A SOUL EXPANSION

INDIA YATRA PART 1 - GOING TO AMRITSAR, TAKING AMRIT

It’s taken me a little while to find the words to describe the last months… But ‘soul expansion’ is one that have stuck, and that I’ve landed with.

In the last months I’ve been to dark places and back again, and now—as less of a cliche as it can possibly sound—I feel like a phoenix slowly rising from the ashes.

In September I had a health crisis that sent me to the hospital, and left me with several weeks in bed, fighting different reactions, from difficulties breathing to a full body rash. It all started exactly at the Fall Equinox—you pay special attention when stuff like this happens on powerful alignment days. What I had planned to be a time of setting the stage for my life and business for the next months/years, instead drew my attention to more important issues, my health and well-being.

Of course it’s distressing when things like this happens, and especially as a yogi, and a yoga teacher, we take great “pride” in how we keep our body/mind system and we promote health and a healthy lifestyle. I used to think like that at least, but after the last months I can now truly say, with conviction, that NOTHING happens without a reason and everything—yes everything—is a blessing. Even if in disguise.

The experience sent me in a new direction, and also matured me way past what I thought would be possible in such a short time. I was teaching the DESTINY ACCELERATOR leading up to the Equinox, and had such a fixed idea in mind what my acceleration would look like. I got exactly what I needed, but in an unexpected form.

Cut to now almost a month and a half later, and the amounts of information I have around my health and how to manage (and eventually hopefully get rid of) my health conditions are immense. I feel better than I have in years, thanks to dietary adjustments, amazing healers and a “f*** it” attitude that helped me take some leaps, and bring the kind of courage you can only really get from overcoming and pass through real life challenges.

Before I get to the India trip, I want to round off this topic, and say thank you to those who reached out, and for the prayers and well wishes I received when I was ill. Knowing that there is a community out there who support me is everything. I want to encourage all of us to use, at least the spaces that I’ve created (I have two WhatsApp groups one for mothers/mothers-to-be and one for teachers and practitioners, that you’re welcome to join) to ask for prayers when we need them. We really have no idea what a powerful impact that can bring.

Alright, now on to India…

So of course, with everything happening with my health the big questions was what about my planned trip to India?

This was actually going to be my first time visiting India. I’d decided in the past not to go, because there was always so much pressure on making this trip, and I wanted to “do it right” (aka go with my teachers or someone who could open the space for me). It couldn’t just be a casual trip with friends.

Up until the last minute I wasn’t sure I was going to make it. I’d already gotten the ban from my doctor, on doing the steps of Goindwal (more on “the steps” in the next post), which was devastating as this was a big part of the trip. And with the cascade of symptoms and flare ups I’d experienced in the last weeks, I just wasn’t sure I was going to make it at all. But the day arrived and I was feeling okay and well enough to go. I had the security of traveling with my best friend and life companion (no he’s not my husband but still very much a partner) Benyamin, and yet another blessing on this path was that I got to go on this Yatra with him, and all (although we did missed some) of my RA MA family.

Amritsar isn’t far away. In my mind it was always like going to Japan (maybe it’s just the cultural distance?) but this part of India is very close to Europe, and a 3 and a half hour time difference (google the half hour haha, it took us several minutes to find out what was going on). It was easy and smooth. Not words I had heard in conjunction with traveling to India, so we were pleasantly surprised, and I felt that the energy of the trip was supported.

The Golden Temple in Amritsar (and the city around) was founded by Guru Ram Das. Now I could literally go on forever and this essay could turn into a discourse on Indian history, sikhism, and energetic streams, so I’ll try my best to keep it brief. The function of the Golden Temple is to transmit the sound currents of the Siri Guru Granth, a 14k+ pages collection in the form of a book, with songs written by enlightened masters, some 500 plus/minus years ago. The Golden Temple compound consist of the (rather small) temple in the middle surrounded by the sarovar, the water tank, and with marble walk paths all around + surrounding buildings and smaller temples. The whole structure is set up to broadcast and transmit the songs of the Gurus.

Within these songs are found many of the mantras that we use in our yoga practice, in Kundalini Yoga. The songs are for the transition of the ages, and they have and continues to help us usher in the Aquarian Age, and a new consciousness for humanity. The songs have the power to heal, to cure the mind, the body etc. and the collection is more than just beautiful lyrics—the Siri Guru Granth, besides being considered a living Gurur, is also basically a self help book. If you practice Kundalini Yoga you will know the power of these sounds, and you might have had your own profound experience with a mantra from the Siri Guru Granth.

Being in Amritsar the energy I was engulfed in can best be described as neutrality. When we first went to visit the Golden Temple I expected my nervous system acting up, as it always does when I’m excited, nervous or visiting some place I don’t know (this can happen to me even going to a new place in Palma, or an office that I haven’t been to before). Instead I just felt neutral. My nervous system was completely calm, my mind was still, and I felt a peace that I had never experienced before.

Besides the visual beauty of the Golden Temple (it’s a gold building! With white marble everywhere! Truly stunning), the most profound beauty met me whenever I would sit down somewhere within the compound and close my eyes or meditate. The sounds… Those sounds which are so familiar, which feels like guides, are met with visual impressions and in certain cases for me also with an out of body astral travel experience. It was wild in there. Yet peaceful—does that make sense?

When we practice Kundalini Yoga, and White Tantric Yoga especially, we’re looking for those moment when the Blue frequency / tantric energy will come in. At the Golden Temple that energy is constantly present. It’s a supreme place for healing on all levels. It’s a stunning beauty for all the senses. It’s a hub of life, with people from all walks, and it’s a portal to God and to peace.

Destiny would that something that I had thought about before traveling, but because of all the craziness with my health, I hadn’t really prepared for or planned for, would find me. Another reason why I now TRUST that everything—everything—is for a reason. If something is for you, it will find you. While we were there, the opportunity of taking Amrit, which is the Sikhs baptism ceremony, presented itself to me. I had taken Sikh vows years prior, and I have been living according to a Sikh lifestyle for years (I haven’t cut my hair, or any hair on my body, since 2016 fx). The Sikh vows are kind of like your “engagement” to the Guru (which are now the sounds of the Siri Guru Granth). The baptism is the commitment—the wedding.

As soon as the opportunity presented itself I had no doubt in my mind that this was the right step for me, and I started to prepare myself for taking Amrit at the Golden Temple.

When you take Amrit you become a Khalsa Sikh (Khalsa means “the pure ones”). It’s also called an Amritdhari Sikh. Your commitment is to serve humanity, to help hold the “naad”, the sound current of the Guru, and to live an elevated life, contribute to peace and to defend the truth.

As a baptized Sikh you commit to…

Rising before dawn and recite the 5 banis (songs)—this helps carry the sound into the world, because of the close relationship to them that you cultivate and hold.

You commit to never cutting your hair—this means that your radiant body can be to its full extension, and that you don’t doubt that God created you perfectly, as you are.

You commit to living a righteous life, free of intoxicants, and to stay faithful to your spouse etc.

You commit to wearing “the five Ks”—Kesh, uncut hair, which you cover with a turban (although for women there is no official requirement to wear  a turban, but I think it’s more of a cultural development). The Kara, a steel or iron bracelet, which symbolizes the eternity of God. The yogic technological explanation is that it protects against dark forces. Kasheras, underwear that covers the top of the thighbones. From a yogic perspective there’s a technology behind keeping the thighbones regulated and warm, for more energy. The Kirpal, a knife that you wear to be able to defend yourself and others from injustice. And the Kangra, a comb to keep your hair untangled, which also symbolizes keeping order in ones life, in general.

If the vows are broken you have to take Amrit again, and ask forgiveness from the Sangat (some people in our ceremony were there to take the vows again).

None of these vows were new to me, and I’ve upheld all of them for years—except for the deep daily commitment to the banis (I was listening to them though), and wearing the five Ks at all time (no knife, and not wearing a turban every day). When I called my husband to tell him about my plan to take Amrit, he asked me “what will change?” And I had to tell him “not much”. Because I was already living that life style. The only difference is the depth of commitment.

So now I said not much would change, but in fact so much changed for me after taking Amrit and there is a distinct “before and after” for me.

The Amrit ceremony itself is a whole other chapter, and I would love to share about it in depth at a later time.

One thing I was so grateful for was the timing. Being able to take Amrit in India at the Golden Temple, was beyond, and I was so grateful that Harijiwan was around—for his clarifications, and his blessing both before and after the ceremony. Religion can always seem quite dogmatic, but once you understand the thoughts behind and the technology, it gives the most profound meaning. He was absolutely instrumental in giving me the deeper meanings and understanding of what I was engaging in.

So one thing that I would like to clarify and mention, is that I’ve never ever been asked as a student at RA MA or as a teacher, to engage in Sikh religion. Sure, there are major overlaps in Kundalini Yoga, because of the merger of yoga with the sounds of the Siri Guru Granth, which happened in the meeting between Baba Siri Chand and Guru Ram Das, who exchanged their knowledge and Guru Ram Das is said to be the one “sitting on the throne of Raj Yoga”. Baba Siri Chand was the son of the first Guru, Guru Nanak, and he was a yogi (and was depicted with blue skin—maybe you’ve seen him before in pictures?) And Yogi Bhajan, who brought kundalini to the west, was also first and foremost a yogi, but he was also a born Sikh, and his teacher Sant Hazara Singh was also a Sikh.

But it’s important to note that Kundalini Yoga can 100% be practiced without any engagement in Sikh religion, and you don’t have to be a Sikh to practice or teach Kundalini Yoga, whatsoever.

Another added bonus and blessing of having landed at RA MA for me was that no one has every been pushing sikhism on me—quite the opposite, I would say. My teacher and mentor Guru Jagat, was not a Sikh and wasn’t fond of religious practices in general. Now I study with Harijiwan and Mandev too, who are amrithhari Sikhs, and also Gurujas, but none of them have every spoke to me about sikhism, except for the overlapping technologies we use within Kundalini Yoga. No one ever presented the option of taking Amrit to me. The journey I’ve had with Sikhism has been entirely my own.

So how come I decided to become a Sikh?

It was a soul calling and a knowing. The first time I went inside a Gurdwara I was overcome by a peace and an appreciation. I loved every minute of it, and would spend as much time as I could there. This was at the yoga festivals, where they would set up a temporary gurdwara, and for some years I would help out as a sevadar (cleaning the temple, helping at the services etc). I’ve also visited the Gurdwara in Palma on many occasions, and the granthi (Sikh minister) there even came to my yoga class once. I have always felt the call to go deeper into Sikhism, and have spent a great deal of time in my training learning Gurmukhi, read all the books I could find on sikhism, the Gurus, Sikh ministerial practices, Gurdwara practices etc. And of course I’ve watched countless Gurdwara services with Yogi Bhajan on library of teachings.

Although I have at times craved it, I’m glad that the formal aspects of sikhism was never pushed on me, or talked about at RA MA. Finding my way to it on my own has been my initiation, and what I need in order to know and with complete certainty say that this was my choice, and what my soul was longing for, and that’s why I chose to become a Sikh.

Only a few months ago, I had a conversation with my friend Benyamin, where we talked about bana (the Khalsa Sikh “dress code”), and I was saying how I knew that this would happen for me at some point, but I didn’t have the courage yet to fully commit.

Courage. Let’s stop at that for a moment. As Harijiwan explained to me: When you take Amrit there is no difference between your radiant body and the radiant body of Guru Gobind Singh (the 10th Sikh Guru who created the Khalsa order). Guru Gobind Singh was a soldier saint, and fought many battles. One thing that a distinctly noticed after taking Amrit was the rise in courage and protection that I felt all around me.

There’s so much more I could say on Sikh Dharma and living according to the given guidelines. But for now I will just say this: being a Sikh is an offer for a structure in ones life that can maintain and build the energetic field. The commitment to the daily practices + how to manage the bana, including the five Ks, work as a constant reminder to be rooted in honesty and truth. For me it absolutely works. It’s not always practical, and it hardly fits the streams in our current culture, where the only commitments we want to make is to our every whim, and “how we feel” in every given moment. Keeping a structure for one’s life (so Saturnian) means setting up barriers that leads the energy in a certain direction, which gives a more powerful flow.

And commitment is the first step to happiness (you can google it, the seven steps to happiness by Yogi Bhajan).

What do you want to commit to?

What you commit to builds your energy and your auric projection.

You become your habits, so choose them wisely.

Don’t let your habits be random or determined by your subconscious struggles.

Let them be conscious.

Follow them.

Commit.

And see how your caliber change.