Yogacise - tool for aging gracefully

"I will tell you about yoga in very simple terms: The human mind is potentially Infinite and Creative. But in practical reality it is limited. So a technical know-how is required through which one can expand his mind to bring about the equilibrium that enables him to control his physical structure and experience his Infinite Self." ~Yogi Bhajan

What is this thing called yoga?

Many people misunderstand what we mean when we say yoga. The techniques of Kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan form an owner's manual for human consciousness. This is not about intellectual knowledge of consciousness, but instead an experiential knowledge of Self. Knowledge of Kundalini yoga only becomes a source of wisdom when it becomes your personal experience. How do you make yoga your personal experience? Disciplining yourself to a regular practice.

Here's what yoga is NOT:
a religion
an exercise program
a psychological process

Here's what yoga IS:
union of an individual consciousness with Infinite Consciousness
a technology of awareness

The Threefold Structure of the Human

Body: The physical body is what we must master first. Our inner machinery is complex and subtle. Yoga addresses wear and tear, cleanses the operating system of our vehicle in this life, and gives us the ability to assess our capacity to act. In Kundalini yoga, you study the human body in the light of how to treat it, care for it, and utilize it.

Mind: The second fact of human life, the mind has the job of thought, understanding, compassion and vision. If our mind is not functioning properly, we stumble through life. The mind guides our actions and emotions, giving us a road map to life. The better the map, the greater your likelihood of arriving at the correct destination. Our mental outlook forms our experience. When you become conscious of Infinity, the potential of your experience becomes infinite.

The Soul and the Spirit: No candle burns without a wick; no life exists without a soul. Kundalini yoga helps you understand your own relationship with Cosmic Energy. The spirit awakens first as an individual consciousness, then progresses to group consciousness, then develops into Universal Consciousness. Joining with a group to develop the spirit is the bridge that links individual consciousness with Universal consciousness.

And what does this thing called Kundalini yoga do?

Kundalini is awareness. It means you get that you are a finite individual thing with infinite potential identity. Kundalini yoga is a technology to awaken your awareness. As you practice Kundalini yoga, you grow. You shed old behaviors, attitudes and habits, gaining new perspectives, capacities and habits that support your own continued evolution.

Ride the Wave

Life is like a wave. As you ride it, you go up and down, but you must remain neutral in your identity. Yoga helps you keep neutral.

Health

And yes, yoga makes you healthy. You get a strong immune system, glands, nervous system, circulation and above all the awareness of how your habits affect your body, so you can make sure they are healthy. It balances the prana and apana (the inner and outer flow) of the human body.

Relaxation

Yoga makes you calm, too. It helps to relax the mind and the body so you can actually be peaceful. It will make you confront self-doubt and self-belittlement, helping you reach a place where you are aware of your own Infinity.

What is Kundalini Yoga by Yogi Bhajan:

"Kundalini yoga is a science which works on the seven chakras, the arcline and the aura (the eighth chakra). It works directly on the total energy, and that flow of energy has one simple way; either you sway it or it sways you. Either you are above the energy and ride it , or you go below the energy and it rides you. That is where Kundalini yoga fits in; you will learn to ride your energy, to experience it and penetrate any given situation to attain balance. What is Kundalini actually? It is your creative potential. You experience it when the energy of the glandular system combines with the energy of the nervous system to create such a sensitivity that the totality of the brain receives signals and integrates them. Then you become totally and wholly aware, and your creative potential becomes available to you."

Notes from a Teacher: Guru Shabad Singh Khalsa on Yoga

"I have a whole lot of thoughts on yoga in this grand western BS of yoga and what it is and what the west has turned it into. Yoga is of unisoness, a system best described by Patanjali by which to reach infinity. Today one says yoga in the western world and most people think asana which in the system of the 8 fold path is merely one of the aspects. Asana is actually # 3 in that process with the aspects of lifestyle and choices being the first two paths of the path Yama and niyam. Most people in the world today take to asana first and never study and think about the commitments that need to be thought about in the yama and niyam, so the question becomes are they really practicing yoga or just exercising? Unisoness will not likely be a achieved without all the 8 aspects of the path of yoga put into practice by the aspirant. One of my favorite books on Yoga would be Swami Satchanaada's work on Patanjal's How To Know God." ~Guru Shabad