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.
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Malin
24 Jan 2012Thank you for this wonderful site! It is really inspiring and educational!I have read all about this kriya and panic attacs, as fear, anxiety and panic attacs is also my challenges in this life. And I hope Sat Kriya eventually will help me overtone these challenges.
My question for you is how careful I can be when I start build this kriya, and still have an effect from it? I read something about that one can actually do the “pull” and “release” quite slow? I have been doing KY for a couple of years and have tried to establish a routine with Sat Kriya a couple of times. Both times I have followed instructions and pace from a cd, and both times I have ended up with more anxiety and panicattacs than I can cope with. This have led to me changing my KY-practise back to a program that calms me down again. I realise that SK releases my fears, and that this eventually is what is going to make me healthier, but I want to be sure I don’t release them faster than I can cope with. so this time i want to be sure I do this at my own pace.
So my question is: can I myself decide the pace of the “pull and release” (f.ex a pull every second or third second), and can I start by doing a more careful and controlled pull at the navel instead of a firm one I have been taught in The lasses I have attended? Can the saying
Malin
24 Jan 2012I am so sorry… My IPad seems to live a life of it’s own 😉
“…I have been taught in the CLASSES i have attended” was what I wanted to say 😉
Also: can the saying: “Less is more” apply to this kriya as it sometimes does in other yoga practices?
Love M
Sanj
27 Jan 2012What happens if instead of 3 or instead of 31 minutes, one does 6 or 7 minutes, what is the importance of the time 3 or 31 minutes? Can you please explain, thank you and Satnam.
Jai Gopal
2 Feb 2012Hi Sanj, any amount of time from 3 minutes up to 2 1/2 hours is acceptable. It’s not recommended to jump right in to 31 or more minutes, especially if you haven’t done kundalini yoga very much. Best to start slowly and build up. Take time to experience the kriya and then increase the time. Also, there is a method wherein you do the kriya for 3 minutes, rest for 2 minutes and then continue that cycle up to 15 minutes. This is sometimes recommended for beginners. Sat Nam.
Jai Gopal
2 Feb 2012Hi Malin, to answer your question, I believe it is okay to vary the pace as there is no instruction on how fast or slow to pull and release the navel/mulbhandh. Also, “less is more” is a very good policy with Kundalini Yoga in general. It’s very powerful and after some practice you will be able to increase. Also if the anxiety is too much try something more subtle like Kirtan Kriya. Sat Nam.
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Sohan
21 Feb 2012Dear Jai Gopal,
Thank you very much for sharing your experiences and information.
Tonight I’m going to do sat kriya for 26 minutes. When I reach the 31 I planned to do Sat Kriya for 1000 days. I’m looking forward to all the experiences I’ll get.
With love & blessings, Sohan.
Sohan
21 Feb 2012Dear Jai Gopal,thank you very much for sharing your experiences and information. Tonight I’m doing sat kriya for 26 minutes to build up to 31. I planned to do the sat kriya for 1000 days and I’m looking forward to all the new experiences! Sat nam, Sohan
Pal
10 Mar 2012hey.. i started doing sat kriya it was my first day and i did it for 3 mins and then realx for 5 mins . and in thoese 5 mins i felt energy moving in my low spine to middle spine is it gud? and then all day my head was heavyy ? is it wrong ? and i waana ask the ending when we inhalee and exhale 3 times on the end. first 2 is inhale hold breath put a lock and then exhale and 3 one is oppsite ? inhale and exhale then hold breath and put lock ? and then release the lock and inhale and relax ? is it proper ? plz reply asap 🙂 thank you .
Karen
11 Mar 2012I’m probably missing something obvious here, but what the heck – no such thing as a stupid question…!
If SK is to be avoided during the first 3 days of menses, and if 40-day sadhanas can’t be broken without starting over again, how is it possible for a woman to do SK as a 40-day sadhana?
Thanks 🙂
Jai Gopal
20 Mar 2012Good one, Karen. My wife and several fellow yoginis have done sat kriya as a sadhana and from what I remember them telling of it, there are two schools of thought on this. One is that you can skip it for those three days and double the time for the following three days. The other method is to take up the posture and chant, but not pull the mulbandh. I’m going to ask around some more and see what other ideas there are about this. Thanks for the good question.
Jai Gopal
20 Mar 2012Hi Gurpal Singh. What you describe sounds normal to me. Sat Kriya directly stimulates the kundalini energy which travels up and down the central channel (essentially the spine.) As for the heavy head, I believe you mean feeling spaced out or out of it. That’s normal. After some practice the energy in your system will likely normalize and the heady feeling won’t feel so foreign. Sat Kriya moves energy in the system very powerfully and that can feel unfamiliar when beginning to practice. The ending breath you described is correct.
Malin
22 Mar 2012Dear Jai Gopal. This site and your answers inspired me to begin my SK Journey, and I have now practised SK on an almost daily basis since the beginning of february. Being a twin mom I have had interruptions in my 40 day challenge every now and then, but I will get there eventually. I just keep up my practise and mark a new “day one” every time I get interrupted 😉
I started carefully with only one minute, and have worked my way up to four minutes by now. It seems like four minutes will be giving me some challenges so I think I will stay here for some time…. At least until the discomforts are released. Since I have chosen a gentle approach to my practise my anxiety and panic attacs have not increased but are at a level I can handle at this point.
I have a couple of more questions that I would be very thankful if you or anyone else
Malin
22 Mar 2012My questions to you:
– can I continue to increase the time of the kriya at the same time as I go into a 40-day practise, or should I keep SK at a definite time during this period?
– can you explain the difference in benefits from a 40-day uninterrupted practise as to a practise wich I do now (6 out of 7 days a week in average)?
– about Kirtan Kriya: is there a site where I can read more about it and it’s benefits? Can I do this meditation for instance in the evening
Jai Gopal
22 Mar 2012Good Questions Malin…
1) some people like myself just make Sat Kriya a part of their daily practice. I just do it every day. When you’re starting out you can use time as a milestone marker or goal setter wherein you do a set time for 40 days and kick it up. This is a good way to watch progress. You can observe what happens as you make progress. Especially if you’re keeping a journal. I would vote for a defiinite time because the whole game of meditation is doing battle with the mind… the sub-conscious mind. So if you bounce around on the time you open yourself up to “discussion” with the mind. “Today it’s raining so I think I’ll only do 3 min. Tomorrow I’ll do 5.” Since you’re beginning you could keep notching it up until you find your “max” as they say in weightlifting. Once you find that max then keep at that level for 40 days and see what happens.
2) Doing Sat Kriya = Benefit, big benefit, period. Doing Sat Kriya for 40 days straight = super double better benefit. This is because 40 days gives you great leverage in changing habits. The key is to find what works for YOU. As long as you’re doing it, you’re good. Make it work FOR YOU.
3) Contact me offline and I will send you info about Kirtan Kriya.
Melissa
6 Apr 2012hi! your site is very helpful. i’ve been practising kundalini for a little under a year. i did the “adais, tissai, adais” 40 meditation through spirit voyage, but skipped a few days. i didn’t realize i should have started over with day one. really??
Jai Gopal
7 Apr 2012Really. : ) LOL. When starting out it’s helpful to train the mind by setting strict rules. As you go on and the practice becomes a relationship of love and devotion, you don’t want to miss it — even in the midst of resistance of the mind.
Lou
15 Apr 2012Satnam,
Not sure if it’s been mentioned here, at a recent retreat with Guru Dev Singh he also added some finer points for perfecting Sat Kriya: on Sat we pull the navel in AND UP. For a while I wasn’t aware of this, after he told me I began pulling in and up and it refined everything.
He also said on Nam the key is to totally relax the navel. It goes back to you mentioning that it ‘works both ways’, and for that there has to be the total relaxation of the navel downwards.
blessings
pal
20 Apr 2012Hey jai gopal… I do sat kriyaa eevrymoring after i wake up.. and this is my 15th day. but first day after doing sat kriya in relaxing time i felt soo much energy movingg up and down in my low spin on second day i felt little less than first day and now i dont feel any energy moving in my low spine.. but i feel peacee.. so m i doing correct ? wht wil be the result ? if i continue donig this. it can open my chakras ?