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Why we practice for 3, 11 or 31 minutes & 40, 90 or 120 days?


The purpose of meditation from a Kundalini perspective is to break habits, purifying the mind, and take care of day to day habitual thinking and beliefs allowing our mind to become still/ It is a way to heal the mind. There are over 8,000 kriyas taught by Yogi Bhajan and they deal with everything from alcohol addiction, forgiveness, releasing ghosts from the past, to learning to love yourself. Some facilitate prosperity, inner peace or empowerment. Meditation is a practice to aid in purifying the mind so it becomes ultimately more still and able to go into a meditative state. You can do this by sitting with your thoughts, using a mantra, or using a kriya. Meditation is a feeling of being in a beautiful and peaceful flow. In this state you tap into cosmic consciousness, the divine, or whatever you relate to and begin to remember who you really are. This space holds all the answers to all of your questions. This space is also the key to you living happily and with an openness and light within you.

A typical thing in Kundalini Yoga is that the exercises are giving in a specific order with a specific timing for a specific amount of days. This isn’t a coincidence and as a teacher and a student you are asked to respect the timings given. Surrendering to the order and timing helps you to go beyond your own mind and preconceived thoughts. Otherwise the mind will easily hold you in its grip, with old belief systems that do not necessarily support and uplift you.

Through obeying the times given and the order of the exercises (not skipping or mixing it up) you let your body become your teacher, you learn through your experience and get the chance to observe your mind and it’s habitual reactions. The exercises are given in a specific order because they each create a different impact on your body and how the energy moves. So to reap the benefits of these exercises you respect this and allow your body to go through the changes.

Practice Timing

Do you ever wonder why some meditations are given for 11 minutes, and others for 62? Do you wonder if it makes a difference? Actually, the various times affect the effects!

In 3 minutes, you affect your circulation and blood chemistry. 3 minutes: Affects your circulation, blood chemistry and stability of the blood. The increased blood circulation begins, distributing enhanced neuroendocrine secretions throughout the body.

In 11 minutes the pituitary gland and the nerves start to learn and change. 11 minutes: The pituitary gland, glandular system and the nerves start to learn and change. The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems begin to accommodate the increased energy.

31 minutes affects your whole mind and your aura, and the 31 tattwas[1] are balanced. 31 minutes: Affects your whole mind and your aura. Endocrinological balance is achieved, as is balance of the chakra’s of the ethereal body. This balance persists throughout the day, and is reflected by changes in moods and behavior.

In 62 minutes your "shadow mind" and your positive projection are integrated.

2 ½ hours completes the cycle of prana and apana so what you gain will hold through the cycle of the day. It holds change in the subconscious.

Amount of Days

40 days: Helps to break negative habits that block you from the expansion possible through the Kriya or mantra, if done 40 days straight in a row

90 days: When you practice the Kriya or mantra for 90 days straight it will establish a new habit in your conscious and subconscious mind. It will change you in a very deep way.

120 days: When you commit to practice the Kriya or mantra for 120 days without skipping a day it will confirm the new habit of consciousness. The positive benefits of the Kriya get integrated permanently into your psyche.

1000 days: This will allow you to master the new habit of consciousness that the Kriya or mantra has promised. No matter what the challenge, you can call on this new habit to serve you.

Of course you will meet resistance along the way, that’s totally normal! Keep chanting, moving, breathing…..not letting your mind stop you. That’s how you transform, how you get to experience you are much more then you think or believe you are. Remember you are the light! Keep shining beautiful one.

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