Sodarshan Chakra Kriya: Do you need a new start above all odds?
Through the ages, this meditation was taught orally from teacher to student, from heart to heart. This is the final stage (21st) of meditation: merging with the Infinite pulse. Now this meditation is available to anyone who wants to elevate his or her own consciousness through sincere and dedicated practice.
Merging into the Infinite pulse of life you become complete as a person through this self transformitive meditation. The infinity symbol was left as a powerful image of this meditation.
Yogi Bhajan (master of Kundalini Yoga) taught the following about Sodarshan Chakra Kriya:
Yogi Bhajan talks to students about Sodarshan Chakra Kriya. He teaches about the connection between the pituitary gland and intuition. When this master gland is not functioning properly it cannot effectively impact the pineal gland, which serves as a rudder. He describes the mantra, Wahe Guru, as “body language” which creates vibrations that stimulate the vagus nerve. This sequence shatters limitations and merges you with the Infinite.
Note: the video goes dark at 7+ minutes, but the audio effectively carries on. It is worth your time if you think you may practice this meditation.
Posture: Sit in Easy Pose with a straight spine, and a light Neck Lock. Chin tucked in slightly towards the chest.
Eyes: The eyes are fixed at the tip of the nose. (This meditation should not to be done with your eyes closed.) Once your hand is in place you can focus on the thumb if this helps.
Breath and Mantra:
a) Block the right nostril with the right thu mb. Inhale slowly and deeplythrough the left nostril. Suspend the breath.
Mentally chant the mantra Wah-Hay-Gu-Ru 16 times as follows.
Draw the navel in of the way on Wah, farther on Hay, and all the way in on Guru. Repeat this process, mentally chantingthe mantra.
b) After you complete 16 repetitions, unblock the right nostril. Place the right index finger (or pinkie) and block off the left nostril, then slowly exhale and deeply through the right nostril.
Continue repeating this sequence. It may take some practice to get the hang of this, but it’s worth the effort.
You can use your fingers as malas or counting beads. Pulsate the mantra Wha-Hay Gu-Ru three times on each finger. Three times with the pinky, three times with the ring finger, three times with the middle finger, three times with the index finger, three times with the thrumb (45 counts so far) then when you switch nostrils just counts three more pulsations of Wha-Hay Gu-Ru.
As a Kundalini Yoga Teacher, I have found it extremely helpful, especially when teaching beginners, to use this soundtrack to help students learn the correct pacing and counting. Once perfected, it canbe done in silence.
Time: Continue for 11 – 31 minutes. Accomplished practititoners may gradually work up to a practice of 62 minutes, and a maximum of 2-1/2 hours a day. Optimally, practice 1 hour before the sun rises, 1 hour after the sun sets, and 1/2 hour at mid-day.
To End:
Inhale, suspend the breath for approximately 10 seconds, exhale. Stretch your arms up over your head; shake your body for 1 minute in order for the energy to expand and spread.
Comments: Yogi Bhajan taught that this is one of the greatest meditations you can practice of all types of yoga. It has considerable transformational powers. The personal identity is rebuilt, giving the individual a new perspective on the Self.
Sodarshan Chakra Kriya helps to retrain the mind from negative patterns and conditioning. According to the tantrics hastras, this meditation purifies your past thoughts and deeds or karma and unconscious impulses that can block you from connecting with your higher Self and fulfilling you. Sodarshan Chakra Kriya practice balances the 27 facets of life and mental projection, and gives youthe pranic (life force energy) power of health and healing.
Sodarshan Chakra Kriya retrains your psyche and helps you reestablish your inner happinessand puts you in the flow of life and ecstasy. It opens and aligns your inner universe with the external universe so that you can co-create and relate.
For additional information on Sodarshan Chakra Kriya from 3HO, please click on the link below:
Sodarshan Chakra Kriya and Teaching
40-Day Challenge, or shall we make it a 120-Day Challenge?
This meditation can be challenging to learn. It requires a strong navel point (that’s why its a good idea to practice stretch pose every day for at least 1-minute) and good lung capacity; you will be holding your breath approximately 30-seconds per round. Don’t worry if you can’t do the full cycle as you start practicing–that’s why it’s called practice. When in Teacher Training in Vancouver BC at Yoga West, I could bearly pump my navel in twice, yet slowly but surely we grow into the practice.
Science Weighs in on Sodarshan Chakra Kriya
Note: there are variations on the spelling and sequence
In “Sudarshan kriya yoga: Breathing for health” researchers Sameer A. Zope et al., conducted a clinical study that set out to perform a comprehensive analysis of the physiological mechanisms, the mind-body connection, and the benefits of practicing Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) under different clinical conditions. The reseachers concluded that “There is mounting evidence to suggest that SKY can be a beneficial, low-risk, low-cost adjunct to the treatment of stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, stress-related medical illnesses, substance abuse, and rehabilitation of criminal offenders.