11 Reasons to Attend the 21 Stages of Meditation in Owen Sound, Aug 25-31, 2019

What are the 21 Stages of Meditation? Find out by attending this beautifully designed course for all meditators to experience, explore and refine awareness and the sense of Self through practicing meditations that take you into each aspect of your nature. The program is very systematic as it pokes and calls attention to each area of your self. This will help you to develop an integrated awareness of who you are in all the conditions you produce and encounter in your life. Each practice enhances the range of your choices and the strength of your authentic inner alignment so you can walk the path you are here to fulfill; it helps you realize your destiny to co-create with the universe and the Self. Eleven reasons to attend:   1.  The teachers. Gurucharan Khalsa wrote the exquisite book that accompanies the course, under the guidance of Yogi Bhajan. There is no better … Continued

The Mystery of Meditation; the Power of an Altar

Sometimes meditation practice grants us mysterious rewards. Almost 40 days ago on June 21 at the 2015 summer solstice celebration in New Mexico, I committed to practicing two 31 minute meditations for 1000 days, as part of the Kundalini Yoga Level 3 teacher training requirements. I have been travelling and teaching in Spain and Belgium since then, and have been blessed to be able to keep up with these daily meditations. Today I returned home from Belgium after a long day of travel. I have a little room I often meditate in. It needed a good cleaning and some re-organizing. I removed the clutter from the shelf that I use as an altar, wiped it down with a damp cloth and set upon it a picture of Baba Siri Chand, a small calligraphic ink painting by Thich Nhat Hanh that says “Flow as a River” and a large crystal. I cleaned … Continued

Kundalini Yoga Level One Teacher Training – a Journey of Self-Discovery

As I observe the students in this year’s Canmore Level One Kundalini Yoga teacher training, I marvel at the capacity of a Kundalini Yoga practice to bring us into alignment with our true essence. Kundalini Yoga increases intuition, strengthens the nervous system, helps balance the glandular system, connects us to our spiritual nature, and increases vitality. Once you get started, prepare to become hooked. Click here to see upcoming Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training Level 1 programs. Join us if you are able.  .

Pranayams in Kundalini Yoga: Suspending the Exhale

Yogi Bhajan rarely cautioned against doing any of the exercises, for any population group. In fact, he taught many yoga sets and meditations specifically for anxiety and depression. When you suspend the exhale in a pranayam, it sometimes brings up fear (for anyone) linked to fear of death, that may cause panic. This is something that is good to practice in a gradual way (ie holding it a few seconds longer over time while practicing it every day) to allow fear to come up in a safe environment and be released, through calm neutral observation, acceptance and concentrated moment-by-moment absorption on the breath itself. In this way, fears that might come up in life may be diminished. In general if any technique causes a person to feel uncomfortable in an unmanageable way, it should be stopped. However, discomfort while beginning a technique is acceptable, and indeed often behind that discomfort … Continued

Kundalini Yoga Meditation Practice: 40 Days of Long Chant

This is a journal from an experience doing 40 days of Long Chant, for 2.5 hours each day.   Day 12: This morning I chanted for 2 1/2 hours with a woman who is also a saxophone player. We had an incredible time. Matching tones perfectly, even before we heard each other, projecting from the navel, using lots of breath. At one point during the chant I burst out laughing because there was a tortoise looking at me, turning his head to see me better, just in front of my face, some kind of inter-species communication. Time passed very quickly. I zoned into the sound and became totally (almost) present with each syllable, as though surfing a wave, synchronizing with the other voice and person behind it. Engaging fully moment by moment. Feeling the tones in my body, enjoying each new sound. I had the experience that the sounds already exist; … Continued