The Mediation To Stabilize Your Mind, will change negative habits and give you a fundamental firmness. It gives you a new personality. You can try this meditation if you need to stabilize your mind. Everyone wants to have a good life, a healthy mind, and a happy life. And everything starts with the mind right? Is your mind stable, in balance and clear? This Kundalini Kriya will adjust your chakras and make the spinal fluid go up to cure the brain that is your coordinator. It will open up your heart center, the navel center, and the third eye so you can be who you truly are.

While you are reading this segment you might start thinking about what is this Kundalini Yoga actually?

Let me begin to introduce you to what exactly this word means. First, we start by breaking down the etymology. Kundalini: कुण्डलिनी  is a Sanskrit word which literally means “coiled one” or “snake”. In the concept of Dharma, it refers to a form of primal energy (or shakti) said to be located at the base of the spine. Many systems of yoga focus on awakening Kundalini through meditation, pranayama (breathing techniques) the practice of asana (postures) and chanting of mantras.

“Kundalini Yoga is the science to unite the finite with infinity, and its the art to experience infinity in the finite” – Yogi Bhajan.

Instructions on how to begin:
In kundalini yoga, we always start with a tune in of the Adi Mantra: Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo. We tune in with this mental projection using sound to center within the higher self and spirituality guide the teacher and the student. The mantra means: I bow to the subtle divine wisdom, the divine teacher within.

The mantra is chanted three times while having the hands in prayer mudra, the thumbs rest at the ribcage in the heart center while the rest of the fingers are extended. Watch the video below to see how it should be done in class.

Now let us begin with the Meditation to Stabilize Your Mind. 11 minutes total with relaxation at the end.

1) Padmasana
Sit in a cross-legged position. Padmasana also called Lotus pose. 

The Asana is said to resemble a lotus flower, to encourage breathing properly through associated meditative practice, and to foster physical stability.

NB: Be careful with your knees when entering into this particular pose. It may for some be very uncomfortable when knees are the issue of a challenge. Try to find a position, you can also sit on a chair if this is too painful. In a later post, I will make a more detailed instruction for how to sit properly.

When you struggle to do a meditation, that is the most wonderful day to practise meditation.

2) The Position of The Hands & Neck Lock
Interlock the hands behind the neck with the elbows stretched back. Hands should be in a prayer pose but behind your neck instead. Try to focus on raising your chest area so your lungs can get as much oxygen as possible in this position. The pelvis is tilted a little forward to help straighten the spine even more. The neck lock (Jalandhara Bandha) should also be applied. When you apply the neck lock, you allow your neck to be open and maintain its natural structure, which helps you maintain better spinal posture in general. The neck lock also seals the energy that is generated in the upper areas of your brain stem so it becomes easier to focus and meditate.

When lifting your hands try to notice where your shoulders are, are they raised as you are tense? or are they relaxed? In this pose, we relax our shoulders to not put an additional strain on the neck.

3) Eyes Are Closed
Eyes are closed to put attention inward and on the mantra in which I am going to tell you more about. In Yoga everything is directed inward, Yoga means to unite the body, the mind and the spirit. As we go through our day-to-day life we need to remember to unite yourself to bring ultimate balance back into our minds.

4) The Mantra: Har
Rhythmically chant the mantra “Har, Har, Har, Har.

5) The Navel Center
Pull in the navel and stretch the elbows back on each Har. You might be wondering how you pull the navel center. I’ll try my best to show you how you exactly pull the navel center. Place your hands on your stomach and chant the mantra Har* You will sense the stomach moving in and out on each Har you chant. Activating the navel center means that you put your attention the navel as you chant. The hands should still be clasped together behind your neck during the meditation.

6) Flowing Movement
You flow with the movement of bringing your elbows in front of your eyes, then all the way as far back as you can. As if you were clapping. Your hands should still be clasped around your head/neck.

7) Breathing technique: Pranayam
Continue the Kriya for 11 minutes. What is interesting about the Science of Breath is that it is closely linked with heaps of benefits when using pranayama correctly. I will try to explain what happens in the body when practicing breathing exercises. For example, within three minutes of meditation our circulation and blood pressure change. At five minutes, our breathing changes. When we have done breathing exercises for 11 minutes, there is a change in our glandular system, our so-called nerves which create stress and increase cortisol in our bodies, and our cortisol level decreases.

When our cortisol level is decreased so is our stress levels. You will definately feel an effect in the end.

8) Stretching The Spine
To end, inhale deeply, hold and stretch your spine as long as you can. Open up your heart center, lift at the ribs and elongate your spine even more by doing this stretch.

9) Exhale. Repeat the stretch 2 more times.

10) Relaxation
Now that you have finished the meditation, it’s wonderful to sit in complementation for a little while as you reflect on the physical emotions this kriya gave you.

I have made a list of questions which you can review either after or during the meditation.

• How did your arms feel while you were moving them?
• Was there a shift in your thoughts at some particular point? Did you first feel frustration that shifted to you being okay with the situation etc?
• If you felt you wanted to quit when it already went 3 minutes, don’t be discouraged. 3 minutes is just fine. 3 minutes will also give you an effect as I mentioned earlier. You did a great job, you can also think of it as a practice. You`ll get better with time.
• Do a body scan where you include every part of your body, feet, chins, thighs, stomach, arms, hands, neck, shoulders etc. How do they feel now vs how they felt before you started this kriya?

Now it’s time to relax in Savasana (Corpse Pose) Lie on your back completely relaxed. Try to let go of everything, the sensations in your body, be totally at ease with letting the natural breath come back to you. You can set a timer and relax for 5-15 minutes if you want. Letting go of all thoughts and leave the mental chatter behind. Just relax and let your body do the rest.

11) How to come into Savasana
Your palms are facing up to the sun next to your waist. The head is tilted a little forward so you can deepen your relaxation and take in more oxygen in your lungs. Your feet are separated at waist width. Separate your shoulders and to lie more comfortably.

12) Coming out of the Savasana
To come out of the relaxation pose you start with coming back to your breath.  Awaken slowly to the active breath. Notice also how your breath has changed its tone and vibration, it’s calmer. There is no tension in the body anymore, there is a complete awareness at this moment.

You start with these few steps to come out of the asana:

• Awareness of breath: Begin by making yourself aware of the breath. Coming back to your body-awareness. Breath deeply. Inhale and exhale deeply.
• Hands: Now shift your focus to your hands, start moving them very lightly and also your toes.
• Wrists: Start making circles of your wrists in a clockwise direction, your feet also. Then the counter-clockwise direction.
• Arm stretch: Stretch your hands over your head and elongate your spine and the whole body. Stretch the toes so they point straight forward. Let out a little aah* to release the stiffness in your body up until now.

• Cat stretch: It’s time to come into a cat-stretch, stay here for a little while as you stretch, you start with bending your right leg and placing your left hand on the outside of your right knee. Pull the knee across your body into a twist. Look over at your right arm stretched along the floor. Enjoy the stretch. When you breathe in and exhale, you are letting yourself come deeper and deeper into the stretch. Then bring the right knee back to your chest and release the leg on the floor. Do the other side as mentioned.
• Rubbing hands and feet: Now come onto your back and lift your feet and your hands as in the illustration depicted at the left. Rub your hands and feet in a dynamic rhythm to bring back energy to your body.
• Rock & Roll your back: Start rolling on your back as you see in the illustration on the right. Continue for 1-2 minutes. Sometimes it’s better to have your hands placed underneath your thighs, near the back of the knee to get as much movement rolling back and forth.  Massaging your back gently from the neck to the base of the spine. I advise you to keep a padded blanket or a yoga mat underneath so you don’t feel any pain while rock*n rolling. This exercise circulates energy and relaxes the spine, loosens the back muscles and releases tension in the neck and shoulders.

 

• How to end the practice: After coming out of the resting pose we tune out for the day with a second mantra “Sat Nam” which means: My identity is truth/ I am Truth. We start by rubbing our hands together and having our hands in prayer mudra with thumbs resting on the ribcage of the heart center with the rest of the fingers extended. Breathe a couple of long deep breaths before starting. When ready the word sat is long and the word nam is short. Repeat three times.

Try this meditation at home, to balance and find a stability of mind. I would love to hear what you think after trying this meditation.

The moment you decide to be you, that moment nothing in life can make you unhappy.

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Thanks for reading!

Tiaga Nihal Kaur, 
Namaste ॐ