So, going into this weekend of teacher training in KC we all were nervous, having heard all these stories about the "advanced" Sunday class from last year given by the aforementioned being.
Friday night we come to class to be greeted by a very jovial (reminds me a bit of the way Santa Claus is portrayed) and radiant individual who not only began to put us through our paces with a great kriya, but also informed us of everything that kriya had just done for us, physically and energetically, and I decided I liked him.
The next day we went through more anatomy, physical and yogic (ie chakras and such) and the sat kriya workout, which is one of my favorites, and sat nam rasayan, which is another of my favorites. Another great day, then Sunday, the dreaded "advanced/intermediate" kundalini yoga workshop.
Now, if you ever been through a white tantric day you've basically been through this. We moved so much energy and opened up our bodies so much physically, through not so physical a means, that I even had a "coming down from it" energy hangover when I got home last night.
It was quite awesome, but not only was the work awesome, his delivery of the work prompted me to be more excited about this yoga and bringing to others. He also informed us of everything that we were doing. Pituitary gland, then a series that elaborated on that. Kidneys, then a set for it. All sorts of meditations, eye positions, telling us how the eye position is so important as the optic nerve moves the pituitary gland and makes it secrete or affects its nervous system. And yes the pituitary is a gland as well as a nerve cluster.
I learned so much that I don't even know what to do with it all, until I subbed today at least, a hatha yoga class and then I was informing them of these things which is awesome!
Check him out at www.dryogi.com. He's an interesting guy, a loveable guy and a strong yogi. Love him!
Sat nam
Monday, November 29, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
A blog from my teacher
Here is a blog from one of the teachers training me to become a kundalini yoga instructor. There are the 12 values in the Native American system of spirituality, before Columbus came and fucked up their lives obviously, and then this his expansion on them from the Sikhi point of view. I had to steal it because I love it so much.
Traditional Indian Code of Ethics
1. Give thanks to the Creator each morning upon rising and each evening before sleeping. Seek courage to become a better person.-- If we do not remember our Creator each and every day we are in danger of losing that innocence and sense of grandeur which defines us as humans. In trusting “God” by whatever name, image, intention or concept you please, we elevate ourselves to a place closer to our origins. When we are intent upon becoming a better person we are also seeking to strengthen that connection to the Creator. Our sense of self relies upon improvement -- how sad would be the day when we acknowledge that we care not to uplift ourselves or others.
2. Showing respect is a basic law of life.--- Aside from the obvious that we should treat others as we wish to be treated is the simple valuing of a life so we might really know our own value. Viewing another person as less (or even more) valuable than ourselves says that we truly believe this world to be a crapshoot dependent only on luck or misfortune as determining factors in how treat ourselves or another. We might well then spill a drop of water or, in some careless way blood and cause the death of another. We cannot sayit doesn’t matter, when it really does!
3. Respect the wisdom of people in council. Once you give an idea it no longer belongs to you. ---We must really LISTEN to others if we wish to be listened to. How often have you found yourself preparing a counter argument as another person was still talking? If we have gathered to discuss, then first we should listen, really hear and ultimately understand what another is putting forth. If you do not respect the speaker, then either he or she or you should not have come to the meeting or council. Since you usually have little or no control over who is invited or who rises to speak, then most likely you should content yourself with hearing, digesting and truly understanding. And once you do thoughtfully speak, trust your listeners to listen as you have done and not worry about whether you were heard properly and whether your words were given their proper weight. Know that your efforts and intentions will be rewarded with the same grace and gravity that you have put into them and the same gravity and grace you have offered--no more and no less.
4. Be truthful at all times.--- What other aim can you possibly live with than the truth. “The truth is high,” the Sikh’s first guru, Guru Nanak said, “but higher still is truthful living.” We all know the truth if we have thought at all about it, but to live that truth is the most difficult and perhaps cumbersome obligation. Nothing is easier than looking away from the unfortunate or importuning. Nothing is harder than seeing and doing. It takes a special and honestly heart-full person to see and act according to our highest nature. It is inconvenient, expensive, gut tightening and often knee weakening. Can we do it? Of course we can. Should we? Again, of course. But will we?
5. Always treat your guests with honor and consideration. Give your best food and comforts to your guests. ---We do no honor to those who come to us if we hand them a thin blanket, a cleared out space in a corner to those who come to us for whatever reason. Are leftovers and scraps what you would serve an honored guest? Of course not. Treat every guest as honored for every guest is an opportunity to exalt those who come to visit for whatever reason. And for that, the opportunity to exalt, is why they come to us. And our efforts do not go unrewarded ... or punished if they fail.
6. The hurt of one is the hurt of all. The honor of one is the honor of all. ---How are we unconnected to each other? How do we not know that the common link of humanity runs through the entire chain of living human beings with no break anywhere unless it is snapped though our own carelessness, prejudice, disdain, hatred, feelings of superiority or inferiority or simple ignorance. How can we not want to know and understand the grace and strength and beauty of our fellow beings? If we do not care then we do not rise to the occasion of our own divinity, morality and charity that is our inborn heritage.
7. Receive strangers and outsiders kindly.--- A new person, a stranger, one who is not like us is no danger until their actions so determine them. Until then, they are opportunities to learn and understand. They are new knowledge to integrate and new behaviors to regard in wonder and resonance. How often has history taught us that unmindful actions have destroyed all the potential of beneficial actions because we only regarded another through the lens of misunderstanding?
8. All races are the children of the Creator and must be respected.--- To disrespect is to mistreat. There may indeed be people in the world who are dangerous and full of hatred. It is our task to clearly see and make provision for our own safety and the safety of others in their presence. Yes we need police and we need a defense but where and what is the sense in aggressive actions in order to change others. The senselessness of terrorism is obvious to all but those who propagate it. But what are the issues which have birthed the terrorist? Have we calmly assessed and made even the slightest effort towards solutions? The situations into which people have been driven are what we need to address. If all we do is react then we are not seeking solutions but merely readying ourselves to respond. That is not respect, it is wariness and paranoia.
9. To serve others, to be of some use to family, community, or nation is one of the main purposes for which people are created. True happiness comes to those who dedicate (decorate) their lives to the service of others. ---There are many opportunities for happiness. Some quite rewarding, others merely selfish. Happiness is really complete when it is shared with others. The happiness we hold to ourselves is usually fleeting, temporary. Who loves us more than our families? Who depends on us more than the community in which we live? Who offers us more than our nation? When we serve in an unselfish and honestly open manner our service multiplies. It touches many and improves their lot. Whether it is a close relative or a stranger who never sees your face service always blesses the world.
10. Observe moderation and balance in all things. ---Watching athletes perform incredible feats may indeed be exciting, but for 99.99 % of the rest of us watching is scary enough. For the most part, to seek balance in our pursuits, appetites and passions is probably the most rewarding. The wages, not of sin, but of “passionate” pursuits are usually a fall, the greater the aspiration the more cataclysmic the failure. We must really enjoy those things we do, whether it is in a career, a marriage, a hobby or a spiritual practice. Is there a job for everyone that will make us a millionaire? No. Is there a soul mate out there who is perfectly complementary to us? Probably not. Instead we should pursue a central way that neither impinges on the well being of others nor curbs our own best inclinations. A Native American Medicine Man I once knew advised nothing more than that we should “Walk in balance upon the Earth Mother.”
11. Know those things that lead to your well being and those things that lead to your destruction. ---How often have we “enjoyed” some experience or pleasure or diversion one day only to deeply regret it the next because of a hangover or misspoken word or misplaced trust? Very few are those events in our lives which we cannot with some forethought avoid. We do actually control our environments. We can avoid those people and places and things which inevitably lead to trouble or pain or unhappiness. There is little wisdom in not looking directly into a noon time Sun. We just do not do it without the expectation that our vision will be distorted at least temporarily. How reflexive though is the inclination to not eat that rich dessert after a gourmet meal? Usually, the gluttony ball is already rolling and it takes some determination to pass on it. That is wisdom, the alternative self satisfying foolishness. We should live our lives in awareness -- awareness of those people and things around us which can cause good or ill.
12. Listen and follow the guidance given to your heart. Expect guidance to come in many forms; in prayer, in dreams, in solitude and in the words and actions of elders and friends. --- Our hearts are the figurative centers of our well being. Things you “know in your heart” are those things you trust and believe in. To live in one’s heart means to live and love openly. It also means to be aware of those things which are dissonant with our hearts. Things that we know without having learned them from a book or a teacher. This is our intuition, our inner voice, our dream. This intuitive inner voice can lead us in many positive directions when not clouded with emotional desires or hungers. The intuitive voice is the result of listening to others, our elders and friends who have life experiences we do not. It is also the result of our quiet and meditative moments when we listen, not question or wonder, but just to listen.
Sat Nam, Sat Inder Singh
Traditional Indian Code of Ethics
1. Give thanks to the Creator each morning upon rising and each evening before sleeping. Seek courage to become a better person.-- If we do not remember our Creator each and every day we are in danger of losing that innocence and sense of grandeur which defines us as humans. In trusting “God” by whatever name, image, intention or concept you please, we elevate ourselves to a place closer to our origins. When we are intent upon becoming a better person we are also seeking to strengthen that connection to the Creator. Our sense of self relies upon improvement -- how sad would be the day when we acknowledge that we care not to uplift ourselves or others.
2. Showing respect is a basic law of life.--- Aside from the obvious that we should treat others as we wish to be treated is the simple valuing of a life so we might really know our own value. Viewing another person as less (or even more) valuable than ourselves says that we truly believe this world to be a crapshoot dependent only on luck or misfortune as determining factors in how treat ourselves or another. We might well then spill a drop of water or, in some careless way blood and cause the death of another. We cannot sayit doesn’t matter, when it really does!
3. Respect the wisdom of people in council. Once you give an idea it no longer belongs to you. ---We must really LISTEN to others if we wish to be listened to. How often have you found yourself preparing a counter argument as another person was still talking? If we have gathered to discuss, then first we should listen, really hear and ultimately understand what another is putting forth. If you do not respect the speaker, then either he or she or you should not have come to the meeting or council. Since you usually have little or no control over who is invited or who rises to speak, then most likely you should content yourself with hearing, digesting and truly understanding. And once you do thoughtfully speak, trust your listeners to listen as you have done and not worry about whether you were heard properly and whether your words were given their proper weight. Know that your efforts and intentions will be rewarded with the same grace and gravity that you have put into them and the same gravity and grace you have offered--no more and no less.
4. Be truthful at all times.--- What other aim can you possibly live with than the truth. “The truth is high,” the Sikh’s first guru, Guru Nanak said, “but higher still is truthful living.” We all know the truth if we have thought at all about it, but to live that truth is the most difficult and perhaps cumbersome obligation. Nothing is easier than looking away from the unfortunate or importuning. Nothing is harder than seeing and doing. It takes a special and honestly heart-full person to see and act according to our highest nature. It is inconvenient, expensive, gut tightening and often knee weakening. Can we do it? Of course we can. Should we? Again, of course. But will we?
5. Always treat your guests with honor and consideration. Give your best food and comforts to your guests. ---We do no honor to those who come to us if we hand them a thin blanket, a cleared out space in a corner to those who come to us for whatever reason. Are leftovers and scraps what you would serve an honored guest? Of course not. Treat every guest as honored for every guest is an opportunity to exalt those who come to visit for whatever reason. And for that, the opportunity to exalt, is why they come to us. And our efforts do not go unrewarded ... or punished if they fail.
6. The hurt of one is the hurt of all. The honor of one is the honor of all. ---How are we unconnected to each other? How do we not know that the common link of humanity runs through the entire chain of living human beings with no break anywhere unless it is snapped though our own carelessness, prejudice, disdain, hatred, feelings of superiority or inferiority or simple ignorance. How can we not want to know and understand the grace and strength and beauty of our fellow beings? If we do not care then we do not rise to the occasion of our own divinity, morality and charity that is our inborn heritage.
7. Receive strangers and outsiders kindly.--- A new person, a stranger, one who is not like us is no danger until their actions so determine them. Until then, they are opportunities to learn and understand. They are new knowledge to integrate and new behaviors to regard in wonder and resonance. How often has history taught us that unmindful actions have destroyed all the potential of beneficial actions because we only regarded another through the lens of misunderstanding?
8. All races are the children of the Creator and must be respected.--- To disrespect is to mistreat. There may indeed be people in the world who are dangerous and full of hatred. It is our task to clearly see and make provision for our own safety and the safety of others in their presence. Yes we need police and we need a defense but where and what is the sense in aggressive actions in order to change others. The senselessness of terrorism is obvious to all but those who propagate it. But what are the issues which have birthed the terrorist? Have we calmly assessed and made even the slightest effort towards solutions? The situations into which people have been driven are what we need to address. If all we do is react then we are not seeking solutions but merely readying ourselves to respond. That is not respect, it is wariness and paranoia.
9. To serve others, to be of some use to family, community, or nation is one of the main purposes for which people are created. True happiness comes to those who dedicate (decorate) their lives to the service of others. ---There are many opportunities for happiness. Some quite rewarding, others merely selfish. Happiness is really complete when it is shared with others. The happiness we hold to ourselves is usually fleeting, temporary. Who loves us more than our families? Who depends on us more than the community in which we live? Who offers us more than our nation? When we serve in an unselfish and honestly open manner our service multiplies. It touches many and improves their lot. Whether it is a close relative or a stranger who never sees your face service always blesses the world.
10. Observe moderation and balance in all things. ---Watching athletes perform incredible feats may indeed be exciting, but for 99.99 % of the rest of us watching is scary enough. For the most part, to seek balance in our pursuits, appetites and passions is probably the most rewarding. The wages, not of sin, but of “passionate” pursuits are usually a fall, the greater the aspiration the more cataclysmic the failure. We must really enjoy those things we do, whether it is in a career, a marriage, a hobby or a spiritual practice. Is there a job for everyone that will make us a millionaire? No. Is there a soul mate out there who is perfectly complementary to us? Probably not. Instead we should pursue a central way that neither impinges on the well being of others nor curbs our own best inclinations. A Native American Medicine Man I once knew advised nothing more than that we should “Walk in balance upon the Earth Mother.”
11. Know those things that lead to your well being and those things that lead to your destruction. ---How often have we “enjoyed” some experience or pleasure or diversion one day only to deeply regret it the next because of a hangover or misspoken word or misplaced trust? Very few are those events in our lives which we cannot with some forethought avoid. We do actually control our environments. We can avoid those people and places and things which inevitably lead to trouble or pain or unhappiness. There is little wisdom in not looking directly into a noon time Sun. We just do not do it without the expectation that our vision will be distorted at least temporarily. How reflexive though is the inclination to not eat that rich dessert after a gourmet meal? Usually, the gluttony ball is already rolling and it takes some determination to pass on it. That is wisdom, the alternative self satisfying foolishness. We should live our lives in awareness -- awareness of those people and things around us which can cause good or ill.
12. Listen and follow the guidance given to your heart. Expect guidance to come in many forms; in prayer, in dreams, in solitude and in the words and actions of elders and friends. --- Our hearts are the figurative centers of our well being. Things you “know in your heart” are those things you trust and believe in. To live in one’s heart means to live and love openly. It also means to be aware of those things which are dissonant with our hearts. Things that we know without having learned them from a book or a teacher. This is our intuition, our inner voice, our dream. This intuitive inner voice can lead us in many positive directions when not clouded with emotional desires or hungers. The intuitive voice is the result of listening to others, our elders and friends who have life experiences we do not. It is also the result of our quiet and meditative moments when we listen, not question or wonder, but just to listen.
Sat Nam, Sat Inder Singh
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Today
So, the process of this teacher training is unfolding me and myself to myself in ways I never thought possible, ways that are not so lovey dovey and feeling good to me, but things that I've waited a few days on and have figured out they are for the best.
First off I had a little rendevous with someone who at one point last year I thought I was in love with, willingly on both parts and it was very nice, but very surprising. I don't want to go any further on that one! lol Then I went to the ashram early to spend extra time there, read from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib some and do some karma yoga, which I did and it felt great to be there for a longer time than normal and to enjoy the space and the company of a couple of great folks, who just happen to be Sikhs. I also stayed until Monday morning before leaving, but Sunday night I thought of my ex. My ex whom I lived with for almost 2 years from 1999 til 2001 and ever since we've had a friendship, relationship, even occasional romps in the hay. All without attachment. Then I quit hearing from him about last fall, just around the same time I was thinking of making my Sikh path known and official by growing out my hair and taking my spiritual name as my own, etc. About 2 months ago I got an email from him stating he was changing his email address and letting me know. So I responded and was surprised when he reacted so strongly to my name change and faith change and we had a few discussions about it, only by text, he wouldn't talk to me because it disturbed him so much. So anyway, I texted him Sunday night only to have him make some ignorant comments and we went back and forth to the point where I realized I needed to let him go. So I did and told him so and he just said enjoy your peaceful life.
So, it was hard having to deal with that, but I was able to use my sadhana the next morning to really work through the letting go process and felt better. Now today I went and say Life As We Know It and it made me think of him again, I guess because the two main characters relationship reminded me so much of his and mine. I was very sad after watching the movie and came home to do my Brain Doctor kriya, which did make me feel better, but I'm still feeling introspective about it.
I don't really have any wonderful insights or other things to share, just putting it down so its out of my head for now. I'm off to eat dinner, talk to you again soon. Sat Nam
First off I had a little rendevous with someone who at one point last year I thought I was in love with, willingly on both parts and it was very nice, but very surprising. I don't want to go any further on that one! lol Then I went to the ashram early to spend extra time there, read from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib some and do some karma yoga, which I did and it felt great to be there for a longer time than normal and to enjoy the space and the company of a couple of great folks, who just happen to be Sikhs. I also stayed until Monday morning before leaving, but Sunday night I thought of my ex. My ex whom I lived with for almost 2 years from 1999 til 2001 and ever since we've had a friendship, relationship, even occasional romps in the hay. All without attachment. Then I quit hearing from him about last fall, just around the same time I was thinking of making my Sikh path known and official by growing out my hair and taking my spiritual name as my own, etc. About 2 months ago I got an email from him stating he was changing his email address and letting me know. So I responded and was surprised when he reacted so strongly to my name change and faith change and we had a few discussions about it, only by text, he wouldn't talk to me because it disturbed him so much. So anyway, I texted him Sunday night only to have him make some ignorant comments and we went back and forth to the point where I realized I needed to let him go. So I did and told him so and he just said enjoy your peaceful life.
So, it was hard having to deal with that, but I was able to use my sadhana the next morning to really work through the letting go process and felt better. Now today I went and say Life As We Know It and it made me think of him again, I guess because the two main characters relationship reminded me so much of his and mine. I was very sad after watching the movie and came home to do my Brain Doctor kriya, which did make me feel better, but I'm still feeling introspective about it.
I don't really have any wonderful insights or other things to share, just putting it down so its out of my head for now. I'm off to eat dinner, talk to you again soon. Sat Nam
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