Virgo - Service and Sadhana

by Guru Rattana, Ph.D. - Issue #163, August 28, 2009

Planetary Alignments

• The Sun entered Virgo August 22nd at 4:39pm PDT (11:39pm GMT).
• Pisces Full Moon at 12° Pisces, September 4th at 9:04am PDT (4:04pm GMT).
• Virgo New Moon at 25° Virgo, September 18th at 11.44am PDT (6:44pm GMT).
• Mercury goes retrograde September 6th at 9:45pm PDT (September 7th at 4:45am GMT).
• Mercury goes direct September 29th at 6:14am PDT (1:14pm GMT),
• Pluto goes direct September 11th at 9:55am PDT (4:55pm GMT).
• Jupiter goes direct October 12th at 9:36pm PDT (October 13th at 4:36am GMT).
• Neptune is retrograde May 28th through November 4th.
• Uranus is retrograde June 30th through December 1st.

Service and Seva

Virgo's path is service or seva. Virgo always has some kind of a job. Our job can seem like drudgery, or it can be a meaningful way to make a difference. Although Virgo is the one who works out the details and makes the bright ideas of the 'boss' happen, Virgo is often not recognized for its hard work and efficiency. At some point, Virgo must validate her/himself. We must find work that feels like the service that we wish to offer to the world. Once we do, external validation doesn't seem so important. We know we are on our destiny path, and that brings us a deep sense of satisfaction.

The Virgo/Capricorn theme that is confronting all of us now, is how to find work where we can offer and be compensated for our talents. We each feel an urge to make our unique contribution. Whether we are struggling to find how we can manifest work that is also a contribution, or if we are already doing our 'work', Sadhana is required. Service/Seva and Sadhana are both parts of the Virgo aspect of our path.

Virgo is also associated with yoga and health. Having the energy and stamina to be active, and giving, in the world requires taking good care of our bodies and nurturing our souls. In Sadhana, we establish Our Divine connection, which supports us in ways we can never really know.

Kundalini Yoga - Sadhana

Sadhana is a disciplined practice of Kundalini Yoga and meditation techniques, with the goals of upgrading our consciousness and expanding our awareness. We do Sadhana:

1. to experience deeper more authentic levels of our being,
2. to optimize our human experience, and
3. to enrich and enjoy our lives.

Sadhana consists of firstly the techniques, and secondly self-training.

I will explain 12 points about Sadhana.

1. The Technology
   The technology for Sadhana as given by Yogi Bhajan includes a combination of:
   • physical postures and movements assembled in kriyas or sets to create specific effects
   • various Pranayama or breathing techniques,
   • the bhandas or locks,
   • chanting and reciting mantras and
   • focused meditation.
2. Components of Sadhana
   In the Kundalini Yoga path, the components of our Sadhana include:
   • Tuning in with Ong na mo guru dev na mo, whereby we activate our inner teacher, and connect with the Golden Chain of teachers of this technology, so that we are always guided by a guru.
   • Kundalini Yoga warm up exercises and a kriya
   • Meditation and Chanting
   • Prayer and Devotion
   • Closing Song
3. Awareness-Training Is Required
   The Kundalini Yoga and meditation techniques work powerfully:
   1. to strengthen our nervous system
   2. to make our glandular system secrete and stimulate our chakras
   3. to awaken our neutral mind
   4. to cleanse our aura and subtle bodies and
   5. to heal and rejuvenate our physical body.
   But more is required than simply doing the exercises. Sadhana is about awareness-training. We must train ourselves to use our sensory system - seeing, listening and feeling - to pay attention to what is happening energetically in our mind and in our physical and subtle bodies.
   
   We must train ourselves to focus on our subtle energetic reality in order to cultivate an in-the-body conscious connection with our soul and the Infinite.
   
4. Self-Initiation and Our Spiritual Process
   The essence of Sadhana is self-initiation.
   
   Yogi Bhajan was very adamant about the reality of self-initiation. He refused to initiate his students because he said it was not possible. A teacher can give us techniques and tell us what to do. But we each have to do our own inner work. Our process and experience is a very personal thing.
   
   Sadhana engages us in a self-initiated spiritual process. Through the practice of the technology and our awareness-training, we gradually move from an unconscious state to a conscious state of being. It takes both the techniques and awareness training to awakening parts of ourselves that remain dormant until activated. Doing the techniques with awareness, speeds up the development, elevation and refinement of our consciousness.
5. Energetic Bath
   Sadhana is an energetic bath. Our mind, body, emotions and subconscious need a daily bath so that we can present our radiance, not our garbage to the world. It is our personal responsibility to cleanse, activate, energize and align our mind and our physical, emotional and subtle bodies. It is our job to clean up our inner world.
6. Self-Therapy
   I remember well, Yogi Bhajan telling us to lock ourselves in our bedroom, do Kundalini Yoga and be our own therapist. As we give ourselves an energetic bath, we engage in self-therapy to:
   1. clear our subconscious
   2. release fears, mental concepts and emotional programming, that create a wall between our personality and our higher self
   3. awaken our mind to its neutral channel and
   4. create an expanded sense of soulful self.
   
   Self-therapy and full-being alignment, hone our capacity to:
   1. even out our fluctuating emotions,
   2. balance our energy levels,
   3. shift gears when needed,
   4. not over react,
   5. know the consequences of our actions before we act, and
   6. act consciously.
7. Practical Alignment and Riding the Waves of Life
   Sadhana is very practical. Sadhana clears and strengthens our energy field so that we can operate as more functional human beings. We cultivate our neutral channel, where we can train our dualistic mind to respond appropriately to the many cycles and challenges of life.
   
   In our neutral channel we access our intuition and support our emotional and physical bodies as they instinctually tune into and send us messages from our soul. With all our energetic bodies available and awake, we can speak and act consciously as we ride the waves of life.
   
8. Synchronization and Magnetic Attraction
   Our Kundalini Yoga practice synchronizes all our energy bodies with the Infinite field. Our mind, physical and subtle bodies link up with the universal mind, and resonate with universal energies. We create a vibratory effect, which connects our whole being with the infinite creativity that surrounds us, and lives within us. As a result, we:
   1. attract opportunities,
   2. magnetize answers and positive situations, and
   3. are able to deal creatively with our life challenges.
9. Insurance Policy
   Sadhana is an insurance policy. We cover ourselves during the day by creating an energetic resonance, which synchronizes our field with the Infinite field. Then the Infinite is better able to protect and serve us. Our life becomes a living prayer of miracles and magic.
10. Before You Start Your Day
    It is simply smart to create our personal alignment with the Infinite before we begin our day.
    
    Yogic scriptures prescribe 2½ hours of Sadhana before sunrise - the quiet ambrosial hours when Divine connection and cleansing is easier. This is optimal, but not possible for everyone.
    
    The most important thing is to do Sadhana BEFORE your start your day and turn on your computer!
    
    One thing that helps, is to make a commitment to what you can realistically do (given your schedule, your resistance and your excuses :+). If that time is only 10 minutes, commit to 10 minutes. Program yourself for success. You might find that you want to do 20 minutes and then maybe 30 minutes. Make sure to validate your efforts and take note of how much better you feel, and how more magical your life becomes.
11. Be Grateful and Do Not Criticize Yourself
    This may be the hardest part. We are so critical of ourselves. We think we do not do enough, etc. Be grateful that you are able and willing to do anything. Do not criticize yourself for any reason. Appreciate who you are, what you do, and all your efforts. Love yourself. Self-love is the most important part of our path.
12. Service and Inner Sanctuary
    We are doing 'God's' work. We have to stay connected. We have to have a sanctuary where we can go to let go, to surrender, to trust, to allow nurturing, and to receive guidance. In Sadhana we cultivate our inner sanctuary.
    
    Sadhana and service need each other. In Sadhana we can be guided to our path of service. In Sadhana we gain the inner strength to do what we came here to do. In service we make our contribution. Our service becomes an extension of our Sadhana, as we carry our Light and Love into the world.

Yogi Bhajan Story

Years ago at Ladies Camp, Yogi Bhajan told us that he did a survey of the people who came to ask him for advice. 90% of those seeking his counsel did NOT do Sadhana. Sat Nam! :+)

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