeti mes i n other
forms), that he/she can be l iberated from the cycle of birth and d eath . N o othe r
l ife form has this opportu nity. N ot even t h e angels.
To experience liberation we h ave to expand our awa reness beyond the l i m
itations of our i ndivid ual consciousness. O n ly then can we merge into the vast
ness of the U n iversal Self, which is our true identity. That expansion takes
cou rage and consistent effort. It takes work .
..TH[R[ I!! NO liB[RATION WITHOUT LABOR1

T h e m a i n work toward l i be ratio n is cal le d sadh a n a . Sad h a n a is the base,
the fou nd ation of a l l s p i ritua l e n deavor. Sad h a n a is you r personal, i n d ivid u a l
s p i ritua l effort. It is t h e m a i n too l you u s e t o work o n you rself to achieve the
p urpose of l ife. It can be done alone o r with a g ro u p . Sad h a n a is whatever you
d o consistently to clear you r own consci o u s n ess so you can relate to the i nfi n
ity withi n you . To cover a l l you r bases, it w i l l i n cl u d e exercise, m e d itation, a n d
p raye r.
B efore you face the world each d ay, before you g o i nto you r kitchen to fix
b re a kfast, before you ride you r b i ke to school, jog to you r office, o r get in you r
car t o fig ht the battle of the freeways: d o you rself a favor a n d tun e u p you r
n e rvou s system a n d attu n e you rse lf to you r h i g h est i n n e r self.
121
THING!! TO KNOW
The power of you r sad hana is enhanced by doing it with other people. To
go from individual to u niversal consciousness, we have to go th rough g roup
consciousness. G ro u p sad h a n a
H ave you h ugged y o u r gou l tod a y ? develops g roup consciousness. You
wi l l fi nd that com m u nication and
deali ngs with the people who do sad hana with you is m uch easier than with
other people, because you have created an harmonious inner avenue of com
m u n ication .
A MBRO!!IAL HOUR!! - R I G H T T I M / RIGHT PLAC

There are certai n times of the day that a re best su ited for med itation: the
ideal ti me slot is fou r o' dock to seven o'clock in the morning. Then, to m a ke a
positive transition from day to night-tim e, fou r to seven in the evening,
D u ring what a re ca l led the "ambrosial hours" (the two and a half
hours just before sun rise), when the sun is at a sixty-deg ree a n g le
to the earth, the energy you put into you r sad hana gets maxi m u m
resu lts. You r world i s q u ieter. It's easier to med itate a n d concentrate
before the hustle and bustle of the day beg ins. This is the ti m e we
need to be awake to receive that fi rst solar energy of the day. "Any
foo l can sleep, but wise is that one who rises before the s u n . " 2
AR YOU THI NK I NG
..
1 CAN'T GT UP THAT ARLY!"?
If you absol utely can not get up early i n the morning to do sadhana, then do it
some other time! Doing sad hana at any time of the day or n ight wil l benefit you .
However, it is a fact that the opti m u m time is d u ring the ambrosial hou rs. As Yog i
Bhajan says, " If you can't have the best, make the best of what you have." I f you
can 't do sadhana for two and a half hours, do it for an hou r; if you can 't do it for a n
hou r, do i t for thirty-one minutes, or eleven min utes. I f you don't want t o do the
sad hana outlined in this book, do some other sadhana, but for God's sake-(and
you r sake)-do something!
122
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow o fHemal Power
CHAPITR 16
0 N f:
H 0 L Y
!:AOHANA
M A N '!!
!! P f: C. I A L !! A D H A N A
O nce there was a very holy man who l ived i n a cave high i n the
mou ntains of the H i malayas. He p racticed austerities and penances for

many yea rs. Every morn i ng he would appear at the cave entrance j ust
before s u n rise, and stand waiti ng for the first rays of dawn to appear
over the horizon, i l l u m inati ng a spectacu lar panorama of h u n d reds and
h u n d reds of miles of l ush g reen forest. H e cou ld look down and see the
m irrored reflection of his own snowcapped mountain shimmeri ng i n
t h e crystal clea r river sparkling m i les below. Overwhel med with the
beauty of God's creation, he never tired of the exq u isite sig ht.
Awestruck at the wonder of God's creation that g reeted his eyes each
dawn, he watched the sun rise, clapped his hands in glee and shouted
at the top of his l u n gs, "Well done, God, wel l done!" This was his way
of g iving thanks to his Creator. This was his sadhana.
123
THING!! TO KNOW
guGGE!!TIONg: H OW TO D O M ORNIN G gAOHANA

PRPARATION
M o rn ing sad hana real ly starts the n i g ht before. It starts with h ow you go
to sleep at nig ht, so you can wake up early i n the morn i n g the yogi c way. O n e
o f the m ost essential steps i n that p reparation for morn i n g sad h a n a is a cold
s hower. Yes, col d . People pay thousands of dollars for hydrotherma l therapy,
but you can ach ieve the same results for o n ly a few cents a d ay i n you r own
col d s h ower. I can 't repeat often enough h ow val uable it is to take that cold
shower. That's where you can o pe n up you r cap i l la ries, i ncrease you r circu la
tion, wake up a n d strengthen you r entire n e rvous system i n a bout five m i n
utes. A l l y o u h ave to d o is m assag e you r body vigorously u nder c o l d water fi rst
thing in the morn i n g u ntil the water does n 't feel col d . After this "tun e-u p"
you ' re ready to tu ne-in for you r m o rn i ng sad hana. I'm going to d escribe i n
d etail t h e sadhana p rescribed b y Yog i B h ajan, a n d p racticed b y thousands of
3 H O students throughout the worl d . P l ease join us!
lOCAT I ON
It's best to do sad hana i n the sam e p lace every d ay. Ideal ly, you wil l fin d a
3 H O Yog a Center or Ash ram, a n d participate i n the g ro u p sad h a n a there .
Everyon e benefits from t h e com b i n ed energy. You can, o f cou rse, d o you r sad
hana at home. J ust sel ect a d ean, q u iet s pot where you wil l n ot be d is
turbed . You m ay want to set up an a ltar of some kin d with pic
tu res, flowers, statues, whatever sets a m ood of reverence for you .
This a lta r becom es a focal point for you r m ed itative energy.
After you tu n e i n by c h a ntin g ONG NAMO GURU OW NAMO (at
l east th ree tim es), do a set of K u n d a l i n i Yoga exercises (re m e m ber to
i nclude the relaxatio ns), then you ' re ready to beg i n c h a ntin g .
124
CHAPTR 16
!!ADHANA
M ORN I NG MANTRA!!
Sit i n Easy Pose, on either wool o r cotton padd i n g of some sort. Some
people use shee pski n s, others p refer a fol d ed b l a n ket. You r fou nd atio n should
be solid so you can sit sti l l . You can chant sitti n g i n a chair o r eve n lyi n g i n
bed if you r p hysical condition requ i res it. B e s u re to kee p you r s p i n e a s straight
a s you can .
The words for a l l seven of the m o rn i n g sad h a n a mantras a re a t the e n d of
this chapter. The sequence beg i ns with seven m i n utes of c h a ntin g Lon g E k
O n g Kar's. This mantra opens a l l t h e chakras. (See the Things To Do section for
specific directions for chanting it.) Al l of the othe r m antras for the m o rn i n g m ay
be chanted to you r choice of melod ies, with o r without m usical acco m pa n i
m ent. There a re several a u d io tapes 3 available with d ifferent m usical versions
of a l l the "Aq uarian Sad h a na" m antras. Try them u nti l you fi n d one that s uits
you . O r, you can create you r own m elod ies . But be s u re to kee p the sam e com
parative length of syllables a n d m a i ntai n t h e sam e rhythm a s they wou l d b e
s poken if you were sim ply recitin g the m i n a m o n otone, with out a ny m usic.
This attention to rhyth m p reserves the " Naad, " wh ich is the i n ner sou nd, the
power, of the syl lables. Th is is very i m po rtant. N ot every tape that has been
p rod u ced is flawless i n th is regard , but as the scri ptu res say, " Mantram
Siddyam, Siddhyam Parameshwaram. " H e who m asters mantra, masters God
H i mself. Perfection can't be expected to be easily achieved . You wil l h ave to be
the best j udge of which morn i n g sad h a n a tape works best for you . O n e of the
m a ny adva ntages to g ro u p sad h a n a is that you can just s u rrender to the
p rocess, as someone else leads the exercises and the chanti n g . (Or, you can
l ead it and d o it "your way!")
TH AGONY AND TH C!!TA!!Y

I wou l d l i ke to say that m orn i n g sad h a n a wi l l g ive you a bl issfu l experi
ence . I ca n 't honestly p ro m ise you that. The fact is, someti m es it can be
d own righ t m iserable. It is a cleansing p rocess. G a rbage acc u m u lated from
m a ny l ifeti m es g ets stirred u p a n d com es floatin g to the s u rface. You m ay fin d
you rself o bservin g some very u n pl easan t, u g ly thoug hts wh i l e you ' re m ed i
tatin g o r c h a ntin g . G a rbage consists of s u c h attitu d es a n d feel i n gs as a n g e r,
125
resentment, fea r, frustration, self-pity, d e p ression, i nsecu rity. The i mportan t

th i n g i s , kee p on chanti n g ! The m a n tras a re d o i n g their job. You ' re clea n i n g
u p a n d g etti n g rid of t h e negativity that h a s b e e n coverin g u p the d ivi n e l i g ht
inside you .
Negative vibrations create blocks of negativity. These blocks pile u p
forming walls of negativity, wal ls that separate us from experienc lilt

,i_
ing the God i nside us. It is this sense of separation that m a kes us
u n happy. By contin u i n g to chant, you're replacing neg ative vib raTf'!lii ,_. BR
tions with positive ones, and the wal ls come tumbling d own !
If we don't clean u p the subconscious on a regular basis, negativity contin
ues to accum ulate. When it reaches a satu ration point, it spi lls over i nto the
u n conscious mind and then it's really hard to get rid of it.
To be tru ly l iberated and in control of our m inds a nd our l ives, we can 't be
pushed and pul led a round by i rrational com pu lsions from the sub-conscious.
Did you ever do someth ing
you
really didn't want to do?
P ra y i n g ig ta l ki ng to God . me d i ta t i n g
O r do somethi n g you n ow
i g l ett i n g G o d ta l k t o y o u .
wish you had n't done? Wel l,
the desires a n d the com p u l
sions to action or lack of action, caused by fea r, come mostly from the s u b
conscious. If we don't get rid of what's bu ried there, we can be i n real trouble!
When you fin ish chanting for a n hour-and even d u ring that hour
remember to give than ks to you r Creator. This is a n excellent tim e to pray.
You have worked on you r physical body with Ku ndalini Yoga
exercises. You have worked on you r mind, cleaning out the s u b.
conscious th roug h chanti n g mantras, now it's tim e to refresh you r
spirit a n d i nteg rate a l l parts of you r being by offering you rse lf a n d
dedicati ng you r actions for the d ay to the One Creator who m akes
it possible for you to experience H is marvelous creation . It's tim e for
worship, however you choose.
It can be at you r own a ltar, at you r tem pl e, c h u rch, o r syna
gogue. We who a re S i kh s g o to the G u rdwara (litera l ly, the " gate
of the G u ru") whic h is o u r tem ple. " S i kh " s i mp ly means stud ent.
'\J
fl'IEII
Y,
. rl!fi!'!!A
((};;I
126
CHAPUR 16
!!ADHANA
Everyon e is welcome i n a ny Sikh p lace of worship. People of a l l beliefs, castes,

colors, genders, and ages a re welcom e .
W e b ow w h e n w e fi rst e nter t h e G o d re pe !!f!: m e whe n I wo rk.
G u rdwara. Th is i s not o n ly good for t h e
but H e l ove!: m e whe n 1 g i n g . "
circ u lation, but i t a l l ows u s to express
o u r i n tention to offer o u r l ives in service
to G o d a n d acknowled g e that we
belong to the G uru . We rem i n d o u rselves to "g ive our heads" to the G u ru,
offerin g our p roblems a n d worries to the G u ru . Then we si ng, offer a tradi
tion a l p rayer, listen to a n excerpt from the S i ri G u ru G ra nth Sah i b, to g ive us
i ns p i ration and g u idance for the d ay. The S i ri G u ru G ra nth Sah i b is a vol u m e
o f sacred writings com pi led from t h e words o f S i kh G u rus a s wel l a s e n l i g ht
ened H i n d u, M us l i m, and Sufi sai nts a l l of whom experienced the h i g h est state
of Yoga . These words a re, in effect, Words of God, a n d by reciti n g them a n d
l iste n i n g t o them, w e raise our consciousness. It is the Livin g G u ru o f t h e S i khs.
We then s h a re some G u rprashad, a trad itional sweet, made of whole wheat
flo u r, h o ney, a n d clarified butter (l itera l ly: a " gift" of the G u ru). Tastin g this
sweet m ixtu re rem i n ds us that everything we receive is sweet because every
th i n g com es fro m G od . Then, as Sikhs, we a re s u pposed to " g o to work a n d
earn rig hteously" so that w e c a n h ave a b u n d ance t o s h a re with others.
The first Sikh G u ru was G u ru Nanak, who taught that God l ives and b reathes
i n everyon e (sound fam i liar?) and that people should not fig ht a bout how to
wors h i p that One God . Therefore, Si khs do not try to convert others to become
Sikhs, and a re com m itted to respecti ng-and even d efending-the rights of
othe rs to worship however they choose.
HAV[ A GOOD DAY

H aving done sad hana, you have cleared you r m i n d and consciously pre
pared you rself to go forth and be successfu l in h a n d l i n g whatever the day may
b ri n g . You consciously strive to hold on to the remem b rance and the awareness
of SAT NAM with every breath . Wherever you go, whatever you do, remember
SAT NAM l ives and breathes in you ! (Remember in the chapter on Breath of Life
we said, "catch yourself breathing! ")
127
S A D HA NA
Kundalini Yoga, meditation, and prayer
"Morning Sadhana, " your soul wants to be there.
Be kind to your soul in the ambrosial hours
Get rid of impediments and experience your power.
You 're already divine, a Spirit Being of Light
Clear away the debris so you can shine bright!
My mind can be a wonderful friend, and I truly love it dearly
But it doesn't always help me out, when I really need to think clearly.
Bombarded all day with sounds and sights
Cluttered with fantasies and dreams by night
Subconscious is constantly programmed subliminally
And the stuff we accumulate loads us down criminally
"Garbage in: garbage out, " computer programmer knows
Subconscious garbage causes most of our woes
To clean it out, erase those files
It only takes a little while
Do sadhana each morning to get a fresh start
Raise your consciousness and open your heart
Series of mantras, one hour of chanting
Re-record on the disc of the mind
Sharpen your wits and hone your skills
These are just a few of the benefits you 'll find
128
CHAPHR 16
MDHANA
Sacred vibrations in scientific combination

Stimulate hypothalamus, change brain cells' permutation
Chant God's Name before break of day
Sorrow and tension melt away
The process of cleansing I must admit,
Brings negativity to the surface - that's part of it
But unless it's removed, brought out to the light
It festers and multiplies - and that's not right!
Excess subconscious garbage not removed, overflows
Into your unconscious, that dark, murky, bottomless pit below.
Clean your mental house daily
It really is a must
Even if it does kick up a lot of dust
Any fool can sleep late and miss sun 's first rays
But blessed be the soul who wakes to the day!
Two and a half hours before the sun rises
Best time for sadhana-practiced by the wisest.
129
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of ftomal Powor
THING TO KNOW
!!PI R ITUAl BAN K ACCOU NT

M orning sad hana is the best i nvestment i n the world . It is l i ke putting
money i n you r spiritual ban k accou nt. It wil l a lways earn at least ten percent
interest. For every hour of morn ing sad hana, you get ten hours of
guidance and clarity! Therefore, the ideal sadhana lasts two and
a half hours.
You can be sure when you ' re doing sad hana in the a m b rosial
hou rs that you're in the rig ht place at the right time doing the
rig ht th ing. What a g reat feeling of self-esteem and self-assu r
a nce, to start each day with that confidence! If you real ly want to "HAVE A
GOOD DAY, " sadhana is the way to begi n it.
130
CHAPUR 17
WOM[N
17
Woman ig pt1llt1d
DoubJ g-Vou-0-Man
Thi ehapter i written primarily for women,
but I think man wil l find it worth readi ng .
!!hocking perhap. but worth reading!
u r pre mise in this book is that everyone has the right to be healthy,
happy, and holy. As women, there is a lot we can do to make this possi
ble. Obviously something has to change. Any change starts with a change of
attitude, a d ifferent idea, or concept. So I i nvite you to open you r mind to a d if
ferent way of viewing our l ives, identity, and pu rpose as women . You may fi nd
some of the thi ngs you are about to read u psetting, but twenty-seven yea rs of
l iving, cou nseling, and observing the results of these ideas h ave convi nced me
of lheir practica lity!
Yog i Bhajan p u l ls no punches. He strips away fantasy and teaches reality.
This is not always a popular thing to do. H e offers en lig htened and u n iversal
knowledge of the true natu re and characteristics of each gender. He has gone
i nto g reat d etail i n hundreds of lectu res and classes, explain ing how men and
women a re d ifferent. Men may be "from Mars" and women may be "from
Venus, " but we' re all here on Earth now, a n d we need to learn how to enjoy
being here together.
It's obvious that the cu rrent belief system of the "eq ual ity" of men and
women has not brought us happi ness and fulfi l lm ent. Discontent, d epression,
and frustration a re common. The d ivorce rate conti n u es to g row and the fabric
of society is torn by bitterness and resentment on both sides of the gender l i ne.
Thoug h i m po rtant, equal pay for eq ual jobs does not deal with the fu ndamen
tal issue of our u nique strengths and pu rpose as wom e n and our i m pact on
society.
131
-Yogi BhcU a n
"You m ust w i n freedom a n d you r rig ht t o be reco g n ized a s h u m a n . You
can not be paid less than a man, you can n ot be den ied o pportun ities because
you h a p pe n to be a wom a n . I a m n ot aski n g you to becom e total tom boys,
but I a m tell i n g you that the g race of wom a n demands to be treated n icely.
S h e is the better h a lf. If somebody opens the door for h e r it is no
tragedy. It is a male cou rtesy to h is own g race . . . l a m n ot askin g you
to becom e fem i n ists, but to be very g racefu l, a bsol ute wom e n . " l
Adi !!hakti !!ymbol
VRY WOMAN 1!:! A !:!HAKT I :

GOD'!:! POWR I N MAN IF!:!TATION
Probably the most stri king thing a bout Yogi B h ajan's attitude toward
women is the p lace of respect and reverence he says is o u r God given right, and
his insistence u pon the nobility and i nvincibil ity of wom a n when she claims her
rig htful power and majesty as "Shakti . "
The word Shakti means the fem inine aspect o f God, the Power th rough
wh ich " He" created the creation . Adi Shakti is the P ri m a l Power.
TH POWR OF WOMN
Men may not l i ke to believe this, but women a re actua l ly sixteen tim es more
powerfu l tha n men. Perhaps not in m uscu lar strength, but a woman has sixteen
ti mes the emotional i m pact, sixteen times the i ntu itive awareness, a nd sixteen
ti mes the p rotective sense. She's the creatu re who end u res childbi rth . She's the
one capable of turning her blood to milk to feed her c h i l d .
" G o d h a s g iven you sixteen times more cou rage a n d more com p rehensive
biological p hysical strength than a m a n . H ave pity on th is g uy! He d oesn 't have
132
CHAPITR 17
WOMN
all you r biochem ical action, doesn't have the mental lunar reflection, doesn't
have the sophistication and softness and doesn't have the nervous system to
deal with it, and he's sti l l alive!"2
I s it a ny won d e r that a wom a n 's i nflu ence and effect o n a man can be
e normous? Wom e n th roughout the ages h ave i ns p i red m e n to g reatness, or
led them to their d oo m . What we say to a m a n ca n either elevate, i nspire, a n d
enco u rage h i m, o r e mascu late, a ntagon ize, a n d som etim es destroy h i m . But,
what about the exp l oitation of wom e n ? Yes, it is true, wom a n has been p ut
d own, m is used, a bused, a n d b ruta l ly m istreated . But, this d oes n ot h ave to
conti n ue. When we acknowledge a n d accept o u r power as women, we can
clai m our rig htfu l status of d i g n ity, g race, and res pect i n society.
H istory shows that any society or civi l ization i n which woman is not respect
ed has u lti mately been destroyed .
FROM A CHI CK TO AN AGl: TH I NVINCIBl WOMAN

Recog nizing the need to ed ucate women a bout women, Yog i
------ --Bhajan created a special summer i ntensive training prog ra m for
":-.. :._.::.
--...__
--women . The fi rst Khalsa Women's Training Cam p, KWTC, (Khalsa
means "pure one") was held in 1 9 76, on land boug ht by Yog i
Bhajan i n Espanola, N ew Mexico. C a m p ra n for eight weeks, a nd
the women ran, too ! Everything from martia l a rts a n d march i ng,
to m usic and med itation was taught. Yogi Bhajan personally lectu red and led
Ku ndalini Yoga classes every day. He was determined to elevate and transform
woman in th is cou ntry from a "ch ick" to a n eagle! He em phasized the nobility
of woman.
He taught special med itations for women, shared ancient secrets on health
and diet for wom e n . He lectu red on virtually eve ry aspect of a woman's l ife
including love, romance (versus reality), marriage, and childraisi ng, always
building our self-esteem and rem inding us of the d ivi ne n atu re of Woman. H e
tol d us, "You a re t h e G race of God ."
Espanola sti l l hosts KWTC each summer for several weeks, and women can
even come for just a weekend of rej uvenation, inspiration, a n d education .
-
----
.._""""
133
WHAT DO!! A MAN KNOW ABOUT WOMN?

Sometimes newcomers to cam p wonder how a man can know so m uch
about women.
For one thing, d u ring his childhood in I nd ia, young H a rbhajan Singh P u ri
had the u n iq ue experience of attending an a l l g i rls Catholic school. It was the
only school available in the a rea where his fam i ly l ived . So, Yog i Bhajan l earned
early i n l ife to deal with many women. He tel ls stories of the hard ti me he gave
the n u n s with his constant questions: u n nervin g and to the point!
Yog i B hajan's mother was a very powerful, rig hteous woman whose tra i n i ng
had an i m pact on him which he has never forgotten . He cherishes her memory
to th is very day. H e has never forgotten the val u es she taught h i m . But his
u n derstanding of women goes far beyond a ny male perspective.
As a Master, as a Yogi, Yogi Bhajan always sees women-a nd m en-from a
cosmic viewpoint. He never forgets that we a re p rimari ly sou ls, payi ng o u r
karma a n d learn i n g our lessons in these two d ifferent forms.
!!U N and MOON

Cosm ically speaking, the male carries the energy a n d the radiance of the
sun, the female represents the moon, the l u na r energy. She waxes and wanes.
H e does not. The sun is stationary, shining, and warm i n spite of the clouds. The
moon is bright, beautiful, and reflecting. Take these two elements and you can
u nderstand the character of man and woman . She shines her b rightest reflect
ing the l ig ht of the sun. Reflect you r man and you've got h i m . And if he's warm
and shining, fi rm, stationary and stable, he wi ns her heart. Does that mean
woman does not h ave her own identity? N o, sim p ly they a re d ifferent. Without
the moon to nourish and sustain, whatever g rows from the solar energy wil l n ot
last. Male and female a re meant to com plement a n d su p plement each other. H e
i s the seeder, she i s the nou risher a n d sustainer. She i s m eant to contai n the
male, j ust as the word female conta i ns the male, and the word woman contains
man ! W-0-M-A-N is spel led Double-You-Oh - M a n !
Expecting men t o react, feel a n d th i n k t h e s a m e way w e women do, is j u st
setti ng ou rselves u p for d isappoi ntment. We fee l h u rt when men don't l ive u p
to o u r u n real istic expectations. We get angry a t them for bein g men, for a thou134
Kundalini Yoga:
Flow of fternal Power
CHAPITR 17
WOMf:N
sand things that men d o or don't do, sim ply because they're men . When we
react emotional ly, remember we have sixteen tim es the i m pact, so when we
blow u p at them, or break into tears, men really don't want to, or can't, deal
with it. This is frustrati ng for them, so they can get ang ry, and then we have a
real fight on o u r hands.
But, you may be thi n ki ng, "Hold on a min ute, does that mean it is the
responsibility of the woman to adapt and adjust all the time? What about men
doing their share?" Good point. However, thi n k of it this way: J ust as a com puter
can only print out what has been progra m med in, men and women have been
program med to approach l ife d ifferently. We each cam e from the M a n ufacturer
with a special software package u n iquely desig ned . It's nobody's fau lt! If you
want to com plain, tal k to God, He's the Master Com puter who d esig ned us the
way we a re.
Woman is the embodiment of
God's creative power. The word
Shakti means "God's power in man
ifestatio n . " Woman e m bodies the
feminine aspect of God, throug h
which "He" created t h e creation .
That Primal Power is cal led the Adi
Shakti and has been worshipped for
centuries in the orient in the form of
goddesses. Every wom a n has that
d ivine goddess power in her own
being, waiting to be recognized .
Kundalini power is Shakti power.
fVfRY WOMAN I A GODDf Thi i worth rgpeatin g :
fVfRY WOMAN I A G ODDf
!!araswati. Godduss of Wisdom.

Mothur of floquuneu. Mosaie by
!!hakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa. 1967.
135
l<undalini Yoga: The Flaw ofHemal Power
THING
TO KNOW
Yog i Bhajan's respect for women and h is teachings a re a reflection of G u ru

Nanak's words 3 :
"In a woman, we are conceived, and from a woman we are born
With a woman man is betrothed and married.
With a woman, man enjoys friendship and through a woman,
the path of life is created.
With a woman, man is engaged and married.
When woman has passed awaYt man seeks another woman.
To the woman, man is bound.
Why call that one bad from whom kings are born.
From a woman, a woman is born. Without a woman there can be none.
Nanak, only the one True Lord is without a woman . . . "
A CTIO N PL A N FOR WO M N
(The following material is quoted directly from Yogi Bhajan 's lectures.)
Bf CALM . CONTfNT. AND CONTA I N 0

" N ever share you r weaknesses with you r man or you r child. Go inside to
you r navel poi nt, concentrate on it, and you'll get you r answer i n seconds. The
only thi n g that can m a ke you a fail u re i n l ife is a nxiety. Anxiety com es from the
fact that you r sense of achievement and sense of tim i n g confl ict. Lea rn to listen
to others cal m ly and you rself quietly. The moment you don't l isten to you rself,
you wil l n atu ra l ly becom e a nxious. If you don't develop you r person a l ity so you r
presence wil l work, you r words won 't work either. You r p resen ce should con
vince a person that he is tal king to a goddess.
DIPOABL
" Life leaves very deep i m prints on a woman. A l ot of men try to use women
as a toothpaste tube. They want her to be available when they want her, and
when they a re ti red of her they rep lace her with a n ew one. A woman should
understand her security before she i n d u lges i n relationships with men because
all tem pora ry relationsh i ps a re very deeply i m printed on wom e n . Men don't
have that faculty, they a re not affected the same way.
136
CHAPUR 17
WOMN
THE FLIRTAT I O U!! M I N D

"There i s a sayin g : 'The re i s a val u e for a n arrogant m i n d but none for a
fli rtatious m i n d . ' An a rrogant m i n d is stub born a n d demands i nformation,
w h e reas a fl i rta""A wom a n i n Ame ri ca h a g o n l y two c h o i c e g :
tious m i n d is self
d estructive.
A
b e a Goddegg o r be a p ro gfitute ., - Yog i Bhan
m i n d w h i c h wi l l
d estroy the self wil l d estroy everyth ing with it. A fl i rtatious m i n d is the worst
thi n g wh ich can h ap p e n to a wom a n . U nfortu n ately, because of her added
m e ntal fac u lty it is som etim es very easy for her to becom e fli rtatious, as she
d oes n ot know how to m o n itor herself. O nce a wom a n has an a u ra of fl i rta
tious behavior a bout her, it is very d ifficu lt for her to reg a i n her respectability."
GGM: Gra eo of God Moditation

O n Septem ber 22, 1 9 70, a group of women Ku ndalini Yoga stud ents i n San
Francisco asked Yogi Bhajan how to control and chan ne l their powerfu l, some
tim es overwhe l m i ng emotions. They recogn ized that women do, i ndeed, have
a lot to deal with ! This was the day the GGM was born . For the fi rst time, he
taught the special m ed itation that is desig ned to awaken the power of the Adi
Shakti, the goddess, withi n each woman . H e cal led it the " G race of God
Meditation, " "GG M " for short. You ' l l fin d it in the section cal led Take Care of
Yourself as a Woman at the end of this book.
Women were not created to com pete with men . Women were n ot i ntended
to battle with men, but rather men and women were meant to com plement and
supplement each other.
What? N o more battle of the sexes? Yes, the battle of the sexes can end. And
it can end with a win/win situation, when we as women acknowlege and a ppre
ciate our power as women and use it positively.
MEN*!! COUR!!E!!. Of Cou n:ol

For several years Yog i B h ajan tau g ht cou rses especi a l ly for m e n , and even
p ut some M e n 's Courses o n video-tape. The M e n 's C o u rses were o n ly for one
d ay, whereas Wom e n 's Cam p lasts several weeks each s u m mer. He explained
137
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of fterna/ Power
THING TO KNOW
that wom e n a re far m o re com pl ex than men, a n d i n the long ru n, men wou l d
benefit m ore b y h is spending more tim e teac h i n g the wom e n h ow t o be suc
cessful wives a n d m others.
YOGI BHAJAN'!! ADVIC TO M N

"Whenever a woman can not tal k to you, raises her voice, or a rgues, she is
covering her g u i lt. It has nothing to do with you . Her su bconscious personal ity
is rem inding her of previous weaknesses which she d oesn't want to fal l i nto
again .You a re j ust a scapegoat. By facu lty, she's not s u pposed to act that way.
She is not tal king to you, she is tal king to her subconscious personal ity; she is in
the past. Offer her a d ri n k of water a nd change the su bject."
WOMAN A!! HR OWN P!!YCHIATRI!!T

"The m enta l fac u lty of a fem a l e is m u lti ple. Whe reas a m a n can becom e
'si n g u l a r, ' t h i s is i m possible for a wom a n . B y n atu re s h e is meant t o p rotect a
secon d l ife, that of h e r c h i l d . N ature has given h e r a s ubco nscio u s, i ntu itive
person a l ity. Wom e n h ave their outward person a l ity a n d a lso this s u pplemen
tary personal ity. But u nfortu n ately the secon d person a l ity, which is t h e added
person a l ity, c reates a s p l it person a lity.
"Someth i n g which was given to h e r as a g ift to facil itate h e r m otherhood,
is beco m i n g a psych iatric probl e m . . . The whole Western psyc h ological a n d
psych i atric world is tota l ly baffled . They cou nsel wom a n witho ut u nde rstan d
ing t h a t wom a n basical ly has n o n eed t o be cou nseled . S h e h as to be awak
ened . No wom a n n eeds a ny advice a n d cou n sel i n g . Wom a n can m o n itor her
self, whereas m a n can not."
HOW TO A N N OY A WOMAN
"You m ust u nderstan d that woman is m uch sharper than a male. No woman
needs cou nseling . Her n atu re is to resist advice. If you want to a n n oy a woman,
cou nsel her. She a lso g ets angry more q uickly tha n a m a n . A creatu re wh ich can
turn its blood i nto m i l k to save and nourish its offspri ng can d o everyth ing else
also. A c h i ld can m a ke a man crazy in ten m i nutes a n d n ot d istu rb a woman in
twenty hours. The facu lty of a woman also extends to mental a n d spiritual
138
CHAPHR 17
WOMN
real ms. She h as a n i n born capacity to tackle everything. She l ives i n the center
of her bein g . Whereas by nature man either l ives in his testicles or in h is head .
H e does not h ave the n atura l tendency to l ive
i n the center of his bei n g . B ut woman always
powr of a woman ."
l ives i n the center and works both u p and
down . There is a sayin g i n the Kama Shastra,
- .. Ladiug Homu Journal" Magazinu !!logan
'When a woman is in bed, and sexual i ntercourse is perfect, and she is total ly blended with the man, even at that time she
can think that the tea may boil over."'
M A R R I A G
... MARRIAG I!! A CARRIAG U NTO I NFI N I TY"4
The d ivorce rate i n Ameri c a is astronomical, but if a wom a n u nderstands the
rea l pu rpose of marriage (instead of the fantasy a bout it) she has the ability to
create a happy and successful relationsh i p and a cozy home that a man wil l love
to n ever leave . (Not that d ivorce is necessari ly always the fau lt of the woman,
but as they say, " N ever underestimate the power of a wom a n . " )
According to t h e highest spiritual understanding, m arriage is a m erger, a n
amalgamation o f two souls o u t o f which a n ew alloy is formed . W h e n there a re
two bodies with one sou l, it's a marriage. Wow! Tal k about com m itment!
A lot of books have been written a bout male female relationshi ps and mar
riage, but Yogi Bhajan's teach ings on the subject a re startli n g ly d ifferent. They
requ i re a major re-eva luation of preconceived ideas. It's worth the effort,
though. Women who h ave put these concepts into p ractice, have been helped
to make d ramatic changes in their l ives.
"You a l l have to rea l ize what a marriage is. Marriage is n ot a n easy path .
Marriage is a l ife. Marriage is n ot a ceremony, marriage is God .
"Marriage has not been u nderstood by the Western world at a l l . It was
u nderstood by the Eastern world but it is forgotten there too. So at this time,
the institution of marriage is i n total l i m bo. People d o n ot know what to d o with
139
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of f.temal Power
it; people do not know what to do without it. So what we have fou nd out via
the media is that marriage then d ivorce, and d ivorce then marriage, is a con
ti n uous process. But actu a l ly if we all u nderstand what m arriage is, then perhaps
we can do better:
"Marriagg i a partngr h i p of two
"Marriage is a n institution of wil l ing ness,
in which two identities want to amalgamate.
bgi ng of l ight who J ivg by thg i r
It's an amalgamation of two egos to bring
i ntuition , undgrta n d i n g . a nd a
out a neutral new personality.
eommon . ggnuing i ntgrgt of
"What is the advantage of it and what is
the disadvantage of it? When this amalga
wglf bgi n g .
mation happens then divine power in the
You a rg a hglp to gaeh oth g r.
psyche starts to function . Without that, peo
Thg p u rpog of thg rgfatio n h i p i ple are individuals and they wil l only yel l and
scream at each other and good ness wil l
t o rgJay t h g hgJ p . Rela-tion- h i p :
never come in that home. I t i s a g ranted fact.
rgfay t h e hi p . Del i ve r, dgfiver.
"Marriage brings h appiness. I t's a n amal
defivgr, dgliver. I t eomg exaetly
gamation of two psych es. And when these
two psyches a re amalgamated, n either one
to that . . :
is a n i n d ividual. There is no q uestion of ' he'
-Yogi Bhan. KWTC Jung 29. 1 988
and 'she.'
"To make a n alloy, you take two elements and put them togethe r. The alloy
can not be separated . You can boil it, you can form the a l l oy i nto a, liquid, you
can total ly burn it, but once it becomes an a l loy, it wi l l total ly keep its own qual
ity, own quantity, own weight, own molecu les, own electrons, p rotons, and
neutrons, and own com bi n ation. Whatever made b rass doesn't matter. B rass has
its own faculty, own q u a lity, own weig ht, and own pro perty. And that is what
love is, that is what m a rriage is, that is what l ife is, that is what good l uck is,
when a male a n d a female merge together. That is why we m a rry before God . "
As Yogi Bhajan says," Everybody h a s fau lts. You d ivorce a man with 26 fau lts,
but then you m arry a m a n with a set of 2 7 other fau lts. What's the poi nt? B roken
hearts, broken homes. God l ives in cozy homes, not in crazy homes." And it is
the woman who creates the home, and it is the wom a n who becomes mother,
the first teacher of o u r futu re generations.
'
140
CHAPUR 17
WOM[N
TAK I T LIGHTlY?
Tod ay many people take marriage lightly, "Oh, if it doesn't work out, we' l l
get a d ivorce." A n d even havin g children is a pathetical ly casual affai r. A s Yogi
Bhajan put it, "You take more care i n preparing to plant a rose bush ,tl.
than you do to conceive a child." It is essential to u nderstand that
parents, and particularly the mother, play a most significant rol e
i n the shaping of the l ifelong character, values, and attitudes of
every generation . M ore a bout this i n the Four Teachers Chapter.
,..;:
e.
;,
. .
;J'
M OTHR 120th DAY
ti
There is a beautiful custom of honoring a mother-to-be on the occasion of

her 1 20th day of p reg nancy. That is the day on which the sou l actually enters
the womb. U ntil the 1 20th day, according to ancient wisdom, there is rea l ly no
" life" in the wom b, o n ly a piece of flesh, u ntil the sou l enters.
From the 1 20th day onward, the baby is receiving and a bsorbi ng i n put via
the mother. What the mother hears, the baby hears; how the m other feels, the
baby feels. What the mother says and does makes a d isti nct i m print on the child.
CHi lD TAR
I n her autobiog ra phy, Child Star, Shirley Tem ple Black, who was the most
famous child motion picture star of all ti me, writes that her m other p u rposely
went to museu ms, l istened to beautifu l music, read poetry, a n d even danced
and sang while she was carryi ng S h i rley, so that she would be s u re to give birth
to a talented, m usica l ly gifted child. In the Mahabharata5 it speaks of the future
warrior Arjuna being a ble to plan a successfu l battle strategy w h i le sti l l a you n g
boy, because he remembered a conversation his father h a d with h is m other
while Arj u na was in her wom b !
I n 3 HO, we have a b i g party to celebrate t h e mother's 1 20th Day. But it's
not a baby shower. People b ring g ifts-but they're not for the baby, they a re for
the woman who is bringing a n ew l ife into the world. We honor her especia l ly
on this day, for she is the veh icle th rough which the the world receives a child
who shall become a "sai nt, a h e ro, or a giver." That is the mother's assi g n ment,
to give the child spiritua l val ues, so he can becom e that. And, a l l the ti m e she
141
THING TO KNOW
m ust remember that the child does not belong to her, but belongs o n ly to God.
A child is no one's p roperty.
PAY TH[ R[NT

Being a parent is a job, and it's a challenging one. Parents a re caretakers,
teachers, and trainers. Parents a re the ones who " pay the rent! " Kah l i l G i b ran's
often quoted poem rem i n ds us that our children don't belong to us. The attach
ment of parents to child ren, and its negative effects, is one of the h a rdest con
cepts for us to understan d and accept - because we usual ly m istake attach ment
for love. It isn't. Learning the d ifference between m other love and "smother
love" is one of our hardest lessons as women.
MAN I F[T TH[ GOOD[ ON[ DAY AT A TIM[

At the place where you relate to your Creator i n the morning, p lace a sign
that reads, "This Day Wil l I Be G raceful?" That day you wil l h ave to be g raceful
because you have asked the q u estion and the answer is, "You will ! " It should
man ifest in you r way of speaking, eating, telephoning, behaving, taki n g a bath,
d ressi ng, d riving a car, and so on. You r every action d u ring that day m ust rep
resent you as g racefu l . The m ost beautiful thi n g a bout it is that if you can do
that for forty days, you wil l h ave achieved a state of m i n d i n which l ittl e by l it
tle you can becom e total ly perfect.
o n e t h i ng eve ry wom a n !: h o u l d k now:

!! H OW NO I N!!fC.URITY.
Th i g i g
key to roy a lty . "
-Yogi Bhan
142
CHAPltR 17
WOMN
POWR OF A WO MAN
Guidad Mad itation for Woman

" . . . See you r power as a woman . Touch the heavens, squeeze it to you r
self. Make all the oceans into j ust a d rop. And out of this d ro p, you m ust
sq ueeze a l l the stars and suns and moon. Beyond that, there is a space
where you m ust exce l . The gods sha l l l isten to the cal l of the woma n .
"The sou n d i n t h e heavens, the m u rm u r of the leaves; t h e m usic of
the breeze; and the sound of the waves;
the clouds i n the skies and the d ust on the
earth - a l l in salutation to the cal l of the
woman . The a ngels, divines, the sages,
the saints a re the existence of the very
prayer of the woma n . The cal l i ng of the
woman can penetrate th rough heavens a nd beyond all spaces into the
i nfin ity of God, and that's the only one power p u re enough to manifest
God on Earth . . . "
" . . . This is the truth . And you h ave to experience it. Woman is the only force.
Living, vital, vi brating, her verbal sense is the on ly sense wh ich is creative,
which is consciousness . . . "
" . . . My dear ch ildren of God, there is a job to do. Put on you r a rmor, alert
you rself, and get going. The heavens sha l l bow to you . The angels wi l l come.
The dem igods shall obey, and the Al m ighty God shall l isten to you . Because
you are the only way. " 6
. .
143
CHAPUR 18
FOUR TCHH
18
Four Teal!herg
T hing !: Your M othg r N g vg r To l d You
nfortu nately, m ost parents, i ncluding you rs and m i ne, h ave to depend
u pon their instincts and the patterns they lea rned from their parents.
Most of them are not yog is. They
can only g u ide us with i n the l i m- You r fi rgt tachr i n th i g gchool of l if ig
its of their own knowledge a n d
you r moth r. gcond i g y o u r fath r. th i rd
experience. Even with t h e best of
ig th nvi ron mnt ( r lativg , gchool
i ntentions, their own neu roses
and biases color the way they tach rg, frindg), and fi na l l y , th
teach us to deal with ou rselves
fou rth ig you r pi ritua l Tachr whog
and the world.
It is not only what parents job it ig to co rrct a n y m igconc ptiong
say to us, but what they do and
you rc ivd fro m th fi rgt th r .
what they are that deeply affects
us and forms our basic attitudes
toward ou rselves and everyone else. We in turn pass along this legacy to our
chi l d ren, consciously or u nconsciously.
MOTHR
You r fi rst teacher is you r mother. From the 1 20th day fol lowi n g conception
(it is on the 1 20th day that the sou l actually enters the wom b) th rough the first
th ree yea rs of life, you r mother's i nfluence dominates. She is the p rimary, pow
erfu l, most com pel l i ng shaper of the attitudes, habits, p rejudices, relationshi ps,
145
Kunda/ini Yoga: The Flow of Hemal Power
KNOW
and self-images that usually stay with you for the rest of you r l ife. For better or
for worse, you r mother's i nfl uence is almost i ndelible. The u m bi lical cord lasts
wel l beyond the wom b. The seeds of g rowing u p with fea r of fai l u re, or fea r of
success, a re planted d u ring these early yea rs.
FATHR
You r second teacher is you r father. From age three to eight, his i m pact pre
dominates. He is the male fig u re (or absence thereof) who supplies the exam
ple, the role model for a son . Dad is the a rchetype to i m itate, to love, or to hate.
Father person ifies " m a n . " For a daug hter, Daddy or Poppa is the standard to
which she wil l com pare every other man she ever meets, for better o r for worse.
RlATIV!! and FRI N D!!

The third teacher enters our consciousness at a bout age eight, i n the form of
brothers and sisters, relatives, neigh bors, teachers, friends. They take on a major
role of influence in our l ives. Peer pressure rears its ugly head, and continues to
grow stronger until it becomes enormous during the teen-age yea rs. Of cou rse,
given ideal circumstances, peer pressu re can be usefu l, supportive, a nd can
encourage positive g rowth, but in most instances, it has the opposite effect.
!!PIRITUAl TACHR
The fou rth teacher is you r spi ritual teacher. M ost people born i n the West
don't real ly know what a "spi ritual teacher" is. We suffer from a col lective cul
tural deficiency, i .e., lack of education a bout the n ature a n d fu nctio n of a spiri
tual teacher and the n ecessity and i m portance of th is relations h i p in o u r l ives.
Who does he th i n k he is? It's not a matter of "th i n ki ng, " a gen u i ne spiritual
teacher KNOWS who he is. H e has had the actua l experience of confirming h is
identity beyon d q uestion. H is m ission i n l ife is to help other people achieve that
same experience. And when you r sou l leaves the body, he's there to help you
make the transition . He works more in the non-physical planes than on the
physical .
146
CHAPTfR 18
FOUR TfACHfru!
When you go mou ntain cl i m bi n g, you h i re a guide - someone who knows

the way and the tech n ology to get you to the top without falling and breaking
you r neck. He tells you where
to step. You have the choice of pi ritu a l ity ca n n ot b e ta u g ht , it hag to
fol lowi ng his instructions or be ca u g ht , y o u h ave to g et it fro m
not. You h ave that same gomeone whog g ot i t . T h a tg w h y the
choice on you r spi ritual path.
i n ne r co n nect i o n with a !! p i ritu a l
You r spiritual teacher is l i ke the
rope with the hook on one end teacher i g go i m po rta n t .
that you can safely climb up
on, because it's a nchored o n the top. He offers h imself a s that
rope. You have to project a l i n k to it from you r heart and then
hold on! He takes on the weight of you and you r karma as
wel l as that of all the others he is helping to reach the same
desti nation . That link is never broken by the teacher, but the
student has the option to let go at a nytime, a n d many do. It
is that link of the mind and heart which we create with our
teacher that enables him to help us free ourselves fro m our
past, from our pain, from our patterns of fea r, jealousy, g reed, and anger, wh ich
cause us so m uch suffering and keep us trapped in our lower consciousness. Yogi
B haja n is my spiritual teacher.
Yogi B hajan descri bes the stu dent-teacher relationship:
Li ke a hammer and a ch igeJ with a gtone:
when they meet, the gparkg fly .

The relationship of a student to a spi ritual teacher has to be described i n
analogies, because i t i s fu ndamenta l ly s o d ifferent from a ny other relationsh i p
you have. T h e relationsh i p is not between personal ities, a lthoug h t o t h e student
it can appear to be!
147
THING!!
TO KNOW
A spiritual teacher is l i ke a/forklift who has to come d own to earth, pick you
up and l ift you to the heights of h is level of consciousness. When he m eets you,
how you perceive h i m depends u pon you r degree of consciousness. He can play
whatever role you need in order for you to evolve.
TI M f I!! A TfACHfR. TOO

Life is a school. We can choose: We can either lea rn our lessons in the hands
of Time or from a Teacher. Our spiritual teacher acts as a catalyst to accelerate
the lea rn ing process. He saves us time (perhaps even l ifetimes). He d oesn 't nec
essarily make l ife easier, but he makes our g rowth as a spiritual bein g the main
focus. H e challenges us to fu lfi l l our highest potential . H e doesn't, and isn 't sup
posed to, solve our p roblems for us, because that is O U R job. H e g ives us the
tools and teaches us how to use them to cope with all the things we m u st face.
He can suggest and recom mend, but he can not make o u r choices for us.
I n th is Aq uarian Age, it is n o longer adequate to know about someth i ng, we
have to experience it. A spi ritual teacher is not a preacher. Lots of people can
give fabu lous lectures and q uote plenty of scri pture. A spi ritua l teacher g ives you
an experience.
148
CHAPHR 19
19
My piritual TQaehQr
YO G I BHAJAN
thought I "knew i t a l l " a n d I was not looking for a spir

itual teacher when I m et Yog i Bhajan. I was al most
forty years old. I had been to I ndia and had a l ready stud ied
with many other teachers. Some of what I had learned was
wonderfu l and some of it was not. H owever, it was all valu
able for it led me to the ti me a n d p lace where I could
become Yogi Bhajan's stu dent. Sooner or later, everyone
gets one opportunity to m eet their spiritual teacher. Not
everyone recogn izes nor accepts h i m . I almost missed my
chance.
iri ingh hib Bhai hib
Harbhan ingh Khal!::a Yog!ji
The day I met Yogi B hajan, I privately told the woman
al!::o known a!:: Yogi Bhan
who introd uced us that I did not trust h i m . What I didn't
know was that a real spiritual teacher is a m irror to our own consciousness. Come
at him with you r ego in fu l l sail and you ' l l get zapped by the reflection of you r
self right back at you - i n no u n ce rtai n terms! Having been bad ly betrayed i n the
past by someone I had m istaken ly regarded as a spiritual teacher, I was fu l l of
s kepticism. (And pretty ful l of myself!) Fortunately, I was strongly i m pressed by
the depth of love a nd l ight I saw in the eyes of this cou rtly mannered, soft s po
ken yogi .
A true spiritual teacher has a l ready experienced the state o f "yoga, " or d ivi n e
u n ion with h is own infin ity. He recog n izes that same, d ivine identity i n every
other human being. Therefore, he truly loves and accepts everyone. These
a uthentic spiritua l teachers, " masters, " "saints, " yogis, come to wake us up to
149
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of Hamal Powor
reality. They usual ly shake us u p i n the process. They challenge us, they teach
us, and they pray for us. Their m ission is to enable us to experience o u r true
i d entity a s d ivi n e
You a re not a h u m a n be i n g havi n g a !: p i ritu a l bei n g s i n h u m a n
form. They a re often
QXpe r i e n e e : y o u a re a !: p i ritu a l be i n g h avi n g
cru cified for this
a h u m a n expe r i e n e e .
attem pt.
It was December 22, 1 968, at a lecture at the East West C u ltu ral Center
that I first met Yog i B haj a n . After the program, a small g ro u p of us went out to
dinner together, including "the yog i . " I was q u ite su rprised when h e suddenly
leaned forward from the other end of the table and said, "Your son's i n trouble,
isn't he? I can help you . " I d id n 't know what to make of th is strange tal l man,
with such a striking appeara nce. Since my son was indeed in serious trou ble, I
didn't want to pass u p a ny opportu n ity for help. So, just a few d ays later, on
Ch ristmas day, I phoned Yogi B haja n and went to see h i m . He not o n ly told m e
the story of h i s l ife, he also tol d me t h e story of m y l ife !
The abil ity to see into a person's i n nermost being, to know what that soul
has experienced, as wel l as to see its destiny, is one of the major attri butes of a
spiritual teacher. Yogi Bhajan 's vision is not limited to outer appeara nces.
This is what he told me: H e had been h i red to teach Kunda l i n i Yog a at
Toronto U n iversity, but the day before h is plane from N ew Del h i landed, the
head of the department who had h i red him was killed in a n auto accident. The
job was no longer there. To make matters worse, h is l uggage h ad been lost en
route. Of cou rse he had been warned by the pand its and astrologers i n I nd ia
that he should wait u ntil a more auspicious ti me to make the trip. They had told
him he would have a very hard ti me in the West u nless he postponed his depar
ture. But as we have learned th rough the years, it is not in Yog i B haja n 's n atu re
to retreat from d ifficulty. H e confronts chal lenge head on. He l istens to every
one's advice, but he always acts according to h is own i n ner guidance.
I n Canada, he was rea l ly a stranger in a stra nge land, dea l i ng with a very d if
ferent cu ltu re. The cold Canadian wi nter had just set i n . He had to tie n ewspa
pers around his shoes to kee p warm . He did n't know where his next meal was
coming from. Someti mes it d i d n 't come. Then he got a job worki n g as a s h i p150
CHAPUR
19
MY !!PIRITUAL TACHR
ping clerk i n a book store. Whe n he was i nvited to come to Los Angeles for a
weekend, he g ladly accepted . That's when I met h i m . After our conversation on
December 25th, I offered to d rive h i m to a n a ppoi ntment the next day. That is
when he gave me the mantra that changed my l ife.
H e explained to m e that n oth i n g i n this world is more powerfu l than the
p rayer of a m other for her son . He wrote d own the words K ONG KAR AT
NAM IRI WHA GURU o n a little p iece of p a pe r. H e tol d m e that if I wou l d chant
this m antra powerfu l ly from the n avel point, a l l i n one b reath, for o n e h o u r
every d ay before s u n rise a n d p ray for my son, h e wou l d be a l l rig ht. (At the
ti m e I d i d n 't even k n ow whe re my son was, only that he h ad attem pted sui
cide a nd gone A.W. O . L. from the U n ited States Army.)
I a l ready had a spiritual routine I was doing dai ly, including several other
mantras. When Yogi Bhajan gave m e this one, I asked h i m, "What about all the
other th ings I ' m doing?" (Sufi chanting, Hopi I ndian mantra, and Vedanta med
itation.) He said, "Go a head and do everythi ng, but try this a lso."
That seemed reasonable to m e, so that's what I did . On the second day of
chanting, I had such a profound experience that I could barely wait u ntil I cou ld
phone h i m and say, " I don't have to do a nything else, this is it. " Now, twen
ty-seven years later, although we chant many other
mantras that Yog i Bhajan has taught us, those syl la
bles a re stil l "mine."
(I am happy to say that withi n ten days I heard
from my son . He had been " rescued" u p i n Berkeley,
which is a whole story in itself, with no space in th is
book for it! We were able to work things out with the
a rmy. I'm a lso happy to say that I saved the precious
p iece of paper on which Yog i Bhajan wrote those eight
magic words. It's carefu l ly preserved i n my scrapbook of the early days of 3 HO.)
Yogi Bhajan had told me d u ri n g my fi rst interview with h i m, "You h ave been
student
long enough, you shou l d be a teacher. " He said that he had come to
a
tra i n teachers, not to get d isciples. At the tim e I thoug ht to myself, "Oh, s ure,
fat chance." He said although I knew a lot, he cou ld " put it all together for me."
I thoug ht, "Who does he th i n k he is?"
151
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of Hornal Power
TO KNOW
I found out! He is a n amazing l ivi ng phenomenon of perpetua l creativity.

When he lectu res, a spontaneous flow of d ivine i nspiration comes th rough h i m .
P u t him i n any situation, he wi l l a lways attu ne himself to the needs of that par
ticular g roup of people, ti me, and place. Yogi Bhajan is the pipeline, the " post
man" delivering the d ivin e m essage that each of us is a soul, our identity is Truth
(!!AT NAM) and we're here to experience That. He tells us that it is fool is h and a
m istake to worship the m essenger, but I have observed it is equ a l ly
foolish to ignore the m essage!
Where Yogi B haja n is concerned, throw out you r p reconceived
ideas of what a spiritual teacher is. Part of the job he d oes so mas
terfu l ly is to confuse you r i ntel lect so that you have to go beyond
you r mind. God can not be experienced so long as our perception
is l i m ited with in the confi nes of the i ntel lect.
Because he is a Teacher, Yog i Bhajan gives tests constantly. He often uses
the "poke, provoke, confront, and elevate" tech niq ue. He pushes us to brea k
out of the confi nement of our lim ited l ittle egos. This does not necessarily m a ke
h i m popular. I n fact we (ou r egos, that is) can defin itely resent what he says.
Truth about ou rselves is often hard to swal low, much less digest.
I 've never met anyone so adept at " pushing my buttons" as Yog i Bhajan .
But, alas, I know that so long as I have buttons that can be pushed, I ' m sti l l l iv
ing in my ego and reacting, and that blocks my own spiritual g rowth .
Sometimes the test is sim p ly to recog nize that what he says, or the situation
we a re in, is a test! Test of what? Those qualities we need to learn i n order to
g raduate from this earth school-of-l ife: non-attachment, patience, faith, kind
ness, obed ience, surrender to the wil l of God, h u m i lity.
Each of us is d ifferent, each of u s has a u nique curricul u m to master.
Therefore, the spiritual teacher p rovides a specia lized tutorial for every i n d ivid
ual u nder h is direct guidance, plus h e h as to provide u n iversal g u idel ines a n d
pri nciples that a pply t o everyone. Yog i Bhajan's teach ings are based on such
u n iversal Truths.
To many people in the '60s a n d ' 70s Yogiji became the father figu re.
Lovi ng ly, patiently, h u morously, he cajoled, encouraged, helped, a n d inspired a
whole generation to try Kundalini Yog a instead of d rugs. He never said, " No, "
152
CHAPUR 19
MY PIRITUAl TrACH[R
or " Don't" do this or that, he gave alternatives. He taught th ree classes, six days
a week, and a meditation class on Sundays for over a year.
Mea nwhile, he was studying our cultu re, our attitudes, our personal histo
ries of abuse and neglect, betrayal, and a ba ndon ment. Out of his com passion
he began to create more opportu nities for us to heal a nd strengthen ourselves.
He created 3HO events such as Sum mer and Winter Solstice Sad h anas, and
Khalsa Women's Training Cam p (KWTC) . In 1 970, when he became the Mahan
Tantric, he put hi mself on the line even more, taki ng on more stress by al lowi ng
a nyone and everyone to participate i n the White Tantric Yoga g roup med itation
courses he taug ht. (See the chapter Tantric Yoga.)
Th rough the years he has given us many insig hts into his personal philoso
phy of l ife. Here's one such gem :
FIV CORNRTON OF YOG I BHAJAN' TRNGTH

1 . Never let out that wh ich can harm a nyone.
2. Never let in what can harm you .
3 . Never let down friend or foe.
4 . Lig ht u p that corner where no one has the cou rage.
5. Keep up and keep the harmony.
Perhaps you have never met Yogi B hajan . But I assure you, if you a re p rac
tici ng Kunda lini Yoga, and certai n ly if you a re teach ing it, it is h is mastery that
supports you r spiritual g rowth. He and a l l the spiritual teachers who h ave pre
ceded h i m, a re cal led into service whenever you chant ONG NAMO GURU DIN
NAMO. It is not the people, but their spiritual consciousness, their subtle bod ies,
who a re with you, like g ua rdian a ngels i nvoked by those syl lables.
TH GOLDN CHAI N
Th rough the ages, the transference of spiritual awareness,
consciousness, and power has been handed down from mas
ter to d isciple, in a contin uous chain whose l i n ks a re forged of
reverence, obedience, devotion, and h umility on the part of the student, a n d
i nfi nite love a n d sacrifice on t h e part o f t h e teacher. T h i s ongoing con nection i s
someti mes cal led the "golden chai n . "
153
THING!! TO KNOW
MAHAN TANTRIC
Yog i B hajan is u n iq ue among s p i ritual teachers beca use h e i s a lso the
M a h a n Ta ntric of this era . This m ea n s that he is the o n ly l ivi n g m a ster of
Wh ite Ta ntric Yoga i n the world, since there ca n o n ly be o n e on the p l a n et at
a ny g iven ti me. H e is a world teacher, a very special i nstru ment w h o m G od
has a p poi nted a n d a noi nted to awaken the m i l lions of sleeping sou ls o n this
plan et.
He is a Teacher of teachers. H is words h ave enormous power. H i s bei n g
vib rates i n h a rmony with t h e u n iversa l consciousness a n d h e feels everyth i n g
before it h a ppens. H e can n ot com prom ise t h e integ rity o f his responsibil ity a s
a teacher, so h e can not tel l a l l that h e knows. H is power is n ot h is own, a n d
h e knows it. H e says h i s power is his o w n i n n e r p rayer, w h i c h is cal m, q u i et,
a n d peacefu l . (Thoug h outwa rd ly, m ost students wi l l attest, his e n e rgy com es
across l i ke a tornado ! )
GO Cli MB A TR?
Yog i Bhajan tel ls a g reat story a bout one of the ways Sant H azara S i n g h,
his Kunda l i n i Yoga teacher i n I nd ia (an d the M a h a n Ta ntric d u ri n g those
years), tested h i m . Wearin g his best sta rched clothes and s h ined s hoes, he was
traveling with his teacher to m eet som e d i g nitary. Sant H azara
Singh tol d the d river to stop the car, a n d i nstructed you n g
H a rbhajan S i n g h t o g et out. H e pointed t o a nearby tree a n d tol d
h i m t o c l i m b it, a n d t o stay there u nti l h e cam e back. A s a g oo d stu
dent, the boy d i d n 't ask why, he d i d n 't hesitate. He got out,
cl i m bed the tree a n d waited . H is teacher d rove off. Th ree d ays a n d
n ig hts went by. H e stayed u p i n that tree! W h e n h is teacher fi n a l ly cam e
back a n d released h im, h e n ever asked h i m h ow he h a d m a n aged, n ever con
g ratu lated him on h is obed ience and resou rcefu l n ess. The m atter was n ever
d iscussed . Of cou rse that was in I nd ia, w here they u n derstan d what it means
to serve a spiritual teacher, a n d what can be gai ned . Yog i B h ajan knew the
ru les of the relationsh i p : n ever ask why, n ever d eny, sim ply say "Yes, S i r, " and
d o it. God o n ly knows what o n e of us wou l d d o u nd er s i m i l a r circu m stan ces.
A spiritual teacher n ever settles for a nythi n g less tha n the best from a stu154
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow o f fternal Power
CHAPltR 19
MY PIRITUAl Tf.ACHfR
d ent. H is job is n ot to p raise us when we d o wel l, but to p resent the n ext l es

son i m med iately so we can conti n ue to g row. He can n ever be satisfied .
Yogi B hajan has told us many stories a bout his experiences as a student. One
of them is about a time when he was a young m i litary officer, al ready q uite a n
accomplished yogi . However, he wanted t o learn a particu lar kriya from a
teacher whom h e had never met. Every day he would go to pay h is respects,
hoping for a n audience. The teacher ignored him for months. Then he sent
word that he should persona l ly prepare and bring a carrot pudding as a n offer
ing every day. He also i nsisted that Harbhajan wal k the five m iles to get there.
This went on for months before the teacher would even tal k to him. The you ng
m i litary officer, i n h is i m macu late ly starched and pressed u niform had to leave
his car and his d river beh i nd, and m a ke the trek barefoot, carrying that carrot
pudding. He d id it. Wou ld you?
In the West, we have not been taught to respect the cosmic laws which gov
ern the student-teacher relationsh i p . I n fact, most people don't even know
what they a re. So, i n our ignora nce, we a re not able to take fu l l advantage of
the benefits and blessings a teacher can offer. It is also true that there has been
exploitation and abuse of the role of Spiritual Teacher by people claim i n g to be
"en lig htened. " Before you get i nvolved with a ny teacher, you s hou ld i nvestig ate
this a rea for yourself. Come to you r own concl usions. I learned about spiritual
teachers th rough read ing and th rough tria l and error d u ring fifteen years of
exploring various spiritual paths before I m et Yogi Bhajan . One th ing I know for
su re, watch out for a ny teacher who wants you to worship h i m . If you consider
someone you r spiritual teacher, he deserves you r utmost respect and reverence .
If he or s h e i s a genuine Teacher, and you want to excel, give you r obedience.
For those who a re desti ned to lead m ust fi rst l ea rn to fol low. But always remem
ber, the teacher is the g uide, not the desti nation.
TACHR OF TACHR!!
True to h is word, Yogi Bhajan has tra ined h undreds of teachers of Ku ndalini
Yoga. The 3HO Fou ndation, (Hea lthy, H a ppy, Holy Organ ization) which he
founded in 1 969, is a teacher train i n g organization with centers a l l over the
worl d . He told us:
155
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of f.tornal Powor
THING!!
TO KNOW
" If you want to lea rn somethi ng, read about it. If you want to u nderstand
somethi ng, write about it. If you want to master something, teach it. " H e wants
us a l l to be masters. He tel ls us to be "ten times g reater" tha n he is. And he
means it.
He also warned all of us who were to become teachers that, "You will be
tested in three a reas: money, sex, or power-possi bly in a l l of them . " It is a g reat
responsibility and privi lege to teach Ku ndalini Yoga. It is said that if a teacher
betrays the sacred trust p laced i n h i m, he wi l l be reborn as a cockroac h !
1l11 D o nt !: e rve l i n e ag e . !:e rve legacy . "

-Yogi BhC!_jan
YOG I BHAJAN!! POTRY AND ART
The Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan h as written many, m a ny poems. A s pecial
collection has been pu blished i n a book cal led Furmaan Khalsa. M a ny of his
poems have been set to m usic and a re on tape. He has pai nted pictures,
desig ned jewel ry, and gathered together a magnificent col lection of statuary,
paintings and other a rt objects a l l of which he has donated to the Sikh Dharma
a rchives. A m useu m is plan ned to house these treasu res.
BIOGRAPHY OF A YOG I
Born Aug ust 26, 1 929, in the vi l lage of Kot Harkaran, now i n Pakistan,
Harbhajan Singh P u ri was the son of a m ed ical doctor and a very d evout and
powerfu l mother. He mastered Kunda l i n i Yoga when he was sixteen . Stil l only a
teenager when I nd ia was partitioned, he took charge of leading a thousa n d peo
ple out of h is vil lage to safety near N ew Delh i . During his youth he stud ied with
many teachers, including h is revered g ra ndfather, Bhai Fateh Singh, a n d the
Mahan Tantric, Sant H azara S i n g h . He attended Punjab U n iversity where he
majored in Econom ics, was an a ll-aro u n d ath lete, and a champion debater. I
h ave his prize certificates i n my files. Capta i n of the soccer team, track star, he
used his Kundalini Yoga p ractice to get in shape for ath l etic events . H e was a
winner!
156
CHAPTtR 19
MY !!PI RITUAL nACHfR
He married l nderjit Kau r, and they had th ree ch ildren (and now five g rand
children born in the U n ited States). He was a Command ing Officer i n the I ndian
Army, starting out i n the Motor Transport d ivision, and he served i n the I nd ia n
Govern ment for eighteen yea rs before coming to America.
H a rbhajan S i n g h Khalsa Yog ij i beca m e a U n ited States citizen in 1 9 7 6 a n d
earn ed his P h . D . i n psychology i n 1 980. H is d octoral d issertatio n is ca l l ed
" Co m m u n ication, Liberation o r Cond e m n atio n . "
H i s bottom line is:
U n d g r!:ta n d thg faet that God

i!: in a l l , big a n d !: m a i L
His motto is:
I f You Can't gg G o d I n Al l .
You Can't gg G o d At Al l
157
CHAPUR 20
COMMUNICATION
20
Communil!afion
uco m m u n i e!afion ig vry m igundrgfood
by all h uman bingg
Wh n
Wh n
Whn
Wh n
you
you
you
you
a r
a r
a r
a r
angry ,
motiona l .
hurt.
i ngcu r .
fter yea rs of m i n isterial

cou nsel i ng I have come to
the conclusion that most prob
lems between people a re prob
lems in com m u n ication . Yes, of
O r whn y o u a r i nto a n go tri p course we a l l have our neu roses,
Thaf"g whn you f you m ugf tal k .
and trust is a major issue, but
when two people rea l ly com m u And thaf'g w h y y o u mgg u p l
n icate with each other, a lot of
p roblems can be solved . Even Bcaug wh n y o u tal k if ghould b for
wars eventually have to go to the th futur . not for th pagf or th
negotiati n g ta ble to fi n a l ize
prgnt. Com munication i g th a rt of
peace. Why not start there?
There is a whole science to b u i l d i ng havn in th futur :' 1
effective com m unication so that
you r words wil l be received and understood the way you intend them . Yogi
B haja n 's d octo ra l d issertation titled : " Co m m u n i cation, Li beration or
Condemnation, " is on this very su bject. It goes i nto g reat detail about the
use of the various chakras (energy centers) in comm u nication .
1 59
THING!!
TO KNOW
YOGI BHAJAN !!PAK!! ABOUT WORD!! and CHAKRA!!:

" . . . What should I say? The two most i m portant thi ngs in you r body a re the
u p per palate, which is the base of the hypothalamus, and the tip of the tongue.
Every word spoken by you is made with the palate and the tongue i n com bina
tion with the hypothalamus, which controls the enti re neu rons of the b ra i n . The
tongue h as a central nervous system controlling you r total psyche. You can
change the whole world with the word . World is depe ndent on the word. W-O
R-D and W-0-R-L-D. The central nervous system, sh ush mana, is at the ti p of the
tongue. And you r enti re neu ron section is up here u nder the hypothalamus
where the sti m u lation of the eig hty-fou r meridian points takes place. It's decid
ed by the perm utation and combination . But there is a chakra i nvolved . Ask me
a ny q u estion, I ' l l tel l you which chakra wi l l answer what.
Q: What is the difference between com m u n i cating from the fifth center
and the sixth center?
A: With any com m u nication, one center is i nvolved . You have to decide
what the p urpose is. If the pu rpose is to mess up som ebody, go with the fi rst
chakra . If you want to seduce somebody, go with the second . If you want to bal
ance out somebody, go with the th i rd . If you want to u pl ift somebody, go with
the fou rth . If you want to be blu nt, go by the fifth . If you want to command
somebody and take the responsibility a n d see it is done and del ivered, then go
by the sixth . If you want to just get rid of somebody, go by the seventh . You
know what the seventh is? 'I see the light i n you better than me. God bless you,
you a re wonderful . ' The g uy will shut up i n two m i n utes. "
!!PAKI N G O F !!PAKI N G :
D i d you ever analyze how m uch of what you say is encouragi ng,
u pl ifting, and positive
and how m uc h is not? M uch of our ordi
nary, every day conversatio n is negative and self-negati ng. We
barely notice the destructive n atu re of the words we use because
the "put-down" is so com mon i n our society.
Start l istening to you r words. If you real ly want to have a n
adventu re, tape record you rself for a w h o l e day and then l isten t o what you
h ave said . You 'l l be shocked, especia l ly when you rem e m ber you a re "creati ng"
160
Kunda/ini Yoga: The Flow of Eternal Power
CHAPUR 20
COMMUNICATION
whenever you speak. The old ad monition to "th i n k before you speak" is stil l
good advice. It's easier to d o that when you h ave you r nerves u nder control .
Nerves h ave to b e very strong so you don't automatical ly react to everything
that happens the min ute it happens, l i ke a robot responding to a button being
pushed . (/ hope you read the chapter called Stress, Stamina, and Nerves of Steel.)
Another fasci nating experiment i n self-awareness is to go on silence for a few
days. It can be qu ite a revelation . I 've done it. It was very h u m bling. If you real
ly do it, you ' l l probably d iscover as I d id, how m u ch conversation is not really
necessary or useful at a l l (including you r own !).
I n the Things To Do section you ' l l fi nd two meditations Yogi Bhajan taught
specifical ly to help us i m prove our com m un ication.
161
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Hamal Power
KNOW
C HOOSE
YO UR
Words are the colors

On the speaker's palate
Evoking emotion
In the ear of the beholder
Some are dull and some are bright
Some are wrong and some are right
Some ennoble and some degrade
One Word created this creation
...
So it was said
Be Careful
Be Courageous
Be Conscious
Be sure
Before you speakWill your words kill - or cure?
Words can comfort
Words can enrage
Words can liberate
Or words can cage
Some
Words are weapons
Words are bandages
Words are penicillin
Words are poison
Words are hot
And words are cold
Words speak Truth
With words, lies are told
162
WOR DS
CHAPITR 20
COMMUNICATION
Honor your words

Use your words with honor
For words can heal
Or words can kill
Aim your words with extra care
Lasers pierce targets everywhere
Relationships built over many years
One false word dissolve in tears
Words reveal
And words hide
True Identity
Divine inside
Faith in the Word
Dispels all fear
Hold your words gently
Hold your words dear
Be honest, be kind
Make yourself clear
To belittle is common
To uplift is rare
Value your words
Use them with care
Power to speak comes from breath of life
Surgeon 's scalpel or butcher knife
Speak to your soul with respect in place
You 'll speak to others with equal grace.
163
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of Etomal Powor
THING!;! TO KNOW
The na ke That Poi!:on!:

3
f:very body
It
topples
governments,
wrecks
marriages,
rui ns
careers,
busts
reputations,
causes
heartaches,
nightmares,
indigestion ,
spawns suspicion,
generates
grief,
dispatches
innocent
people
to cry in their
pillows.
Even its name
hisses.
It's called
gossip.
Office gossip,
Shop gossip,
Party gossip.
It makes
headlines
and headaches.
Before
you repeat
a story,
ask yourself:
Is it true?
Is it fair?
Is it necessary?
If not,
shut up.
How we perform as individuals wi l l
164
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow ofEternal Power
determine how we perform as a nation .
CHAPU:R 21
HAPPIN
21
Happinm:g
r veryon e wants to be happy. At least consciously. The problem is i n the

C su bcon scious. Su bconsciously some of us may not be ready to give u p our
suffering. Some of us a re so used to feeling m isera ble that we don't know who
we'd be if we stopped feeling sorry for ourselves!
What would we have to tal k about if we quit complaining? Dr. Donald Curtis
(Science of Mind minister) used to cal l it the " P. L. O . M . " syndrome. "Poor Little Old
Me" is a pretty common self-image in our society. It doesn't lend itself to happi
ness. Some people's self image is so tied u p with feeling victimized, or feeling
"u nworthy" that they can't even imagine what it would be like to be happy. Yet
happiness is the birthright of every human being. The true nature of the soul is joy!
H a p p i n ess g oes way beyon d pleas u re o r enjoy m e nt. H a p pi n ess is an i n n e r
state o f bei n g . It com es w h e n w e a re i n tou c h with the perm a nent part o f o u r
selves, the God withi n u s, that is a lways i n b l iss. The essential n atu re of G od is
d escri bed by Vedanta p h i losophy as " Sat, C hit, A na n d " : Truth, Knowledge,
a n d Bliss .
Happiness is NOT dependent u pon a ny outside person, event, or thi n g .
We a re each responsible for our own happiness. It is how I personally
choose to relate to a person, event, or thing; the kind of thought, feeli ng,
or emotion that I choose to hold about it, that determ ines my happi ness or
u n h appiness. I can't blame a nyone else for how I feel a bout my l ife. If I view
what's happening from the telescope of the d ivine consciousness with i n
me, I ' l l have a d ifferent experience tha n i f I look a t i t with the m icroscope of
my personal emotions. Happi ness is a state of bei n g . Happy or u n hap py is how
I "am . "
165
THING!!
TO
KNOW
"' H a p p i n !:g r u n !: i n a c i reu l a r m ot i o n ,

Lif i g l i k a l ittl boat u po n th !: a .
fv ry bod y i g a part of v ryth i ng a n y wa y .
Yo u ca n hav i t a l l i f y o u l t y o u rg Jf b . . . "
-Donovan
H a p pi n ess comes from g 1v1ng, a n d h avin g a n attitud e of g ratitude.
H a pp i n ess has to do with being god - l i ke . That's n ot asking too m uch, s i n ce
the core identity of each of us is S p i rit. That's why these Seven Steps To
H ap p i n ess a pp ly:
166
CHAPH:R 22
liFt: I!! A MOVI!:
22
THJ;: WORLD ACCORDI NG TO MJ;:. with a l ittla halp fro m
Vad anta P h ilogophy a n d a faw otha r taaehi ngg:
Lifg ig
Movi g
n 1 94 3, when I was thi rteen, my mother a n d I moved to the enterta i n ment

capital ofi:he world, H OLLYWOOD, CALI FORN IA! It was the Golden Age of
fil m . E erybody went to the movies reg ularly. I sti l l d . I love to be -:_ ;:.. --- ..:- _
entertamed, don't you? That's why we go to the mov1es, read books :-_:;
and plays, a n d watch television. We' re fasci nated, i ntrigued, inspired, r,r:;
frig htened, or a mused by the tales we hear o r see. We can experience 11!-13;
a l l sorts of adventu res vicariously. The best teachers a n d p ublic speak
ers a re the ones who a re good story tel lers . They entertai n us. Here's a
good story for you :
"Once u pon a time, before time began . . . " accord i n g to Vedanta phi losophy,
God created this entire creation . It is said H e d id it for H is enterta i n ment, so this
whole creation is known as God's " Leela, " H is "play." Everything we see a rou nd
us is part of H is story, u nfolding for His enterta i n ment!
I fig u re that m ust be why we, His creatu res, made by H im, "in His i mage, "
enjoy stories (su bstitute "movies" here) so m uc h . It's because we' re "God-like" !
As I u n de rstand it, God was just kin d of sitti ng a round, not doing m uch of
a nyth ing, sim p ly existing as a vast, shoreless ocean of existence, absol utely silent
and sti l L Static. N o ripples, no movement, no activity. J ust a vast expanse of
"being" - a timeless, beg i nn i ngless, and e n d l ess ocean with no surface a n d no
bottom . I n othe r words, u nmanifest, i nfi n ite, u n li m ited i n a ny way. Then at one
u n m eas u rable point, God set i nto m otion with i n H i mself, a vibration that creat
ed rip ples a n d waves. In other words, God "spoke." With one mighty roa r, He
created the creation . He made H imself colder i n som e p laces, forming icebergs;
and hotter i n others, forming steam; H e laug hed a nd played, watching and
experiencin g the i nteraction of H imself with H i mself i n a tremendous variety of
.
_
167
THING TO KNOW
shapes, and forms, and colors all taki ng p lace with in, and com posed of the
ocean of H is own Bei ng-ness . His story became manifest.
Descri bing or i mag ining God as an ocean is, of cou rse, just one of many
a nalog ies people have used to try to u nderstand what God is. At least for me,
the ocean analogy works. It makes it easier to u n derstand how God ca n be, and
is always, everything and everywhere. I repeat:
God i eve ryth i ng that eve r wa . i n ow. o r h a l l eve r b e .

'Aad ul!h,
Jugaad ul!h,
1-/ahhee ul!h.
Nanak 1-/ogee Bhee ul!h . . . "
True in the beginning.
True through all the agog,
True even now,
Nanak1 gayg Tru th ghall exigf forever.
RUl[!! OF TH[ GAM[

Let's go back to the ana logy of G o d as a n ocean of existence that created a
game (out of the "water" of H is own bein g) of shapes and forms that interact
with each other. It's the game of l ife. And God created a whole system of evo
l ution withi n th is game. j ust as a child at play builds a sand castle a n d then
knocks it over and builds it up all over and over agai n, God Generates,
O rganizes, and then Destroys (or Delivers) everyth ing within His Creation.
H e made the planets and the stars, earth, a n d s ky, and oceans (wet ones),
rivers, lakes, and trees, and birds, and you, and me. And He made ru les for H is
Game. These a re called cosmic laws. They include the law of karma. Karma is
a utomatic. It is based on the principle of action and reaction . The way it works
is sometimes described as "As you sow, so shall you reap." We get back what
168
C.HAPH:R 22
LJF[
we send out, and that's a fact. However, it m ay take many l ifetimes to get a l l the
resu lts - or reactions
from the actions we have set i nto motion, u nti l every
th i n g gets fi nally balanced out.
Nobody rea l ly ever "gets away with" a nythi ng, even though it may seem
l i ke it. Karma has to be paid, if not now, later; perhaps in a next l ifetime. Sooner
or later "what goes a round comes a ro u n d . " However, with the blessing of God
and the g race of the G u ru, karma can be softened by Dharma (path of rig ht
eousness/sp i ritual path). You r spi ritual teacher can also help by taki ng on som e
o f t h e karma you r sou l agreed to pay o ff i n th is l ifeti me. He can counsel you and
guide you to make the decisions that wil l most effectively fulfi l l you r desti ny and
teach you the lessons you came to this planet to lea rn . The spiritual teacher can
save you lots of time and useless suffering if you're smart enough to l isten care
fu l ly to h i m . Another a nalogy: Life is a schoo l .
!!CN: !!choolroom caiiQd arth

Everyone gets challenges and tests, because Earth is a school, and we have
come here to l earn the lessons
our sou ls need i n order to g rad- f i th e r we l e a r n in the h a n d g of Ti m e
uate. (Th is i s part of the scri pt
or fro m a !! p i ritua l Tea l! h e r.
God wrote.)
You r sou l agreed to be born
at a certa i n tim e and p lace (yes, you chose you r own parents), with the scenery,
cast, and crew chosen to support you in you r starri n g rol e i n you r personal story.
The fol ks closest to you a re most li kely people who h ave some strong karmic
con nection to you from the past.
(We're back to the movie analogy:)
This "movie" is God's game of l ife. It's God's show. God is playing
a l l of the roles. He is actua l ly a l l of the actors a n d actresses! He is the
a uthor, the screen writer, d irector, and p roducer, as wel l as the scenery
and the audi ence. God is even the ticket-taker, the usher, a nd the boy
who sel ls the popcorn !
(f/j
169
KNOW
THt; !!HOW MU!!T GO ON

When scientists split the atom back i n the '40s, the energy that was released
was, and sti l l is, the very same energy that the yog is have known a bout and
played with for thousands of yea rs. They cal l it " prana." It is the incoming l ife
breath . It is prana that God puts i nto you every ti me He g ives you another
b reath of l ife. Each ti me you in hale it is God breathing the essence of H i mself
into you so that His show can go on. M aybe that's where the saying, "The show
m ust go o n ! " originated .
Choose the analogy you l ike, "ocea n, movie, game." I n a ny case, l ife is hap
pen ing, and we a re acting (or reactin g) i n its story, playing the roles we were
given . The th ing is, someday the show will be over and we must go Home.
Going " H ome" means going back to GOD, from Whom we came i n the fi rst
place. Wi n n ing the game of life means going home consciously. Consciously
expanding you r self-awareness u nti l you remember, recogn ize, and experience
that you a re the whole ocean . "You a n d God, God and you a re O N E. " That
experience of you r own identity is the u lti mate goal of practicing yoga . It is the
goal of all human existence.
"Al l th i n g g c o m f1 fro m God .,
H e re comes a rea l ly long sente nce: When

we d ie, a l l we a re doing is taking off the cos
a n d a l l th i ng g g o to God ."2
tume that we wore in this show, a n d leaving it
(The re'g no plal!e eJgg to g o l )
be h i n d i n t h i s th eater ca l l ed Ea rth so we ca n
retu rn to the absolute freedom, joy a n d bliss of the vastness of the ocean of
God, wh ich is so marvelously fantastic a n d wonderful, that for those who h ave
had this experience, all they can say i n tryin g to describe it, is "Wahe G u ru !"
which means "Wow! God is g reat beyon d descri ption . "
Meanwhile, while we're p laying o u r roles in these bodies, it's God's i nten
tion for us to enjoy it. That's why H e created it i n the first p lace, remember?
" Leela" means play! (Schools have playg ro u nds, too, and even classrooms can
be fu n for good students.)
If we're n ot enjoying l ife, it's because we've forgotten that l ife is a movie and
we' re taking our roles too seriously. If we' re n ot h a ppy, it's because we're stuck
i n o u r lower chakras (Energy centers. See chap ters Mysterious Kundalini and
170
CHAPUR 22
--::--'
,-;:-: ;:;;
LIFf I!! A MOVII:
Chakras) and not uti l izi ng our h ig her consciousness. If

we're l istening to our m inds instead of our i ntuition, if
we' re emotional and com m otional - riding the rol ler
coaster of emotional turmoil and reacting to situations
instead of resu rrecting, we're most l i kely not happy
cam pers!
Which leads us back to Kundali ni Yoga . It's a technology to enable us to con
trol our emotions and m inds (not suppress or deny them, but take charge of
them, rul i n g kind ly but firmly over them, rather than being a slave to them) so
we can enjoy the d ra ma, the comedy. We can go th roug h a ny tragedy in l ife
without letting it overwhelm us or destroy o u r happiness.
Happin ess, after all, real ly l ies within, n ot outside ourselves. My reality, my
h appiness or u nhappi ness, is what I choose to fee l withi n my own bei ng, and it
can 't be dependent u pon a ny outside i nfluence. The i nherent nature of the sou l
i s joyful . When I ' m i n tune with, in touch with, i n synch with my sou l, I ' m boun d
t o b e happy! Activating the Kundalini s o that i t c a n function i n the higher
chakras makes it m uch more conveniently possible to do that.
When circumstances a re not pleasant, I try to rem i n d myself that l ife is, after
all, a m ovie . I want to enjoy the fil m, whethe r it's a comedy or a tragedy. And I
want to remember that some day the l ig hts wi l l go on, the p rojector will be
turned off, and we'l l all go Home!
,_-....
1 1
_ '
HOPPI N G FOR H I GHR CON!!CIOU!!N ( anothar analog y )

You 've gone to buy l inens i n you r favorite department store. You push the
elevator button to go up to seven, but on the thi rd floor, the elevator stops, the
doors open b riefly, and you r eye catches sight of something rea l ly i rresistible and
a ppea l i n g . You decide you'll step off for "just a q uick look. " You find more a n d
m ore t o l o o k at, and g e t s o total ly absorbed i n b rowsing through all t h e fasci
nating things - lots of them on sale, too (!), - that you lose track of ti me, and
forget the o riginal m ission that broug ht you to the store. By that time the store
has c losed a nd you're trapped . It's called " m aya . " Similarly, it's easy to get
trapped in "spiritual maya." Occult powers a n d psych ic phenomena a re exam
ples of spiritual maya.
171
THING!!
TO
KNOW
Al l the d istractions in our l ives a re maya. I n Sanskrit, "maya" literal ly means

"that which can be measured ." It is the polarity to the i nfin ite. M aya is under
stood i n Vedanta philosophy as the "apparent creation." All that
we can see and hear and touch and taste with our five senses,
anything measurable in any way, is maya. It can be fascin ati ng,
. ,
it is enticing, it can be fu n, but it is not permanent. It can 't last
.
forever. There's nothing "wrong" with maya. It can give lots of :
pleasure and excitement, but maya can n ot p rovid e happiness.
Happi ness comes only from withi n, nowhere else. When you touch that real ity
of God withi n you, that is happi ness.
Li ke Pinocchio being l u red away to the fai r instead of goi ng to school,
the glitter of maya can make us forget where we're going, too! So, before
we invest a lot of time and energy in a nyth ing, a ny person, or a ny
activity, it makes good sense to ask ou rselves, " I s this real ly the best use
of my time? How m uch of a deto u r can I afford to take? Wil l this real
ly take me towards Home, or farther away?"
.
B UBBlf!! AND BRIDGf!!
"I am the bubble, make me the sea

I am the bubble, make me the sea
So do Thou my Lord, make me the sea, oh make me the sea

Thou and I are never apart, Thou and I are never apart. . . "
I n the early days after Yogi B haja n 's a rrival i n America, I used to sing this
son g from the Self-Real ization Fel lowship son g book. He real ly l i ked it. Bubbles,
sea - it fits rig ht in with the ocean analogy.
Analogies a re sometim es usefu l, but they're l i m ited . They are i ntel lectua l
attem pts to clarify ideas, concepts that can 't total ly b e g rasped by the intellect.
They do g ive us a bridge of understa n d i n g . But to rea l ly cross over the b ridge,
we can 't j ust tal k about getting to the other side. We have to do somethi n g .
There's a b i g d ifference between describing water and d ri n king it, or actua l ly
j u m ping i n the ocean a nd swi m ming! What to d o, and how to do it, the ways
and means to get you r own d i rect experience of God or Truth, is what Yoga is
all a bout.
172
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow o f ftornal Powor
CHAPTI.R 22
UF I!! A MOVI
173
THING TO KNOW
1==' A S T
L I VE S
In what lifetime did we meet?

For what reason did we part?
Did you - or did I - break somebody's heart?
What job is ours?
What lessons to learn?
What debt to pay?
What credit to earn?
Do we clash today
Because of wounds long ago?
Were we friends or lovers?
(Would it help to know?)
Past lives' fascination
Pulls our focus off track
We need to look forward
Not go back
Whatever was then
Brought us to now
The riddle of life
To solve somehow
This time do it right
Once and for all
Climb the heights
No more to fall
Look to the Light
Open your heart
Master's touch
Gives a head start
Truth beyond time
Love beyond space
Infinite souls
Meet in this place.
174
Kundalini Yoga: The Row o f Eternal Power
(I wrote this poem while
facilitating
White Tantric Yoga in Espanola, New

Mexico, Nov. 30, 1 99 1 )
CHAPTI:R 23
OTH[R PATH!! OF YOGA
23
Oth1u Pafhg of Yoga
or those readers who are not fam i l ia r with the various paths of yoga, here
a re some brief descriptions:
Hatha Yoga is the most wel l-known yoga . It is a beautifu l d iscipline for
strengthening the body, with emphasis on developing the wil l . It uti lizes eighty
fou r traditional yog ic postures (asanas) and uses various breathing tech niq ues
(pra n ayam). Practice of Hatha Yoga requ i res patience and emphasizes flexibility.
M astery takes many years.
Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion, i n wh ich the student or devotee focuses
on a particular deity and offers a l l h is or her actions out of love to that " Beloved . "
Cha nti ng God's name, reciting hymns i n praise of God, remembering God, s u r
rendering, worsh ipping God in a personalized form is the way of the Bhakti yog i .
Karma Yoga i s the path of the man or woman of action . (Mahatma Gand h i
was a n ad herent of Karma Yoga .) It req u i res o n e to su rrender the fruits of one's
actions to God . The Karma Yogi a lways keeps i n m i n d that God is tru ly the Doer
of everythi n g . Therefore, the results of a ny action do, in fact,
belong to H i m (He/She/It: GOD) . Such non-attach ment to the
results of one's actions frees a person from creati ng more karma .
A n analogy often given for non-attachment is "to l ive i n t h e world
but not of it, " or to "be like the lotus i n the pond," whose beauti
fu l white blossom remains pure and u nstained a bove the water,
u naffected by the mud clinging to its roots below.
175
THING!! TO KNOW
Gyan Yoga is considered the path of the i ntellect, wh ich is by nature a d ivi
sive i nstru ment, always separating and com pa ri n g . The Gyan Yogi m ight spend
his whole life looki ng at the Creator and the creation as separate, wh ich would
accou nt for the usual textbook descri ption " not th is, not that. " Peopl e some
tim es th i n k that Buddha denied the existence of God because he wou ld never
say what God is. I th ink Buddha j ust didn't want to l i m it God by trying to define
or d escribe H i m .
T h e intel lect i s a lim ited tool . Language can only take us s o far. Words can
motivate and inspire, uplift and create, but we have go beyond words, beyond
i ntel lectual u nderstanding, to have the direct person a l experience of merging
with God . That merger is someti mes cal led "Divin e U n ion." It is "Yoga . " You
not only get to New York, you become N ew York! By the way, I do not consid
er reaching N ew York the u ltimate goal of l ife. This is j ust an analogy. God
does, of course, l ive everywhere, including N ew York.
TRI-MARGA
The Bhagavad G ita (See the Recommended Reading List) cal ls Karma Yoga,
Bhakti Yoga and Gyan Yoga the "Tri-Marga" or Th reefold Path .
R Yoga is the Royal path, whose m ethod has been preserved in the writ
ten aphorisms of Pata njal i . These aphorisms h ave been tra nslated a n d com
mented u pon in wonderfu l detail by Ch ristopher Isherwood and Swa m i
Prabhavananda in t h e book, How to Know God (hi g h on my reco mmended
read ing l ist). The eight steps on the path to l i beration or Samad h i beg i n with
eth ical precepts, the "do's" and "don'ts" by which the aspi rant g uides his l ife.
They a re cal led Yams and Niyams. Then Raj Yoga defines and describes the pos
tu res (Asanas); the place where the yogi sits, and how he sits.: breath ing tech
niqu es (Pranayam); becoming aware of a n d controlling the thought waves in
the mind (Pratyahar).
Pratyahar is the g reat-gra ndfather of positive th i n ki n g . It utilizes the tech
nique of su bstituti ng a positive vi bration in the m i n d for a negative one.
Concentration (Dharana); med itatio n (Dhyana); and a bsorption in God
(Liberation or Samadhl) are the final steps.
176
CHAPTI:R 23
OTHR PATH OF YOGA
Pata njali a lso wrote about the natu re of the mind and the ego, the vari
ous types of pu rification needed to follow the path of Raj Yoga, and the pow
ers that can come along with its practice.
Mantra Yoga is exactly what the name i mplies, a path of chanting

and meditatin g on sacred syl lables, raising one's vi bration th rough the
repetition of sou nd current. If you thi n k about a d rop of water taki ng a
r
few centu ries to make a dent in a rock, you can understand why
1 .,
mantras a re repeated over and over again . I n som e cases it takes a
lot of time a n d repetition to make a change in our consciousness!
There a re several kinds of sound wh ich a re described i n detail in
our chapter on Mantra .
/'!1,
Laya Yoga may be considered the post-graduate p rog ra m in Mantra Yoga .

It i s a more sophisticated use of sou nd, taking mantra another step fu rther.
177
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CHAPHR 24
TANTRIC YOGA
24
Tantrie Yoga
..Thgrg'g a d iffg rg neg l i kg day a nd
n ig ht bgtwggn thg thrgg typgs of
tantrie. Thgy a rg total ly d iffgrgnt.
Thgy a rg dgfi nitgfy d iffgrgnt i n
robably the most m isunder

stood type of yoga in the
world is Tantric Yoga. It's real ly
q u ite sim ple. There a re th ree kinds
of Tantric Yoga .
q ua l it y . quantity . d i rgetion . praetiegs,

mgthod s . faegts. a nd usg ."
-Yogi BhcUan
THR TYP!! OF TANTRIC

WHIT TANTRIC
is to purify and u plift the b ei n g .
B lACK TANTRIC
is for m ental control o f o t h e r p eople.
RD TANTRIC
is for sexual energy and senses .
WHIT TANTRIC YOGA

M ost energy we experience is either perpendicular or horizonta l .
Tantric energy is d iagonal. White Tantric Yoga is t h e g u ided (by t h e Mahan
Tantric) use of tantric energy which serves to accelerate the psychological tra ns
formation of the individ ual, dissolving deep-rooted su bconscious neuroses. It is
an a ncient a n d very u n ique form of yog ic science. It can o n ly be practiced u nder
the a uspices a n d direction of the Mahan Tantric ( Master of White Tantric Yoga),
at a time a n d p lace specified by h i m .
You cou l d search the world over, clim b the highest mou ntains of Ti bet, seek
out the deepest caves of I nd ia and not fi nd a nyone else p roperly q ualified to
179
THING!! TO KNOW
teach you White Tantric Yoga, because the one a n d only person on the planet
em powered to do so is Yogi Bhajan. He is the desig n ated Mahan Tan tric of th is
ti me.
Clea ring out the deepest corridors of the su bconscious m ind, Wh ite Tantric
Yoga is a very powerful g roup meditative experience. It uses mantra and yog ic
breath ing techniq ues. You work with a partner. The Mahan Tantric con nects
with the students and guides the d iagonal tantric energy using his s u btle body.
You can learn more about the su btle body in the chapter called "Ten Bod ies."
White Tantric Yoga is not someth ing that you can go home and p ractice on
you r own . Th is prohibition m ust be very strongly emphasized .
Al l the participants sit i n rows, faci ng each other.
The tantric energy travels i n a zig-zag pattern u p and
down the rows. The students may med itate silently or
at other ti mes chant a loud, depending u pon the
instructions g ive n . Sometim es the eyes a re open,
someti mes closed . Various m u d ras (han d positions)
and postures a re give n . Although it is practiced with
a partner, White Tantric Yog a is not a "sexual" yoga.
On the contrary, it transm utes the sex energy from
the lower chakras (energy centers) to the higher
chakras.
I n just a few m i n utes of White Tantric Yoga med
itation you can accomplis h results that wou ld take
mo nths to achieve with a ny other practice. Yogi
B haja n says, "Wh ite Tantra is not the car, but it is taki n g the car th rough the car
wash . Wax and clean and polish it, then kee p it goi n g . "
Each person's experience of Wh ite Tantric Yoga is d ifferent. Each gets what
he or she needs at that point in their jou rney along the path . It is a very deep
and transformational cleansing process, yet people with no prior tra i n i ng or
practice i n yoga can partici pate i n the Cou rses.
" F ro m our ch ild hood we have subconscious blocks and Wh ite Tantric Yoga
is nothi n g but a conscious penetration th rough those blocks . . . lt wi l l give you a
new start a n d a better l ife. It is neither a religion nor a philosophy, nor a n exer180
CHAPUR 24
cise, noth i n g . It j ust works right there, in a cou ple of hou rs . " 1
We use the telephone to con nect with other people at a d istance, and we
don't th i n k that's u n usual. The way we con nect with the Mahan Tantric is very
similar. We con nect with him th rough h is su btle body. He uses it to guide the
d iagonal tantric nergy which penetrates and breaks up the blocks of a nger,
g u ilt, and fea r b u ried i n our su bconscious. The Mahan Tantric does not have to
be physica l ly p resent to do his job. He has created Video cou rses i n wh ich he
teaches White Tantric Yoga. He has given the privilege of facil itating these cou rs
es to a few individ ua ls who travel with his video tapes on specific dates to spe
cific cities. I hope you wil l have the opportun ity to attend a Wh ite Tantric Yoga
Cou rse. There is noth i ng like it anywhere.
181
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of Eternal Power
Just remember, in spirit, in flesh,

in eons, from time to time,
space to space, for centuries,
for lives we have been together,
playing the play of God
in the planet Earth, the Universe,
which is for us called life.
Sat Nam.
-Yogi Bhajan, 1 99 1
C.HAPH:R 25
TH HN BOOI!!
25
Th g Tg n Bodi g g
e know that we have a physical body. We can see it, touch it, feel it
and so can other people (if we let them). But m ost of us a re not
aware that we h ave other bod ies, which a re eq ually real, if not more so. The
fun ny th ing is that we identify so strong ly with our physical bodies, that we
th i n k of ourselves primarily in physical terms. It seems as if the physical body
becomes the focus of our whole identity. As i mportant and val uable as the
p hysical body is, it is not who we a re, because who we a re, our essential self,
can never change. You certai n ly don't have the same physical body you were
born with, yet you know you' re sti l l you . Since th is is practica l ly the whole point
of this book, I'm going to keep repeati ng it over and over: "you " are not you r
body o r you r m i nd (s). You a re m uch more permanent than that. Sat Nam isn't
born weighing six pou nds-n ine ounces, g rowing to 1 20 pounds; Sat Nam
doesn't get the m easles, go th roug h menopause, or worry about dry s ki n . Sat
Nam is you r etern a l true identity. It is who you a re, who you were, and who
you wil l be, now and forever. Truth is you r identity.
You m ig ht visualize you r various bodies as layers of clothi ng, the
physical body bein g the overcoat you wear for a l ifeti me. D u ring you r
whole l ife, rain or shine, summer or winter, you never take i t off, s o you
don't see the beautiful jacket or suit underneath, m uch l ess the d ress or shirt
u nder that. U ntil you d evelop a special ki nd of "x-ray" vision, you defin itely
never see the body that is wearing all those garments, which is the:
183
THING!!
TO KNOW
1 . !!OU L BODY
The fi rst body is the Sou l Body. It is you r very best friend. It is God's light
which l ives in you r heart. The Soul Body never d ies. It goes with you forever.
It's a good idea to get acquainted with it as soon as possible and d evelop a n
ongoing com m u n ication. Best time to get the conversation going i s d u ring
morning sadhana. (See the chapter Sadhana: Your Spiritual Bank Account for a
detailed g u ide to sadhana.)
T H R t t M t N TA L BO D f t:S
Here's a brief summary of the three main aspects of the M i nd, the body that
many people mistaken ly identify with . You can read more about you r mind(s) i n
the chapter called Conquer the Mind, You Conquer the World.
2 . T H t N t:aATIVt M I N D protects you by warn ing you what could be the danger
or loss in any situation.

g. TH POS ITIVI;: M I N D inspires you by telling you what is the possible gain, the
advantage to you, in any situation.

4. T H t N t UTRAL M I N D l istens to the intellectual in put from both the Negative
Mind and the Positive Mind and then leads you to the best decision, using u n bi
ased intu itive knowledge. Whenever you want to reach outside of you rself, reach
out with your Neutral Mind. It is a most g racefu l, wonderfu l secret of success.
5. PHYS I CAL B O DY
The Physical Body was given to you so you cou l d participate fu l ly i n l ife on
this planet. It is a tem ple for God to l ive i n wh ile H e sees th rough you r eyes a n d
hears th rough you r ears. You were given t h e p hysical body s o G o d cou ld expe
rience and enjoy (!) H is creation . The physical is a balance point between heav
en and earth . The key to perfecti ng the Physical Body is balance: balance i n
d iet; balance i n exercise; balance i n work, i n p lay, a n d rest. It always m a kes
sense to avoid extremes. Don't be lazy a nd don't be fan atic.
184
Kundalini Yoga: The Flow o f fternal Power
CHAPTf:R 25
THf: UN BODI!!
6 . ARC BODY
The Arc Body is a l ine of energy that goes in an arc from ear tip to ear tip . It
is sometimes cal led your "halo. " This spiritua l body projects who you are to other
people without a word being spoken. It a lso protects you from negative energy
d irected towards you . Have you ever felt someth ing, and tu rned arou nd to find
someone was staring at you? That's one experience of your arcline in action .
7 . AURIC BODY
The Au ric Body is a sphere of electromagnetic energy that su rrounds the
physical body. It can extend u p to nine feet in every direction. This body pro
tects you and a lso gives you the ability to uplift yourself and others. Some peo
ple can see the a uric body as a field of flowing colored light. You may have expe
rienced the a u ric body when you were near someone and simply felt their ener
gy. Being in the aura of a spiritual and loving person is peaceful and healing. As
the energy field of their a u ra i nteracts with ou rs, it a utomatical ly elevates us.
(Remem ber, " S p i ritua l ity ca n n ot be ta u g h t, it h as to be caug ht, l i ke the
measles. You get it from someone who's got it. ")
8. PRA N IC BODY
The Prank Body controls the breath and takes in Prana, the l ife force energy of
the u niverse. The Pranic Body gives you energy, cou rage, control over your m ind,
and healing power. When you breathe, you are feeding your Prank Body. As you
practice pranayam, you' l l experience the expansion of strength of this body.
9. SUBTl B ODY
The Subtle Body gives you the opportun ity to u nderstand and master the
subtlety of l ife. It can hel p you understand what is going on a round you and
how th ings work. Those people who can tu ne i nto situations easily or pick u p
new skil ls a s i f b y magic, have developed the Subtle Body.
As the Mahan Tantric, Yogi Bhajan has explained that he always teaches with
h is Subtle Body. We have experienced the projection of h is powerfu l presence
d u ring his White Tantric Yoga video cou rses. Even though h is physical body may
not be there, his Subtle Body most defin itely is p resent and actively engaged
with us.
185
THING!!
TO KNOW
1 0. RADIANT BODY
The Radiant Body gives you spi ritual royalty and rad iance. The strength of
the Rad ia nt Body wi l l make you cou rageous i n the face of a ny and every obsta
cle. Good thi ngs a re drawn to you th roug h a developed and powerful Rad iant
Body. On a p ractical level, people with wel l d eveloped Radiant Bodi es a re said
to have "charisma." Their very presence works for them before they say one
word . They virtua l ly "sh i ne."
186
CHAPTR 26
26
Going
GOING HOM
Home
ogi Bhan !!poakg on Doath And D y i n g 1
"What is d eath? Death is a process where you r consciousness d oes not

exist withi n the control of you r ego . You can be b ra i n -d ead and sti l l a l ive.
D eath - yo u share it every d ay with you rself. At a certai n moment when you
sleep you d o n ot know if you a re a m a n or a wom a n, o r a person, or who you
a re, o r what you r status is, a n d you a re "gone." It is that com pl ete sleep i n
a bsol utely a state of tu riya (deep, dreamless sleep-see chapter o n Sleep) which
g ives you r body what it n eeds for the n ext d ay. If that sleep is taken away fro m
y o u for twenty-six days, you wil l die auto m atical ly, there is no lethal i njection
req u i red.
If you do not u nderstand, go to those people who can not sleep at nig ht.
Look at their l ife and their story. It is most m isera ble.
" I have d ied once i n my l ife. And I'll tel l you my personal experience a bout
d eath . . . " Yog i Bhajan went on to descri be in d etail a trip he took to a holy tem
ple in I nd ia wh ich was at the top of a very high mounta i n . He says, "It was a very
painfu l journey." After a long and strenuous climb, he was so hot and ti red, as
he p uts it, he "did the biggest blu nder of my l ife. " He d ra n k a g lass of ice-cold
water. The shock of the ice water m ust h ave been too m uch, for he collapsed on
the g round. H is friends carried him inside and sent for a doctor. When the doctor a rrived, he was declared dead !
" . . . When I woke u p, I had a blan ket over my face." Then he saw everybody
run n i n g a rou nd in excitement and d istress. According to their records, he had
been dead for 45 minutes. The doctor had d e c lared him d ead. But Yogi B hajan
woke u p and said, "Oh, I was dead?" They said, "Sir, yes you were."
187
" Now I ' m not? I'm a live?"

"Yes S i r, you are alive. "
I said, "You are a doctor here?"
He said, "Yes, I'm a doctor."
I said, " H ow did I d ie?"
He said, "We do not know, outside at the stall you fel l u nconscious. So you
were brought here and I exam i ned you, and there was no heartbeat and every
thing was over with . And then you r friends were run n i n g a rou nd trying to con
tact you r headquarters to report that you were dead and to find out what to do
n ext."
So, I asked for them to come i n and I looked at them and said " I ' m fine."
Here he goes on to descri be more of what he experienced while he was dead:
" ... After I fai nted, it was l i ke a cyli n d rical rou n d, what you cal l ' lift' (eleva
tor). You m ig ht all be afraid of dying, but dying is the most beautifu l, wonder
fu l experience. Once i n a while as a Yogi I get to that experience. (He then sci
entifical ly d escri bed the stage of meditation that brings ecstacy.) We then get
into someth ing l i ke that. It's a g reat experience. I was thi n king, thi n ki ng, thi n k
i ng, going down, as our l ifts someti mes go down, a nd down, and d own and
don't stop. And I cam e out. And there was a rou n d square (like a town
sq uare). It was h i g h ly l it. There were two sides to it. Right a n d l eft. Left
side l i ke a bar or cafe. Very warm, very hot and people were tal ki ng, you
cou ld hear voices. And you see on that left side a l l you r relatives. Bel ieve
me or not. And on the rig ht side also you see relatives, but it is l i ke a
place with snow, l i ke you a re going to a h il l station [I ndian outposts high
u p i n the mountains] . And you were right i n the center, and from both
sides you r thought relatives cal l on you .
" I decided to come u p. I took the l ift, neither I went rig ht nor I went left. I
came back, sat in the l ift, came u p and I woke u p and o pened my eyes. That is
my experience of death .
"An d it shall happen to you a l l . What happens i n d eath, when you have to
d ie, you have exactly 30 seconds.
"There a re th ree types of death . One is disease a nd sickness, you pay you r
karma a n d you struggle i n the e n d of l ife. People say it's a m iserable d eath . It's
188
CHAPU:R 26 GOING HOM[
the best death because you take a l l the pain on you r body. M artyrs take on their
body, and h umans take on their body and they pay their karma. It's a very
painfu l d eath . It's every day, l ittle by l ittle, sickness. You know you a re sin ki ng,
you know you a re going and that's the last time when you can consciously con
n ect with you r i nfi nity. You a re goi n g . Pain is there. H OW you a re goi ng, H OW
you wil l deal with that pai n .
H OW y o u c a n create con"Dath i!: n o th i ng b ut a good g J p ."
q uering that pain ? If you can
conquer that pain, in you r
language-not i n m y language-you have a l ready fou n d the " heavens." I f you
surrender to that pain, you have a l ready fou n d you r hel l . There's nothing i n
between . A l l this meditation, all this spirituality, a l l this whole getting u p i n the
morn ing, th ree o'clock and cold water, two and a half hours, g ivi ng 1 /1 Oth of
the earnings, h avin g g reat tem ples made, and m i l l ions of people following you
means noth ing if you miss that 30 seconds. Period. All these practices a re
preparation towards death .
It doesn 't mean a th ing. It is a bsolutely a joke that a l l you do is to l ive. All
you r comforts a re to l ive. You have never prepared to die. It amazes me - a l l
over t h e world I go - that nobody u nderstands t h i s is t h e eventual u n-defyable
act. We all have to d ie. Whether you a re a Sikh o r a H i nd u, Ch ristian, you a re
short or tall, death is inevitable. And every day, med itatively you m ust die.
If you want no fea r of death i n the end, you h ave o n ly one th ing to do. You
m ust vol u ntarily d ie. It's called turiya jagat s u u pa nat . . . lt's cal led turiya stage. ' l
can d ie, a n d I can l ive again,' consciously. And p lease fin d some good yog i, o r
a good teacher who can teach you . I f you ' re a j ew, g o to som e Rabbi who
knows about it. If you ' re Ch ristian, find some Priest. If you' re a Sikh . . .
" Death com es five times to every person . F o u r tim es i t can b e avoided,
averted . Fifth tim e it h appens.
" Death is noth ing but a good sleep. A Sikh looks at d eath as u n ion with the
Beloved Creator. It is a time of joy because the sou l has longed for this moment
of utimate yoga (wh ich means u n ion). Sadness at th is tim e is a n experience of
one's i n d ividual l oss for the departed . Sikhs regard this tim e as an opportun ity
to love and accept God's wi l l and sing His Praises. "
189
THING TO KNOW
YOU'R H U MAN ARN'T YOU 'l

M a ny years ago, I was d evastated when a m ost wonde rfu l you n g m a n,
w h o m I l oved very dearly, d ied i n a n automobile a ccident. B hai Sa h i b Dayal
S i n g h was bare ly twenty yea rs old when h e was ki l le d . Despite my i ntellectu
al, p h i l oso p h i c acceptan ce of the fact that h i s d eath was s u re ly a l i be ration for
h i m, I was g ri ef stricke n . H owever, I believed I was s u p posed to mai nta i n a
stoic "yogi c" n on -attach ment so I d i d n 't wa nt a nyon e, especial ly my s p i ritu
al teacher, to see m e cry.
Yog i Bhajan had just returned from a lectu re tou r when he was told of Bhai
Sah i b Dayal Singh's death . There were several of us sitti ng i n the l iving room,
sti l l in shock from the news. Every few min utes, overcome with emotion, I would
go i nto the bath room and cry. Then I wou ld splas h cold water on my face and
retu rn, tryi ng to keep my com posu re. After a few such exits and entrances, Yogi
Bhajan asked me what I was doing, I said, "I know I shouldn 't cry, but. . . " He
wou ldn't let me fin ish the sentence. He sim ply said, "You're h u man a ren't you?"
Yes, of cou rse there is a leg itimate reason a n d a need for g rieving. It is to
soothe and comfort us for our loss, for our fee l i ng of separation, our m issi ng the
joy of that person bei ng here with us. We go th rough a g rievi ng process for our
own wel l-being. Prayer, faith, and the loving s u p port of friends and fam i ly can
help us d u ring a time of bereavement.
H owever, what the person who has d ied needs, is for us to l et go, and
release that sou l, and not keep it tied to the earth with o u r g rief. If we truly love
som eone, we wil l want to make their jou rney home to God smooth and d i rect.
There is a mantra to chant when someone d ies. It sends out the vibrations
that help carry a sou l across all the p la nes to reach Home. That mantra is
"AKAAL. " Aka a l means "undying." When som eone has d ied, it is a Sikh practice
for the cong regation to chant AKAAL three to five tim es . The second syllable
" kaa l "-wh ich means death-is held a long time. A deep breath p recedes each
repetition of the mantra. This is done d u ring the Ardas, the traditional prayer,
that is recited at every Sikh worship service a n d celebration. Anyone can use this
mantra.
One of the most consoling experiences I have ever had was bei ng a bl e to
hel p facilitate the transition when my m othe r d ied . She was 92, a n d had been
190
CHAPITR 26 GOING HOMfO
seriously i l l for some ti me. Even so, I fou nd it hard to "let go." Cutti ng the u mbil
ical cord at a ny age is more d ifficu lt than I had real ized . By chanting AKML with
fou r friends at her death bed, I fou nd myself g reatly comforted and very g ratefu l
to know that I had done someth ing to hel p her on her way.
Death is a fact of l ife. The more often we rem i nd ourselves of the u lti mate
real ity, that a l l things come from God and a l l things go to God eventual ly,
including us, the easier it wil l be for us to handle that final jou rney home, for
ourselves and for those whom we love.
191
e--r H E
CHOI C E
Two things are inevitable they say,

Death and taxes, you have to pay.
Country to country, taxes may vary
But death's a reality you simply can't bury.
It's only a body the soul is leaving behind
So, for a Yogi, it's liberation time!
Free at long last of the restrictions and limits
The physical body imposed
The Yogi, awake and aware, consciously chooses
The place where the soul finally goes.
There are two paths that open before you
When you leave earth plane below
One is warm and cozy, very appealing,
With friends and family that you know
Calling and beckoning, inviting you in
But it's a trap, delusion of maya trying to win
Trying to keep you from going beyond
And reaching your ultimate goal.
Turn away from temptation
Choose the road covered with the snow.

The cold and snowy route will take you Home where you belong
So when the time comes to turn left or right,
be sure to remember this song:
Take the cold and snowy route, ignore temptation please!
This final choice you have to make;
So you can meet your SELF, the GOD, with ease.
192
CHAPH:R 26 GOING HOMf
May th long tim gun ghin upon you

All lov gurround you
A nd th pur light within you
Guid your way o n .
Th is "Sunshine Song 1 " is sung at the end of every 3HO event and every class
in Ku ndalini Yoga. It is a positive affi rmation bringing blessings to all.
193
gf!fion Two
THING TO DO
GfNfRAL GUIDRIN
GQnQral GuidQiinQg for

thQ PracticQ of Kundalini Yoga
Use common sense. If you have med ical problems, consult with a
doctor and let you r Kundalini Yoga teacher know you r situation .
Begin each session by chanting O N Q N A M O Q U R U D J;V N A M O .
B reathe th rough you r nose unless otherwise instructed .
Wait at least one or preferably two hours after eati n g .
Take you r socks off. Best to have bare feet.
Keep you r spine covered .
I dea l ly, stick to the prescribed ti mes ind icated in instructions. You may,
however, decrease the ti me you do a n exercise, if you need to, but do not
increase the time that is specified .
I n general, it is advisable to relax briefly after each exercise, i.e., sit or
l ie down motionless, approximately 30 seconds to one m i n ute.
For maxim u m benefit a nytime, u nless another mantra is indicated,
in hale th i n king SAT and exhale thi n king NAM .
I deal ly, cover you r head .
Women, please take special note: d u ring the heaviest part of you r
month ly menstruation, avoid stren uous yoga. I n particular do not do the
followin g :
Bow Pose
Breath of Fire
Camel Pose
Locust Pose
Root Lock
Sat Kriya
Shou lder Stand or a ny inverted posture
Stren uous Leg Lifts
197
M a ntra
&
M Qd itati o n
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1
MANTRA & MmiTATION
Key to P ro n u n ciati o n
A
AA
AY
AI
U
l i ke
l i ke
l i ke
l i ke
l i ke
l i ke
the
the
the
the
the
the
'a' i n a bout
'a' in want
'ay' in say
'a' in hand
'i' i n bit
'u' i n put
OO iike the 'oo' i n food

0 like the 'o' in go
E like the 'ay' in say
EE l i ke the 'e' in meet
AAU
l i ke the 'ow' in now
I m ust confess, some of the more common words that occur i n the various
mantras in this book h ave not been spelled according to the a bove key. For
instance, the word " G u ru" should probably be spelled G'roo,- but I don't l i ke
the way that looks, so I have to trust that you ' l l know how to pronou nce it cor
rectly wherever it a p pears! Similarly, "SAT NAM" wou ld be spe l led "Sat Naam"
phonetical ly (though I have ind icated near the begin n i n g of the book that it
rhymes with " but Mom"-un less you ' re from Can ada where "mom" sounds
l i ke " m u m "). Anyway, we'l l try to catch all the places where you m ig ht need a
c lue to pron u nciation, and spell phonetical ly for you . The best th ing, of cou rse,
is to get a tape, or fi nd a Kundali n i Yoga teacher so you can l isten and actually
hear the sou n ds for you rself.
Beyond the a bove simple vowel sounds (I hope they're sim ple for you),
some t's and d 's, th's and dh's are reflexive, som e a re aspirated, but that's a bit
more com plicated than we need to deal with here. My suggestion is that if
you're i nterested in a more detailed explanation of how to pronou nce
G u ru mukhi (the language in wh ich the sacred mantras were orig inally written)
you read Psyche of the Soul, which does a wonderfu l job of explaining. You ' l l
find i t l isted i n t h e Recommended Reading List o f books in t h e Sou rces and
Resources section of this book.
201
MANTRA s MI:OITATION
H o\N to Cha nt
Thg Tgeh nology
of M a ntra
Here a re some i mportant g u idelines to a pp ly when chantin g a ny mantra.
1 . Remember, chanting is not singing or spea king, it is VI B RATI N G . You want
to "feel" the mantra vibrating.
2 . Keep you r spine straight.
3. Chant from you r n avel point for maxim u m power.
4 . H EAR the sou nd of the mantra coming th rough you . (After a l l, you aren't
real ly chanting a nyway, the One who breathes i n you is doing it!)
5 . If you're chantin g with other people, l isten to the leader a nd/or the g rou p
vibration a n d m atch it, stay with it.
6. When chanti ng a loud, be consciously aware of the activity of your tongue
on the meridian points i n the roof of your mouth . Some m a ntras, such as Har;
or Haree, a re supposed to be chanted only with the tip of the tongue, without
moving the l i ps at a l l, whi le other mantras, such as Wahe Guru, at certain times,
cal l for exaggeratin g the movement of the l ips. Read a l l the instructions and fol
low the m . Do the best you can, and let God do the rest!
WHY MDITAT 'l

" M editation is one p rocess through which you can reso lve confli c t and m is
fortune, rather tha n playing it th roug h in real l ife. So for every child of a
h u ma n, to learn the a rt of med itation is a m ust." 1
}ap is when you repeat with the tip of your tongue
Ohioan is when you meditate at the focal point at the tip of the nose or
the chin with the o ptical nerve. 2
Simran is when you recite menta lly.
203
TO OO
" M a n has two parts i n the body which have to be worked on . . . That's the u pper
palate of the mouth and the frontal lobe of the forehead . If these two a reas a re
undeveloped in you r l ife, you don't have a chance, it doesn't matter, despite all
the education on this planet and everything else.
Frontal lobe controls the personality.

U pper palate, the hypothalam us, controls you r automatic systems.
"You have to b reak the lead here (forehead) . You have to meditate that way.
That's why Ku ndalini Yoga is very easy and is for householders . It doesn't requ i re
a ny condition. It's j ust simple: Close you r eyes n i n e-tenths, look at the tip of you r
nose. Or close you r eyes, rol l them down, look th rough the c h i n . And with the
ti p of the tongue, utter six words:
HAR HARAY HARff WHA Hf G U RU

"Sta rt practici ng to develop your intuition . Lock you r eyes at the tip of you r
nose a n d chant the mantra, "WA H E GURU." You r intu ition wil l get clear in 9 0 days.
Sit with a straight spine. Close you r eyes n i n e tenths of the way. Focus you r
eyes a t the ti p of the nose. B reathe long a n d deep. Listen to the tape, jai Ram, Siri
Ram 3 After th ree m i n utes, inhale deep. Open you r eyes. Relax.
"Whenever you wil l meditate l i ke this, 4 this frontal lobe wil l become hard .
And the more you meditate, it wil l become l i ke lead . And the fun ny th ing is, one
day automatical ly it will not be lead. It's b roken . You will h ave i ntuition to see the
unseen, know the u n known, and hear the u nheard . And you r l ife wi l l not be the
same as you a re now. " 5
204
MANTRA & MDITATION
I nvoki n g thg
Flow of fg rn a l Powg r
O NG N A M O G U RU DfV NAM O
The first step i n i nvoki ng the Flow Of Eternal Power i n you r l ife is to chant
Ong Namo Guru D(}v Namo. This mantra cal ls u pon the Creator, the Divine
Teacher, i nside every h u ma n being. It establishes a strong and clear con nection
so that you can receive the highest guidance, energy, and inspiration. Always
chant it before beg i n n i n g a ny practice of Kunda l i n i Yoga .
ONG is the Creator

NAMO means reverent g reetings, sal utations
GURU is the g iver of the technology (G U= darkness, RU=I ight )
DrY m eans transparent (non-physical)
Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo ig a vary U!:!:(}ntia l . i mportant m antra .

Remem ber to ehant it at lea!:t three time!: before you begi n
eaeh !:e!:!:ion of Kundali n i Yog a .
(Detailed instructions for chanting are given in the chapter o n Tuning In)
205
DO
!!AT NAM
SAT N A M (rhymes with "but mom"). I t i s the seed (bij) mantra.
It rei nforces the divi ne consciousness i n everyone.

Use it as a greeting, a nytime, anyplace .
B y saying "Sat N a m " to each other, we acknowledge the highest con
sciousness in each of us. For that moment, we a re relating as sou l to soul, and
we are truly "One i n the spirit." (Then we can go o n and agree or d isag ree
about anything we want!)
> Lin king the breath with T NAM is one of the easiest ways to maintai n a
constant reinforcement of you r Self-awareness.

> Truth IS you r identity.
> I n hale SAT and exhale NAM whenever you can .
Whe reve r y o u g o a n d whate ve r y o u d o ,

re m e m b e r, !!AT N A M l iveg a n d b reatheg i n y o u .
206
MANTRA s MfDITATION
Ra i gg fhg Ku nda l i n i
CHAKRA M fD ITATI O N
I n this meditation, you successively focus on each of the eight p rojected centers
of consciousness, a p p lying the M u l Ban d h (Root Lock: See Energy Up! in this sec
tion) with each repetition of the mantra AT NAM .
Sittin g i n Easy Pose, spine straig ht, i n hale deeply, chant AT NAM (long d rawn
out syl lable "Sat" a n d s hort "Nam" as you apply the M u l Bandh a n d concentrate
at the first chakra, the rectum) .
Release the Root Lock, i n hale deep ly again, a n d chant AT NAM, a pplyin g the
Root Lock and focusing at the second projected center of consciousness, the
sex organ.
Rel ease the Root Lock, in hale deeply, apply the Root Lock, c h a nt AT NAM as
you focus on the third center of consciousness, the navel p oint.
Continue this same process, going next to the fourth chakra, the Heart Center,
at the center of the chest as you chant AT NAM and apply the Root Lock.
Then to the Th roat, next to the Third Eye (between the eyebrows and up about
1 /4 inch), then to the top of the head (the Crown Chakra) and with the eig hth rep
etition of the mantra, visualize the sound going into the Aura that surrounds you .
You can repeat this complete sequence over a n d over aga i n . Consciously bri n g
you r concentration successively u p th rough a l l the chakras e a c h time. B reathe
very d eeply before each repetition .
207
THING TO 00
MfDITATION FOR CHA N Gf
!!A-TA-NA-MA
31- M i n utu Mud itation
Thu Powur to Cha ngu Habit Patturng
Want to pull i n a l l the loose ends, focus, and concentrate? Here's a mantra
to help you consol idate and CHAN G E YOU R HABITS. This m antra is a catalyst for
change. So don't be su rprised if you r spi ritua l cleansing p rocess is vastly acceler
ated ! Be prepared, you r status quo is about to be s h ifted into high gear.
Here's what the syllables mea n :
!;!A
TA
NA
MA
Total ity (Al l that ever was, is or shall be)

Creativity (The Pri nciple of Creation)
Destruction (Crucifixion)
Regeneration (Resu rrection)
(A)
B)
(A)
!;!A
th u m b and forefi nger
TA
th u m b and m i d d le finger
NA
thu m b and ri n g fi nger (C)
MA
th u m b and l ittle fi nger (D)
208
(B)
Sit with you r spine straight. Eyes a re

closed . With you r hands resting on you r
knees, press the tip of the thu m b of each
hand firm ly to each of the finger tips of
that hand in seq uence, starting with the
forefingers while chanti n g each syl lable in
turn . Be sure as you chant each syl lable to
press firm ly enough so that when you
release the p ressure, the tip of the finger is
briefly wh ite . If you press too gently you ' l l
p u t you rself t o sleep!
Keep m ovin g you r fi ngers throug hout
the entire med itation .
MANTRA s. MOITATION
>- First five min utes chant ALOUD
>- Next five m i nutes chant in a LOU D WH I SPER

>- Eleven m i nutes chant S I LENTLY
>- Five m i nutes LOU D WH I S PER

>- Five m i nutes ALO U D
I n hale deeply, l ift a rms straight u p i n the air, vigorously shake o u t the fingers
(ap proximately 1 m i n ute). Relax.
SA TA NA MA is someti mes cal led the panch shabd (five sou n d c urrent mantra).
The fifth syl lable is "A" wh ich is com mon to the other fou r.
qf2ll J
SA
P I CT U R
J J
TA
lll
NA MA
T H I !
M g d itati o n With Vi !:ua l izafi o n

Although you d o n ot have to know the meaning of the syllables, you may
want to th i n k about the concepts as you chant the m . I n fact, at one time Yogi
Bhajan gave us some visual i mages to use wh ile chanti n g this m antra . For those
of you who wou l d enjoy VI SUALIZ I N G, th is is what he taug ht:
>-
Each time you chant "SA" pictu re all the galaxies, planets, suns,
moons, and stars.
>- Each time you chant "TA" visualize tremendous rad iance, the bri l l iant,
dazzling l ight of a tri l l ion suns.
>- Each time you chant "NA" see a winter landscape. The b ranches of the
barren trees standing silent in the snow, all of n ature dormant.
>- Each ti me you chant "MA" pictu re thousands of spring flowers i n a
burst of glorious techn icolor, bri ll ia nt blooms joyfu lly blan keti n g the hil lside as
far as the eye can see!
209
THING!! TO DO
Cha ngg of H a b it
Brg afh M g d itati on
The law of the u niverse is change. Everyth ing changes. However, with
every change in our l ife, one th ing seems not to change: the attachment to
our own ego. You can change, but you r ego d oes not let you see you r own
maturity or potential . Th is creates a cond ition of constant h assle in the m i n d .
T h e d ifference between your real ity and you r perception of it, th roug h the
ego, creates doubts and doubts create m isery. Dou bt steals th ree feet of you r
a u ric radiance. B u t the ego wil l n ot let you change easi ly. I t blocks comm u n i
cation . You m ust assess yourself to come out of the darkness.
U lti mately, to be happy throug h a l l change and to have the ful l radiance
of you r sou l, there m ust be surrender of you r self to you r h ig her Self. To aid
the process of self-evaluation and to probe the ego to change and u n block
su bconscious com m u nication, p racti c e this med itation each day. l
210
Kundalini Yoga: Tho Flow of f.tornal Powor
H EALTH/F ITNESS
I
uThe kundalini experience does not mean you have gone into a deep breathless
trance and are beyond this world
It integrates you more fully with reality and giv1
you a broader vision and sensitivity so that you can act more efficiently. "
-Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D.
his is the definitive guide to Kundalini Yoga

taught for thousands of years, and revealed to the
West in recent decades by the master Yogi Bhaj an. This
"sacred science" is surprisingly simple to learn and,
practiced regularly, it can strengthen the nervous sys,
tern, balance the glandular system, and harness the
energy not only of our bodies, but of our minds and
emotions. Fully illustrated with photographs, this gen,
de introduction to Kundalini Yoga covers:
+
Poses and positions ranging from beginners to more advanced levels
Breathing and stretching techniques
Diet and lifestyle
Chanting and meditation exercises
General guidelines that help us gain the greatest benefit from yogic practice
Kundalini Yoga
can help you handle stress, improve

your health, overcome depression, feel more energetic,
enjoy your life, and love yourself more deeply than ever
before. With this guide, you can begin to bring yoga
into your daily life today-and discover a new way to
meet your physical, psychological, and spiritual chal,
lenges.
Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa was the first woman to study with Yogi
Bhajan in the United States. He is the leader of the Sikh religion in
the West and the founder of 3 HO ( Healthy, Happy, Holy
Organization) , which has 300 Kundalini Yoga centers around the
world. Shakti has been teaching Kundalini Yoga for nearly 30 years,
and was ordained as a minister of the Sikh Dharma in 1 974.

I SBN
0-399-5 2 4 2 0-7
9 780399 524202
51 695>

Kundalini Yoga by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa

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A Simple Guide to the Yoga of Awareness

taught by Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D.

Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa

A irnpls Guids to ths Yoga of Awatsns

HAKTI PARWHA KAUR KHAA

Published by The Berkley Publishing Group

A division of Penguin Putnam Inc.

New York, NY 10014

Book design and layout by Guru Raj Kaur Khalsa

taught by Yogi Bhajan.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

"A Perigee book."

2. Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, Yogiji.

Printed in the United States of America

DESIGN & LAYOUT

Sat Simran Kaur Khalsa

Sadhana Kaur Khalsa

Siri Simran Kaur Khalsa

What's It All About? 5

Mysterious Kundalini: "Where There's Mastery, There's No Mystery" 47

Let's Talk About Food

How to Get Up in the Morning

Sadhana: Your Spiritual Bank Account

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

Four Teachers-Things Your Mother Never Told You

Chaptor 20 Com munication

Chaptor 12 Creatures of Habit

The Snake That Poisons Everybody

Other Paths of Yoga

Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of lerna/ Power

TA K CAR OF YOUlF M! A WOMAN

MANTRA and MDITATION

How to Chant 203

The Seed Sound: SAT NAM

Disease Prevention for Women

Yogic Tidbits For Women: Foods, Health

Mantra of Protection 211

Meditation for Change: SA-TA-NA-MA

GGM: Grace of God Meditation

Raise the Kundalini: Chakra Meditation

Yogi Tea-The Original

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

Shout It In the Shower: ANG SANG WAHE GURU! 220

KRIYM! and PRANAYA M (fxgrciggg

Balance Your Glands: Angles

Breathe and Move in the Morning

Digestion and Elimination

Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Hemal Power

Ginger Tea 286

Sources and Resources

Sharpen Your Mind: Basic Breath Series 227

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

d irection for a more fulfi lled l ife and a n awakened consciousness.

Kunda/ini Yoga: The Flow of Hemal Power

Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Hemal Power

Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of Hemal Power

Kundalini Yoga: The Flow of ffemal Power

Before You Begin ...

YOU ARI: HI:RI: