My Mind is Non-Stop When I Meditate!

A Meditation Reminder: my pregnant yoga student asked me this morning, "When I meditate, my mind is not still -- I'm thinking about work, and errands, and all sorts of stuff.  I don't think I'm meditating right if all that stuff's coming up!"

I told her, "You, in fact, are meditating correctly.  LET thoughts come up.  Think of meditation as a safe space, a sandbox, for your mind chatter to release.  You may think of all sorts of things: sad thoughts, violent thoughts, pornographic thoughts, angry thoughts, silly thoughts...let that all come to the surface.  The space you hold for meditation is a safe mental dumping ground.  You may find you have lot more thoughts...in this case, do more meditation.  Why else do you think people have a hard time relaxing or falling asleep -- a lot of times, it's the same thoughts swirling around as the day before!  The more you give yourself the opportunity to meditate, the more headtrash you clear."

Meditating consistently clears headtrash!

Meditation for Strong Nerves

Just wanted to share with you a meditation that I've been doing.  Practicing this meditation helps calm my mind, and I feel a zing of energy afterwards!  It helps protect you from irrationality.  Best of all, you can practice this meditation anywhere!

Instructions:

Mudra: Sit in Easy Pose with a straight spine.

Women: Hold your left hand at ear level, and connect your thumb tip and tip of ring finger.  Fingers nails don't touch.  Place your right hand in your lap, connecting your thumb tip and tip of the little finger.

Men: Hold your right hand ear level; connect your thumb tip and tip of ring finger. Fingernails don't touch.  Place your left hand in your lap connecting your thumb tip and tip of your little finger.

Eyes: The eyes are 1/10 open, looking straight out.

Breath: Long and deep, but not powerful.

Time: Start with 11 minutes and work up to 31 minutes.  To end the meditation, inhale deeply, open your fingers, raise your hands, and shake them rapidly for several minutes.  Relax.

Angry Yoga

The other day I was super pissed off (over something that was nothing), and instead of vomiting my emotional mess on my boyfriend, I closed myself off into my room and did a full, long set of yoga and meditation.  This included: recitation of the Japji, tuning in, warm-ups, a kriya for tolerance, the Mul Mantra meditation, and sealing it all with Longtime Sunshine/Long Sat nam.

Instead of practicing in my usual "indoor" voice, I belted every chant out!  And I mean, belted it!  Top of my lungs, music cranked on high. The yoga, I did with care and precision (no need to pull a muscle when one's wanting to punch walls), but I used my navel center to shout out each word of the mantras.

It felt so good!  I felt electrically awake afterwards.  Was I less angry?  Yes, and no: it channeled itself into energy with which I was then productive.  Totally took my practice to a whole new level: what an experience!

  

Happy New Year!

Instead of getting wasted last night, I was at Golden Bridge Yoga's New Year's Eve Celebration, and did 3 hours of yoga meditation to usher in 2011 (along with ~200 other people).  It felt nice to get high on breathwork, and to experience group consciousness, as we move forward towards the Aquarian Age.  Here's some highlights from the event:

GuruShabd, Gurmukh, Tej, and Harijiwan (Sr. Teachers) giving a warm welcome, and blessing for 2011.

Do we have that post-meditation afterglow?

The gongs stand at attention.

Sam digs into his first meal of 2011 (food tastes so good after yoga!).

 Stay tuned for Nam Hari's 2011 numerology forecast!

  

Don't Be Disappointed

Meditating on personal addictions, I discovered that I have been ruled by a fear of disappointing others.  You hear about people's need for approval, but that saying never hit home for me...until now.  If you fear disappointing them, you'll have a need for approval.  The problem with that is you're playing into their game, and not staying true to your own path.

For most of my life, I realize I've had this fear -- particularly of my mother.  And by compromising my authentic self, it's steered me in some unpalatable situations.

During meditation, the thought, "I can be a disappointment!" came up.  As weird as that sounds, saying that out loud released a lot of burden from my shoulders...because it's a true statement.  I definitely can disappoint you...but unless you've communicated it to me, perhaps that's your problem.

   

Japji Meditation: The 1st Pauree

"On the first pauree of Japji, my true love gave to me...!" Haha, I'm just joking around.

 Continuing on my quest to learn the 38 paurees of the Japji, watch this video of HarSimran demonstrating the 1st Pauree meditation -- said to lift you from deepest depression, insecurity, nightmares, and loss:

Instructions:

1. Tune-in (Ong Namo, Guru Dev Namo x 3).
2. Recite 1st Pauree x 11. Here's the transliteration.  
3. Close: (Long Time Sunshine, Sat Nam).
4. Do the meditation for 40 days.

Beside being one of the most deeply caring persons I've ever met, HarSimran excels at coaching.  Click here for more information about her Essential Focus Coaching.  Or reach her at (310) 553-7334, email: harsimrank@sbcglobal.net .

Turban Follow-Up: The Real Reason...

OK, here's the real reason why I wear my head-wrap during yoga & meditation...

I feel guilty telling you all -- like I'm bad-mouthing a fellow yoga teacher (man, is her heavy Breath of Fire into the microphone annoying!) -- but it's my truth, my Sat Nam, and if it helps you in your yoga practice, so be it.

Best of all, you don't realize how much noise we take in on a daily basis: it's OK to block out all that din, and just have the luxury of listening...to...yourself...!!!  I'm a big music lover, but think about it: we are so conditioned NOT to listen to ourselves, that we do all sorts of things to avoid and distract ourselves.  And then we wonder why others are not listening to us either...!

On a side note, check out a history of head coverings -- it might not convince you to try it, but at least you understand the roots.

Peace,
Erica

How To: Introduction to Learning the JapJi (Part 2) -- Mul Mantra

Continuing with the JapJi, the first meditation is the Mul Mantra (or Root Mantra).  Meditate on this mantra 11 x day, for 40 days.  Sit in a cross-legged position (or in a chair, feet flat on the floor), hands in Gian Mudra (thumb and index finger touching), eyes closed and rolled up to the 3rd eye point.


Watch HarSimran perform this meditation, and feel free to chant along.  Here is the transliteration.

To contact HarSimran at Essential Focus Coaching, click here.

For more information about the JapJi, check out this book:

How To: Introduction to Learning the JapJi (Part 1)

Forget all those personal development workshops and listen to HarSimran's simple instructions to begin learning how to meditate to the ancient JapJi: the Poem of the Soul.
After the brief video, you're ready to go onto the Mul Mantra.


We are basing this project on a book that Yogi Bhajan co-wrote, that is, unfortunately no longer in print.  However, here is the complete MLA citation:
Khalsa Yogoji, Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh, and Khalsa Bhai Sardani Sahiba Bibiji Inderjit Kaur. Psyche of the Soul: the Nit Naym Banis, with additional Shabads and prayers, and their effects. Tucson: Hand Made Books, 1993.