The Awakening of Kundalini Energy

Waianae, Hawaii
April ‘73

Yogi Bhajan was the guy who started the 3HO (Healthy-Happy-Holy)
Foundation. Sahash was his student. "Yogi Bhajan came over to America
from New Delhi, India, to cleanse people of their negativity and to
train teachers," or so said Sahash. The Yogi, after twenty-two years
of searching for truth, came up with his 40-day plan. Yogi Bhajan's
yoga consisted mostly of Kundalini Yoga principles and practice, and
was called by Sahash, the "Yoga of Awareness." Apparently, this yoga
borrowed from other yogas, but, ultimately, it was supposed to awaken
the Kundalini energy coiled at the base of the spine. With the aid of
"right breathing techniques" and "right sincerity," this energy was
then used to liberate the soul. To understand Kundalini, one had to
first understand prana.

Prana was energy's most elemental state. All things were created from
this energy. Prana was usually translated as breath or air. Without
food, water, or shelter we would die. Without air, we would die
quickly. Prana also referred to the energies and subtle magnetic
currents that flowed through the body. Sahash taught that increasing
the flow of prana around the body was the first step in yoga practice.

Kundalini Yoga was about the release of this creative energy. Once
released, the energy would travel up the spine and charge the higher
centers of consciousness. By using breathing techniques such as the
"breath of fire" or "deep breathing," Kundalini Yoga was supposed to
do just that; turn unconscious energy into conscious energy. In order
for this to happen, channels had to be opened and maintained. By
conscientious yoga practice, one could raise consciousness to higher
and, ultimately, to the highest level.

Chanting the name of God was another important aspect of the "Yoga of
Awareness." "Ek Ong Kar Sat Nam Siri Wha Guru" was the mantra that we
used to chant the name of God. Chanting this mantra cleansed the mind
of negativity, washed away karmas (the effects of bad behavior), and
brought the senses under control. The mind was brought to a state of
one-pointed-ness in this way. The result was, ultimately, a merging of
Atman (soul-consciousness) with Paramatman (universal-consciousness).

But, as first time students, it was not our goal to become gurus. When
all was said and done, after 40 days of practice, we were supposed to
learn the causes of negative effects. With a command of that
awareness, we could then direct the awakening of our own
consciousness. Teaching that skill was what Yogi Bhajan's 3HO society
was about, and success in that area meant that the Yogi was further
along in realizing his dream and purpose; that is, to create a world
of healthy, happy, and holy people. According to the great Yogi, man
once lived in God's consciousness, but then he turned toward
materialistic, sensual pleasures, and moved away from God. God's
consciousness then separated into two halves. Man lived his earthly
life using only one half of that consciousness, leaving the other
half, the higher one, dormant. This higher consciousness was waiting
until man evolved far enough into the future to regain this higher
consciousness--and now is that time.