The breath and the state of the mind are intricately linked. You can control your mind by controlling your breath. Most of us breathe very shallow breaths and take between 15 and 24 breaths per minute.
Whenever you want to calm down, paying attention to your breath is the first step. Notice if you are inhaling and exhaling through your mouth or nose and where you are breathing in your body. How far down do you breathe? Do you breathe in the belly, chest or neck? How many times do you breathe per minute?
Kundalini yoga links the breath with a mantra. The most basic mantra is SAT NAM. (pronounced like “sut nom”) SAT means the truth. NAM means name, identity, to identify with or to call upon. SAT NAM can be translated as “Truth is my identity.” Your goal is to mentally link SAT to every inhale and NAM to every exhale.
In this way, the breath and the mantra work together to calm you down, energize you, purify you and connect you to your true identity. After practicing the following meditation, you will notice that it will be easier to automatically link SAT to your inhale and NAM to your exhale.
SAT NAM has the power to clear the subconscious mind so that old wounds and programs no longer get in the way. Mantras use universal sound currents to rearrange the habit patterns of the mind. They do so by accessing the part of the mind that regulates habits. The sounds erase patterns that vibrate at lower frequencies or do not resonate with the Truth or our true essence. They establish new habits by replacing the old frequency with the higher frequency of the Truth.
This meditation neutralizes tension and brings you to a very peaceful state. It’s good to do if you feel overwhelmed with your daily activities or have too much intense energy in your body, you can also do it before you go to bed and you will sleep like a baby.
SAT NAM Meditation
The simplest and most basic meditation in Kundalini yoga is chanting long SAT NAM’s.
- Sit with a straight spine, in your preferred meditation posture or in a chair with the feet on the floor, sit bones carrying the weight of the body.
- Bring the hands to the heart, palms facing the chest left hand on top of right. Place the left thumb in the center of the right palm. The fingers of the hands are together and straight. The hands gently rest against the chest; arms are relaxed on the body.
- Eyes are 9/10 closed to begin with. As the meditation progresses, they may close completely.
- Inhale with a long deep breath. On the exhale chant out loud SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT At the end of the breath say NAM. SAT is the liberator and the cleanser. Let yourself relax and release with the AAAAAAA. NAM is like the anchor. Feel the sound anchor you in your body. Then inhale deeply again and continue.
- Feel the sound of the AAAAAA come from the heart. Experience your throat as the mouthpiece of your heart. This practice will help you locate, consolidate and open up the fourth (heart) and the fifth (throat) chakras.
- At the end of the meditation, inhale deeply; hold the breath as long as you wish. Listen inside and be one with the experience.
- Do this 3 times. Then sit quietly or lie down and completely relax.
Namaste’
Be Well,
Cathy
PS I got a few questions about the mind-body toolkit last week here is an info page to learn more