What is Aquarian Sadhana?

Aquarian Sadhana is a  specific two and a half hour practice during what's called the amrit vela, or the ambrosial hours 3:30-7am. (At MKY, we make it a little more doable by starting at 5 or 5:30am.) Here's how the practice breaks down:

1. Japji Sahib. We begin by reciting a beautiful poem, Japji Sahib, the Song of the Soul. This poem was written by Guru Nanak, a sage from India, and reciting it or just listening to it being recited is said to provide healing by aligning the chakras and cleansing the ten bodies.
2.  Kundalini Yoga Kriya (sequence of exercises). Next, we tune in and practice a kriya as we do in any Kundalini Yoga class. The difference is there is less talking by the instructor, as a quiet environment is paramount. We do this to prepare our bodies and our bodies' chemistries to be in an optimal state so that the meditative experience to come is enhanced. 
3. Relaxation. We relax and heal in savasana (relaxation).
4. Chanting the Aquarian Mantras. We chant a specific sequence of mantras  for specific times for a total of 62 minutes.​The first mantra is called Long Ek Ong Kar. Chanted without music for 7 minutes, this mantra initiates the Kundalini. The second mantra is Wah Yantee​, which we chant for 7 minutes to connect to our intuition. Next, we chant  the Mul (or Root) Mantra for 7 minutes. This mantra is said to change fate to destiny. Then, we chant the mantra for the Aquarian Age for 7 minutes, Sat Siree, Siree Akal. In it, we declare that we are timeless beings. Next, for 7 minutes, we chant Rakhe Rakhan Har​ for protection. Then, we chant the mantra of ecstasy Wahe Guru Wahe Jio for 22 minutes to establish ourselves for victory and the right to excel. Finally for miracles, we chant Guru Ram Das for 5 minutes.

If you are learning about Aquarian Sadhana for the first time, you may find some of its aspects extreme or strange. I know how you feel. I felt the same when I first learned of it and started practicing it.

I was first introduced to this practice in Teacher Training, and it was a requirement. Truth be told, I didn't have a great attitude about this requirement. I had all kinds of internal complaints about it. 

• I'm NOT a morning person.
• Why these chants? Because someone else said so?
• Couldn't it be shorter? 

But what happened in practicing it, is that I FELT the wisdom of its structure.  I FELT the victory of it and now wish for more and more experiences of Aquarian Sadhana. I've come to appreciate that it's for me,  for my growth,  for my spiritual awakening,  for my  success. 

If you want to learn more about Aquarian Sadhana, I recommend the book Original Light: the Morning Practice of Kundalini Yoga by beloved devotional artist and Kundalini Yoga teacher Snatam Kaur. She goes into depth and unpacks each aspect of the practice based on her lifetime of experience, growing up in a Kundalini Yoga community. There are so many beautiful nuggets to take from this book, but here is one of my favorites:  "It is through a daily spiritual practice that is consistent, like the heartbeat, that we change the psyche to know -- on an elemental, psychic, physical, chemical, and spiritual level -- that we are in fact putting the soul first."

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I encourage you to read this book or any other about the gift of Aquarian Sadhana. But more so, I encourage you to experience it. Join us or find a sadhana near you. Sat Nam.