By Shakta Kaur
When we are insecure we are afraid. When we are insecure we begin to compromise. When we are insecure we just want to survive. We’re thinking short-term, not long-term. When we are insecure there is no vastness, no connection with divinity nor a feeling of oneness with God or each other.
Taught by Yogi Bhajan on 4/22/97
“I have given you the words of Nanak, which define the essence of a Spiritual Teacher. It's not a commercial thing, it is real. And the key to that, joining into that, is the mantra, Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo. That is the mantra, that's a key to the essence of that shabad, Gurdev Mata."
Mudra: Place the palms flat together at the heart center in Prayer Pose.
Eyes: Closed.
Music/Time:
By Guru Singh Khalsa
It is the brightest fire of the year—June 21: the longest day, the shortest night, a time spiritual communities have celebrated for thousands of years. This is the Summer Solstice, and in June of 1969 3HO began its now forty-nine-year-old tradition of gathering from all over the world for celebrating with Kundalini Yoga, meditation, and White Tantric Yoga®.
By Yogi Bhajan
1. A Teacher will never alter the teachings because of personal opinion. You will teach by example.
2. The higher you grow as a Teacher, the more humble you have to be.
3. The Teacher always serves the students, so they can become ten times stronger than you, because every student is a Teacher for tomorrow.
4. A Teacher has to be extremely kind, caring, compassionate, and forgiving.
5. As a Teacher you should always poke, provoke, confront, and elevate your students to excellence.
by Shakta Khalsa
Our heads are logical and want "proof" about everything, which means they cannot understand anything that is outside of the limits of the mind. Our hearts can understand and intuit what the head does not know, yet our emotional heart can create a ball of confusion that clouds our judgement.
I'm almost two weeks back from my trip to Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast, in Engligh), Africa. This is a place that doesn't leave my soul easily. I just went to see Marvel's 'Black Panther' last night with my family, here in Espanola, and it brought back all of the reasons that I love this continent so much. There is a deep-rooted love for the land and the family unit, and an intense spiritual strength there. I also felt this on my first trip to Africa this past September, 2017.
My name is Kiret Nam Kaur. I am the only certified Kundalini Yoga teacher in Haiti. It was in 2014 that I returned to live in my native country of Haiti after several years away. I had a great desire, which I still have, to participate in the expansion of my native land.
I discovered Kundalini Yoga one day before going back to Haiti, and since then I have been practicing every day on my own. Kundalini Yoga brought so much beauty into my life that I decided to take the teacher training in Canada, so that I could share this beautiful tool by teaching in Haiti.
A Renewal of Spirit (True Story):
The drive was long but finally it was over. The walls of the prisons looked foreboding – a thirty foot wall interrupted only by gun towers.
I clearly remember the words of the judge as he sentenced me, “Young man, for as much intelligence as you have, it’s a waste to send you to prison. But, you’re 28 years old, and you were just released from prison less than two years ago. Admittedly, your crime this time is drugs, but three years ago you served time for attempted murder and drugs. I’m sorry son, I can’t let society run the risk of you running loose and doing as you please. I hereby sentence you to 5 years in the custody of the Oregon Correction Division.”
That night I found myself alone for the first time in months. My cell, my new home for who knew how long. As the truth slowly dawned on me, my inner voice took over.
Several years ago in Chicago’s Southside Englewood neighborhood, often portrayed in the press for its violence rather than the good people who live there, we began teaching Kundalini Yoga and training teachers from the community. We helped create I Grow, Chicago’s Peace House. I Grow offers an oasis of calm as a non-profit organization that combines yoga, urban gardening, and art to help encourage community members to become empowered and connected.
Several years ago, I enrolled in Kundalini Yoga teacher training with the intention of “deepening my practice.” I had no plans to teach—ever! In fact, I had a long history of shying away from teaching, though I had studied education in college and at my late father’s urging had procured a teaching certificate for English 7-12. After graduation, however, I never used the certification, deciding instead to pursue a career as a writer.
