Kundalini
Yoga and the
Gong
"In Kundalini Yoga we do
not initiate anybody. If person is foolish enough or not fit enough to
initiate himself or herself, our initiation will not make any difference.
It's the quality of the people, the quality of their thought, the quality of
their perception, the quality of their projection, quality of their
behavior, and the quality of their life which matters. Not the quantity!"
Jump to info
about the
Gong
, and/or
Full Moon Meditation
Kundalini Yoga, the Yoga of Awareness, was brought to the
West by Yogi Bhajan in 1968. Yogi Bhajan taught that, through the practice of
Kundalini Yoga and meditation, your glandular and nervous systems are
stimulated, and your capacity for creative potential is heightened. You gain
inner vitality to compensate for the adverse effects of stress so you can excel
in life. Find more information about
Kundalini Yoga in
this article.
"Kundalini yoga classes are a dynamic blend of postures, pranayama, mantra,
music and meditation, which teach you the art of relaxation, self-healing and
elevation. Balancing body and mind enables you to experience the clarity and
beauty of your soul. No previous experience in yoga is required for you to
achieve results with your very first class.
Men of great knowledge actually found out about the chakras – their workings,
their petals, their sounds, their infinity, their co-relationship, their powers.
They found that the life of a human is totally based on these chakras. This
total science gave birth to Kundalini Yoga."
Yogi Bhajan, The Aquarian Teacher
And, oddly enough, this
definition from the Wikipedia is pretty good:
The term "Kundalini" is based on several
words and has several meanings. The word ending with "i"
indicates that it relates to the feminine principle and
deals with a form of SHAKTI (energy) and PRAKRITI (nature)
[2]
KUNDA is a hole or well into which all
debris and rubbish is thrown. In time the rubbish loses its
original form and disintegrates into a formless mesh in
which the individual components are no longer recognizable.
In the similar way, our impression from earlier lives lie
like an amorphous substance deep in the unconscious (Muladhara
Chakra)
[2].
KUNDALA means the ring (generally earing).
A ring or a circle has neither beginning nor an end. It is
infinite and that is why it is a symbol of creation. Cosmic
energy is circling constantly; we do not know when the
Universe began and how long will it last
[2].
The other roots of "KUNDALINI" are
KUNDALIN, serpent, and KALA, time or death. The symbol of
the snake has many meanings: ignorance, energy, unhappiness
or happiness, death, time and change. In Indian mythology
Lord Vishnu rests on a thousand-headed snake and sends out
the first vibration (Sphurna), from which the entire
Universe evolves
[2].
The symbol of snake also refers to the
poison and danger that lies in ignorance. Ignorance is as
poisonous and deadly as a cobra. But poison can also heal
and even have a life saving influence. Knowledge about its
correct application and dosage is an important thing. Just
as the power to heal is contained in poison, supreme
knowledge lies dormant in the "ignorance" of the
unconsciousness. Just as a snakebite can suddenly change our
life, when the Kundalini awakens our consciousness changes
fundamentally and we reach another dimension of time and
space
[2].
Open any health magazine,
and you will read articles and personal stories about how Yoga has helped
individuals through a variety of difficulties — from support through
chemotherapy and the alleviation of pain, to a calmer more relaxed state of
mind.
But it is primarily in the
professional journals and magazines that you can read about the success of gong
therapy for helping even such serious conditions as schizophrenia, autism and
physical pain such as neck pain, headaches and cramping in the chest and upper
respiratory systems.
Combining Kundalini Yoga,
Pranayama (breath-work), and Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation) we create a receptive
mind-body condition to allow the gong to “facilitate the movement of healing
energy (prana) throughout the body. The gong basically “magnifies and focuses
the power of the yoga practice.” (Mehtab)
“The Gong is a singularly
effective instrument to help the listener detach from the pressure and content
of the mind through an induced meditative state in order to get free of habitual
patterns.” (Mehtab)
As anyone knows who has
attended a Kundalini Yoga class which includes a gong meditation, the
“vibrations” induced by the gong stay with you for days.
“The gong works on all
levels to heal and transform. From the purely physical, to the emotional and
spiritual, the sound of the gong can promote a positive change in the
listener….Dermatomes are surface areas of the skin extending from the spine
throughout the body and connected to different organs in the body. These skin
areas can be stimulated by sound waves, much like a massage, and produce effects
on corresponding organs and other areas of the body” (Mehtab)
“The Sound of the Gong
creates deep relaxation, releasing us from [the] torrents of thoughts our mind
releases, and it stimulates the glandular system to a higher form of
functioning. The Gong is very simple. It is an inter-vibratory system. It is the
sound of creativity itself. The Gong impacts the body and its meridians. It will
penetrate every cell and fiber of your body releasing blocks [energetic and
emotional], reducing stress and tension, and stimulating circulation. The result
is a reorganization of the emotional energy and feelings that are tied up in the
body structure. The entire nervous system is put under pressure to adjust and
heal itself. This can be frightening, arousing, exciting, or delightful … that
will depend on the individual. [Most participants find] as pressure builds,
[they become] totally relaxed in the deepest meditation possible. [So join us
and] feel yourself ride the sound to the infinite itself." (Yogi Bhajan)
NOTE: If the sound
of the gong bothers your ears, we have ear plugs available -- please ask for
them before class starts -- and then keep them with your Yoga mat for use the
next time -- you will still receive all the benefits of the gong therapy even
with ear plugs.)
Pictures from some of our
Kundalini Yoga Classes (Tuesday evenings)
Full Moon Meditation
Date/Times will vary depending when the full moon is
Watch the Announcements Page and the main index.
RSVP — 11 people minimum,
holding hands in a circle
please if you can, wear all white
or a white shirt
Please arrive at the latest 5
minutes before the meditation is scheduled to begin.
This free meditation creates abundant healing energy which can be
used by any/all participants in the meditation circle or each can
focus on a friend or loved-one who needs healing, keeping him/her in
your thoughts during the Full Moon Meditation
