I’ve been doing Sat Kriya daily for several years now and it’s amazing how you intuitively learn little things from the meditation and the changes that you go through.
When I first started, my right arm would fall asleep and I’d sweat like hell. When I got up to 31 minutes my legs would fall asleep pretty bad, even with a big pillow between my legs, but eventually the legs got stronger and even if they fell asleep a little it wasn’t so bad. They always got back to normal and it actually greatly improved the circulation in my legs. After some time in the practice though I began to notice great things. My navel was getting much stronger and my hips were opening up. My lung capacity has increased. Now that the energy was getting into the upper centers my meditiations, particularly while chanting in the morning began to go much, much deeper.
Here are some tips and pointers from my experience…
**Always Tune In with the Adi Mantra 3 times before beginning any Kundalini Yoga Kriya or Meditation. Click Here for instructions on the mantra.
How To Do It:
- Sitting on the heels in rock pose, interlace the fingers with the Jupiter (Index) fingers pointing straight up.
- Cross the thumbs: Females cross left over right and Males cross right over left.
- Raise the arms straight up and rotate the upper arms inward so that the arms are hugging the ears.
- In this position you will chant the mantra “Sat Naam” in the following way:
- Pull the navel point in* as you chant “Sat!” (Sounds like ‘Sutt.’)
- Release the lock as you chant “Naam.” (Almost like a sigh with the sound “Naam”)
- *Author’s note: When you pull the navel point in, the root lock, known as Mulbandh, contracting the navel, sex organ and anus, will naturally happen. However, the focus is on pulling the navel point in. Earlier I had written that you pull mulbandh from the start. It’s a subtle difference and there is some discussion about it because both ways are technically correct, but the teaching from the book is: pull the navel point on Sat, release on Naam.
Finishing:
- At the end, inhale completely and hold, squeezing the root lock and the muscles of the back and shoulders for as long as you can. Imagine that you are sending the energy up through the top of the head. Exhale.
- Inhale and repeat above step one more time.
- Then inhale completely and exhale completely then hold the breath out long as you can, while pulling the root lock and squeezing the muscles of the back all the way up again.
- Inhale, and relax.
Time: 3 minutes up to 62 minutes.
*One option is to practice for 3 minutes, rest for two minutes and repeat two more times for a 15 minute exercise, which will build stamina and a foundation for longer practice.
Rest & Relaxation:
Try to relax for about the same amount of time as the exercise. This isn’t always possible but just remember, deep relaxation after this kriya is a must and nearly as important as the initial effort. The body’s systems need time to regenerate and reconstitute themselves. So use your judgement but always rest sufficiently after.
This is a pretty tough exercise when beginning kundalini yoga. Practiced over 40 days this kriya can provide countless health benefits. Don’t be overconfident. This is a powerful kundalini exercise and should be approached with reverence and respect. Start slowly and build up.
**A special note: Yogi Bhajan has said that you can do Sat Kriya with the palms flat against one another, but only if you’ve never done drugs (damaged the nervous system.) My teacher explained it further in this way: Since the fingers represent certain planetary aspects (Jupiter, Saturn, Sun, Mercury) having them extended both releases and draws more of that energy in. If you’re not ready for it, then it’s like trying to drink out of a firehose. It’s a waste of time and inefficient. So unless you’ve practiced Sat Kriya for some time and you’ve also not done drugs in a while, then best to stick to the basics. There’s a lot to be learned in the way of mastery by starting from the basics and building up.
Some Finer Points of The Sat Kriya:
- Sat Kriya can be done quietly. This is probably the greatest boon to all dedicated Sat Kriya practitioners. Many people who consider doing Sat Kriya for an extended period of time, shy away because they inevitably see themselves in a situation where it would be inappropriate to chant too loud. The important part of the exercise is pulling the root lock and moving the navel. As long as you can hear yourself vibrate the Sat Naam mantra you’re still in line with the intent of the kriya. I’ve done it nearly silently in some situations. Now there’s no excuse. When you’re visiting your mother-in-law just take your sheepskin, go into the walk-in closet and get to it.
- When pulling the Mulbandh, I have noticed that pulling in on the navel first will cause the other two– sex organ and anus to contract in kind.
- You can go slow and easy at first– just by pulling in on the navel and watching the natural flow of it. I see my students, because they expect the kriya to be hard, they jerk the body and bounce up and down. This is totally unnecessary. These kriyas have subtle power in them. doing them is like driving a finely tuned automobile– if you do it right, it can be very smooth. So begin by just pulling in slowly on the navel and let the root lock follow. Once you’re warmed up and have some momentum you’ll really start to squeeze the root lock in rhythm.
- Relax the entire body except for the muscles you’re using. You’ll be surprised at the power that’s saved and recycled back into the kriya when you relax your shoulders and thighs and the other parts you’re tensing because your mind is having a fit. .. “How much longer are we going to do this? Are we going to die soon? What is this kundalini yoga anyway– is it really good for you? What kind of name is Sat Kriya anyway? Isn’t this a lot like a cult? What would your friends think of this stuff?” (please note your mind’s garbage chatter may be different!)
- Speaking of the mind… Sat Kriya is a great meditation for taming the mind. As the mind wanders, as in any meditation, just bring it back.
- Just let the breath follow naturally from the movement. I’ve heard many people say different things about the breath, but if you just chant and pull the locks as prescribed, a breath will follow.
- Listen to your own sound. This goes for any chanting. The vibration of your own sound will take you deeper within yourself and the kriya will begin to teach you things.
- Really stretch the arms up and hug the ears and try continually to keep that posture perfect. Just as when the mind wanders you bring it back, when the posture slips, correct it. As you stretch up on the spine, you will get a different pull on the navel. It will be higher and more energy will go up especially around the heart. The hips will open more. Because Sat Kriya is difficult, people tend to shrink under the weight of it. This is another layer of meaning in Yogiji’s brilliant mantra: “Keep up and you will be kept up.” You’ll go deeper and you’ll be happy about it.
- Sat Kriya works both ways. I was sitting in a group workshop with my teacher and we were doing a sort of roundtable assessing each other and prescribing kriyas for individual sadahanas. My teacher had assessed this one young woman and said that coming from her eyes was a very powerful soul and that in order for her to bring that power more fully into her body and use it’s full potential, she should do Sat Kriya. Then he asked the group, “Why?” I have no idea where it came from, but before I knew it, I had said, “Because Sat Kriya works both ways.” And that was it. We normally think because of the posture, pointing up, that we’re taking the energy of the lower triangle through the heart and up through the subtle centers of the upper triangle. However, Sat Kriya actually works both ways. We’re also pulling the cosmic energy in through the crown and down and circulating it back up. That’s another one of the brilliant wonders of the technology that is Sat Kriya and moreover, Kundalini Yoga.
- Always use the mantra Sat Naam, as it is integral to this kriya. Sat Naam means, basically: “Truth is my whole identity.” Sat=”Inner truth,” and Naam =”the whole identity.” Another way of looking at it is, “I agree to the truth within.” Mantra is a projection of the mind using sound, so basically this mantra vibrates the higher self in the sub-conscious so that later, when you’re re-engaged in the world, the mind is reverberating on the truth of the self, on auto-pilot, working for you.
- Mama said there’d be days like this… If doing the kriya for an extended period of time, just know you’re gonna have good days and bad days, just like life. Keep up and you will be kept up. The only way to have any real experience is to do something and master it over time. It’s the only way to truly know something. So dive in, the water is fine. Sat Kriya is one of the premiere kundalini yoga exercises because it covers everything and moves the energy very quickly. Use it on your way to self-mastery.
A Few of The Benefits of The Sat Kriya:
- Rock pose (sitting on the heels) is the basis of Sat Kriya and it aids digestion… it is said that sitting on the heels one can digest rocks, hence the name. This pose combined with the tension of the Mulbandh (root lock) further stimulates the stomach, intestines and the overall digestive tract.
- Sat Kriya directly stimulates the sexual-creative energy and redirects that energy upward, through the upper chakras causing a balancing of the energy system. This redirected sexual energy is very healing to the entire body.
- Balances the shadow aspects of overactive sex drive and sexual phobias through this redirecting of the sexual creative energy through the heart and upper chakras, which relate to the transcendant god-aspect of the human being. This physical movement of the sexual energy upward becomes a meditation which causes you to look upon the others with the perspective of the heart and the grace of the higher self, as opposed to an object of sexual desire only.
- Stimulates the glandular (endocrine) system, particularly the lymph glands which remove toxins from the body.
- Strengthens the heart through the rhythmic increase in blood pressure which results from the pumping movement of the navel point.
- Increases and strengthens the nervous system for overall well-being and radiance.
- Makes you look good… especially if you follow the tips to good posture outlined above.
The Yoga Boot Camp Sat Kriya Challenge:
Do Sat Kriya for a minimum of three minutes daily for a period of forty days and record your experiences. Come back and share them here as comments on this page.
Sat Nishan Singh
7 Jul 2009Without Sat Kriya I would without a doubt be wallowing in a depression that I had previously allowed to takeover my life. I had aches and pains that had subsided almost completely in only 2 weeks of practice but this is the benefit that i focus on least. I find myself to be more outgoing because I am more accepting of myself and of those around me. Sat Kriya has provided me with an inner peace, an almost childlike bliss that motivates me to do so very much more with my time. I often wonder what I would be like today If I had grown up with knowledge of kundalini yoga.
My results are what they are because of the nature of my weaknesses. My greatest weakness happened to be self loathing. Thusly, self respect is becoming my greatest strength (of course i focus on my weakness to overcome it). Sat Kriya seems to strengthen my entire being on such a deep level that it affects my personality.
I have been doing kundalini for less than 2 months and i will never stop because the results are too powerful.
Guru Prem Kaur
8 Jul 2009I penetrate my attachments and neuroses by doing Sat Kriya 31 minutes per day with the intention of reaching and resonating to pure Truth. Bij Mantra Sarb ko Gyan–all wisdom is contained in the Bij Mantr, Sat Nam. Six years of this practice, ongoing, has given me clear knowledge of the Unknown, GREAT female power, eternal youth and sublime communication with the Sikh Gurus, whom I call upon for support to wash and heal the world. The key, stop focusing on limitations, pour all your love and energy into the pursuit of Truth and vast prayers to heal all.
sandra
11 Sep 2009I´ve just started doing sat kriya this week and I have a question if someone can aswer it. I have noticed that after 1-2 hours after the kriya it´s like all my emotions i´ve held back comes out and I can start crying. What is happening, why is it like this, can anyone explain?
Jai Gopal
11 Sep 2009@sandra You’re experiencing sat kriya doing its work. It seems strange when you first come to the practice but kundalini yoga works deeply on the unseen parts of the sub-conscious mind. What’s happening is you’re “taking out the garbage,” of your mind. Keep going and if you feel strong enough, increase the time incrementally. Think of it like this– you’ve got this great house but its in disrepair. You decide to paint the whole house but first you have to clean up the paint. You buy a really good paint remover and you put it on the walls and it simply melts all the old gung. It’s a big job and the clean up is going to be a bear, but the paint remover works really well. When you’re done with the job it’ll look pretty good. Sat Kriya is a really good paint remover. Good luck.
sandra
11 Sep 2009Thank you for your response. Yes it really feels like i´m cleaning up inside. But can it go to fast or should I keep doing it even if I´m already feel emotional.. sad or angry?
I really like how sat kriya feels when I´m doing it but I just wondering, I have recently desided to start focus on increase my self esteem and love for my self is sat kriya the right thing to do this or is there more effective ways in kundalini yoga?
Jai Gopal
20 Sep 2009@Sandra Sat Kriya is perhaps the #1 kriya in kundalini yoga. It’s quick, gets to the heart of the matter: raising the kundalini, and it works on all the body’s systems. Basically, Sat Kriya as a daily practice is very powerful.
My advice after having done SK for a few years is to keep going… even when it seems tough or the crap is coming up. Persevere. Just like in life, one thing is constant: when it gets tough, if you keep going, it’s always better on the other side. I look forward to doing it every day, even though it is still a challenge. Good luck.
Martina
11 Jan 2010If I do sat SK as recommended (practice 3 minutes, rest for 2 minutes and repeat twice), what is the recommendation for relaxation afterwards – is it ok to get up after the third repetition or should I rest for another 15 minutes?
Jai Gopal
22 Jan 2010@Martina, Rest is always better than not. Relaxation after a kriya, especially Sat Kriya, allows the effects to expand into your energy field. Personally, (and this is just my experience, ) I have sometimes been short on time and gone with very little rest after and I’ve noticed that without the proper rest period at the end, I’m a little agitated and unsettled. It’s like making pudding or something… you heat up the ingredients and then there is a period in which it has to set or gel. Without that period, you won’t get the same effect in the recipe. Thanks for the comment.
manju
17 Feb 2010Thanks a lot Patrich for sharing all this through this site. I just wisht to know whether its right to do sat kriya without the guidance of a teacher or yogic guru. I daily practice udyan bandh and mool bandh and it has cured my piles problem but i am but skeptical about doing this kriya without the guidance of a teacher. Please advice
Jai Gopal
23 Feb 2010@manju thanks for your comment. Kundalini Yoga as taught by yogi Bhajan is perfectly safe if you follow the kriyas exactly as outlined by the master. If you tune in with the adi mantra (ong namo guru dev namo) and end with Long Sat Nam (usually 3 times) then you are okay. I have an outline of mantras used in kundalini yoga here http://kundaliniyogabootcamp.com/kundalini-yoga-mantra-basics/
As far as the experiences you will go through– the teacher is definitely necessary to help you understand the changes that you ultimately go through as you explore the infinite self through your practice. That said, if you feel a desire to practice Sat Kriya it is possible to get guidance in this digital age and not have the teacher present with you. For example you found me, a teacher, through this site. There are also other forums which are filled with experienced practitioners of kundalini yoga (certified teachers) and where many students and teachers go to discuss and share their experiences: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Kundalini-Yoga/ and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Kundaliniyoga/ It is up to you if you feel comfortable practicing without a teacher that you can go and speak with directly but in my opinion these teachings were made available by Yogi Bhajan for this age (digital and aquarian) so that people could tame their minds and heal their bodies and experience some joy and peace in this life. The master gave these teachings to be practiced. As long as you approach them with respect and devotion you will receive the same in return. Sat Nam.
manju
25 Feb 2010Sat Naam
Thanks a lot for your reply. Your answer completely satisfies my query but i have one more important question i.e., can somebody who is married i mean who isnot practicing celibacy can do this kriya. other thing is that i practiced this kriya for two days and during the night i saw some unusual dream, one was that my hand is injured and my flesh is coming out of my cut elbow and another was that i have been hit by a bullet by someone barging into my house and my family is also subject to same, but i am the first one to be hitted by a bullet. i wish to ask whether this has something to do with the kriya.
my last question is that whether we have to recite the mantra sat naam or we have to say it in our heart bec if we are concentrating on inhalation and exhalation then it is difficult to recite the mantra aloud.
i hope u have the time to reply to these queries.
regards
manju
Neha
25 Feb 2010Thank you for sharing this incredible exercise here. I have a question: How should breath be co-ordinated with the kriya? Do I inhale and then contract the muscles (this seems contradictory as most yogasanas involve stretching ‘out’ with inhalation) or do I exhale and then hold the mulabandha (which sounds tougher)
Thank you once again 🙂 have a happy day
Jai Gopal
1 Mar 2010@Neha, The breath should happen naturally. As you pull and release the navel (or the mulbandh) the breath will just happen. Oftentimes, and I’ve experienced this myself, you’ll start thinking about the breath and it becomes distracting. Just pulling the navel and chanting will cause a natural breath rhythm to develop. Now to clarify on the navel vs. the mulbandh: the instruction from the kundalini yoga training manual states that you simply pull the navel point in on “sat” and release on “naam.” What often happens is that the mulbandh or root lock occurs naturally, as a result of pulling the navel in. I wrote initially above that you just pull the root lock because that is how I do it. There was a discussion between my wife and I some time back though (she does Sat Kriya also) whether it was correct just pulling the navel or the entire root lock. We asked our teacher Harijiwan, a master and long time practitioner of Sat Kriya told us that both ways are technically correct. I corrected the instructions above, however, because I wanted it to reflect exactly what was written in the manual.
Jai Gopal
1 Mar 2010Hi Manju,
Thanks for your sincere questions.
1. You do not have to be celibate to practice this or any other kundalini kriya. Yogi Bhajan, the master has stated that kundalini is a practice for the householder. This means that it’s a practice which allows everyone who has a family, job and responsibilities to practice deep and powerful yoga and meditation and still maintain a practical, worldly life.
2. Kundalini yoga and meditation, especially Sat Kriya works heavily on the hidden or sub-conscious mind. We’re only conscious of a small portion of the workings of our mind, which is why we have to meditate, to relieve the build-up from all of the various input we get as we go though life. When you practice deep meditation, you are cleaning the garbage from your sub-conscious mind. The sub-conscious mind is also the landscape we travel in dreams at night, full of symbolism. What my teacher has taught me is that these dreams, or any visions you have during practice are simply interesting events to experience but ultimately they have no real importance. All great masters which I have read or studied basically say to keep going in meditation. All sorts of things happen along the way. If you’re going on a nature hike and your goal is to get to the top of the mountain, you might see a lot of things along the way. They’re interesting, like the hawk flying above, or the deer in the woods, but ultimately the summit is the destination and you stay on the trail.
3. The mantra is to be said aloud. The focus is on pulling the navel in on “sat” and releasing on “naam.” (see my reply to neha’s comment re: breath) Basically a natural breath will develop if your focus is on pulling the navel with sat and releasing on naam. Focusing on the breath can be distracting and put you off track.
Neha
8 Mar 2010Many thanks for the explanation and for sharing this with us 🙂
God bless and have a great day ahead!
Ram Ravi Kaur
12 Mar 2010Went to a workshop last sunday and we did Sat Kriya for 31 minutes. Since then I have committed to 11min every day for 40 days.Tonight I’m doing a teacher training Sat Kriya for 62 min. OH BoY!!!! Feeling some fear about it. Im struggling with food issues and feel this Kriya is going to finally put to rest my food compulsion. I will record my progress with you all. SAT NAM
hari ghimire
15 Mar 2010pulling the navel.is it horzonta like in kapalbhati or vertical towards the chest?
Jai Gopal
18 Mar 2010Hi Hari, thanks for your comment/question. I’m not familiar with kapalbhati. In my experience when you contract the muscles of the navel, it pulls the navel back toward the spine– so horizontal. In my experience, it’s only Uddiyana Bandh or diaphragm lock that pulls the diaphragm and hence part of the navel upward.
My recommendation is to simply squeeze the navel as you chant “Sat” and simply release it on chanting “Nam.” The breath will develop on its own. In this way you can start slow, like riding a bicycle, and when you’re more familiar with the sensations you can go into it deeper. Sat Nam.
Jai Gopal
18 Mar 2010Hi Ram Ravi, Thanks for your comment. Hope the 62 min went well. There’s always resistance, sometimes in the form of fear. Just commit and show up every day. That’s the key to success.
Sat Avtar Kaur
20 Mar 2010Hi,
I would think, that to handle any ‘garbage’ that comes up in ones life, including dreams, emotions, thoughts, day to day life, with and without Sat Kriya, that Kirtan Kriya will take care of the ‘garbage’. At least that has been my experience.
I try and do Kirtan Kriya before sleeping, when I do, I have deep sleep. When I don’t, I don’t. lol
Just a suggestion.
Sat Avtar Kaur