By Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa, based on the teachings of Yogi Bhajan
Cold Depression is our single biggest challenge as we enter the Aquarian Age. It affects vitality of spirit and leads us to behave in ways we would not otherwise. Yogi Bhajan, the Master of Kundalini Yoga, cautioned us that as we transition into the Aquarian Age, that is, through 2038, humanity would suffer from a phenomenon he called Cold Depression.
What is Cold Depression?
Cold Depression is when the external demand is greater than the internal capacity to deliver and we have spent our reserves. We are depressed but we are so numb and insensitive to our own self, we do not feel it. The depression is therefore "cold." This leads us to inner anger and isolation from our soul.
Cold Depression is when we are cut off from our spirit, source, strength, and inner guidance. At its core is a deep sense of loneliness, a prevailing sense of anxiety, and a loss of meaning. Yogi Bhajan called this, "The Silence of the Soul."
We instinctively counter the numbness of Cold Depression with behavior that fulfills the need for stimulation. A person experiencing Cold Depression does not seem depressed to herself or others. This is because she is busy, active, and appears energized. She may overwork, create "emergencies," or drink 6 energy drinks a day. He may engage in extreme sports, risk taking, or substance abuse. The insensitivity of Cold Depression leads to reactivity, impatience, and drama. Do you know anyone like this?
Cold Depression is not just a personal challenge; it occurs across an entire population during global transition such as the one we are in now. When there is a major frequency change, Cold Depression can increase to profound levels, like a sudden tide. Yogi Bhajan said this "gray period" of the planet has occurred in the past, whenever there was an epochal transition.
What Causes Cold Depression?
Information overload, unrelenting stress, and rapid change contribute to Cold Depression. Bigger. Faster. More. These are all elements of modern life. The glandular and nervous systems of most people on the planet are not sufficiently developed to meet this challenge. When we don't have the energy within, we seek it outside ourselves. We go for the rush.
How Do We As Yogis Manage?
We are all affected by the impact of the pressure of these times. We can no longer power through on the strength of our body alone. We need the power of our frequency. The quick solution? Get your energy from Prana and not from adrenaline. The rhythmic flow of Kundalini Yoga kriyas restores the nervous and glandular systems and releases old stress response patterns from the body. Mantra breaks the silence of the soul and builds the pranic and radiant bodies. This gives both calm and vitality.
Even quicker solution? Breathe and chant! Let the mantra regulate your breath to restore your Prana. Let the tongue and lips move across the meridian points to balance your brain to deal with stress. Feeling so pressured you can't do that? Click 'Play' and have the mantra going as you keep going. Even play it while you sleep. In this age of change, we succeed by letting the sound current work for us.
See Meditation for Release of Cold Depression
Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa, PhD, C-IAYT, brings the ancient teachings of Kundalini Yoga into modern medicine as Founding Director of the Guru Ram Das Center for Medicine & Humanology. Under the guidance of Yogi Bhajan she developed and directs the 1,000 hour IAYT accredited International Kundalini Yoga Therapy Professional Training. A Kundalini Yoga teacher since 1971, Dr. Khalsa began to specialize in teaching Kundalini Yoga and Meditation to people with chronic or life threatening illness and their family members in 1986, under the direction of Yogi Bhajan.
She is a Certified Yoga Therapist, a Mentoring Lead Trainer for Levels 1 and 2 Kundalini Yoga teacher training, a Medical Family therapist, and a charter member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Her Kundalini Yoga program for people living with HIV is featured in the book, Yoga as Medicine by Timothy McCall, MD, and her groundbreaking work as a Kundalini Yoga Therapist is featured in the book, Yoga Therapy and Integrative Medicine: Where Ancient Science Modern Medicine.