SEEING THE FOREST FOR THE TREES-9TH BODY

Sat Nam Everyone,

I've been SO busy this week, I am only getting to this pre-class blog NOW 4 1/2 hours before class.  It's perfect because in order to KNOW about something, you have to read about it.  If you really want to LEARN about something, then it helps to write about it because it helps to organize your thoughts.  And this is what I do every week as I prepare the class...I write about it so I can really learn about it.  And then, I teach it in order to Master it.  This Mastery or Mystery is the key phrase for this Subtle body. Having not had the chance to sit down and write about it until right now felt strange because this is a sequence of events that I have chosen to do for this class that helps me develop my SUBTLE BODY.

When your ninth body is strong, you are long-term in your thinking and you are calm.  You have an elevated perspective.  You walk into a room and you can suss out what's going on and therefore act accordingly.  When you are doing something refined like the arts, you are exercising your subtle body.  Subtle Body strength equals refinement.  People who are aggressive, loose cannons, and very reactive tend to have challenged subtle bodies.  They also can't see the forest for the trees, or they act like a bull in a china shop.  

If you work on developing the art of reading people then you are exercising a subtle body art.  You can't take things at face value and looking deep into the way people relate to one another is a good example using the subtle body.  When you develop the subtle body, you pick up things easily and can tune into situations easily and quickly.  

Sometimes in Kundalini Yoga meditations, the description reads "will give you the ability to see the unseen and hear the unheard".  This is a quality of the ninth body.  When your subtle body is developed, you "just know".   The Subtle body is also around the feet which is why you may have wondered why in India, people will touch the feet of those who are revered and respected. 

How can you strengthen the 9th body? Here are some ways:

1) Mantra 2) Speak Kindly  3)do a meditation for 1000 days  4)strengthen your digestion 

5) get involved in the arts or practice your art  4) connect with the energy of Guru Tej Bahadur the 9th Sikh Guru.

"Whenever the Soul desires to leave the physical body, the Arc body and all the other bodies remain behind because they have no combination.  The Physical body's pranic connection with the Pranic Body totally breaks and the Soul leaves with the Subtle Body.  That means your identity is gone.  Your physical body remains but YOU are gone. We call it death. 

But do you understand what that indicates? If in subtlety you become very refined and in activity you become very subtle, very subtle, you are very near to your Soul.  The Sppirit and the Subtle Body are very much related. There's a direct relationship between the Subtle body and the Spiritual body. They never leave each other. So anything you do which is refined - refined art, refined acts, refined speech, anything which is not gross- will put you nearer to the Soul.  That's rather a simple way of reaching your God-consciousness" - Yogi Bhajan

Tonight's class is at 7pm and is designed to activate the Subtle Body. Bring a blanket, cushion, mat, ....even a friend; whatever you need to be comfortable for yoga and meditation.  Donation (suggested $15) only.  SEE YOU LATER!  Check the website for more info. YOGI TEA served after class.

Sat Nam,

Raghubir

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU APRIL 19TH AT 7PM

“When the breath of life becomes short, you become short-tempered. When the breath of life becomes long and deep, you understand who you are."-Yogi Bhajan

What is Prana? What is this Breath of Life? We talk a lot about it in Kundalini Yoga and this week we are working on the PRANIC BODY so I think it's only reasonable to discuss what it is, how to get it, and how to use it. The Eighth Body (since each week we systematically going over the ten bodies, body by body) is the Pranic Body; Prana being "the life force energy that interpenetrates every atom of your form and indeed the universe" (Yogi Bhajan) that is contained in the air we breathe.

"Praana comes through the air. Some people think it is oxygen. That is not true. Oxygen is always there. If you pump the body with oxygen, will a person live forever?"- Yogi Bhajan

You have an infinite supply of energy available to you at any given time and you can get it through your breath. YOUR BREATH. It is yours and yours alone and you have to care for it. If you breath shallowly, you'll feel old, even if you are not technically an "old" person. You are likely to be anxious, nervous, and worry some.

"When the breath is shallow, all problems come in. All this caffeine, nicotine, all these drugs are the problem of the shallow breath".-Yogi Bhajan

In this culture, we have also replaced our pranic consumption with food consumption; trying to get our energy from the food we eat instead of directly from the Infinite Cosmos. That's why there is such an epidemic of sugar and sweet addiction as well as overeating. Most of the overconsumption of sugar and food in general is by shallow breathers.

"If you do not breathe consciously for 11 minutes a day, you lose 40%

of the vitality of life. This 40% you cannot recapture by any medicine or any exercise. But if you do breathe consciously for 11 minutes and make it very long, deep and slow, that can do exactly what no miracle can do, because your life is based on the breath of life." - Yogi Bhajan

Pranic energy is what gives you fearlessness, self-confidence, security, boundless energy, mental mastery. When you are lacking in it, you may feel isolated and alone; maybe even abandoned...not to mention exhausted and worn out. Pranic energy is obtained mainly from breathing consciously. When you breathe in a shallow and unconscious manner, you are cheating yourself out of the most powerful force available to you.

"Praana is the most powerful and most creative thing God ever created because out of Praana came life"- Yogi Bhajan

Naturally, a class on The Pranic Body will give you an ENORMOUS amount of energy and this is what we will be up to this Thursday night. Remember the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th bodies? (The negative, positive, and neutral minds?). Well... the mastery of the Pranic Body will also give you mastery over the MIND. Have you ever heard that in order to change the mind, all you have to do is to change the breath? A simple mechanical breath pattern (pranayam) can transport you from a bad place to bliss.

Bring a blanket, yoga mat, cushion, friend, and anything else you need for yoga, deep breathing exercises, and long GONG meditation/relaxation. Classes are always by donation only ($15 suggested) and begin promptly at 7 although you will not be turned away if you are "late". Stay for Yogi Tea and conversation afterwards...and I hope to see you on April 19th at 7pm. If you have any questions, call 323-365-1109 OR visit the website.

Sat Nam,

Raghubir

PS. MANY OF THESE QUOTES BY YOGI BHAJAN CAME FROM A TERRIFIC BOOK PRAANA, PRAANEE, PRAANAYAM. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. If you are interested in purchasing this book, please visit the Kundalink website for this and other items to assist you in your Kundalini Yoga practice. Put EAGLEROCK in the discount code box and get 10% off applicable items, including this book.

Are You Tired, Listless.....Poop Out at Parties?

THE SEVENTH BODY-THE AURA

Well, the answer is NOT Vitamitavegamin!!!! That's for sure! If you are feeling tired and under the weather...if you can't focus and feel like you are "not yourself"..then you should get to know your AURA.

What is the AURA? It is the electromagnetic field that surrounds the body that includes the arc line, the radiant body and the subtle body. It's very much like the magnetic field that surrounds the earth protecting it's atmosphere. EVERYBODY has an Aura. It's somewhere between three and nine feet if you are a human and it extends out in every direction. It is a protective body and it gives you the ability to uplift yourself and others. When its strong it serves as a container for your life force. It can attract positivity and repel negativity from other people, from germs and illness, and protect you from dangerous or destructive situations.

The Auric Body is related to the Pineal Gland and the immune system. A healthy Pineal gland brings intelligence and intuition and a healthy immune system brings radiant good health!

If you want to increase your intuition or improve your health, strengthen the Aura. When you increase the flow of prana (life force energy) through the meridians in your body, you are boosting the electromagnetic energy in your Auric Body.

If you feel paranoid and don't trust yourself, you definitely need to strengthen your Seventh Body. Insecurity is a sure sign that your Aura needs some work. If you feel threatened by crowds or by the energy of others, you need to expand and strengthen your Aura. If it is weak, then you'll easily get sick because all illness goes into the Aura first. Conversely, if your auric body is strong, you can repel illness and negativity...so a strong Auric Body will keep you very healthy of body and mind.A person with a strong seventh body knows exactly who they are. They can make up their own minds.

In your travels through the world of Kundalini Yoga, you may have wondered why Kundalini Yogis (and Yoginis) wear white. This is the explanation that Yogi Bhajan gave as an answer to a question about the wearing of white natural fiber clothing taken from The Beads of Truth from Spring 1981:

"We wear white because it's a simple scientific fact that every piece of matter or material has a foot and a half aura. Every animal has a three and a half foot aura. Every human has a nine foot aura. And if we wear the cotton and we wear the white, this color therapy gives us one extra foot of aura. So, I trust my students will behave right, but in case they behave like animals, they will still have a margin, an edge. And that is what it's all about. You have to wear a natural fiber and you have to wear white. It's a pure color therapy and it's called auric color therapy"

Three ways to expand and balance your aura: 1)Wear white 2)Meditate and 3) take a cold shower. A cold shower can completely clean and energize your auric field in a few minutes.

If you are in a profession where you help others, keeping the Auric field strong is essential so you don't get worn out and depleted. If you have ever met someone that you would describe as charismatic, what you are feeling is their large Aura. People who have charisma make you feel uplifted by their presence. They generally exude a warmth that makes you want to be with them.

Tonight at 7:00 pm we are working on the Auric Body through exercises and meditations that will increase your pranic energy and expand your electromagnetic field. We are in the midst of our series on the Ten Bodies....7 down, 3 to go! Come prepared to do some yoga, meditate and relax deeply with the Gong. Mats, cushions and blankets; bring what you need to be comfortable. I'll serve Yogi Tea afterwards. Donation only ($15 suggested) and all proceeds go back into the teachings. Working on the Seventh Body makes you feel really great; expanded and relaxed...ready to face the week ahead. I look forward to seeing you later....for more info visit the website. Bring a friend and a desire to feel better!

Sat Nam,

Raghubir

for more information, call 323-365-1109

BUMP IT UP A NOTCH - POWER UP YOUR ARC LINE

As you may or may not know, we are going through the ten bodies week by week. We are up to the sixth body....your PERSONAL PROTECTIVE SHIELD.

This Thursday night, the eve of the full moon, April 5 is all about the Arcline. Have you ever seen saints depicted with a halo around their heads? Well, that is the Arcline- a band of energy that runs across the top of the head from ear to ear in both men and women. Women have an extra arc line that goes from nipple to nipple. If it's strong, it can be an inch and a half thick. If it's weak, it can be broken and very thin. The arcline is the nucleus of the Aura. The arc line is your radiance and your projection.

"You are a human being: HU means halo, light. MAN means mind. mental. BEING means now."- Yogi Bhajan

The arc line protects you from physical harm, accidents and sickness. That's because it's associated with the pituitary gland which regulates your nervous system and glandular balance and is also home to your intuition. The arc line keeps negativity at bay from yourself and others. It's projective nature radiates through time and space. One way to make the arc line strong is to speak nothing but truth for 40 days. If you open yourself up to your own truth for 40 days, you'd be amazed at how strong and bright your arc line will be. Another way is to awaken the pituitary gland....the third eye.

The projection of the arc line helps you to manifest what you want in your life. Are you overprotective? Easily influenced? Inconsistent in your moods and behavior? Are you unfocused? Then maybe you should consider working to strengthen your arc line.

One way to think about the arc line is that it's your personal integrity. What is personal integrity? It's when your inner truth merges with your outer projection. That means that YOU are YOU, in and out. The arc line's motto is "I am, I am".

In class we are going to do strengthen and balance the arc line with a breath meditation, a short kriya, and a long meditation which will do just that. The meditation will allow you to speak inspiringly and to represent the truth at all times, project your bodily sensations at any time and "feel" what's going on, will give you the power to heal with your eyes and hands, AND activates the intuition BIG TIME. This meditation is called Dhrib Drishti Lochina Karma Kriya and was first taught in the early 1970's on the eve of the full moon. This is a particularly powerful time to do this meditation.

So if you are in the market for a class that will bump it up a notch and allow you to really change your perception, projection, and protection...then come on over at 7 pm with a blanket, mat , cushion or whatever you need to do yoga and meditation. We'll have a long gong relaxation and Yogi Tea afterwards. For more information visit our website. Donation only ($15) and goes back to the teachings. I'm looking forward to seeing you...

Sat Nam,

Raghubir