LIVING THE LIFE CREATIVE - AFTER THE FACT

THANK YOU ALL for participating in the Living the Life Creative Workshop at Golden Bridge on Sunday.  It was great to share the teachings with you.... and to guide you through a journey of accessing your creative flow and linking it with the cosmic flow so that you can experience the CREATIVE and expanded YOU.

As promised I am posting some of the meditations and kriyas that we did so that you can practice these teachings on your own. 

Before you do any Kundalini yoga or these meditations/kriyas, it is essential that you tune in with the Adi Mantra: "Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo". This will provide you with a protective link between you and the consciousness of the divine teacher, the Master of Kundalini Yoga, Yogi Bhajan as well as all the teachers before him. ONG is the infinite creative energy (which we chanted in the workshop) experienced in action.  NAMO implies reverent greetings...so together ONG NAMO means "I call on the infinite creative consciousness". This opens you up to the cosmic flow which guides all action. GURU is the embodiment of the wisdom you are seeking..the one who takes us from darkness to the light. DEV means divine or the subtle realms.  NAMO repeated again infers reverence of the student to the teacher.   So in total, it means "I bow to the teacher within", or "I call on the great divine wisdom as I humbly bow".

The Kundalini Energy is your creative potential. The creative flow is the expression of your SOUL.  It is the cosmic flow that unites your finite selves with the infinite, the great beyond.  The creative flow is the purpose of life. Anyone can be creative, but only individuals who apply self-discipline will take it the extra mile.  Self Discipline creates extraordinary individuals out of ordinary ones.  It builds character, excellence, and humility.  Great rewards come from consistent, ernest, and regular practice.  This is true in all fields as well as in your yoga practice. A daily sadhana is essential the key ingredient in achieving mastery.

A creative person has a conviction that they have something unique to offer the world...a person with a certain faculty that he/she is destined to use for the service of others.

"You feel happy when you can give something. When you give yourself discipline and your discipline gives hope to somebody, therein lies real happiness". - Yogi Bhajan

Your mind is here to serve your SOUL. So...If you want to access your creative flow, the key ingredient is CONTROLLING THE MIND.  When the mind and the soul are in alignment, you are able to create a fulfilling life for yourself and bring creativity into EVERY SINGLE ASPECT of your life....and share the flow of this beautiful universal life force with all.

If you would like additional information, you can email me at raghubirkk@gmail.com or comment in the box below.  The FOR CREATIVITY set is from Physical Wisdom, illustrated and compiled by Harijot Kaur Khalsa and published by KRI http://www.kundalink.com/product_p/k-614.htm and the TWO MEDITATIONS are from THE MIND, by Yogi Bhajan, published by KRI. http://www.spiritvoyage.com/yoga/The-Mind---Its-Projections-and-Multiple-Facets/Yogi-Bhajan/BKS-009015.aspx

Sat Nam,

Raghubir

Living the Life Creative

You don’t have to be an artist to have a creative life. 

When I got out of art school, I thought life was divided into two parts: the working life to pay the bills, and the artistic life to feed the soul.  At that time, I didn’t have a clue about how one’s attitude and “altitude” could allow you to be completely creative in and out of studio and how every second of every day could feed your soul.

Everyone WANTS to live up to their potential...or at least they say they do.  We walk around with so many fears and imagined limitations, inner anger, and old non-productive stories; some of which we aren’t even aware.  These get in the way of our excellence and our creative flow.  Many of us have a negative mantra or two looped in our heads... “I’m not good enough”, ”I can’t”, or “why bother?” are some examples that just keep us stuck in a rut. What are YOU saying to yourself that’s keeping you from being the best you can be? NOW IS THE TIME TO STOP THE SELF-SABOTAGE.  And to make matters worse, we even seek the company of others who, through endless commiseration, keep us from improving our situations.

As Kundalini yogis, we are encouraged to UPLIFT AND ELEVATE others...not sit around and wallow in our stories.   That’s because we have the technology to rise above these misfortunes and obstacles through mantra, meditation, and yoga.  Our self-discipline keeps us out of trouble and gives us the strength to help others.

When you write, count beans, study, play music, think, make “art”, meditate, cook, garden, do sports, heal, teach, or whatever it is that you do....you are there to practice your craft.  You might have an argument with yourself about it beforehand, but you will eventually show up and practice. How do you get to Carnegie Hall?  Practice, practice, practice.  That’s right...the secret to YOUR success in anything you do is PRACTICE.  

Through practice, or self-discipline as we’ll now call it, you can take yourself from average to sensational in a relatively short amount of time. Since I’m a yogi, I have experienced the effect of that discipline on one’s well-being and how it gives you strength and power, self confidence, and projection.  Meditation and a regular spiritual practice can give you the grace and altitude you need to navigate the challenges of the world today.  And it connects you to your higher self, your cosmic flow; your SAT NAM so that everything you do is infused with the creative flow that is the Kundalini energy itself.

When you live your life with the creative flow activated in you, it doesn’t matter WHAT you do, you are living a conscious life. You can have a more positive effect on others by flipping greasy hamburgers in higher consciousness than if you feed beautiful vegetarian food to others with a bitter and angry heart.  You can be a creative accountant, lawyer, stockbroker in the same way you can be a creative artist or musician.  WHAT you do is just a vehicle for the cosmic flow.

I noticed that when I taught Kundalini yoga, I had the same feeling as when I made art.  This was a a big AH-HA moment.

The cosmic flow will come through you as a result of discipline and consistency.  In much the same way that a violinist will become a more proficient and talented musician through practice and rehearsal,  you can become a more balanced, energized, focused, and compassionate person through yoga and meditation.  In the same way a top athlete can transform themself into a champion through effective coaching and practice, you can become a saint through the guidance of your teacher and the discipline of a daily sadhana.

Sat Nam,

Raghubir

SELF-WORTH AND THE ART OF PROSPEROUS LIVING AT GOLDEN BRIDGE

This is my third workshop at Golden Bridge and I am feeling so blessed to be able to teach these workshops here. A few years ago, once a month, I held 3-hour workshops at The Crystal Matrix in Atwater Village. For almost one year, all the workshops I taught there were Kundalini Yoga and Meditation emphasizing the manifesting of prosperity through a multitude of channels. I witnessed magnificent shifts in people who were repeat students and many epiphanies in those who attended just one or two of them.

I have first hand experience that these methods of Kundalini Yoga work and so I feel inspired to share these teachings with others. One of the most insidious problems is the overwhelming lack of self esteem that permeates this culture. I teach high school art and I am flabbergasted by the negative self-talk I hear in the classroom. Where do these teenagers get this negative self image? Many adults can’t find enough obstacles and blocks in their day to day life...they have to invent them in their own minds! Until they are made aware of how unconscious this behavior is, most people just go about their lives without the slightest idea that they are doing this.

Wouldn’t you like to have a positive sound loop running in your mind instead of a negative one? Wouldn’t you like to learn how to make your mind work for you instead of against you? Meditations can clean up the subconscious garbage and rewire the way your brain works and the Kriyas (exercises) can fortify the good and powerful in you and help you to get rid of what doesn’t serve you. A long gong relaxation can seal the energy and help to put you in sync with your true nature. Prosperity is your birthright. You can walk out of this workshop feeling light, magnetic and victorious...creative, prosperous, and at peace.

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Yogi Bhajan's Wise Words About Summer Solstice

This is an ad from the inside cover of Beads of Truth, Winter/March 1978 Bead no. 37, a magazine that the 3HO Foundation put out back in the day. You can't really read it because when i posted it, the type came out really small.....but click on the image, and VOILA...it gets bigger. Click on the enlargement, and then it'll be just like a kindle!! Can you imagine....to attend solstice, it cost $150 dollars for a single person... and discounts WERE available on top of that!

The ad read: "YOU must do it! A Spiritual teacher only inspires you, he gives you the technical know-how, but it is for you to work it out, and to experience the result!"

Ain't THAT the truth!

With regards to what to bring, the ad reads as follows:

"You will be camping out in very changeable weather, so come prepared with:

tent of camper (some type of shelter)

eating utensils (spoon, fork, knife, bowl, cup, plate, etc.)

suntan lotion

bathing suits

warm clothes (for cold nights and mornings)

rain wear

any special dietary requirements

Please be sure to bring all necessities your children may require"

Pretty simple...and jives with my list in the blogalini post before this one.

People were intent back then on transforming the self and the world just as they are now, and that's why they packed up their things and headed out to New Mexico, just as we are doing in a week 32 years later.

Yogi Bhajan wrote in an article from this issue:

" You need in your life eleven days of vacation per year for your glandular system. You know why we started having this Summer Solstice? Just to break your habit pattern. We don't give you food you always normally eat. "

"Actually, the total idea is to bring you for ten days to live with the environment of nature to make you immune so your skin can breathe, so you can survive. So you think I can't hold a convention in a hotel? You will all come. No, that is not my way. I have to train you to live. I have lived many, many times. I know what living is. It is you who are important. And you must be trained to live in a natural environment to feel sometimes that there is a God. And too much maya around us does not allow us to feel God.

We live by the sun energy, there is no lie about it. That is why when the energy of the sun is the highest we do this sadhana to leave everything. We need eleven days. Then we go on a mono diet, and that mono diet has carbohydrates, because you need that sugar for the brain for those meditative exercises. It is a situation designed for centuries which we practice. Then we always try to go to a place where there is heat and elevation so that your children can go five, six, seven, ten thousand feet. Their metabolism needs the experience. How can a person who grows up eighteen years in New York ever come to New Mexico and not get sick? Impossible. You need the practice of environments, and your body and your nervous system must adjust. You know, if all New York people came here and lived for fifteen days, then went back, they wouldn't need a lot of medicines. If you think I'm a fool that I'm building up all this here, couldn't we build somewhere else? No. Why are you under this tent? Couldn't a better shed be built for you? It could be, but when it rains, you won't enjoy what you enjoy under it.

This is what lies underneath the teachings we are practicing. We are trying to make you survive. We are trying to make you conscious to survive and you only survive with your basic instinct. Intelligence is your basic instinct. You do not understand this human therapy. In normal environments you will always be rational. Until you are aroused to confront abnormal circumstances, you will not pressure your supreme friend, intelligence to come to your help."

Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light. ~ Yogi Bhajan

The Summer Solstice is rapidly approaching and there is much to do before I go to Guru Ram Das Puri for the celebration. I will be joined by thousands of like-minded souls who travel to New Mexico for this extraordinary experience hosted by the 3HO®, Yogi Bhajan's Healthy, Happy, Holy organization.

In the mid-1970s, a group of Hopis took Yogi Bhajan into the Jemez Mountains of Northern New Mexico near the town of Española and gestured toward the vast wilderness that stretched out for miles. The elders explained that for a hundred thousand years, huge spiritual gatherings took place over a vast territory stretching from what is now New Mexico, south to Mexico, and east to Missouri. They told Yogi Bhajan that these spiritual gatherings took place once every 108 years and the last one had taken place 2000 years ago...around the time the forces of darkness appeared.

The Hopi elders went on to tell Yogi Bhajan that it had been foreseen that just before the forces of darkness reached their full power, a white-clad warrior from the East would

arrive and create a white-clad army to protect the Unified Supreme Spirit. Since Yogi Bhajan was the white-clad warrior they were talking about, the Hopis entrusted him with the duty of keeping and protecting the Unified Supreme Spirit on this sacred land. Yogi Bhajan had celebrated the summer soltice in many different locations, but he was looking for one place where the students could return to year after year. In 1976, 3HO Foundation bought the parcel of land that the Hopis had recommended, and Yogi Bhajan named it Ram Das Puri that came to be known as Guru Ram Das Puri.

The Summer Solstice celebration is a great opportunity for many things; to deepen your practice, to be with your spiritual family, to serve, and to live close to this sacred earth. There are several ways to experience this living close to this sacred earth...and one way is to camp. I have camped the two years I've gone and I think I've learned a few things which I wanted to share. This is just my personal experience, but it might help others as they start to prepare for the Summer Solstice experience in the high desert.

The first year I thought, that all I needed was a very small and light tent to sleep in. NOT!

LET ME TELL YOU THAT YOU SHOULD GET A TENT THAT YOU CAN STAND UP IN. It doesn't have to be the size of a one bedroom apartment, but you should be able to stand up in it. My first year I couldn't stand up and I was changing my clothes in a crow squat. It was light to carry, easy to assemble, and basically disposable. And I did dispose of it because it was useless. The second year, I bought a larger, more commodious tent with better construction. THERE IS WEATHER THERE, SO MAKE SURE YOUR TENT IS WATERPROOF and sturdy enough to withstand rain and wind. Some people came back from events on the site only to find their tents

collapsed or their belongings sopping wet. This is avoidable...so I say,

1) buy a decent tent that is waterproof and large enough to stand up in. (REI, TARGET, WALMART all have good tents)

Bring clothing that is easy to wash by hand, layer-able, and warm. It can get both very cold and very hot. If you are there for a while, you'll need to wash your clothes....

which you'll probably wash by hand and hang up on a line or a tree. so to this I say,

2) bring lots of t shirts, comfortable pants, etc. for yoga practice, servingand "playing". Bring something to wash them with. I BRING DR. BRONNERS LIQUID SOAP BECAUSE I USE IT FOR BODY SOAP, SHAMPOO, AND THE LAUNDRY.

3)be prepared for the rain: waterproof tent with rain flap. a portable, foldable rain coat or poncho is a good thing to have just in case. If you don't like to walk in the rain, bring an umbrella.

4)There is a first aid building on the property which is well stocked with things for minor pain and discomfort, sunburn, scrapes and abrasions, etc. There are doctors and nurses

on staff for anything more serious. SO IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU MIGHT NEED, BRING IT. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A FIRST AID KIT OF YOUR OWN....don't forget your prescription medication or supplements that you are used to taking. If you have a way to handle muscle pain (narayan oil, arnica, traumeel, ben gay, etc. for example) bring that with you.

There are massage therapists, chiropractors, healers offering their services in the bazaar tent so you can handle most minor injuries or discomfort for a reasonable fee. Just remember to bring what you think you might need based on your past experiences.

5. Water bottles, hot bottle for yogi tea, eating utensils,a plate (reg food)and bowl(soup). You can pick these things up at Costplus, Walmart, or Target. You'll be washing your own plates and utensils at every meal. There are water dispensaries all over the site which includes electrolyte water, too. You don't need to bring dishwashing soap...they have it at the dishwashing station.

6. FOOTWEAR: The terrain is rough and dry and while flip flops might

be ideal for going to and from the shower area, your feet are going to get beat up. Trust me. If you are the slip-on, slip-off kind of person that I am, I like to use keen-type sandals which are waterproof, easy to get in and out of, offer support, and cover the toes (if you choose). I got mine at REI and it's my third year wearing them all the time... if you know what you want, you can go to Zappos and get them for less money. I wear the Venice H2.....and the Daytona...both EXCELLENT CHOICES FOR SOLSTICE! While we're on the subject of feet, there is a foot therapy station at Solstice...

and I highly recommend bringing BANDAIDS, FOOTCREAM, etc. because I can guarantee that your feet will get DRY.

7. BATTERY POWERED ALARM CLOCK AND BATTERIES: even though every morning

before Sadhana, Guru Singh and his band of 20-60 merry men and women walk through the camp sites starting at around 3 singing "RISE UP"...you still may want a back up plan.

8. TOILETRIES: SUNSCREEN, LIP BALM, LOTIONS, TOOTHBRUSH AND TOOTHPASTE. BRING YOUR OWN TOWELS AND WHATEVER ELSE YOU NEED TO STAY GORGEOUS AND HAPPY ON YOUR TRIP IN THE HIGH DESERT. OH DON'T FORGET THE Q-TIPS.

9. FOR WHITE TANTRIC YOGA YOU'LL NEED: White cotton or natural fiber clothing and a white cotton or natural fiber headcovering....both of which will be available at the KUNDALINK.COM table in the bazaar tent. If you haven't experienced a Kundawrap or a Kundabini...you're in for a treat. We make white cotton clothing for women and men... and we have KundaBags, yoga duffels, and tote bags....we actually have everything you'll

need to wear at Summer Solstice!

10. THERE IS NO HOT WATER. COLD SHOWERS. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE COLD SHOWERS.If you are not used to taking cold showers, now is a good time to practice it. By the time you get to solstice, you'll be a pro.

11. Sheepskin, yoga mat, warm blanket, and a hoodie or something warm for morning sadhana. Some people take their entire bedding to the tent! It's pretty cold when you start but you warm up pretty quickly after you start doing yoga at 4 am.

12. Hat to protect you head from the sun unless you're wearing a headcovering

13. SLEEPING BAG, WARM BEDDING, SLEEPING PAD OR AIR MATRESS OR COT.

14. bathing suit just in case. Some people go down the hill to the hot springs and you might, too.

15. a bag to carry around your stuff. Of course you can buy a KundaBag or yoga duffel at the Kundalink.com table in the Bazaar if you don't get one on line....

16. flashlight OR one of these head lamps. I USE THE HEADLAMP BECAUSE WHEN I WALK TO THE BATHROOM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND I AM CARRYING THINGS TO THE BATHROOM, I NEED MY HANDS and you might, too!

17. On the 3HO website, they suggested bringing one or two dressy outfits for social events, but i have to say, this is not really necessary.

18. A hooded windbreaker is helpful...but i found that layers of clothing was the best way to go. I rarely wore socks although they can be helpful in the early morning chill.

AND if you need to charge your ipod or iphone or cellular, there's a charging station and you can plug in from time to time. I can tell you that you won't be using your phone very much, or at least much less that usual. The reception is so-so.

19. A "DOORMAT". SOME HEAVY TOWEL OR SHOWER MAT SO THAT YOU CAN WIPE YOUR FEET OFF BEFORE YOU ENTER YOUR TENT. JUST A THOUGHT....

The best advice I can give you is to travel light. You should be able to fit everything in a duffle bag and a medium suitcase. Try to keep your things to a minimum....and make sure you have enough clothes to layer and keep in rotation, comfortable shoes, comfortable bedding, and a tent that you can stand up in. You won't believe how helpful, generous and friendly everyone is and if you need something, if someone there doesn't have it, you can always go down the hill into "civilization" and buy it.

Bring some money because you can get some fantastic products at the bazaar.... see you there! If you'd like to see some videos that my dear friend and fellow yogi, Elena aka Ek Ong Kar, made about the summer solstice experience....here they are:

kundalini yoga: summer solstice 2008 from ETentity on Vimeo.

Summer Solstice 2010 from ETentity on Vimeo.

GONG TAWK

Sat Nam everyone! I am so excited to have the opportunity to put some info on BLOGALINI about my teacher Harijiwan and some things he's up to. To those of you who are going to Winter Solstice, you'll have the blessing of attending some of his workshops and to those of you who are HERE in Los Angeles, you are blessed to have the chance to attend his workshop this weekend-FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY AFTERNOON at Golden Bridge Yoga in Hollywood. It's called FREEDOM FROM NEGATIVE MEMORIES. Wouldn't you like a bit of that? Just scroll down to his workshop and order on line to save a few bucks!

Also you can visit his website www.harijiwan.com and learn about his classes and workshops and all about the GONG, his area of expertise, AND lots of other wonderful, interesting things about Kundalini Yoga and the teachings of Yogi Bhajan.

I just finished putting a link to ordering Harijiwan's Gong Meditation CD, Resound, on the Kundalink website which basically means that you can go directly to OmStream and download it directly from them. Easy as pie! ( The same is true for Ally's yoga mat which you order directly from her. I'm just giving it some psyber- space!!!!!)

And while I'm on the subject of Harijiwan, I have to give a shout out to the TEACHERS TRAINING which is happening starting in January 2010. Its a level one course with Harijiwan, Tej, and Erin and takes place in Santa Monica, CA from January - July.

This program is not just for students who want to teach, although WATCH OUT you just might start teaching spontaneously like I did. You would take this course if you wanted to deepen your understanding of Kundalini Yoga or just transform your life for the better on every conceivable level. Its like having a love affair with your true self!!!!! It's challenging and the transmission of energy is off the charts! And most of all, this course is so much fun...I've done it twice so far and I'll be there again in 2010!

So that's the news of the day.