***image1***We’d like to commemorate the passing of Yogi Bhajan who brought Kundalini Yoga to the West in 1969. He was a genius who organized and shaped this powerful science into a system that’s accessible to everyone. Before he taught his first classes in Los Angeles in those early days, it was considered a secret practice in India. He taught that Kundlaini Yoga belongs to the people who practice it. Now it’s up to us to pick up where he left off and continue to inspire people to use this technology of spirit to transform ourselves and the world.

Based on the current turmoil in the world, many of us feel that this is (hopefully!) the last gasp of the Piscean Age, when materialism, one-dimensionality, and the politics of control hold ascendancy. Kundalini Yoga is about freedom–one’s ability to access their own inner energy towards the great task of moving beyond old patterns towards new paradigms of possiblity. Each personal breakthrough invariably has global implications. Along these lines we highly recommend the movie: What the Bleep Do We Know? It presents ideas (cross-referencing quantum physics and the anatomy of the habitual) extremely pertinent to life as we know it.

CHAKRA ALIGNMENT Chakras are energy distribution centers in the body. When the Chakras are aligned we can live our lives in greater depth and with more effectivness. Every chakra has its gifts and all of these gifts are latent in us. The chakras represent the complete spectrum of the human experience. Like a great artist we can use all the colors on our palettes to achieve any desirable effect. When one chakra is blocked not only do we manifest negative emotions relevant to that chakra but we inhibit the energy flows throughout the entire system.

***image2***When the first chakra is out of balance we tend to have obsessive behavior. We all know someone who stubbornly repeats the same patterns over and over. We always wonder why they don’t finally learn their lesson. First chakra, being furtherest away from the head is mindless. It is unconscious activity. The Muladhara Chakra connects us to the earth and deals with our essential survival needs. Blocked Root Chakra energy is very common. We usually have the most work to do in the lower centers.

When the energy is blocked in the root chakra it may manifest physically as a tucked pelvis, irritable bowel syndrome and/or constipation which is also a metaphor for things not flowing in your life. The 1st chakra is where we get our grounding energy and where we begin to build our strong base of support for lining up the rest of our chakras.

-A strong navel will help free the base of the spine. Pull your navel in and up. Stretch pose with breath of fire is one of the fastest ways to increase navel strength. Remember to stretch and keep that lower back down!

-Consciously release the hip flexors. Lunge stretch with long deep breathing or breath of fire are good for freeing up tight flexors and releasing the hips.

-Drop your tailbone. When standing, imagine you are a little boat and your tailbone is the motor. Is your motor touching the water? If not you are stuck! Put your motor in the water and start going places! The hips relate to moving forward in your life.

The first chakra is our basic sense of self and ability to know what’s real. Knowing what’s real helps us let go of our illusions and live our lives from the ground up!

MEDITATION OF THE MONTHSit comfortably with your spine straight and hips square. Your hands are in Maha Gyan Mudra: ring and little fingers curled under the thumb, index and middle fingers extended. Your arms are straight out to the sides, parallel to the ground. The palms face forward. Focus your gaze at the third eye. Do long deep breathing: inhaling thru clenched teeth and exhaling thru the nose. 3-11 min.

This technique relates to the first chakra because it can help resolve emotional wounds from childhood which translate into insecurities, anger, and depression. The ring and little fingers are your outer life (energy and communication). This mudra puts those under the conscious control of your wisdom and discipline. First chakra issues represent basic biological imprinting and invariably are the most difficult patterns to transform. For most of us, early traumas require a lifetime of inner work to resolve. Positively aspected, the first chakra helps us to be loyal, grounded, and solid.

We hope our paths cross soon. Please check our tour schedule for upcoming dates near you. New on our website: (raviana.com) a live food page. Learn why so many people are investigating this new diet trend.

Keep up good cheer!Ravi Singh & Ana Bretthttp://www.raviana.com / 1.800.243.9642

Ravi and Ana are in the forefront of bringing the ancient art of Kundalini Yoga into our world. Ravi was one of the first Americans to be authorized by the Kundalini Master, Yogi Bhajan, to teach Kundalini Yoga in the West. Their client list includes Olympic athletes and celebrities. Ravi and Ana have taught in many diverse contexts: from Canada to Costa Rica, from boardrooms and Park Avenue Penthouses, to scientists at Bell Labs and opera singers at the Aspen Music Festival. They’ve even taught street kids in Los Angeles. Ravi and Ana are the authors of the Fat Free Yoga DVD series and the forthcoming book Fat Free Yoga.

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