Worry makes you worry more. Worry is an ingrown self-conflicting process of life which is endless.
If it is true that the Creator of this creation takes care of everything, if this is true, then where is the worry?
- Yogi Bhajan
Nowadays stress is part of our daily lives and we usually don’t know how to handle it or how much it affects us. Bills due to pay, work, news, traffic and lack of time for doing activities that fill our souls are some of the factors that take us out of our center. Not living in the "NOW", anxious for what may or may not happen, is also one of the key reasons for the collective stress in our society. We must understand that stress is a condition that if you don’t learn to handle, it can chronically affect your thoughts, emotions, and even your physical health. Stress reduces vital energy and the ability to enjoy life.
The question of the century is: How to remain calm when life puts on challenges and unexpected changes almost daily?
There is an ancient Hindu practice called Kundalini Yoga also known as the “Yoga of Awareness” which is a powerful and dynamic tool designed to channel energy and transform your life. The term Kundalini comes from Sanskrit meaning “snake” and refers to the life force energy that is “asleep” in the first Chakra (Root), at the base of the spine. Once this energy is “awakened” and goes up from the first to the last chakra (Crown) it is said that an unexpected change occurs at the consciousness level that causes a “state of super sensory vision that helps the individual to access his/her maximum potential”
Kundalini Yoga is a technology that balances the body, soul, and mind combining breaths, hand movements (mudras), body postures, meditation, eyes focus, and songs (mantras) consciously and precisely. Some of the benefits of habitually practicing Kundalini Yoga are:
Strengthens the nervous system, reduces stress, and produces mental and physical well-being.
Cleanses the blood, balances the glandular system, and expands lung capacity.
Heals, strengthens, and expands the electromagnetic field (aura) which is very beneficial to protect from negative energies and at the same time to attract new opportunities to your life that are aligned to your vibration and what is good for you.
By constantly training the body and mind, the ability to choose how to respond to feelings and thoughts is increased and a space for the making and processing of conscious decisions is created.
Develop the power of the intuitive mind. By clearing the subconscious mind and entering deep meditation states, you can feel the intuition guidance, the internal GPS we all have.
Reassures the thoughts that often cause fear, insecurity, and stagnation. When the mind becomes quiet, the soul and heart flourish and show the way to your maximum potential.
In Kundalini Yoga, there are thousands of kriyas (set of movements, breath, and postures) that, when performed in a certain sequence, lead the body and mind to reach a specific result such as calming stress, creating feelings of well-being, among others.
A kriya specially designed to lower stress levels and emotional balance is the “Miracle Bend” which adjusts the energy point of the belly button and “eliminates human being’s negativity” transforming anger and anxiety into calmness and relieving feelings of insecurity. If you tend to be anxious, make this kriya part of your daily routine.
Instructions:
Sit on easy pose (cross-legged or kneeling) with the spine straight. Close your eyes. Inhale and exhale a few times until you calm down and tune into your own rhythm.
Before you begin, place your hands in prayer pose at the center of your chest to “tune in” by chanting the mantra: Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo which means “I bow to All-That-Is. I bow to the Divine Wisdom within myself.”
In standing position, place your heels and knees together, feet slanted out at a 45-degree angle to maintain balance. Lift your arms up keeping them as close to the ears as you can with your palms facing up. You can lock your thumbs to hold the arms. Keeping your legs straight, close your eyes, stretch your arms up and bend back 20 degrees forming an uninterrupted curve with your head, spine, and arms. Keep the arms aligned with the ears. Breath long and deeply for two minutes without stopping. The idea is that the effort makes you shake and that you do everything that you can to maintain the position.
Then, slowly bend forward as far as you can, trying to touch the floor with your hands. If you don’t get to touch the floor, you may use a block. Keep your arms straight near your ears. Inhale, hold your breath as long as possible while pumping the point of your belly button as many times as you can. Then exhale, keep the air out and pump the point of your belly button until you no longer have any air. Repeat this exercise for two minutes. When finished, inhale deeply and exhale slowly rising vertebrae by vertebrae.
Keep your eyes closed, focused on the Third Eye (one finger above the space between the eyebrows) and take a few seconds to feel the movement of subtle energies in your body.
Finally, place your hands in prayer pose in the center of the chest and chant the Sat Nam mantra which means "I am the truth" or "the truth is my essence".
Many times by misinformation, you make a mountain out of a molehill and maintain emotional patterns that don’t favor you. It’s hard to change, I know, but it’s harder to live under stress. Stress distracts you, takes away clarity and distances you from your maximum potential. Improving the quality of life is not always about adding new routines or diets, but rather changing behaviors and ways of thinking that often affect your physical, mental and spiritual health more than you think.
As taking a shower daily cleans your body, performing daily spiritual practices such as Kundalini Yoga cleanses the mind, helping you to focus your energy where you desire, clearing the subconscious, and letting you live without ties. In other words, a Kundalini Yoga practice will help you live with more tranquility and happiness, which in reality, is the only thing that should matter.
Are you ready to start living more calmly and enjoy every second of your life? Try this kriya and you will see the results. Please remember to be persistent and PATIENT.
"When you are stress-free, you become God." - Yogi Bhajan
By Fabiola Marquez
Creative Director | WARIMBA
Article written for Mia Astral's Blog. To read the original article in Spanish click the following link: http://miastral.com/como-aliviar-el-estres-con-kundalini-yoga/
Sources:
https://www.3ho.org/kundalini-yoga
https://www.3ho.org/10-great-reasons-do-kundalini-yoga
https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/5-ways-kundalini-yoga-can-help-you-create-the-life-you-want
https://www.yogatech.com/kundalini_yoga
http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/Fundamentals
https://www.concienciayoga.com/estructura-de-una-clase-de-kundalini-yoga/
https://www.pinklotus.org/-%20KY%20exercise%20miracle%20bend.htm