Param Karam Dharam Kriya

Sat Nam! Param Karam Dharam Kriya is a wonderful tool to help break blocks in you life and promote prosperity. I recommend doing it for at least 11 minutes to get in the flow of it. If you'd like more prosperity in your life you can play the Aap Sahaee Hoa mantra (Jai- Jagdeesh has a great version). I also like playing the mantra, Chattra Chakkra Vartee to invoke fearlessness. (My favorite version is by Chardi Kala Jatha). Remember to tune in with 'Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo' 3x before starting the kriya. This is a great kriya to do as a warm-up when teaching a Kundalini Yoga class.    Guru Singh explains the aspects of the kriya exquisitely in this video.

Cultivating Aspects of Prosperity

I was recently looking back on previous blog posts. I realized my blog posting on prosperity received the most views out of any of my blog posts. Moving along with the theme, I thought I'd touch base once again on my recent experiences of prosperity. In the past 9 months life changing events have beckoned me to embrace a deeper level of prosperity. I feel that I have been catapulted into a whole new container of prosperity in the past month or so. Like many of us on this courageous journey, I am being asked to shine my Light more than ever before. It's a tall order for anyone to do such a thing with grace despite the daily chaos and ongoing changes of our personal lives, community, and the world.

With that, it's taken some time since my last blog post to integrate these changes and find words to express what prosperity means to me. This is just the beginning.

Patience
Many have heard the saying that any good thing worth investing in takes patience. Yogi Bhajan said, "Patience pays. Wait. Let the hand of God work for you. The One who has created you, let Him create all the environments, circumstances, and facilities and faculties.” This has always been a difficult lesson for me. It's only now that I am embracing what this means for me. Being slow and steady in the race wasn't my forte in the past 10 years. Yet now I am noticing when I am patient and allow the Divine to work through me, it take a lot less effort. A dear teacher told me at Summer Solstice this year that all will come to me if I just sit, smile, be radiant, and welcome everything.

Recognize and resonate

On New Years Eve 2012 the Kundalini Yoga Community gathered at Hari Dass's home. It was there where we set intentions for our needs and values. Needs are the things in life that are essential for us to live out our soul's destiny, our life path. Values are the are things that we need to guide and support our needs. Values can change and fluctuate as long as they support the ultimate need of what we want in life. Over the past few months, I've had to reflect on what values and needs were being honored. If something wasn't being fulfilled in my life according to these principles then I needed to change my circumstances so they would be congruent with my life choices once again. With all that being said, there was no way I could call prosperity into my life until I knew what these values and needs were.

Once I was able to recognize my values and needs. I could then be able to resonate those intentions in my life. Something was holding me back, though. Through the help of a few very powerful teachers in my life, I was able to see the underlying beliefs that were preventing me from moving forward. A good analogy is paddling upstream with a hole in our kayak. No matter how hard we try, we just keep sinking deeper into the limiting belief until the hole is identified. When that happens then the hole can be filled in with a new belief that supports our higher Consciousness. Finally, we are then able to resonate and vibrate our Truth.

Opening

It's pretty self explanatory when we are open to receiving prosperity then it will come pouring in. However, I feel that the previous key points of recognizing your values and needs in addition to resonating your Truth is essential in order to cultivate this opening. That's why tools like Kundalini Yoga are great in facilitating this opening and balancing of the energy systems. The

Set for Opportunity and Green Energy   is  a great prosperity oriented kriya that opened many opportunities for me in a very short period of time. Just remember that everyone's process is different, though. (Kriya retrieved on 7/17/14 from http://www.bodymindgifts.com/greenenergy1.pdf)

Strength

It takes a lot of strength and courage to bring prosperity into our lives. So many people say that they want more prosperity yet are really too scared to accept it. It's a lot easier to stay in the confines of a familiar and comfortable life even those most people know they deserve better. Only the courageously strong people have the grit to walk gracefully through the tests presented on the journey of cultivating prosperity.

Practice

Repetition is the key. Having a daily sadhana (daily practice) is essential in life. When I first started on my journey through Kundalini Yoga, my sadhana consisted of a 3-7 minute meditation and nothing more. Slowly and gradually with practice, I was able to increase that time. Now my daily sadhana is an essential part of who I am in order for me to be my authentic self each day. Practicing every day has taught me what it means to commit to myself, my word, and therefore everything in life. Without a daily practice I couldn't imagine being able to understand, embrace, and accept what prosperity means for me. I often tell others that although Kundalini Yoga is quite effective and transforming, it doesn't have to be their practice. Especially in the beginning of any journey, it's important to commit to something, weather it is taking a 30 minute walk every day, eating healthier, or doing a hobby that you enjoy. Sadhana is practicing prosperity in real life. We may not want to do it every day, but we know the benefits of it are long lasting.

Energy Conservation

As prosperity continues to flow into our lives, it's important to know we always have a choice. For me, prosperity tends to comes in huge waves of transformation. Other times, it comes in little spurts, which is just as beautiful. Either way, it's important to know what opportunities to accept and what we can say 'no' to. My life's path is to be of service to others. However, many times I have to learn that being given opportunities to be of service doesn't mean I have to sacrifice my sanity or health. That's why energy conservation has been very important to me. It's important to have the clarity of what opportunities to accept and if it's the right timing to accept it. Many people, including myself, have had experiences that they took on too much responsibility only after already committing to the project. That's why it's important to be committed to ourselves first and having our needs met before adding more onto our plate.

Relax

This is something that we can all work on no matter how good we think we are at relaxing. It also coincides with patience. None of the things I mentioned above can happen if there isn't a sense of relaxing into the process as it unfolds in it's perfect timing.

I got a big dose of what this means while at Summer Solstice this year. Countless times I would be solely focusing on my process, often working through an intense blockage or emotion. Yet I smiled, relaxed, and sat through the uncomfortable moments knowing they would pass. When I allowed the process to be what it was, something profound would happen to me. Someone would come and start talking to me, having no idea what was going on with me internally. An unexpected experience in my surroundings would occur, like a unexpected rain storm in the middle of the desert, or an entire walkway of the bazaar clearing in my presence to name just a few. It was only in these moments of relaxing into patience and the uncomfortable feelings of transition where the deepest healing was able to occur. 

 

Intuition

As in everything in life, it takes accessing innate intuition to know clearly what prosperity looks like. It's unique for everyone and can reach far beyond the realms of financial prosperity. There's a lot I could say about intuition, but I'll save it for another time.

Thankfulness

Having an attitude of gratitude alone in itself can create plenty of transformation. When we are grateful for all the perceived good and bad experiences, we can remember it is all One. It's easy to be grateful for the good, but sometimes difficult to be grateful for the challenges. These polarities are essential for anything creative to occur.

Yes!

It's appropriate to end this post with reminding us all to say, “yes”, to prosperity. Sometimes the most difficult thing to do is say, “yes” to all the gifts that we are given. Saying yes can also be simple and easy. May you know it is your birthright to be happy, be bright, and be the healing Light we all need to cultivate prosperity within ourselves and for others.

The Place Between the Inhale and Exhale

This poem or string of words, has been percolating for some time. It was inspired by a class I recently took with Gurmukh Kaur, yoga therapy training in Los Angeles, recent life events, and wisdom I received from wise counsel. I also thought this was a good to share during this very interesting time in full moon and Mercury in retrograde.

Inhale..Pause...

Reconsider what is to come next

Dangling in this moment of simultaneous purgatory, confusion, and perfection.

Death and rebirth are the same.

The contentment in knowing the prayer has been sent and will be answered on it's own accord.

The pause that renders the audacity to receive gifts once thought not deserved.

The choice to act courageously towards a goal not yet known.

Putting aside the urgency so that we may listen for the silence through the influence of gratitude.

Look how far we have come to be standing in this here and now.

Exhale..Pause

To wait patiently in the pause,

the uncomfortable and unfortunate feelings of the unknown.

Seduction of darkness whispers for me to go deeper.

All must be balanced in the accumulation and the letting go.

This natural cycle is merely doing what it does best to keep all in harmony.

So why do we fight it relentlessly and sigh with disdain when it comes near?

Fear of being alone, of not having this, that, who, what in our life.

Surely it will all come back ten fold, often in a different mold than projected.

The mystery of prosperity hidden in the apana.

In the end a bigger hole to be filled by that which already resides within.

To see beyond the "you" and "I."

The merge into “we” dares not happen on the human's watch.

Only these brave souls are courageous enough to explore this pause,

the transformation from “we” to “all”.

The pause

the test

the block

the ultimate fork in the road.

How silly we are to be afraid of coming to these crossroads.

When this is the opportunity to eliminate polarity of self.

To find out what this experience is about.

To stop hiding from the Truth.

Afraid of seeing something we may not like.

Taking off the rose colored glasses.

For who will be judge but you.

Therefore nothing can be the wrong choice

and all is victorious.

The universe conspiring in our favor.

Let us challenge the elimination of the “you” and “I”.

The weapon of choice is self love

which cannot help but manifest and multiply in itself

only to be radiated in reflection of another.

If we are to be exhausted from this battle,

may we be thrown gracefully into the field of zero plus one.

May the polarities be neutralized.

May we have the courage to embrace the ultimate commitment to ourselves.

So all that is left is the place between the inhale and the exhale.

Pause.

The Courage to Embrace Infinite Prosperity

Earlier in the year I created a vision board for myself displaying all the ways I wanted prosperity to flow into my life. As I look at it every morning I am in awe at how everything I have been asking for is consistently coming to me in unexpected ways. Needless to say prosperity has been resting cozily upon my heart lately. It's propelled a journey of constantly redefining what prosperity means for me.

Do I really deserve this?

There have been countless times where I have asked the Universe for a specific thing to manifest in my life. However, I have always had the courage to ask for it, but not to fully accept it as my own, until recently. Many of the reasons why I chose to not accept these gifts was from subconscious learned patterns and not taking ownership of the Divinity within. In the end I was left with feelings of unworthiness, guilt, and shame to receive such gifts.

I have often pushed away the very thing that my soul desired to come to me out of fear of it being 'too close for comfort'. One may see this as quite a silly and absurd thing to do, but I am sure it happens more times than expected. In the last two years I have come to realize the greatest gifts that we desire are in fact perfectly designed to push us out of our comfort zones whether it be a new relationship, a change in career, a move, or simply living your daily Truth more authentically. In addition, all the old subconscious patterns are being brought to the surface to be released. That's why I have found it to be very important to bless myself during these uncomfortable moments as patterns that no longer serve me are letting go. Meanwhile, prosperity is rolling in to fill the void.

Transforming Intention into Action

It's one thing to set an intention for something you wish to receive, but it's a whole other thing to put that intention into action. I used to feel that this process was equivalent to working hard. I felt the need to work endless hours physically and energetically to prove to myself, but mostly prove to others, that I had paid my dues in deserving such gifts. Although calling in prosperity isn't a passive movement at all, this could potentially be why we partake in unconscious actions of self sabotage. I'm learning about balancing my efforts to manifest while trusting the Infinite to take care of the rest.

Photo by Sarah Humphrey

I've recently been practicing the Neutral Mind Kriya for Guidance to explore these subtle undertones of 'action' more deeply. This kriya was perfect in helping me realize that when I decide to accept everything that is already mine, my actions come from a place of neutrality instead of the negative or positive mind. Yogi Bhajan stated, “ Saibhung- self illumined, when you are a resource unto yourself, communicating with your own Infinity- needing nothing. The ultimate posture is one of prosperity. The ultimate posture is not of you fulfilling your own requests. The ultimate posture is one asking for that which is yours” (The Aquarian Teacher, p. 101). The negative mind is present to protect us from harm but often also prevents us from embracing the unknown due to past experience. The positive mind always sees the positive aspect of any situation while seeking out opportunities for experience. However, it can often lead us to make compulsive decisions that may not benefit us. When I make decisions from a place of non attachment, also known as the neutral mind, then I can have clarity about what I specifically want and what will benefit my Higher Self. It is in this place where I can take action with a compassionate heart.

Command Myself to Keep Up and Commit

Sometimes I wonder why there isn't a magic genie that appears from a bottle and instantaneously grants me the unrealized prosperity I am seeking. This could be a sign that I need to look more deeply into my shadow self and see what is preventing me from accepting it. Simply recognizing the blockage with self compassion is usually the first step in moving forward for me while maintaining a positive projection. Often times, I have come across life events that have seemed to serve more as a test to see if I have embraced the knowing that I am really ready to accept what I want. Allowing the doubts that arise to pass without judgment is crucial. It's been quite helpful to sustain a more neutral place of receiving prosperity by maintaining a consistent daily practice, regular opportunities to express my creativity (art, dance, music, etc), and being willing to ask for help. Remember that everything that you want you already have. You are asking for something that is already yours. It's only waiting to be deposited into your bank account of Infinity.