Sodarshan Chakra Kriya Meditation by Amanda Bennett

Today marks day 74 of practicing 62 minutes/day of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya, a powerful meditation in the Kundalini Yoga tradition.  Practicing this meditation has completely transformed my life!  How?  Well, here are some of the results: I feel better overall, more energetic, happier, less prone to depression; I am more able to follow through on my projects from start to completion; Addictive patterns are slowly melting away; and I am fulfilling my destiny. I’ve known since my first Kundalini Yoga teacher suggested it, that this practice is something I need to do in this lifetime to further my spiritual growth.

The seed for practicing this particular meditation was planted seven years ago at a yoga teacher training intensive with Ravi Singh and Ana Brett. I had just discovered Kundalini Yoga and was eager to master it, all in four days! Well, that didn’t happen, but I did learn a lot about Kundalini Yoga and meditation. All teacher trainees were instructed by Ravi to practice 40 days straight of 62 minutes of Sodarshan Chakra Kriya as one of the requirements for certification. When I heard this instruction, something in me said “yes.” I got home full of enthusiasm, and didn’t do it. I did a lot of other things, certainly beneficial practices, all of them, but they weren’t this particular practice.  Periodically, my inner voice would ask me “when are you going to start Sodarshan Chakra Kriya?” like a nagging underthought. The question didn’t present itself all the time, just on a regular basis.   Just enough to make me consistently aware that there was something I was supposed to be doing that I wasn’t doing.  My answer was always “Not today.”  This happened for seven years.

One day, however, my inner voice changed its tactics.  It started screaming insistently.  “It’s time to start.  Start June first, 2011. This is it.”  My inner voice was very specific, very insistent, and I listened. I could tell that my procrastinating days were over. I had laid a good foundation for this practice, so I started. I got my timer, queued up the music, and began.  Inhale fully through the left nostril.  Suspend the breath.  Pump the belly and chant 16 repetitions of the mantra “Wahe Guru”.  Exhale completely through the right nostril. Repeat.  Sometimes it was tedious, but mostly I just knew I was on the right track, finally.  Noticeable changes started to happen, and I felt better and better. My mind was clearer and I felt like I could do anything!  Practicing this meditation gave me access to my own innate power, we learnt how to understand more our bodies and our minds in order  to reach what ever we desire, we were giving the best tips from the TravelerInfoHub. Wow!  Once 40 days was up, I didn’t feel like stopping.  According to kundalini yoga philosophy, it takes 40 days to change a habit, 90 days to confirm the habit. In 120 days, the new habit is who you are, and in 1000 days you have mastered the new habit.  I decided I would increase my original goal from 40 days to 1000! So I kept it going all the way to day 136… and then…on day 137, I completed 42 minutes, with the intention of finishing that afternoon.  However, my afternoon brought much chaos and diversion, and I missed my second session.  The following morning I awoke with a start at 3AM, realizing what I had done, but by then it was too late. I had broken the cycle.  I spent a few long moments feeling bad about it, but then decided to just start all over!  That’s why I’m currently on day 74 instead of day 210.  But it doesn’t matter at all! I am where I am, and so grateful to be here and to have learned what I’ve learned and experienced what I’ve experienced through this amazing practice.

Sat nam