tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3722751080623376398.post-31693367766405173492007-09-03T09:31:00.000-07:002007-09-03T10:28:19.028-07:002007-09-03T10:28:19.028-07:00According to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Shakti</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Parwha</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Kaur</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Khalsa</span>, in her book <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">KUNDALINI</span> YOGA: THE FLOW OF ETERNAL POWER, the Grace of God Meditation is a very powerful affirmation. "The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">GGM</span> is designed to evoke and manifest the inner Grace, strength and radiance of each woman....By practicing this meditation, a woman's thoughts and behavior, personality and projection become aligned with the infinite beauty and nobility unveiled by the mantra."<br /><br />If you are reading this and you are a man, don't worry. Yogi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Bhajan</span> did not exclude you from the practice. It's about perspective. From the yogic perspective, woman is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">SHAKTI</span>, the feminine aspect of God, the power through which God created creation itself. More from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Shakti</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Parwha</span>: "Woman is the embodiment of God's power. The word <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Shakti</span> means 'God's power in manifestation' Adi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Shakti</span> is the Primal Power". That primal power <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">has</span> been worshipped for centuries in the form of Goddesses. " The mantra for men is slightly different than the mantra for women. Men practice living IN the Grace of God, while women practice accepting themselves AS the Grace of God. If you are a man who has worked with this practice (or are working with this practice) I am very interested in your experiences and the ways that a man's practice is similar to or different from a woman's practice.<br /><br />According to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Shakti</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Parwha</span>, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">GGM</span> was given to a group of women yoga students in San <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Francision</span>, California on September 22, 1970. The women asked Yogi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Bhajan</span> how to control and channel their powerful, sometimes <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">overwhelming</span> emotions. "For the first time, he taught the special meditation that is designed to awaken the power of the Adi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Shakti</span>, the Goddess, within each woman.<br /><br />You may be thinking that this meditation is loaded with verbal landmines, words like God, Goddess, Primal Power, Men, Women. Yes, it is. I am certain that this journey will take us through some pretty interesting territory and you may have a bit of an allergic reaction to some of the words. That's okay. I've had some allergic reactions too. If you are allergic to the word God, just take a deep breath. Maybe this will be an opportunity to dive underneath your reactions to words, ideas and concepts that you think are already clearly defined. If there is one rule for our journey together, this is it:<br /><br /><strong>DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK.</strong><br /><br />Here' the practice, offered to you exactly how it was offered to me 5 years ago.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong>GRACE OF GOD MEDITATION (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">GGM</span>)</strong></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left"><strong>PART I</strong></div><div align="left"> Lie on the back, fully relaxing the face and body. The eyes are closed.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> <strong>MANTRA:</strong> </div><div align="center"><strong><em>I AM GRACE OF GOD </em>(woman)</strong></div><div align="center"><strong><em>I AM IN THE GRACE OF GOD </em>(man)</strong></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left"> INHALE deeply. Hold the breath in while silently repeating the mantra 10 TIMES.</div><div align="left"> You can tense your fingers one at a time to help keep count.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> EXHALE all the air out. Hold it out and silently repeat the mantra 10 TIMES.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> Continue this process of repeating the mantra 10 TIMES on each INHALE and </div><div align="left"> 10 TIMES on each EXHALE, for a total of 5 INHALATIONS and 5 EXHALATIONS.</div><div align="left"> This totals 100 silent repetitions.</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><strong>PART II</strong></div><div align="left"> Relax your breath and, with the eyes still closed, slowly come sitting up into EASY </div><div align="left"> POSE (sit <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">comfortably</span>). </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> Bring the right hand into <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">GYAN</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">MUDRA</span> (index finger curled under thumb, other</div><div align="left"> fingers extended, palm up, wrist resting on knee, elbow straight)</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> The left hand is held up by the left shoulder, palm flat and facing forward. This</div><div align="left"> is called the "vow" position. Your hand is held up as if taking an oath. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> Keep the breath relaxed and normal. Tense one finger of the left hand at a time, keeping </div><div align="left"> other fingers straight but relaxed. Meditation on the governing energy of that finger </div><div align="left"> the repeat 5 TIMES, <em>I AM GRACE OF GOD </em>or <em>I AM IN THE GRACE OF GOD. </em></div><div align="left"> Continue this sequence for each finger moving from the little finger to the thumb.</div><div align="left"> </div><ul><li><div align="left">Little Finger Mercury (water) the power to relate, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">communicate</span> and make decisions</div></li><li><div align="left">Ring Finger Sun/Venus (fire) physical health, grace and beauty</div></li><li><div align="left">Middle Finger Saturn (air) channel emotion to devotion, patience</div></li><li><div align="left">Index Finger Jupiter (ether) wisdom and expression, open space for change</div></li><li><div align="left">Thumb (earth) positive ego</div></li></ul><div align="left">When both parts of the meditation are completed, lower the left hand and relax for a few minutes. </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Some comments from the original instructions I received from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Gurmukh</span> (I'm not sure of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">original</span> source, but if anyone is and can let me know, that would be wonderful!):</div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><em>It is said that when a woman practices this meditation for one year, her aura will become tipped with gold or silver and great strength and God's healing power will flow through her.</em></div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"><em>The technique of positive affirmation has been around for thousands of years. It is nothing new. Words increase in power through repetition, and when you are repeating truth, the impact is enormous. Yogi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Bhajan</span> gave us this meditation, which is one of the most powerful affirmations a woman can do. The fact is, woman IS the Grace of God. Woman is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28">Shakti</span>. The problem is, she doesn't know it.</em></div><div align="left"><em></em> </div><div align="left"><em>This meditation is designed to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29">evoke</span> and manifest the inner grace, strength and radiance of each woman. It helps her tune in directly with the Adi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">Shakti</span>, the Primal Power within her own being. It empowers a woman to channel her emotions in a positive direction, strengthen her weaknesses, develop mental clarity and effective communication, and gives her the patience to go through the tests of her own karma. It enables her to merge the limited ego into Divine Will, as well as improve her physical health.</em></div><div align="left"><em></em> </div><div align="left"><em>By practicing this meditation a woman's thoughts, behavior, personality and projection become aligned with the infinite beauty and nobility unveiled by the mantra. It balances the five elements (earth, air, fire, water, ether). The amazing thing is, this is such an easy meditation to do! Y<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">ou</span> might pass it over because it is so simple, and not realize what a profound effect it can have on your life.</em></div><div align="left"><em></em> </div><div align="left"><em><strong>Practice it faithfully TWICE A DAY FOR 40 DAYS.</strong></em></div><div align="left"><em></em> </div><div align="left"><em>It is recommended for women going through menopause to practice is 5 TIMES A DAY.</em></div><div align="left"><em></em> </div><div align="left"><em>Practice it on an empty stomach.</em></div><div align="left"><em></em> </div><div align="left"><em></em> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div>Lisa Temoshok (Sat Atma Kaur)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07718187463506289265noreply@blogger.com2