NO CLASS DECEMBER 29 - RESUME JANUARY 5

Sat Nam!

For those of you who are planning to come to the Thursday night class tonight, there WILL NOT be a class tonight on December 29. Classes will resume on January 5th at 7:00.

These 5 Sutras were given by Yogi Bhajan in order to help us navigate through the Aquarian Age.

1. Recognize that the other person is you

2. Understand through compassion or you will misunderstand the times

3. There is a way through every block

4. When the time is on you, start, and the pressure will be off

5. Vibrate the Cosmos, the Cosmos shall clear the path.

We will resume an exploration of these Five Aquarian Sutras by designating our next class on January 5th to "When the time is on you, start, and the pressure will be off".

There's no better time than the new year to get rolling on your resolutions, turning over a new leaf, out with the old and in with the new kind of thing. Many times we make promises to ourselves and then we find that we are stuck, or more often, we just can't get started. This class on January 5th will help you clear away your self-imposed road blocks and imagined disabilities that prevent you from "starting". Getting to you goal, whatever that may be, will be so much easier once you get going!

A body at rest tends to stay at rest and a body in motion tends to stay in motion...unless an outside force acts upon said body. The law of inertia is a powerful one and energy, no matter in what form, is affected by this "law". If you are stuck and you want to move and are not moving, you are going to stay there and feel all kinds of things like guilt, anger, repressed emotion, self-hatred, blame, and all kinds of pressure... until you do something.

I remember a time in the not so recent past when I was feeling particularly powerless and immobile about a certain issue in my life. I kept feeling like i was a truck stuck in the mud just spinning my wheels and going no where. The more I "spun my wheels", the less I went anywhere and the pressure continued to mount. I spoke with a dear friend of mine about my predicament and she said "Why don't you just get out of the truck and walk?"

This was a revelation to me. You mean...I had the power to change the location of my feelings by doing something different than the behavior I was accustomed to that wasn't working? WOW!

Spinning your wheels and going nowhere is a perfect metaphor for being stuck...and if you have something you need to do and you can't seem to make it happen, just start walking in the direction you want to go. The law of inertia will keep you moving in your chosen direction... and with your INTUITION, your own personal GPS device, the momentum you initiate by STARTING, will get you there!

See you on January 5th!

xoxo

Raghubir Kaur

for more info visit www.eaglerockkundalinicenter.com

Winter Solstice - From Darkness to Light

Tomorrow night, Thursday December 22 at 7:00pm we will celebrate the first Winter Solstice of the Aquarian Age by creating a healing vibratory field with Kundalini Yoga and Pranayam and chanting The First Sodhung Mantra for 31 minutes. This mantra aligns heaven and earth in you through the profound resonance of this mantra and visualization. A long gong meditation follows... so it will prove to be a powerful and elevating evening. Yogi Tea and cookies will be served afterwards. Class is on a donation basis ($15 recommended).

Winter Solstice is a powerful portal for transformation. The shortest day and longest night of the year opens the way for a gradual return of "the light". It's no accident that so many holidays and celebrations of every culture celebrate this time of year with ceremony. In the Kundalini Yoga Community, we celebrate both the winter and the summer solstices with a week-long celebration in Florida and New Mexico, respectively. As I am unable to attend this year's Winter Solstice Celebration in Lake Wales, Florida...I have decided to hold this special class so that others, like myself, could gather and meditate together.

Solstice rites are one of our oldest cultural celebrations dating back to the dawn of modern civilization 30,000 years ago. For ancient as well as modern people, the Winter Solstice was and still is an awesome and mysterious phenomenon.

Yule, or Jul is an old Anglo-Saxon word that means "wheel". The winter solstice is the turning point in the natural cycle of the year...and so it is a good time for spiritual work. Some neo-pagans believe that the dark nights of winter are when the veil between the spirit world and the living world is the thinnest and so are best used for self-examination and meditation. Yule traditions celebrate nature's renewal and our connection to the cosmos and earth.

In Scandinavian and Germanic countries, they celebrate Saint Lucia (lucia=light) by dressing a chosen girl in white robes with a blood-red sash and sending her around to work her healing miracles. In Poland, there is the festival of Gody at which time people forgive one another and share food. In Belgium, there is the Koleduvane festival which commemorates the birth of the sun. In China, the Dongzhi Festival (the "extreme of winter") celebrates the shifting of darkness to light which increases the flow of positive energy.

Traditionally, Indigenous People have always gone into ceremony to celebrate what is considered the longest night and greeted the New Sun on the next day with the utmost reverence. Pagans decorated inside their homes with plants and branches to bring in fertility and promote growth and this has evolved into the modern Christmas tree. In the Christian tradition, the birth of baby Jesus is celebrated around this time which signifies the coming of the one who brings the light. In Jewish tradition, Chanukah is called the "festival of lights" and the eight days of celebration involve the lighting of candles, ceremony and sharing food and gifts with loved ones.

The instant that the earth's axis stops tilting away from the sun and starts going back in the other direction is the actual moment of the Winter Solstice. However, the Winter Solstice is not just a metaphorical event. It is a significant astronomical event that has consequences for life here on this earth.

Please join me in celebration of this auspicious time. Bring a mat, blanket, or pillow if needed ...bring a friend....and come prepared to raise your consciousness with like minded souls. Please visit the website for more information and the address.

Sat Nam,

Raghubir

VIBRATE THE COSMOS...

VIBRATE THE COSMOS; THE COSMOS WILL CLEAR THE PATH or I'M DIGGING THOSE GOOD VIBRATIONS

This Thursday 12/15, riding the wave of the powerful full moon/lunar eclipse combination last weekend and coming up to the Winter Solstice next week on December 22 (when we will be holding a special WINTER SOLSTICE MEDITATION CELEBRATION) we will delve into the Aquarian Sutra, "Vibrate the Cosmos; the Cosmos will Clear the Path".

What does this 5th sutra mean? Funny enough, it's about the 5th chakra. The power of the 5th chakra can clear the path to a direct relationship with our true self through the sound of our own vibration. Using the shabd guru on a daily basis, aka the universal vibration, assists us in reaching our highest potential.

How do we do this? One way is by chanting; out loud, in a whisper, or silently. When we chant, we change our mental frequency and that changes our emotional response to situations and our environment. When we vibrate with the cosmos, we change the circuitry in our brains as well as stimulate the glandular system to facilitate healing. Yogi Bhajan said that chanting out loud is the voice of humans, chanting in a whisper is the language of lovers, and silently vibrating the sounds is the language of the divine.

Any way you look at it, "vibrating the Cosmos" bring a consciousness to our words and our tone of voice. By choosing what we say and how we say it, we can create a free-flowing enjoyable existence.

The Gong is another tool to vibrate the cosmos. My teacher Harijiwan, who is a master of the Gong, describes this phenomenon:

"Nothing compares to the gong’s ability to create in the human the Divine sound, which allows entry into the state of Anahat, and causes the sound to resound within. Only the gong can produce this combination of space vibrations. It is this productive sound that changes the pattern of the brain neurons for positive purposes. No effort or practice is required to participate. We can not avoid interlocking with the sound of the gong, because we are a byproduct of the wave and the strength of the wave that is called light and sound. It is the sound of Creativity itself. The gong takes us directly into the original sound current, into perpetual sound—out into space, into space, into space. This unlimited sound vibrates and creates light, creates life. The sound of the gong becomes the sound of the Universe."

Please visit Harijiwan's website page for a more in depth discussion about the power of the Gong and how its vibrations cause joy and bliss.

So back to this Thursday night at 7:00...we will experience this bliss through the activation of the 5th chakra, through chanting, and with a long gong meditation. Please come with a blanket, mat, or pillow and bring a friend! All are welcome.

Yogi Tea is served at the end and its a cozy environment for deep connection with our true selves and other like souls. Suggested donation is $15

for more information please visit our website.

Sat Nam,

Raghubir Kaur

These 5 Sutras were given by Yogi Bhajan in order to help us navigate through the Aquarian Age.

1. Recognize that the other person is you

2. Understand through compassion or you will misunderstand the times

3. There is a way through every block

4. When the time is on you, start, and the pressure will be off

5. Vibrate the Cosmos, the Cosmos shall clear the path.

RECOGNIZE THAT THE OTHER PERSON IS YOU

These 5 Sutras were given by Yogi Bhajan in order to help us navigate through the Aquarian Age.

1. Recognize that the other person is you

2. Understand through compassion or you will misunderstand the times

3. There is a way through every block

4. When the time is on you, start, and the pressure will be off

5. Vibrate the Cosmos, the Cosmos shall clear the path.

At last week's inaugural class, we delved into "there is a way through every block" which was perfect considering we had a major power outage and conducted the class in candlelight (not a bad thing, actually) without music, heat and creature comforts. I lit a fire and sang a capella. That's definitely taking the opportunity to find a way through a block if there ever was.

THIS WEEK we're going for Number One on the list. RECOGNIZE THAT THE OTHER PERSON IS YOU! Our yoga set and meditation will help you to experience this sutra on a profound and lasting level. Be prepared to merge into the group consciousness. If the reason we have relationships with others is to have a bigger experience of ourselves, then the other person gives us the chance to see who we are....good or bad, big or small. It is the symmetry of this reflection which is so compelling to us...and why relationships are such good teachers.

Let's start the ball rolling by paying attention to each other. Why do some people drive you crazy and push your buttons? Could it be that you are recognizing yourself in them? The same is true if you absolutely adore someone. Isn't it just the adorable in yourself that you are experiencing?

A perfect example of this is when we so-called fall in love with someone. When we are "in love" we think we are in love with another person, but the reality is that we are in love with ourselves... thanks to the reflection of ourselves that we see in the other person.

In order to experience this phenomenon we have to consciously observe, deeply listen, and open our hearts. And that's what we're up to tomorrow night in class.

This thursday and every thursday evening at 7:00pm, come for yoga, deep meditation, and stay for yogi tea. Bring a blanket, cushion, mat and even a friend. Recommended donation is $15. for more info visit the website.

Sat Nam,

Raghubir

Addendum to Self-Worth and the Art of Prosperity

Last Saturday, I taught the workshop entitled "Self-Worth and the Art of Prosperity" at Golden Bridge. In the 3 hours we had together, we did self-empowering navel centered exercises and a series of 6 meditations that did everything from allowing us to spit out all unwanted thoughts and negativity to bringing us into a deeper connection with our purity and grace.

"MAKE NO EXCUSES FOR YOUR DESIRE TO BE PROSPEROUS. IT IS A DIVINE DESIRE THAT SHOULD BE GIVEN DIVINE EXPRESSION." - Yogi Bhajan

Through the practice of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation, we can all affect the way we move through life and how the energy of the cosmos moves through us. When everything is flowing and we are open to receive God's grace, WE EXPERIENCE PROSPERITY IN ALL IT'S FORMS.

In the workshop, we specifically dealt with removing feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness and the anger that covers it up and pushes it deeper and deeper into our body and soul. We also meditated on the idea that we are afraid of shining our beauty, power and magnificence for fear that it would infringe on others....thereby making us guilty of a sort of false humility. I read a quote from Marianne Williamson's book "A Return to Love" (which I include here) and I promised those interested (and you know who you are!) print-outs of two of the meditations that closed out our workshop.

MEDITATION FOR SELF AFFIRMATION - powerfully affirms our purity, grace and mastery and our worthiness to receive. We can use this affirmation as a guideline for our lives.

Sit in Easy Pose with straight spine interlace the hands in Venus Lock in front of the Heart Center with elbows down and relaxed. Close the eyes and chant in a monotone: Me Within Me is the Purity. Me Within Me is the Reality. Me Within Me is the Grace. I am the Master of the Space. Listen carefully to yourself as you chant. Continue for 11 minutes. Then, inhale deeply...hold the breath and tighten every fibre of the body in alignment with that purity. Exhale. Repeat once more. Then inhale deeply...exhale...and relax.

THREE MINUTE MEDITATION FOR PROSPERITY AND SELF-ESTEEM - A short and sweet meditation that you can do several times a day.

Sit in Easy Pose with straight spine, look down towards the center of the chin with closed eyes, OR focus on the tip of the nose with eyes one-tenth open. No mudra specified. Inhale deeply, hold the breath and mentally recite: I am bountiful. I am blissful. I am beautiful. Then exhale completely and hold the breath out and mentally recite: Excel, excel, fearless. Continue for 3 minutes.

Marianne Williamson's quote is:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you NOT to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others".

Here are some of Yogi Bhajan's affirmations. It is effective to use silent inner mantras like these throughout your day.

I am the light of my soul. I am beautiful. I am bountiful. I am bliss. I am. I am.

Healthy am I. Happy am I. Holy am I.

I am success with my divine.

And lastly, try these four tips for stepping out of lack and into prosperity:

1. say "NO" to self-destructive behavior. BE POSITIVE. Listen to what you say to yourself and to others...and replace the negative with positive!

2. Set a win-win tone for your life. Letting go of negative patterns allows you to see more positive things in yourself and others.

3. RELAX. Negative tension keeps the blessings and opportunities at bay.

4. STOP WORRYING - what a waste of energy...and it just creates more negativity!

"Negative thoughts are the base of your misfortune and poverty - when you allow them, the loss is yours. Positive thoughts are the base of prosperity and contentment - when you allow them, the gain is yours" - Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam,

Raghubir Kaur

Addendum to "THERE IS A WAY THROUGH EVERY BLOCK"

Given that there was a major power outage in Los Angeles and we were out of electricity for 48 hours, there were many challenges and obstacles where we got to practice the Aquarian Sutra, "There is a way through every block" given to us by Yogi Bhajan. A perfect situation presented itself on our inaugural voyage.

As an artist and designer who is dependent on electricity for many of the tasks that I do outside of the sweet convenience of a juiced-up home, I had to disconnect from certain obligations and just not do the work I usually do. This made me unavailable by telephone, internet, or fax and only able to work on un-electrified tasks in the light of day. With the IPhone as a computer substitute, I sat in my car several times a day to charge up its rapidly dwindling battery.

This was handleable with an assortment of fire logs, candles, and battery operated flashlights (and of course the IPhone), but it became clear to me how much electricity I use in my day to day life and take for granted. It was a bit like either living in another era or camping out in the woods. My dogs, cat and I huddled together in the windstorm on the first night and navigated through a dark house together afterwards. We sat by the fire and kept warm. But the real blessing that came out of it was having the first EAGLE ROCK KUNDALINI CENTER CLASS in candlelight and without the usual aid of recorded music.

A few travelled the dark roads and partook in the class designed to remove obstacles from within and clear the path for significant growth and elevation. The effect was deeply relaxing and we enjoyed the candlelight and the profound effects of concentrating on the breath and the silent chanting of the mantra "Sat Nam". The set had indicated the playing of a certain piece of Indian music throughout certain exercises--since I am familiar with the music, I sang it a capella. Let me tell you, it was an unusual experience for all of us!!!!!

Anyway, the space works, the gong sounds great, and I foresee a wonderful group of souls gathering on thursday nights to open new spaces in ourselves through the practice of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation. Suggested Donation is $15 and plenty of parking is on the street. And if we ever have a power outage again, you can be sure that class will be in session! For more info visit our website.

Sat Nam,

Raghubir

THERE IS A WAY THROUGH EVERY BLOCK

Sutras are aphorisms that convey the core teachings in this and in all spiritual disciplines. A sutra is like a puzzle; it's a complex concept that has been reduced to a handful of words which is easy enough to remember, but evocative enough to promote deeper examination and study.

These 5 Sutras were given by Yogi Bhajan in order to help us navigate through the Aquarian Age.

1. Recognize that the other person is you

2. Understand through compassion or you will misunderstand the times

3. There is a way through every block

4. When the time is on you, start, and the pressure will be off

5. Vibrate the Cosmos, the Cosmos shall clear the path.

Starting this Thursday evening, December 1, there will be a Kundalini Yoga and Meditation class at 7:00 in Eagle Rock at 2727 El Roble Drive, LA CA 90041. It is the beginning of the Eagle Rock Kundalini Center where souls can gather to practice Kundalini yoga and meditation, learn about the yogic lifestyle, purchase books, clothing, and accessories that help one's practice, and gather with like-minded individuals to discuss subjects (like the Aquarian Sutras for example), hang out, and drink Yogi Tea.

This week we'll examine Sutra #3 "There is a way through every block". Through the practice of meditation that removes obstacles and yoga sets that dissolve energetic blockages, you will find the clear path to your destiny. The beauty of Kundalini Yoga is that you can get to the neutral mind quickly and make clear and intuitive decisions that lead you in the right direction. Therefore when you encounter difficulties and challenges, you can maneuver through them with grace instead of crashing into them and getting nowhere.

Please come promptly at 7:00 and be prepared to do some yoga, meditate, and relax deeply to the sound of the Gong. Class is approximately 1 1/2 hours and suggested donation is $15. Parking on the street is plentiful. Bring a pillow, mat, or blanket and bring a friend. Beginners and seasoned practitioners....all are welcome. For more info call 323-739-6072 and/or visit www.atwaterkundaliniyoga.com

BE CONSCIOUS and MAKE YOUR LIFE A VICTORY

Sat Nam!

I wanted to write today about the number one rule for a good yogic lifestyle. This rule is to BE CONSCIOUS. What exactly does that mean?

In our culture, we are taught to numb our pain, sweep disappointments under the rug, avoid challenges and obstacles, and to buy and use products that assist you in obtaining total UNCONSCIOUSNESS. You can go through life without ever even paying attention to what we say to others, what the effects are of the foods we put in our mouths, what the repercussions are of the drugs or substances we ingest to get high or feel comfortable in social situations. We completely take our bodies and minds for granted and we basically go through life on autopilot, assuming that we are invincible and our actions have no reactions on ourselves or others.

UNTIL...

...we wake up one day and feel that something is dreadfully wrong, something important is missing, or we are ill, depressed, and unfulfilled. THEN we take notice and we start to look for something to fill the holes in our lives and try to fix what's wrong from the outside. You never think for one minute that a simple thing like consciously deepening the breath could vastly improve your life. If your breath is shallow, you are not taking in the life force energy, the prana, that you need to function at your peak. You are asking for a panic attack, depression, dis-ease. If you had a high performance car, you would buy premium gasoline to make it work at its optimum capacity. So why wouldn't you treat your body the same?

Kundalini Yoga gives us the resources to achieve complete and total health of body and mind. When you treat the body with respect, it performs better for you. When you exercise the mind through meditation, you achieve control over your emotions. You no longer live as a slave to your feelings and act rather than react. This all takes time, commitment, and a willingness to practice but it is available to all. Kundalini Yoga's effects can be felt with just one class.

When you wake up in the morning, wouldn't it be great to feel as though ANYTHING were possible? This is the state of mind of a conscious person. So BE CONSCIOUS and make your life a victory!

Start your Kundalini Yoga practice on Thursday December 1 at the Eagle Rock Kundalini Center (2727 El Roble Drive, LA CA 90041) or visit my other site for information on additional classes on the east side of Los Angeles. For more information please call 323-739-6072.

Have a delicious holiday,

Raghubir Kaur

My name is Raghubir Kaur and I'd like to introduce you to the new Eagle Rock Kundalini Center. We are located at 2727 El Roble Drive in Los Angeles 90041 and are open for evening Yoga and Meditation at 7:00pm on Thursday evenings starting December 1. Please come and enjoy Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan in a cozy environment and stay for the yogi tea we serve after class. Long meditations and Gong relaxation make this the perfect way to end your day. Parking on the street and $15 suggested donation. Please bring your yoga mat and cushion (if needed). If you'd like to know more about Kundalini Yoga and the other classes I teach, please visit my website. More classes will be added in the new year. The all-level classes run about 1 1/2 hours. Sat Nam.