Kirtan Kriya

“What is meditation?  When you empty yourself and let the universe come to you.”

– Yogi Bhajan

Once out of curiosity, I took a beginners series in Kundalini Yoga, having absolutely no idea what Kundalini consisted of and, more importantly, what it would feel like.  Kundalini — the Yoga of Awareness — is a really fascinating meditative practice, designed for people of all levels, and has been around for thousands of years.  It wasn’t until the late 60’s that Kundalini “came to the West” (as they say) via the master of Kundalini himself, Yogi Bhajan.  By just looking at the man, you know you are in the presence of a wise soul.  And, surprisingly, this wisdom can be tasted yourself through the practice of Kundalini.

The practice of Kundalini involves kriyas, which are a series of asana (posture), pranayama (breathwork), and sounds (mantras).  I believe the beauty of Kundalini lies in the chanting of mantras, and that is perhaps why I feel so compelled to share information regarding one of the classically recognized kriyas: Kirtan Kriya.

Practitioners of Kundalini tend to have a very particular look, which catches the eye and inspires curiosity.  Envision someone in all-white clothing, including a white turban, who is more than likely seated in the lotus position with arms stretched out in the shape of a Y, eyes closed.  I can tell you that Kundalini, like many types of yoga, can take you as deep as you’d like to go.  Aside from the chanting of mantras — a powerful thing in and of itself — the pranayama has a very strong effect on the physical body.  There are plenty of warnings out there to beginners regarding pranayama.  The practice of pranayama is best monitored when you are just starting out.  Here’s why: the pranayama activities, for the average beginner, will get you high as a kite.  That’s not the purpose of pranayama — to give you a physical sensation of being inebriated.  The light-headed, loopiness experienced by a beginner is a sign of just that…the beginning.  With practice and improvement of technique, pranayama will take you deeper into a meditative state without the annoying physical symptoms.  But, as I found out in my practice of Kundalini, ride that high as a kite feeling.  It will pass, of course, but it’s also a chance to experience a rare type of energy that only you can produce for yourself.

There are, admittedly, some — in my opinion — unbearably hokey-pokey elements of Kundalini Yoga.  I won’t go into those here because it may ruin your taste for kriyas before even trying one.  As you read below about Kirtan Kriya, it will be up to you to digest whatever “supernatural” elements you’d like.  The method and the message are the important take-aways.  You do not need to delve into the philosophy of Kundalini in order to experience the benefits right away.

Kirtan Kriya is a very well-known Kundalini meditation, and for good reasons.  It’s easy to learn.   It’s not physically demanding, and, more importantly, it’s purpose is very primordial.  It’s great for folks who have a hard time with just sitting in silence and letting the thoughts wash over them.  Kirtan Kriya is designed to give us peace of mind and mental balance, while also helping to break pesky habits.  Each time you practice the Kirtan Kriya, you are working toward pushing your reset button.  We all have one.  It’s not easy to find or utilize it, but it is achievable with the help of some of those age old golden human qualities that we all need — discipline, dedication, devotion — in our daily lives and in our meditative practice.

There are three components of Kirtan Kriya that I will discuss: mantra, mudras (hand positions), and levels of vocalization.  First, though, I’ll explain the seated posture you’ll hold during this meditation, while the mantra, mudras, and sounds work their magic.  (This is, ideally, a 31 minute long meditation and you’ll remain seated for the duration.)  You’ll want to find a comfortable seat.  I suggest that everyone get comfortable sitting on their bum on the floor, in general, for your health.  Sitting on the floor should be something done out of posterity even.  The fact that most people living in contemporary society have lost the very basic ability to sit cross-legged on the floor (“easy seat”) is a travesty.  Our bodies are injured by how we limit them.  But, alas, I digress!  So, you’ll want to sit comfortably, preferably in easy seat, if not with your legs in lotus position.  If sitting on the floor is not an option for you, then sit in a fashion that allows you to keep a straight spine voluntarily.  Though you should sit with a straight spine, please note that, as always, try to keep a straight spine that doesn’t make you feel like you’ve got a metal back.  Trust me — you’ll more than likely experience some physical discomfort during this meditation, so you definitely don’t want to start off sitting rigidly.  Physical discomfort is perfectly normal during meditation at first and, like anything, you increase your strength, stamina, and endurance with practice.  The recommended position of your head is to have it in alignment with your spine.  In other words, your head should not be thrust out too far or back.  It’s important to take note of this as most folks carry their heads off center of their spine without realizing it.  Once your head is aligned with your spine, you’ll just slightly drawn back your chin.  This is not a bowing of your head, just a gentle tucking back of your chin.  Your eyes should be closed, but your gaze throughout this meditation should be on your third eye despite your eyes being closed.  Your arms are outstretched with the wrists/hands on your knees, palms facing up towards the sky.  This is how you will stay during the meditation.

MANTRA

Kirtan Kriya utilizes the SAA TAA NAA MAA mantra.  Each word of the mantra has a unique meaning.  How these words have become affiliated with their meanings and are, thus, given power is not something I will discuss here.  (It’s one of those hokey-pokey elements I mentioned previously.)

• SAA is the beginning, infinity, the totality of everything that ever was, is, or will be.
• TAA is life, existence, and creativity.
• NAA is death, change, and transformation.
• MAA is rebirth, regeneration, and resurrection.

Each A in the mantra is a short vowel.  Each chanted cycle of the mantra only takes about 3-5 seconds to complete.

MUDRAS

Mudras are very important in yoga because they have actual physical effects on the body (similar to pressure points).  Aside from also being heavily symbolic in yoga philosophy, the application of mudras helps us focus on particular issues, like patience, vitality, etc. as discussed below.

• The first mudra, which corresponds with the chanting of SAA, is the gyan mudra, the classic yoga mudra of thumb to forefinger.  Knowledge.
• The second mudra, which corresponds with the chanting of TAA, is the shun mudra, thumb to middle finger.  Wisdom, patience.
• The third mudra, which corresponds with the chanting of NAA, is the surya mudra, thumb to ring finger.  Vitality.
• The fourth mudra, which corresponds with the chanting of MAA, is the buddha mudra, thumb to pinky finger.  Communication.

So back to what I said about mudras helping with focus during meditation.  In the case of Kirtan Kriya, as you “close” each mudra, make sure you apply firm contact between the thumb and finger.  This is to help you focus on the meditation and also assist with drawing you back from wandering thoughts.  Beware the trap of light tapping of the fingers, which signals that you are getting lost somewhere in external thoughts.  It’s also important not to forget where your gaze falls during the meditation.  Gazing in yoga should be done with intention.  Despite what I’m telling you about focus, also know that meditation is not about forcing control of the mind.  It’s easy to practice meditation and use it as a way to demand control of your mind.  Meditation must be done with genuine effort, but also with loving kindness toward yourself.  No one is “good” at meditation; no one “gets” it.  The most important thing you can do is practice and observe the results.

VOCALIZATION

Below is a breakdown of the rhythm of the kriya, using all three components: mantra, mudra, and vocalization.  Find your easy seat and begin.  Practiced Kundalinis may begin with a opening chant and a warm up, but I don’t believe that necessary to reap the benefits of this kriya.

• For the first 5 minutes chant aloud the mantra, as many times during that 5 minutes that feels natural and steady in flow.  (Anyone standing the room with you should be able to hear your voice and understand your words.  Ideally, you are not being watched by anyone who isn’t co-practicing or teaching you.)
  • SAA – place thumb to forefinger
  • TAA – place thumb to middle finger
  • NAA – place thumb to ring finger
  • MAA – place thumb to pinky finger
• For the second 5 minutes chant in an audible whisper.  Keep changing your mudras with each word, though, same as with the first 5 minutes.
• For the next 10 minutes chant silently.  Keep changing your mudras as usual, but make sure you also move your tongue in your mouth as if you are speaking, even though you are producing no sound.
• Then 5 minutes in an audible whisper, with changing mudras.
• Then end with 5 minutes out loud, with changing mudras.
• For the last minute, just simply chant the mantra in your mind.  No need to apply any physical actions during this time.  No need to change mudras or vocalize.  Just let the last minute be your chance to let the mantra settle in and wrap up your practice cleanly.

Vocalizations in this kriya are divided into out loud, whisper, and silent for a reason.  Our voice spoken out loud is our human voice.  It speaks to the conscious self.  The whisper, known as the lover’s voice, speaks to our subconscious.  The silent voice, the divine voice, speaks to the unconscious self.  And that’s about enough of that hokey-pokey nonsense, eh?

31 minutes of such a focused meditation may not be realistic for some folks in the beginning. Fortunately, this kriya can be shortened to 6 minutes, 11 minutes, whatever works for you, as long as the relational increments of time remain unchanged.  Just know that the end goal is to even be able practice this kriya for an hour or more.  I find it easiest to practice Kirtan Kriya with a Kundalini class, but I’ve also found that following along with an audio recording is also very beneficial.  Not only will that help you keep time correctly, but it will assist you with sinking into the meditation quickly and easily.  YouTube has plenty of follow-along audio clips of the Kirtan Kriya, just pick your flavor.  Lastly, though, if neither of those seem like good options, just keep a timer going during the practice, so you’ll stay on track with the rhythm.  Good luck!