Week #48 – February 9-14, 2021
Kriyas to Release and Remove Negativity and Tension

Overview

WEEK 48 – Kriyas to Release and Remove Negativity and Tension

This Kriya opens with one arm extended up sixty degrees. This immediately sets the tone to open your heart and breathe deeply. There are only 15 Frogs which are certainly doable. We also exercise our metatarsal arches by standing or walking on your tiptoes for two minutes and working on balance as well.

The floor poses on the second page of the Kriya are all about your core and give a good workout and prepare you nicely for the closing: chanting the Aad Guray Nameh chant.

Remember – If you are on your Moon/Menstrual cycle no held breath, substitute with long and deep breathing.

CHANTS in this Kriya include:

Adi Mantra – I bow to the Creative Wisdom. I bow to the Divine Teacher within. This mantra is used to access the divine flow and self-knowledge within each of us. We chant it three times. Once for ourselves, once for the people in your class and once for the greater world.

Aad Gurey Nameh
I honor the primal wisdom.

Jugaad Gurey Nameh
I honor Wisdom through the ages.

Sat Gurey Nameh
I honor True Wisdom.

Siree Guru Day-Vay Nameh
I honor the great, unseen Wisdom.

SONGS & MUSIC in this Kriya include:

In honor of St. Valentine, I played Cole Porter’s So In Love from my CD Easy to Love.

Long Time Sun – Closing song of all Kundalini Yoga classes worldwide.
May the long time sun
Shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide your way on

PRANAYAMA – BREATHING in this Kriya includes:

Remember in Kundalini Yoga, we always inhale and exhale through the nose. As you inhale, the belly expands out. On the exhale, the belly draws into the spine.

In the video you will hear specific instructions re the number of seconds we’ll use for the pattern. It may be a four-second breathing pattern, five-second, or something different. For instance, on occasion, I may make changes, like adding one extra held breath per cycle which will begin to train the brain to absorb more carbon dioxide. Or, I may add alternate nostril breath to our box breathing pattern; inhaling through the left nostril and exhaling through the right. Simply listen for specific instructions in the video.

Below is the general breathing pattern. You can always begin with a 3 second pattern and slowly increase your times.


Inhale
Hold
Exhale
Hold

Inhale
Hold
Exhale
Hold

Repeat Cycle

With practice you could increase the breath count to 8 seconds per inhale, an 8 second hold and an 8 second exhale. It is the increased carbon dioxide levels in our bodies that trigger our urgent need to take a breath. Free Divers learn to override this physical cue. If you haven’t yet watched the Netflix documentary “My Octopus Teacher” I highly recommend it. This is one of my favorite documentaries in recent memory. If you have yet to watch it, I encourage you to do so.

Box Breathing Technique introduced by Professor Huberman, a Stanford University neurobiologist. If you want to learn more, give a listen to Andrew Huberman: “How stress affects the mind — and how to relieve it,” from “The Future of Everything” presented by Stanford Engineering on ApplePodcasts. 
LINK: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/future-everything-presented-bystanford-engineering/id1235836821?i=1000493145513


In many of the videos here on my website, you may hear me reference Dr. Baxter Bell’s Covid-19 Breath Series, this is Box Breathing.

You may also hear me mention The Breathing App. I highly recommend it as a tool to develop your practice. “The Breathing App is inspired by resonance, the scientific name that describes what happens when our heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure, and brainwave function come into a coherent frequency. It occurs spontaneously when we breathe at a rate of six breaths per minute (instead of our usual 15-18), and is the rate of breathing that Buddhist monks and Yogis naturally enter into while meditating.” https://eddiestern.com/the-breathing-app/

ROCKY’S TAKEAWAY

Kriyas to Release and Remove Negativity and Tension
Each Kundalini Yoga Kriya is so unique. This one is no different. I particularly like the stretching in this sequence. We know most disease begins with inflammation and stretching and breathing help reduce inflammation. The Aad Guray Nameh chant is four minutes long, acappella. Let the vibration of the chant resonate throughout your facial mask.

In our western culture we don’t have many opportunities to actually sing in a group setting. And singing is a great way to express emotion and it requires
deep breathing as well…so go for it and sing out! 

Sat Nam.

P.S. When I taught this Kriya I left out the fifth posture. Supta Virasana. It is hero’s pose with a real stretch for your quad muscles. This is achieved by lying back on a bolster. Place the bolster against a chair or a wall. Or place your hands behind you, flat palms facing forward and just lie back as much as you can. Be cautions
with your knees. This puts a great deal of torque on your meniscus.

Kriya Illustrations & Detailed Instructions

Class Categories