The Eight Brocades is a real blessing for millions of people all over the world. The movements are beautifully silken, like intricate brocade. After practicing, it feels as if you are wearing a robe of rich, soft, silk fabric: This is the Qi(Chi) or Prana that flows through the subtle channels in and around the body, brightening and strengthening the radiant body, which in turn strengthens, protects, heals and sustains the physical body. 

Eight Brocade Qigong is one of the most common forms of Qigong in the world and is probably the simplest Qigong one can learn. It is focused on opening the muscles and tendons and healing and awakening the internal organ systems of the physical body. 
 
A simple search online describes people with physical problems, especially related to the lower body, who have had amazing benefits within 6-8 months of practicing this form. People who had difficulty with instability, who were prone to falling or unable to climb stairs or even walk a few steps were able to build up their energy body and physical body with the Eight Brocades to the point where they could walk several flights of stairs with relative ease. Even people with Parkinson’s disease have reported increased stability in the body, with pain and rigidity eased up by 50% or more.
 
The Eight Brocades follow the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and are one of the most gentle and effective ways of working with the body. They calm the nervous system, improve circulation, build great strength and heal body, mind, and spirit. They correct physical and energetic imbalances of all kinds and optimally direct Qi throughout the body, removing blockages without the use of needles, herbs or massage.  In fact, it is one of the best ways to strengthen the body and improve circulation. It also helps in balancing the vital functions and drives stagnant energy and toxins out of the system.

The Eight Brocades also happens to be one of the oldest Qigong systems in Chinese history.  It is first mentioned by name in the 12th century Stories Heard by Yijian, a collection of supernatural tales from the Song dynasty.  Descriptions of the physical movements of the Eight Brocades, as well as their related medical applications, also show up in the Daoist encyclopedia, Pivot of the Way, also from the 12th century. 

But even earlier, these precise movements were described in the sixth century, in Cultivating Spirit and Extending Vitality Record, written by one of the great grandfathers of Daoism, Tao Hongjing, who lived between 456–536 BCE.  Going back even further, thanks to recent archeological discoveries in China, we can see that the Eight Brocade exercises, though probably called by a different name, were being practiced as far back as the second century BCE as shown by some of the characters from the Diagram of Leading and Pulling, from 168 BCE.

The Eight Brocades seem to have grown in popularity during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), appearing in a fairly standardized way in numerous books, such as the 14th century Essentials of Attaining Longevity, written by the painter, musician, and Daoist hermit Leng Qian in the 12th century, as well as in the 16th century Eight Treasuries on Nurturing Life, written by the Daoist playwright Gao Lian.  In both contexts it is praised as an essential practice for balancing the energies of the body.   

The famous, undefeated martial artist and general Yue Fei, who was also a calligrapher and poet, held off China’s enemies single-handedly in the 10th century, for an entire generation. The Eight Brocades was said to be the secret of his incredible strength. 

In one of the narratives about the Eight Brocades, Zhong Li Quan, one of the famous Eight Daoist Immortals, formalized the Eight Brocades in the 14th century. Then it further caught on in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). 

The French Jesuit missionary Pierre-Martial Cibot came to the court of the Qing Emperor in the 1700s and published an essay in 1779, Instructions on the Kung Fu of Daoist Monks, which includes a number of drawings of Daoist monks performing what are clearly exercises from the Eight Brocades.  Cibot’s article included a rundown of Daoist anatomy and the function of these movements, i.e. the restoration of proper circulation of energy.  He even mentions that these exercises are performed to prepare the body for the alchemical process. The paper was widely circulated in Europe, and has come to be regarded as a source document on the Eight Brocades in the history of physiotherapy for the West, due to its influence on Pehr Henrik Ling (1766-1839), the father of Swedish Gymnastics.

From there, the Eight Brocades seeped into Modern European physical culture and was practiced by the military of many different countries, including the British army stationed in India, who practiced it alongside yoga. 

Today it is practiced as a modern, transnational, therapeutic form of moving meditation for health, healing, strength and well-being. The Chinese Communist Party tried to curb the global explosion of QiGong toward the end of the 1990s, delegitimizing many forms of Qigong, famously imprisoning and even executing practitioners of Falon Gong and other forms QiGong. I have seen many human rights protests in Times Square led by Falon Gong and Falon Dafa practitioners within the last few years while working in New York.  

The Eight Brocades, luckily, were approved by the Chinese Communist Party and is often a first resort for healing the body, prescribed before sending a patient to a doctor or hospital in China. It is perhaps the most common form of Qigong practiced all around the world.  
 
The Eight Brocades, when practiced regularly, improve wellness, fitness, vitality, healing, and longevity. It can be practiced by everyone; young and elderly, people who are fit and also those looking to get fit. The standing sets of the Eight Brocades can be learned by anyone who can stand, and can establish health in as little as 15 minutes a day. 
 
I have been practicing the Eight Brocades daily for many years now and can attest to their efficacy. I very much look forward to sharing them with you. 

Join Savitri online on Fridays at 1pm for Chi-Gung & the Eight Brocades. 
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I pray that each of you has everything you need to be sustained throughout this time. If you've got what you need, this is a list of affordable and FREE resources to bring epiphanies, laughter, depth, and good energy into the mix during your time at home. So here it is: based on a collaborative discussion with some of MKY's teachers, Savitri, Andy, Kathy, and myself (Cate) and some suggestions from our community. May it serve you. Stay healthy, safe, and happy! 

 #1 Podcast Series on The New Earth
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle is a life-changing book about how we can repair our world through awareness, acceptance and enjoyment. In this 10-part podcast series, Oprah Winfrey and Tolle discuss the book and take questions from callers about implementing its teachings into real life. 

​#2 Good News Web Series
I hope you already know about Actor John Krasinki's Some Good News, which is such a fun, beautiful, exciting, funny and uplifting response to these times. If you haven't watched this Web Series, watch it soon and get ready for some happy tears, as Krasinski surprises a young girl who missed out on seeing Hamilton with a Zoom performance from the cast, brings amazing speakers -- like Jon Stewart, Steven Spielberg, and Oprah -- to an online high school graduation, and officiates a Zoom wedding for two fans of the The Office, followed by dance party with all the cast members. Word is that Comedy Central picked up the series, so the wonderful, heartfelt-ness won't end.

#3 Mantra Resource
We, at MKY, regard mantras as a gift, a gift that helps us shift from our churning, monkey minds to peace. And we all draw on this marvelous resource of Kundalini Mantras often for our own practices and when we plan our classes: Spirit Voyage's Mantrapedia lists the mantras from A-Z and includes the meaning, the effect, and the musical versions of each sacred sound. 

#4 Spiritual Journey Book
Surfing the Himalayas by Frederick Lenz tells the story of a young man who travels to the Himalayas seeking the ultimate high. While snowboarding the great mountains, he unexpectedly meets (literally plows into) a wise Buddhist Monk named Master Fwap who completely transforms his life. Lynn Andrews, author of Medicine Woman, states it best; "A magnificent journey to the mountain within." (Those of you who take Savitri's classes have probably heard her mention her teacher Rama. Rama is Frederick Lenz's spiritual name, and this is one of his most important books.)  

#6 Montclair Kundalini Yoga's Online Classes
If you haven't popped online with us yet, give it a try. It's just $10 a class. And we really try to deliver the teachings, the music, and our caring hearts. If you're shy about being on camera, I understand how you feel and you don't have to be. It's your choice. On camera or off, we'd like to be your spiritual family.  We'd like to help you get your daily dose of Kundalini Yoga, the yoga of awareness, the yoga that focuses on getting your energy and creativity flowing. Sign up here. 

#7 Outside (Not an App)
I suggested to my team that I include on this list a step counting app because we all know that walking is sooooo beneficial, but Savitri responded with a resounding "NO! Leave your phone at home." So there you have it. The link is your front door. 

#8 Movie
I re-watched this one on demand with my kids and,  for our sense of humor (which may not be so elevated, I grant you), it was worth it! A great escape from the seriousness of the moment. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly play perpetual children, ne-er-do-wells who still live at home. When their parents marry, they become step brothers and rivalry, childishness, hilarity, and eventually redemption ensue. 

#9 List of Weird & Little-Known Words
My college-age son is a studious sort, so I always try (and rarely succeed) at stumping him with stuff I know and he doesn't. In this case, I cheated because I looked up "little-known" words and then tested him. Stumped him on 26 out of 26, which was super satisfying. Bonus: most of the words are pretty funny sounding, too, like winklepicker and tittynope. Enjoy the A-Z List. ​

#10 Lucid Dreaming
Dive into your own dreams for healing. Savitri has discovered this awesome book about lucid dreaming which I'm about to explore, too. Here's her recommendation:

Want to ramp up your spiritual practice? Why not learn to meditate or do yoga in your dreamtime while sleeping? That’s what the book Lucid Dreaming Made Easy by Charlie Morley teaches us how to do.

We have probably all dreamt lucidly at least once in our lives, where we are awake and aware in the dream and able to exert some control. But Charlie Morley teaches us how to lucid dream on a consistent basis: During lucid dreaming, we can receive important messages from the higher self, the psychological self and the collective psyche. We can cultivate our spirituality by bringing our spiritual practice to the dreamtime. When we learn to really utilize the nearly one third of our life that we spend sleeping, anxiety can be reduced, creativity can be boosted and solutions to problems can be found, among so many other benefits.

Some tools Charlie gives us are: Keep a dream journal, identify recurrent dream signs, set an affirmation before sleep that acts as a queue to lucidly wake up in the dreamtime, perform reality checks to verify you are indeed in a dream, and learn how to extend dreams - among many other valuable practices. 

#11 Remote Reiki
Reiki is a healing energy that can be directed and transmitted by a Reiki practitioner to address disturbances in the subtle energy bodies. A Reiki treatment restores order and balance to the subtle bodies which can then positively affect the physical body as well as all other levels of our being. Reiki is a light bath that helps your body-emotions-mind-spirit to heal itself.

Reiki energy can be directly applied or can be transmitted anywhere in the world to anyone at any time. When performed remotely, it is called remote Reiki or distance Reiki and the practitioner often uses special symbols and visualizations to bridge and transcend space to transmit the healing energies to the one receiving.

Savitri and I both offer distance Reiki. You can book a 30 minute session with one or both of us. For the rest of the month of May, we are offering a 50% discount on Reiki. For a 30 minute session with one of us, it's only $30. For a 30 minute session with both of us simultaneously, it's only $60. Please contact us at info@montclairkundaliniyoga.com to book a session. 

#12 Introduction to EFT (Tapping) Video
This healing technique is really worth a try. It's a combination of Chinese Acupressure and Modern Psychology. It's easy and quick to do, and can apply to physical pain and emotional issues. This video is from Nick Ortner, the author of The Tapping Solution and is a great introduction. If you've never given this a try, I really encourage you to if there's any area of stagnation.  See if it helps. 

And by the way, we hope you'll follow us because we keep things positive: @montclairkundaliniyoga, @catebaily, @brynnlacey1, @kathrynyogini, @andys857

#14 Daily Live Devotional Music & Meditation 
Deva Premal & Miten are chart-topping new-age musicians on a mission to share the medicine of mantra with the world. During these times, they are offering a Daily Facebook Live with their beautiful music and meditation. They exude such peaceful, beautiful energy. 
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#15 Andy's Meditation Offerings
Every single day, Andy posts free video meditations on our Facebook page. Plus, he teaches in his friendly, open, accepting way a FREE Meditation Class for MKY online every Monday night. Sign up to join in. 

Bonus for Parents
​If you're home with kids, this looks like an amazing resource: The Ultimate Guide to WFH with Kids. It's full of ideas for activities and searchable by age, outdoor vs. indoor, screen vs. no screen, and need for parent involvement. I didn't get too deep with it yet. But I did find an activity I'm dying to do with my daughter: create a fairy house with only items found in your yard. 

We'd love to know what resources you've been drawing on in this time at home. Please share in the comments. Let's help each other out. 

As a close-knit community, we heal each other constantly by connecting energetically at the heart and continually sending inner support and healing to each other. This heart connection and sense of community is more important now than ever. With this in mind, Cate and I (Savitri) would like to offer you a further step in your healing journey, and that is Distance Reiki, which we can beam out to you remotely.   
 
Reiki is a healing energy that can be directed and transmitted by a Reiki practitioner to address disturbances in the subtle energy bodies. A Reiki treatment restores order and balance to the subtle bodies which can then positively affect the physical body as well as all other levels of our being. Reiki is a light bath that helps your body-emotions-mind-spirit to heal itself.

Reiki energy can be directly applied or can be transmitted anywhere in the world to anyone at any time. When performed remotely, it is called remote Reiki or distance Reiki and the practitioner often uses special symbols and visualizations to bridge and transcend space to transmit the healing energies to the one receiving.

As many of you know, who have done Reiki trainings with us, we tap into many healing modalities that we combine with Reiki. These include crystal work, the tree of life, Divine Mother sacral chakra healing, Chinese medicine and Shamanic techniques, as well as sound healing. We weave these combined techniques into our unique form of Reiki healing for your highest good. Training to become a Reiki practitioner is best done in person and we plan to offer Reiki trainings and attunements again as soon as sequestering is over and we can safely gather at the studio again.
At this particular time in our world, Cate and I feel that many people in our extended community would greatly benefit from distance Reiki, either for themselves or as a gift to a loved one. With this in mind, we would like to offer remote Reiki sessions in the month of April at a significant (50%) discount of $30 per half hour session, or $60 per half hour session for concentrated Reiki from both of us at the same time.

Please reach out to Cate or I (Savitri) via email to schedule a session. We recommend that you receive Reiki when you have time to relax afterwards and that you find a calm, relaxing place where you can receive the healing energy. Reiki sessions are not conducted over the phone, but we will text you just before we begin and as response to our text, it is important that you send us your physical location and time zone. It is also ideal if you can include a current photo of yourself. Alternatively, you can send us these details as a reply to our reminder email the day of your healing session.
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We send you all our healing vibrations and best wishes as we all adjust to our new circumstances and allow Mother Earth to rest and heal herself. 

Kundalini Yoga engages me: the breath work opens me up; the mantras inspire me; the movement enlivens and challenges me; the meditations shift me; the internal, silent repetition of Sat Nam (I am Truth) brings me back to who I am again and again. The engagement is what makes it such a doable practice. If I'm not fully engaged, I'm distracted. If I'm distracted, my thoughts take over -- and that is not what I want in my spiritual practice. 

In this series, I explain 5 of the elements that make Kundalini Yoga an all-consuming, enjoyable, beautiful and healing practice. Each ingredient is, on its own, good for you. And together, they are a recipe for physical, mental, spiritual health and happiness. 

Breath of fire is a breath practice that is used throughout Kundalini Yoga. The three things I love most about it are: 1) how practicing it interrupts my churning mind, 2) how I feel a little buzzy and wonderful after a round of it, and 3) how it helps me through challenging postures. 

It's an activating, fueling, fast (about the speed of a panting dog), belly-moving, and audible breath, usually done through the nose. With all that going on, it's actually difficult to let the mind wander.  You're in it. You're present. 

In addition to how it brings presence, breath of fire offers MANY tangible benefits, including:

• detoxification 
• expansion of lung capacity
• strengthening of nervous system
• activating the navel chakra
• increasing stamina 
• reducing addictive impulses
• boosting the immune system

In her book A Woman's Book of Yoga,  my teacher Hari Kaur Khalsa, describes breath of fire as "a super energizer and a stress buster," and I couldn't agree more. 

Like everything in this practice, it's in the experience of it. So, try it (unless you are menstruating, pregnant, or fewer than three months post-partum, in which cases breath of fire is contraindicated). Here are two ways to learn or continue to move toward mastery of this awesome breath:

1. Lie down on your back with your hand on your lower belly. Inhale through the nose as you let the belly fill up like a balloon. Exhale through the nose as you feel the belly move in toward the spine. Begin as slowly as you need to in order to get the coordination of the breath and the belly. Speed up when you're able to. Move toward 2-3 cycles of breath per second. 
2. Another way to learn is to sit tall with a straight spine, open your mouth, stick out your tongue and pant like a dog. Feel the speed of that and then notice the belly movement, which is hopefully moving in on the exhale and out on the exhale. After you've done that for a minute or two, close the mouth and try to replicate the pace through the nose. 

If you feel dizzy at any point, stop and take some deep breaths. If you feel you may be reversing the belly action, stop and start again. The most important thing is to be patient. "Patience pays," as Yogi Bhajan said. You'll get it; it will become automatic.

And you'll love it! You'll love doing it. You'll love the benefits. You'll love how it brings you in the moment. And, if you're like me, it'll help you fall in love with the practice of Kundalini Yoga. 

When I first began my Kundalini journey, the mantras (sacred sounds) were a strange and confusing element to me. My first teacher used to shout out Sat Nam Sat Nam Sat Nam Sat Nam Sat Nam Sat Nam Wahe Guru with no explanation. Back then, I regarded mantras as an inaccessible aspect of a powerful practice that I could just choose to tune out, and in so doing, not embrace the full “weirdness” of it all.

Little did I know that mantras would enter my heart and remain there ever-available for my healing, for my soothing, for my transformation. In fact, much to my surprise, mantras became the most accessible aspect of my practice. Over the more than two decades I’ve practiced, my body and mind have been in different states. I’ve experienced minor injuries, fluctuating strength and flexibility and my mind has moved all over the spectrum from chaotic to peaceful. At times, I’ve had to pull back from a robust physical practice. At times, the mere suggestion of sitting in silent meditation will send me running away from the mat. But mantras — Sat Nam Sat Nam Sat Nam Sat Nam Sat Nam Sat Nam Wahe Guru — are always there in my consciousness, rising to the surface when needed, redirecting my distracted mind, reminding me that I am a spiritual being, and bringing a feel-good aliveness to every cell.

The word mantra means mind projection, and that definition tells so much of the story. In Kundalini Yoga, we repeat sacred sounds to bring our attention to beautiful and uplifting messages and to give our bodies the experience of a higher vibration than our everyday thoughts and language achieve. We draw on an extensive cannon of mantras, which come mostly from sacred Sikh texts. Although they come from a religious tradition, these mantras are for people of all faiths. They access something deeper — heart and soul — than tenets.

The above beautiful mantras, along with many others, are another tool in the toolbox of things that make Kundalini Yoga, oh-so-engaging and therefore oh-so-doable. There are three ways to work with mantras in a Kundalini Yoga practice.

1. Play them in the background of a physical practice and allow for a gorgeous undercurrent of support. Just playing the music begins to uplift the environment.
2. Repeat the mantras silently and internally to focus the mind. Regardless of how busy the mind is, you can bring your focus to a sacred sound to redirect.
3. Chant them aloud, either in a monotone or along with a musical track. This is my favorite! It is joy! It is expression of Truth, of that which I cannot even understand with the limited mind but that is all about the magic of life.

Bringing mantra in in these ways has an impact. Like everything in this blog series, they add to the mix a way of staying in the moment.

In addition to bringing us into presence, each mantra carries with it a specific benefit.
Sat Nam, which I will discuss more in depth in Part 5 of this blog series, brings us into alignment with our authentic self.
Gobinday Mukunday lists qualities of divine energy and works to cleanse the subconscious mind and break through deep-seated blocks.
Chattr Chakkr Vartee speaks of divine support and helps to release fear.
Pavan Guru reminds us of our life force and the nourishment of the breath. It is said to increase energy.
Sat Narayan is about the sustaining force in the Universe and it serves to protect the heart and allow us to go with the flow.

You can sample my favorite musical versions of each of the above mantras here. Enjoy them. Enjoy the beauty. Enjoy the effects. Enjoy that they are available to us, to make our Kundalini practice that much more meaningful, real, and high.

If all you know of meditation is the stereotype of “close your eyes and empty your mind,” it could feel impossible. The Kundalini approach to meditation is quite different, and in my opinion much less intimidating than other forms. Each Kundalini meditation (and there are many) has, like a kriya, a specific intention or outcome. In order to achieve the outcome, there is a combination of tools, which can include an eye focus, a breath pattern, a hand position, an arm movement, and/or a mantra. Having those tools what makes the meditations easier. The tools hold us every step of the way and keep us from straying into a torrent of thoughts. 
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This is so key for me. See, I didn’t go into this yoga in order to meditate. I wasn’t interested in meditation or convinced of the benefits of it. I wanted to move and feel good. But as I’ve experienced these meditations and trained, I’ve become more and more interested and more and more convinced -- to the point that Kundalini Meditations have become an imperative in my life and more than that, they’ve become a reminder of magic. But I can only get to the magic by doing and I’m only willing to do what feels doable and stuff only feels doable when I know I’ll feel engaged. (This is why reorganizing my bathroom cabinets hasn’t gotten done. Not so engaging for me.)

Here are some Kundalini Meditations to try that draw on tools to engage you. 
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Meditation to Conquer Self-Animosity
Draws on an eye focus, a breath pattern, and a hand position.
This meditation is particularly helpful in dealing with self-sabotage. Here how: ​​

1. Sit tall with the chin pulled in toward the throat. 
2. Relax the arms at the sides , bring the hands into fists and point the thumbs start up to the sky;  press the fists together so that the knuckles and the sides of the thumbs are touching; hold the hands just below the chest.
3. Direct the eyes down and in at the tip of the nose.
4. Inhale through the nose and  exhale through the mouth; then inhale through the mouth and exhale through the nose. 
5. Continue with this pattern for 3 minutes.

Meditation to Experience & Project the Original Self
Draws on an arm position and a mantra.
Practice this meditation in order to  return to your True Self. 

1. Sit tall. Place your left arm up parallel to the ground with the elbow bent, hand in front of your heart center with your palm facing down. Place your right arm out to the side with the elbow bent, palm facing forward, and hand in gyan mudra (thumb and pointer finger meeting). 
2. Close your eyes and chant Ram Ram Hari Ram, Ram Ram Hari Hari. (I love Snatam Kaur’s version. Sample it here. Continue for 11-31 minutes. 
3. To finish, inhale and hold the breath and the posture for 20-30 seconds if you can. Exhale, maintaining the arm position. Inhale and hold the breath and the posture again. Exhale, relax, and sit in silence.

Meditation to Open the Heart
Draws on an eye focus, a mantra, and an arm movement.
This  meditation is for those times when you feel your heart has closed and you need to re-initiate the flow of love.

1. Sit talls with the eyes closed and focused up and in at the brow point. 
2. Chant the mantra Sat Kartar as you move the arms. As you chant sat, place the hands in prayer at the heart center. As you chant kar, extend the hands out from the shoulders with the elbows bent, halfway to the final position. As you chant tar, stretch the arms straight out from the shoulders, with the palms flexed (fingers pointing up). ​I love this version of the mantra. 
3. Continue in this manner for up to 11 minutes. 

May this meditations engage you. May they woe you. May they treat you to magic! 

“My parents are at a Power of Eight gathering tonight.” My friend Meredith told me over oolong tea.
 
“What is the Power of Eight?  I asked, looking curiously over the rim of my tea cup.
 
“It’s a powerful healing circle that yields amazing results that I’ve personally witnessed, which have been scientifically proven.” Meredith told me with shining eyes.
 
I knew right away this was something special! That night, I googled “Power of Eight” and found a book by that name by Lynne Taggart and I ordered it immediately. Lynne has been conducting Power of Eight circles for decades and presents her scientific evidence very convincingly. So, so many amazing testimonies of miraculous healings, including seedlings in a lab half way around the world that received focused healing intentions, and grew many times faster and stronger than those in the control group. Whether groups gathered in person or online with Skype, the stories and evidence Lynne presents are very strong and self-evident and this body of evidence grows as people all over the world gather together in these healing circles.
 
Of course there is a whole plethora of evidence from the Transcendental Meditation research and experiments with group meditations that show amazing healings, lowered disease and violent crime rates and other factors directly attributable to these collective intentions. Andy Teg Avtar can tell you all about this body of evidence in his meditation classes.
 
I have personally seen amazing results from the many prayer and healing circles I’ve organized, in which we select a certain time of day to collectively focus on a family member or close friend in need of great healing: For example my sister-in-law with advanced cancer suddenly got up from bed to go dancing on New Year’s Eve, something we all thought was impossible.
 
Each year, I attend a week long silent meditation retreat, led by the great Advaita teacher Adyashanti at Omega institute – what a blessing! Adyashanti always talks about how the members of his non-profit organization bring their concerns into the group’s circle for discussion and listening, as they mine for the best solutions. He explained that if the members of the circle don’t try to divert the natural energy flow, if the ego mind stays out of this natural flow, “solutions bubble up to the surface like precious jewels. You can almost see them shining”. What a poet!

MKY has had several workshops, and is actually engaged in one right now, in which participants share and as each person is earnestly listened to by the others, deep emotional healings become apparent as each person feels seen, heard, understood and supported.

So last summer, Cate and I decided to start our own healing/prayer circles, as we continued to study the work of Lynne Taggart’s ‘Power of Eight’ and other similar works and experiments with directed intention, like that of Joe Dispenza. The Zen Heart Circle Sangha and other Sanghas of which I am a member also emphasize this kind of listening and sharing, often utilizing a talking stick in the middle of the circle.
 
Then, like the cherry on a mountain of ice cream, I was able to attend this year’s elder gathering at the beautiful Sunray Peace Village in Vermont. There, I met David Lonebear Sanipass, Native American Elder and Leader of Mi’kmaq nation, along with his beautiful wife. They regularly hold “teas” with nine to twelve people in attendance, to just listen as each person talks in turn, and everyone else just listens with one-pointed attention. Listeners, he explained, just listen! They do not think about what they want to say or about advice they want to give, they just listen, bringing all their attention to the one who is speaking. Lonebear mirrors the wisdom of so many sages and teachers who have urged us to do just that.
 
As Lonebear spoke, we were all sitting on the Mother Earth in a circle, about twelve of us, with a quietly crackling fire nearby. A very special feeling came over us that is hard to describe. Lonebear went on to tell us about the blue orbs that regularly appear in the middle of the room when he and his wife hold their ‘teas’, as the group members listen intently to each other. The appearance of these other-worldy blue orbs actually inspired Lonebear to call these listening type of gatherings and teachings ‘Blue Star Teachings’ and he encouraged us all to gather in circles of our own.
 
I excitedly told Lonebear about how my yoga partner and I had also formulated this idea, I told him about Lynne Taggart’s work, and related that we were about to start regular listening circles of our own.
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So, we look forward to monthly gathering together -- the first Saturday of the month from 1:30-2:30pm -- with you to just listen to each other from the heart, allowing equal ‘air-time’ for each participant, as the rest of us just listen and bathe the one speaking in light and awareness as the speaker finds their own interpretations, understandings and solutions. And yes, we will be serving hot tea and cookies.
 
Miracles happen ALL THE TIME at MKY, so who knows what Divine presence might appear in our midst to assist at a soul level - the jewel of truth that bubbles up to the surface, as Adyashanti so poetically relates. We look forward to listening, seeing and understanding together.

Every time I practice I work with my mind. I try to remain focused on the sacred by feeling my breath, by turning my eyes up and in to the third eye, by repeating sat nam (truth is my identity). When distracting thoughts arise, I refocus, reorient to the sacred.  

Yesterday, though, when I came to class, the usual tools didn't quite work. My mind was churning over how to fix some pressing problems and on some tasks that I could not put off anymore. Then there was some self-judgment mixed in. Why did I put them off in the first place? What's wrong with me?

It didn't matter that I know better than to be hard on myself. It didn't matter that I know  that when I'm hard on myself I only compound the anxiety. It didn't matter because the truth is it's not about knowing better. It's about embodying better.

Yesterday, my mind needed some extra help to embody better. Fortunately, Kathy (Harjot) was teaching the Kriya for All Chakras, and the kriya provided an additional framework for my messy, suffering mind. (Without direction, I contend that most minds will go to messiness and suffering to different degrees.) The kriya provided the focal points of the chakras, energy centers, and I was able to experience my presence, and in presence I found relief. 

As we moved through the chakras, with Kathy's inspiration, I used visualizations to make each energy center's quality feel more real, and I used affirmations to remind myself that I (like everyone) am blessed with these qualities.  

I wanted to share with you the visualizations and affirmations I used yesterday because they may be helpful to you. I hope these tools serve you when you need them most. I hope they bring you back into  present moment awareness, back into an embodied state, when the mind threatens to overtake you.  

(If you're reading this and thinking, what the heck is a chakra?  No worries. Please check out Kathy's Blog, Floating Along the Chakra Cruise for more background. )

First Chakra, Root Chakra, Sense of Safety
With any exercise that involves the base of the spine (such as pulling root lock, spinal flexes, crow pose, and body drops), visualize thick roots shooting down and out from your base (if you're standing, your feet; if you're seated, your sits bones) and into the rich soil.  Repeat to yourself: I am rooted. I am held. I am safe. 

Second Chakra, Sacral Chakra, Source of Creativity
With any exercise that involves the pelvis (such as sufi grind or frog pose), envision a beautiful body of water within. Then, see a single pebble drop in its center and see perfect, concentric circles emanate out and out and out. Affirm: I am in flow. I am inspired. I am creative.

Third Chakra, Navel Chakra, Source of Will Power
With any exercise that involves the navel center (such as stretch pose, spinal twists, or leg lifts), see a fire at the belly. See your effort as stoking the fire that fuels your dreams and goals. Say to yourself, I am strong and determined. I persevere. I keep up. 

Fourth Chakra, Heart Chakra, Center of Compassion
With any exercise that involves opening the chest or directing energy to the heart (such as cobra, holding the hands in prayer, or ego eradicator), envision a bright sun swirling at the center of your chest. Visualize that sun as melting any and all ice around the heart, any ways in which you've gone numb or stopped feeling. Repeat to yourself: I am open to love. I am love. 

Fifth Chakra, Throat Chakra, Speaking Truth
With any exercise that involves the neck or chanting (such as head rolls and head turns and singing mantras aloud), see a lotus flower. Visualize the lotus at the throat opening, opening, opening with infinite layers of petals. Affirm: I speak my truth with confidence. 

Sixth Chakra, Third Eye Chakra, Intuition
With any exercise that involves bringing energy to the brow point (such as bowing the head to the mat or holding the hands in prayer with the thumbs gently pressing the center of the forehead), envision a third eye. Imagine that your physical eyes disappear and your only vantage point is the third eye. Trust that what appears in your mind's eye, whether it's colors or images, is coming from the intuitive space. Repeat to yourself.: I see the way. My soul knows the way. 

Seventh Chakra, Crown Chakra, Connection to Spirit
With any exercise that involves the crown of the head or directing energy to the crown (such as the arm position in the photo above and many meditations), visualize a beam of light entering from  the heavens and into the top of your head to illuminate the center of the brain. Say to yourself, I am connected to spirit.  

Eighth Chakra, The Aura,  Magnetic Field of Protection
With any exercise that involves sweeping the arms around the body or extending the legs beyond the base (such as breath of fire with lion's paws or wide leg, life nerve stretch), see your aura, extending nine feet in every direction -- a beautiful bubble, a force field of protection. Understand your movement as clearing the aura. Affirm: I am protected.  I am radiant.

Please make these visions and words your own. Trust that you can guide yourself into presence even in the most anxious moments.  Sat Nam. 

When the heart is so locked up that healing cannot penetrate, there is a way through. There is a mantra that can break down the walls -- the Miracle Mantra, Dhan Dhan Ram Das Guru. 

Today, I spoke to MKY's spiritual sister Akal Bani Kaur (Sholeen) about her profound self-healing experience with this mantra.When Akal Bani (who is now a Kundalini Yoga teacher) first started practicing Kundalini Yoga, she would chant mantras in class and, at her teacher's suggestion, try 40 day practices with some. But she didn't keep up with any and never reached 40 days. Then one day in class, she heard Dhan Dhan Ram Das Guru playing in the background. Something about it caught her; she asked her teacher for the details and then began a 40 day experience that, among other things, surprised her.

As she chanted Dhan Dhan Ram Das Guru, ​she was overcome with tears. "I've always thought of myself as a happy person, an optimistic person." Akal Bani said. "I didn't know I had so many tears." She had committed to chanting 31 minutes a day but would often keep going for longer until the tears had moved through.

After weeks and weeks of tears, something else surprised her. Her heart opened. "I didn't even remember that after my first boyfriend broke my heart, I had like encased my heart in metal." As she chanted, the metaphorical metal around her heart melted.

After 40 days of daily chanting of Dhan Dhan Ram Das Guru, Akal Bani opted to continue beyond the 40 days to over six months. She stopped counting. The heart opening led to a new compassion, and she was able to turn that compassion to herself. She was able to finally really look at herself, really see herself and love herself. "The miracle of the mantra," she said, "is self-love." 

Dhan Dhan Ram Das Guru is a longer mantra, also known as a shabd or Sikh prayer, that honors Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru in the lineage. Guru Ram Das represented miracles, humility, and service. In the Kundalini Yoga tradition, we chant this mantra in the 11 days leading up to Guru Ram Das's birthday, which is celebrated on October 9. 

If you like, you can see the mantra and its translation below, as well as a link to a playlist of some of the most beautiful versions of it that I know. ​​

Mantra:

Dhan dhan raam daas gur jin siri-aa tinai savaari-aa
Pooree hoee karaamaat aap sirajanhaarai dhaari-aa
Sikhee atai sangatee paarbrahm kar namasakaari-aa
Atal athaa-o atol too tayraa ant na paaraavaari-aa
Jinee too sayvi-aa bhaa-o kar say tudh paar utaari-aa
Lab lobh kaam krodh mo maar kadhay tudh saparvaari-aa
Dhan so tayraa thaan hai sach tayraa paisakaari-aa
Naanak too lehanaa toohai gur amar too veechaari-aa
Gur dithaa taa man saadhaari-aa



Translation:
​
Blessed, blessed is Guru Ram Das; the One who created You has also exalted You.
Perfect is Your miracle; the Creator has installed You on a throne. 
Sikhs as well as all Conscious people recognize You because you manifest the Creator. 
You are unchanging, unfathomable and immeasurable; You have no end or limitation. 
You are unchanging, unfathomable and immeasurable; 
Those who serve You with love are carried across the sea of existence.
The five obstacles of lust, anger, greed, pride and attachment:
You have beaten them and driven them out.
Blessed is Your realm, and True is Your magnificent glory. 
You are Nanak, You are Angad, and You are Amar Daas; 
When I recognize You, my soul is comforted.

Playlist: Link to it here on iTunes.

• The Miracle of Surrender (Dhan Dhan) by Jai-Jagdeesh on Miracles Abound
• Dhan Dhan Ram Das Gur by White Sun on White Sun II
• Dhan Dhan Ram Das Gur by Prabhu Nam Kaur & Snatam Kaur on Mother's Blessings

Join Akal Bani & Jennifer Ferguson (Devi Kavita) for a Miracle Mantra Workshop on September 28th. Details here.