Last summer I indulged in a Kundalini Yoga Immersion and found that, quite unexpectedly, I really resonated with a lot of the meditations, philosophies and practices. I've always been a hardcore vinyasa lover and didn't expect to gravitate towards Kundalini as much as I did.
Yogi Bhajan began teaching Kundalini yoga in 1969 and the practice itself focuses on harnessing the physical, mental and nervous energies and putting them under the domain of our will. There's not just a physical practice, but a strong mental and spiritual one as well and to this day I still practice many of the Kundalini meditations I learned in that immersion. I've also added some as I've come up against new challenges in my life. I love that Kundalini is really accessible to all and keeps it real when it comes to things we face on a daily basis- stress, work, kids, family, etc. And after a long mediation, I always feel blissed out and heady. It's always one of the first things I turn to when I feel stress and anxiety creeping' in!
One of the philosophies I absolutely adored was the 1st sutra of Yogi Bhjan's 5 Sutras of the Aquarius Age. (https://www.3ho.org/3ho-lifestyle/5-sutras-aquarian-age/1st-sutra-recognize-other-person-you )
Recognize that the other person is you.
I used to be quick to judge people and find their faults. I never considered that the faults I saw in others where ones I was afraid to see in myself.
As this little person grows inside me I realize more and more every day that soon a little pair of eyes will be on my every move and learning how to act based on my behaviors. I don't want the baby to make the same mistakes I did when I was younger. I would love for them to learn from people, rather than judge. And one of the most powerful lessons I can think of is actively practicing this 1st sutra. When we find faults in people, often times these are faults we are battling with but refuse to acknowledge. It's like a shadow self. Something that used to always be a sticking point for me was efforts people made. I often felt that people wouldn't make the same effort for me as I would for them. It led to many arguments and hurt feelings. While it's still a hard pill to swallow, I wonder if that was something I struggled with and never acknowledged. Maybe that's how people saw me?
Now I am very aware of how I see people and interpret their behaviors - again, behavior has no meaning until you assign it one. When I assign a meaning to someone's behavior, I want to take a moment to reflect on where it is coming from. Previous experiences or expectations? An issue I have that I'm not seeing or dealing with? Either way, it always makes me think twice and often saves me a lot of heartache and hurt. And the best (hardest?) part is that it forces me to evaluate my feelings, thoughts and emotions on a daily basis.
I really want to instill this in my child. The idea of always working on ourselves, making ourselves better than we were the day before. People, including ourselves, are always a work in progress with room to grow. The craziest part is I can also see other people judging and not realizing that what they are judging is something they are guilty of as well! I love self reflection and personal growth and this Kundalini philosophy really keeps that in the forefront of my mind. I'm not perfect, but coming back to this and meditating on it when I find an issue come up has really helped me stay centered and commit to awareness.
Is there a person that you find you have judged for their behavior that could possibly be something that you are struggling with? Do you believe we have this shadow self that is accessible only when we look at others? On the flip side- the beautiful and positive things we see in people are also a reflection on us! So if you're diggin' someone's generosity or kindness, take a moment to appreciate that in yourself as well!
sat nam
xo,b
Yogi Bhajan began teaching Kundalini yoga in 1969 and the practice itself focuses on harnessing the physical, mental and nervous energies and putting them under the domain of our will. There's not just a physical practice, but a strong mental and spiritual one as well and to this day I still practice many of the Kundalini meditations I learned in that immersion. I've also added some as I've come up against new challenges in my life. I love that Kundalini is really accessible to all and keeps it real when it comes to things we face on a daily basis- stress, work, kids, family, etc. And after a long mediation, I always feel blissed out and heady. It's always one of the first things I turn to when I feel stress and anxiety creeping' in!
One of the philosophies I absolutely adored was the 1st sutra of Yogi Bhjan's 5 Sutras of the Aquarius Age. (https://www.3ho.org/3ho-lifestyle/5-sutras-aquarian-age/1st-sutra-recognize-other-person-you )
Recognize that the other person is you.
I used to be quick to judge people and find their faults. I never considered that the faults I saw in others where ones I was afraid to see in myself.
As this little person grows inside me I realize more and more every day that soon a little pair of eyes will be on my every move and learning how to act based on my behaviors. I don't want the baby to make the same mistakes I did when I was younger. I would love for them to learn from people, rather than judge. And one of the most powerful lessons I can think of is actively practicing this 1st sutra. When we find faults in people, often times these are faults we are battling with but refuse to acknowledge. It's like a shadow self. Something that used to always be a sticking point for me was efforts people made. I often felt that people wouldn't make the same effort for me as I would for them. It led to many arguments and hurt feelings. While it's still a hard pill to swallow, I wonder if that was something I struggled with and never acknowledged. Maybe that's how people saw me?
Now I am very aware of how I see people and interpret their behaviors - again, behavior has no meaning until you assign it one. When I assign a meaning to someone's behavior, I want to take a moment to reflect on where it is coming from. Previous experiences or expectations? An issue I have that I'm not seeing or dealing with? Either way, it always makes me think twice and often saves me a lot of heartache and hurt. And the best (hardest?) part is that it forces me to evaluate my feelings, thoughts and emotions on a daily basis.
I really want to instill this in my child. The idea of always working on ourselves, making ourselves better than we were the day before. People, including ourselves, are always a work in progress with room to grow. The craziest part is I can also see other people judging and not realizing that what they are judging is something they are guilty of as well! I love self reflection and personal growth and this Kundalini philosophy really keeps that in the forefront of my mind. I'm not perfect, but coming back to this and meditating on it when I find an issue come up has really helped me stay centered and commit to awareness.
Is there a person that you find you have judged for their behavior that could possibly be something that you are struggling with? Do you believe we have this shadow self that is accessible only when we look at others? On the flip side- the beautiful and positive things we see in people are also a reflection on us! So if you're diggin' someone's generosity or kindness, take a moment to appreciate that in yourself as well!
sat nam
xo,b
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