SAT NAM! It seems you've been here a few times. If you haven't, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed.
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Thanks for visiting!Greetings as we head into the ‘Monsoons’ of Southern California.
A month ago, frost in the morning. Now, we’re already into the Summer “Monsoon” weather, and, yes, though Southern California, 6700+ ft altitude is colder than Southwest Canada.

Weather aside, Laya Yoga, done correctly, is a brand new learning process. At times, I find myself tensing every muscle in the body. Seems to come off and on with “attention”. The 2 root chakras don’t ‘feel’ like they are being involved, though by the end of a round, on the release, they let go too.

So, the action is simple: pull the navel on ‘EK’. Hold it in and pull up and in on Udhiyana Bandh when pronouncing the ‘A’. Let it all go on “HE GURU”  (hay guroo). You’ll want to sit very still for a few rounds until you get it.

It is not the same as a simple tug on the navel from the inside. All of a sudden, your arms want to bend, your fingers curl, and you find yourself not coordinating with any motion whatsoever. Your eyes are rolling around inside their sockets and the only thing apparently ‘steady’ is the pronunciation. I’ve been rescued more than a few times by my wife stressing the pronunciation as I start to drift asleep.
The navel pump is working differently than previously. 3 pumps of the navel kept me going. Now, one “pull and hold” and 3 inward pumps of the diaphragm are kind of spiraling the energy around the navel and I find myself lost in the moment. Doesn’t feel like I’m ‘forcing’ the action, which is a relief.

I’m trying to say, the action is different enough that it will take some time to coordinate. In that space, I have noticed that when I pull Udhiyana Bandh, the ribcage rises automatically and feels very comfortable. This is a very good thing, as a slumped ribcage is very easy to fall into. A full breath doesn’t seem to be part of the mix. I seem to be grasping a full breath only about 3-4 times during the rounds. Truly, the breath does take care of itself.

The actual pronunciation is very smooth and rhythmic. I’m constantly surprised by how smoothly the chanting goes, while inside, everything is churning around the spine. The mind is lost in yesterday and I wonder if we’ll even make it to 31 minutes.
This is something to lock onto. It is hard to hear oneself chanting when so involved in the Inner Drama. My prayer is that this clears in time. All we need to do is embrace the mantra. How hard can that really be? Well, 106 days is a beginning.

We’ve been watching many DVD’s about the Gods and Goddesses of India. (YES! They have subtitles!) It seems that generations ago, it was not unusual for a devotee to practice a sadhana for several thousand years to achieve a boon. Bless the Kaliyuga! It only takes 1000 days! As we enter the Aquarian Age of Light, the gift of 40 day technology is a real eye opener. We CAN change in 40 days! We can TRANSFORM in 40 days! It is just a matter of applying the action in a simple, direct manner…and then doing it again the next day.

If you haven’t tried a personal sadhana, find that little time during the day for yourself and settle in for a 40 day bout. There are myriads of meditations and kriyas. Pick one or two and see where it leads you. We are promised Infinity. Let’s find out!

God Bless.

~ SAT NAM ~