June is approaching quickly, and that means that summer solstice is just around the corner. Every year, Kundalini Yoga practitioners from around the world gather in northern New Mexico for the 3HO Summer Solstice celebration. I invite you to New Mexico to join us there. I will be at the registration table, so be sure to stop by and say hello. For all the details, please follow the link: What is Summer Solstice Celebration. "If, somehow, because of circumstances or because of certain duties, you can’t come, please remember those ten days are precious. Wherever you are, meditate, chant and enhance your sadhana and just be very aware and careful that during those days you have to be very special." -Yogi Bhajan
Excerpt from the Kundalini Research Institute Newsletter, January 2014 - Read it Here
Written by Hari Charn Kaur Khalsa, director of Reach Out-Teach Out We Are KRI
Members of the Aquarian Trainer Academy at Winter Solstice (I am in the back row on the right)
Happy New Year! I have just returned from a trip to Amritsar, India and China and now I am with members of the Aquarian Trainer Academy at Winter Solstice, which is where we just had a Trainer’s Forum with Trainers from around the world. One of our Trainers in Training, Dev Dharam Kaur, also known as Darla Hueske, has been serving as a Kundalini Yoga Teacher for the past seven years in Egypt. She has brought the healing technology of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan to men and women through two revolutions and has returned to the United States with her husband for a short period of time for more training. Dev Dharam Kaur has traveled through Egypt and into Africa teaching meditations such as The Calm Heart to her classes, sharing simple but powerful techniques with those affected by the conflicts and wars in their area. Having marched with millions of peaceful protestors in both Egyptian revolutions and numerous other peaceful demonstrations throughout the last two years, she noticed that her classes were filling with people wanting to calm their stress. Despite the political turmoil, many of the students still come with the same reasons as any other student of Kundalini Yoga. Speaking to her at the Forum, I was so moved by her dedication to return to this area when her stay in the United States is complete. When we talked about teaching in Egypt, Dev Dharam said, " Yogi Bhajan always told me that I must teach. Whenever I was in his presence, he would say not to worry, he will take care of everything, " Dev Dharam remembers, "so, when I moved to Cairo in 2007 with my husband, I immediately started to teach. At that time yoga was very new to Cairo. Over the last few years many yoga studios have sprung up around the city. " She is currently working with some of her students to bring the first Level One Aquarian Teacher Program to Egypt in the coming years.
Room to Read's First Global Yoga Benefit: 16 June 2012
Removing obstacles, fostering compassion, and practicing asteya...
The demands in everyday life are seemingly endless. There never seems to be enough time or money to commit to practices other than maintaining our own emotional lives and physical conditions and care for our families. Along the way, traumas or conflicts occur that condition us and challenge our growth.
To move ahead, we often have to clear the path as we go and we probably often feel we could use the mighty strength of an elephant to blaze the trails in front of us (thus the great significance and reverence for the Hindu deity Ganesha). But for millions of children, the obstacles they face are too severe to overcome on their own.
A recent U.N. report identified India, mother country of our beautiful system of yoga, as the most dangerous place in the world to be a girl.
Teachers will sign up to participate and will donate all proceeds from the 60 - 90 minute class to the Room to ReadNamaste India! benefit. Teachers can set their own minimum donation price, but it should typically be a small amount comparable to a class price.
When you register, please let them know you heard about the festival from Darla Yoga in Egypt.
Maybe you're wondering "IS it SAFE to visit Egypt now?"
Here are My 10 Reasons Why NOW is the BEST time EVER to visit Egypt:
Reason 1. Prices are very good. Reason 2. Tourism is noticeably down, so the touristic sites are refreshingly peaceful. Fewer crowds opens more opportunities for you to see the full splendor of beautiful temples and sites. Reason 3. Egyptians are helpful and hospitable. English is a common language. You'll be fine. Reason 4. Sharm el-Sheikh has some of the most beautiful resorts and beaches in Egypt. It is also a favorite spot for scuba and snorkeling. Reason 5. If you plan to fly into Cairo, or visit Cairo, consider it no more dangerous than any other large city. In reality, it is safer than most large cities. Reason 6. Protests and demonstrations are limited to a small area in Cairo: Tahrir Square. Most of the time, this busy traffic area is open and bustling. When there are protest gatherings in the square, you avoid the area. Enough said. Reason 7. April is a ideal weather time. Temperatures will be warming up as we move into summer, but it will be quintessential touring weather. Reason 8. We have so many amazing ancient monuments and sites to see. Egypt is one of the three oldest civilizations in the world. It is the seat of the Arab Spring. What you will find is a trip of a lifetime. Reason 9. We have the Great Pyramids and they are awesome! Reason 10. You will receive the most TRUE spiritual lessons here, unlike any place in the world, such as: "People are more alike than different" ; "surrender" ; "go with the flow and hold no expectations" ; "be present" ; "God's Will, not my own." --- This I know.
I hope to see you at the Festival! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
These are airfare estimates from the states to Sharm el-Sheikh.
Yoga Journal's 21 Day Yoga Challenge Final Results for Yoga Revolution: Cairo's Rockin' Yogis
Yoga Revolution: team members were from Breathing Room Studio in Maadi We placed 24 out of 128 teams!
Yoga Revolution in Yoga Journal's 21 Day Yoga Challenge
Rank 15 is my Individual placement out 6397 people participating on Social Workout. I practiced every day. It was actually eye opening to me of how slack I had become in my daily practice. Participating in such an event and recording my daily practice online made me much more aware of my practice. What's this 192 percent? Because many of the days, I would meditate 31 minutes with Kirtan Kriya.
Darla Hueske Yoga Journal's 21 Day Yoga Challenge
This was such an amazing challenge. Yoga Journal provided wonderful videos for each day's practice. Also, a nice vegetarian recipe and words of encouragement.
It was a great way to kick-start 2012.
Oliver R. posted to Yoga Journal 21 Day Yoga Challenge
When we launched the Yoga Journal 21-Day Challenge, we figured we’d allow for the creation of teams. We knew some yoga studios might want to join the challenge as groups, but we had no idea that we’d end up with 128 teams (with so many wonderful team names!) from all over. We were certainly not expecting a yoga teacher living a few minutes from Tahrir Square in Cairo to set up team Yoga Revolution. Naturally, we were curious, and we struck up an email exchange, plying our yogi with questions. What came back was the following beautiful tale of one woman’s unlikely path from pumping iron in Phoenix, AZ to teaching yoga and meditation in Cairo, Egypt. Introducing Darla H. of team Yoga Revolution...
I started practicing yoga in 1993. I was living in Phoenix, and I was a buff body builder and hot-shot extreme mountain climber. My friend told me, hey Miss Fit, I’ve got a class that will kick your ass. He took me to a kundalini yoga class taught by a skinny little man. By the end of the class, my ass was officially whooped, and so began my practice of yoga. I studied many styles, but in 2000, found myself at the feet of Yogi Bhajan in Espanola, New Mexico. I lived in the Espanola ashram from 2000 to 2007. All in all, I had ten years of the ashram life, and I am now in recovery. Smile. But that's another story.
I’ve been living in Cairo since 2007. Following yogic traditions, I rise before dawn to practice yoga and meditation. I also teach yoga across the city, holding classes in studios and private homes. Yoga is becoming very popular in Egypt. I know of four studios that have opened since I moved here. I started teaching here in 2008 at a Middle East modeling school and agency. Oddly enough, very few of the students were models.
It often seems like I have just as many men as women attending my classes, but probably the ratio is more like two to one, with more women. My husband is Egyptian, so his friends have introduced me to places that are suitable to teach yoga. Most of the students who attend my classes are Egyptian nationals, but it’s also very international. For instance, in one class, there was a young woman with punked out hair from Iraq, a man from Beirut, a 72-year-old man from Italy, two women from France, as well as several from Egypt.
As I learn Arabic, I try to instruct in Arabic. Sometimes it can be very funny if I mis-pronounce a word. Many of the women in my classes are veiled. Many of the Muslims, men or women, who attend my classes tell me that the meditation practice has intensified their prayers, as Muslims pray five times a day.
About two years ago, I began teaching at a yoga studio in an expat area of Cairo. Most of the students who attend the studio are western expats. (Shout out to the Breathing Room in Maadi and my fellow Yoga Revolution my team members!)
There are certain perceptions about life here after the revolution. My friends in the States think that when there is violence, we are all caught up in the street fighting . For sure, when we went through the Arab Spring in January, the entire country was gripped by the news. Everyone stayed home. We were all in shock and had no idea what would happen. As this year progressed, the protests continued, becoming violent at times, but the city kept moving and breathing. We carry on to our jobs and shopping. We deal with crazy traffic from rerouted streets.
In November, my friend wrote to me in panic when protests turned violent. He wanted to know if I was in Tahrir and if I was okay. “Yes. I’m just fine,” I wrote back. “I wasn’t in Tahrir because I was a few streets over buying fabric for my curtains." (Not to be flippant, but it's not like we have our twitter feeds running constantly to get posted on what's happening in the streets.)
There was no yoga in Tahrir Square. I was in Tahrir during and after the revolution, so I guess I brought the spirit of a yogi. But the environment was not conducive to any kind of yoga or meditation. Even though my husband is Egyptian, I am a westerner, so I am merely an onlooker to the revolution. I live about half kilometer from Tahrir, so we walk there.
Things have certainly changed over this last year. The one year anniversary is in 11 days. Many of my friends are the intellectuals and revolutionaries of the revolution. I’ve created yogic warrior workshops that I will be starting in Cairo and at the Red Sea. I had always wanted to do such workshops, but was very timid to start. I think going through a national political revolution, I’ve cast aside all shyness and realize the time to start is now. My message is the revolution inward. Time will tell. We’re only on the first revolution.
It's Day 2 of Yoga Journal's "21 Day Yoga Challenge." Team Yoga Revolution on SocialWorkout.com is holding at #2 spot.
It's not too late to join our team. Team Yoga Revolution: The inward revolution to balance and peace. If you're practicing yoga in Egypt and the Middle East, then join team Yoga Revolution.
What's the challenge?
21-Day daily practice of 15 minutes of meditation, 1 yoga practice and 1 vegetarian meal.
You can click the "Join" button and it will direct you to a sign up page. From there, enter your information and you're all done.
Step 3: Do the challenge! After you signed up at Social Workout, you log your daily activity and it gets recorded into our team efforts. It's a fun way to stay motivated, set goals and track your progress.
A short meditation break every day can make a huge difference in your life. As the wise man said, if you don't have time for 15 minutes, you need an hour. Your goal: just 15 minutes, once a day. Count it!
The other day, I received an email from Rate my Yoga Instructor dot com because someone had created a rating for me on their website here >>
The message: "You've just been added on www.ratemyyogainstructor.com. Someone has left positive feedback for you! We are currently rating 28694 instructors! See where you rank!"
I was relieved to see a positive rating so I completed the request from Bobby Thompson, the creator of Rate My Yoga Instructor. Bobby is an avid Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner who lives in Jacksonville, FL and trains under Royce Gracie. Bobby also owns and operates Xequemate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Jacksonville as well. He's created a very fun and functional site.
I hope other yoga students and instructors will find the site useful in their search for yoga instructors.
Watch more free documentaries
The documentary that asks whether yoga can survive Big Business with its good karma intact
Yoga has transformed from an ancient spiritual practice into a competitive, commercialized, multi-million dollar industry. And for a practice rooted in renunciation, yoga sure is making some people very rich. Can yoga survive this war between the sacred and the profane with its good karma intact?
Esak Garcia is a star on the burgeoning competitive yoga circuit, racking up cash prizes and edging ever closer to snagging an endorsement deal. But Esak’s ultimate goal is the Olympics, a dream instilled in him by his guru, Bikram Choudhury.
Bikram’s supporters applaud his crusade to have yoga recognized as an Olympic sport. His detractors are horrified. It’s typical of the controversies that surround the ‘Bad Boy of Yoga’. Bikram has also copyrighted his popular yoga style. Those who teach ‘Bikram yoga’ without playing by his rules are hit with crippling copyright infringement fees.
So a group of yoga studio owners take Bikram to court to pose an important legal question; can anyone ‘own’ yoga?
In today’s yoga world only the marketplace has real meaning, where everything is up for grabs, from yoga shoes to chakra panties. The new mantras are Standardize and Supersize. In the race to cash in yoga chains (‘McYoga’?) are popping up everywhere, putting the smaller studios out of business. No wonder purists are scratching their heads. Is nothing sacred?
Greed, lust, ego and the search for enlightenment all come together in this original, irreverent portrait of spiritualism and capitalism colliding head on.
Credits
Directed by John Philp
Written by John Philp
Produced by Steffie Nelson and John Philp
## Thank you Bad Dog Tales, Inc. : support ur documentarians : they earn it one shot at a time ##
Expect to sit in easy pose a lot during a kundalini yoga class. Many of the postures require this posture. Don't worry. If you can not sit on the floor, you can always sit in a chair.
Your sitting posture should always feel well balanced and comfortable to you. It should reflect harmony. It is relaxed and poised. You'll hear me tell you to sit evenly on your sitz bones.
What are the sitz bones?
Sitz bones, or sitting bones, are the lowest of the three major bones that make up the pelvis. It’s part of the pelvic girdle that supports our body when we sit. The pelvis is your base of support.
When you sit on the center of these sitting bones, you can give way your weight to gravity, stretch the spine upward, and create the correct flow of energy up the spinal column.
Practice at home
If you are a beginning student, you set a pace that suits your flexibility and endurance. As you feel more comfortable with the exercises, begin to practice as often as you can. I can provide you with basic sets to try at home.
If you can practice at the same time each day, you will find that you will improve rapidly. Do not push the body too far. You should not experience pain or discomfort. Do what you can, that is perfection.
May the long time sunshine upon you. All love surround you. And the pure light within you, guide your way on.
Throughout August, I participated in the KRI Aquarian Trainer Academy program in Espanola, New Mexico. As a Trainer in Training, I participated in the Level I Immersion program. The Immersion program is a month-long training program where participants learn the fundamental understanding and experience of one's basic self. The course allows students to immerse in the fundamental principles and practices of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. Completing Level I training a student becomes a certified Instructor of Kundalini Yoga.
As a Trainer in Training (TNT), I deeply experienced my own Self. The Immersion course is rigorous. It is a 27-day, full-day training program. It pushes on all levels. The day starts with the Aquarian sadhana at 3:45 am and completing the meditations around 5:55 am. After sadhana, I would come home to do my Level II meditation, that would take 35 to 40 minutes.
At 8 am, it was time to join everyone for small group check-in. The 55 or so participants were broken into groups of 6 to 8 people. My group had 6 students, along with me and the my co-partner Trainer in Training. We would spend about 15 minutes with the check-in and then it was time for the course meditation: 11 minutes of Narayan Kriya.
The daily class would end at 8 pm. Most evenings, I wanted to drop but there was usually something for me to work on for either the course or my own freelance work. Basic everyday chores became a challenge as I tried to find many creative ways to wash and dry clothes, meet friends that I hadn't seen for years, and keep my own physical stability. We had Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings free.
It was an amazing experience. Since my first Level I training was more than 10 years ago, having the opportunity to be refreshed with KY training was invaluable. Having an opportunity to teach upcoming Kundalini Yoga teachers was exhilarating. Working with experienced and dedicated Kundalini Yoga instructors provided me with even more depth and understanding of these ancient yogic teachings.
Yogic science says that there are specific lengths of time needed for certain desired affects during meditation.
Most meditations are done for 11 or 31 minutes.
3 minutes of meditation affects the electromagnetic field, the circulation and stability of the blood.
11 minutes of meditation begins to change the nerves and the glandular system.
22 minutes of meditation balances the three minds, and they begin to work together.
31 minutes of meditation allows the glands, breath, and concentration to affect all the cells and rhythms of the body. It lets the psyche of the meditation affect the 3 gunas, all 31 tattvas, and all layers of the mind's projections.
62 minutes of meditation changes the gray matter in the brain. The subconsious "shadow mind" and the outer projection are integrated.
2-1/2 hours of meditation changes the psyche in its co-relation with the surrounding magnetic field so that the subconsious mind is held firmly in the new pattern by surrounding universal mind.
Yogic science says that the number of days of doing a certain meditation has also a specific result:
KY Meditation Days
Yogic science says that the number of days of doing a certain meditation has a specific result:
40 days of meditation to embody new experiences or increased capacities.
90 days of meditation to clear our subconscious and build new habits.
120 days of meditation to realize that awareness in our daily lives.
1000 days of meditation to experience self-mastery and confirm our consciousness, beyond every change of time, space and circumstance.
A 1000-day practice projects our newfound awareness, mastery and consciousness impersonally for all (it is impersonally personal) a discipline of grace that blesses all. In mythical and symbolic traditions like numerology, it represents the nobility of the individual, "1", expanded and radiant, as supported by the three "0's", the body, mind and spirit; negative, positive and neutral minds; and the three gunas. It is experience and mastery blended into a self-qualified awareness of human excellence.
Text: in every place or in all places. e.g. freedom and happiness are the goals of people everywhere
Synonyms: all over, everyplace, throughout Phrases: all over the place (or map), far and near, far and wide, high and low, in every corner (or quarter) Antonyms: nowhere
