Reaching for the sky

Reaching for the sky

July 2023

Reaching for the  SKY 

Sri Sathiyamurthi and his wife Smt Meena Sathiyamurthi talk to Rishi Rathod about Kundalini Yoga and the right way of practising it 

On a Sunday afternoon, I went to see Sri  Sathiyamurthiji and his wife Meenaji, who have  been teaching Kundalini Yoga for the past two  decades in Bengaluru. Around 7–10 students  sat in a private bungalow, listening intently to  what was being said. As soon as I entered, I too  was asked to sit and absorb the information.  Both husband and wife appeared to be quite  centred, calm, and full of vigour. Their faces  had a soothing aura that I could clearly see. The  lunch break was announced after 10 minutes of  sitting and listening to him, and during this  time, I was able to gather his opinions and ideas  regarding Kundalini Yoga. I’ll never forget  the wonderful sattvic (conducive to spiritual  development) and organic food served as prasad  (offering) during lunch. The whole process felt  more like an adventure than a simple interview.  

Sathiyamurthiji can you explain how  Kundalini Yoga can help seekers?  

Our guru, Vethathiri Maharishiji started this  Kundalini Yoga course and named it ‘Simplified  Kundalini Yoga [SKY].’ He developed a  simplified version which can help reduce the  risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease,  diabetes, and high blood pressure. It includes  breathing techniques and meditation, which  help reduce anxiety and improve overall mental  health. Individuals tap into their inner energy  reserves, resulting in increased energy, vitality,  and a sense of well-being. The most important  benefit a sadhak [practitioner] draws is that the  door for compassion and spiritual evolution is  opened for him. 

Every month, workshops are conducted. In  six months, you can easily complete all levels,  wherein we teach you about the mind, soul,  and God, and the relationship between body  and mind, mind and soul, and soul and God.  Just doing meditation and not having a deeper  understanding of these relationships is no good  

for a seeker. Meditation along with awareness  during non-meditating hours is key. That is  why they say, “Don’t just do meditation; live in  meditation.” 

What are the potential risks or dangers of  practising Kundalini Yoga? 

As with any form of yoga or physical activity,  there are some potential risks or dangers  associated with practising SKY: 

SKY involves various postures, movements, and  breathing exercises that can lead to physical  injury if not performed correctly. It’s important  to practise under the guidance of a qualified  teacher and to listen to your body, avoiding  any movements or postures that cause pain or  discomfort. 

Kundalini Yoga is known for its powerful effects  on the mind and emotions. In rare cases,  individuals may experience psychological  disturbances such as anxiety, depression, or  disorientation. This can happen if the practice  is done too intensely, too frequently, or without  proper guidance. It’s important to start slowly  and gradually increase the intensity and  frequency of practice under the guidance of a  qualified teacher. 

Within the context of Kundalini Yoga, what  do you think prevents us from reaching our  goal of Self-realisation? 

At the second level of Kundalini Yoga, one of  the things we teach is ‘Sin-imprints and their  absolution.’ Basically, we show the sadhaks that  karma is preventing a seeker from reaching  Self-realisation. 

There are three types of karma: Sanchita Karma,  or the accumulated past karma; Prarabdha  Karma, or that karma experienced through the  present body; and Agami Karma, or the result  of current actions. One has to purify the Agami  

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Kundalini Yoga is known for its powerful effects on the  mind and emotions. In rare cases, individuals may  experience psychological disturbances such as anxiety,  depression, or disorientation. This can happen if the  practice is done too intensely, too frequently, or without  proper guidance.  

Karma through constant awareness. When  you live in constant awareness you don’t make  mistakes, or rather, you avoid most of them.  When you don’t make mistakes, no karma  is created. For example, if you don’t borrow  money, then you don’t need to pay EMI. So  this is how you can purify your Agami Karma. 

Prarabdha Karma is your present life imprint  from the day you were born. It is all there in the  brain cells, body cells, genetic centre [DNA],  and your bio-magnetism. Our effort here is to  teach you the tools and techniques to purify  yourself from these imprints. We take you  to the imprinted memory zone and impose  new positive thoughts and the right actions.  But this may not be enough. If the imprint is  longer, then your past thoughts and pattern will  resurface from your subconscious. For that, you  have to practise longer. Furthermore, through  meditation, one has to also go to a space where  there is absolute stillness, beyond the mind.  That absolute space is beyond the mind and the  universe, which we refer to as God. We teach  you and help you to connect to that space. Only  when you reach such an absolute space will  

your total karma dissolve, and you will be able  to experience a state of ‘no mind.’ Until then,  thoughts keep reflecting from the subconscious  mind. 

This is what we teach at our third level, and  we give Gyana Diksha to a seeker. We teach  the mediation to a seeker whereby they move  beyond the body, beyond the earth, moon, sun,  and the universe. 

Can you explain the connection between  brainwave frequency and meditation? The mental frequencies are correlated with  various states of consciousness. 14 plus is  always a waking state in the daytime. 8 to 13  is a dream state, either in the day or at night,  and it is also called an alpha wave state. 4 to  7 is the theta wave frequency called Svapna  Sushupti, a dreamless deep sleep state in which  consciousness roams the universe separate  from the mind. 

Below this, there is one more state called the  delta state with frequencies ranging from 1  

to 3. This is a superconscious state, which  is also called Turiya Awastha, the state of  transcendental or pure consciousness in which  the focus is both outward and inward at the  same time. This state is Savikalpa Samadhi, a  state of bliss when a seeker realises the true or  higher Self. Less than 1 frequency is Nirvikalpa  Samadhi, a higher state of awareness where only  consciousness remains. Only when one reaches  less than 1 frequency does one merge with God.  So, we cannot go to frequency 1 to 3 at will. This  is because we have so much samskara [mental  impressions] attached to the body from the past  and present, society and nature. If one practises  regularly by meditating on the absolute space,  at some point it so happens that you go beyond  the mind. For me, it happened like this. I got  liberated from my mind one fine day. Now I  don’t get bothered about digging into the past  and thinking about the future, worrying about  the children and money. 

Actually, we both have reached that space. Me  and my wife. We are doing this for more than  20 years now. At least 15 students have directly  come and told us that they have reached such  a space where they feel complete oneness with  the Universe and operate out of no mind. They  are leading a satisfied and happy life without  making much noise about it. 

Can you describe this state? Does this remain  continuous or do you come out and go back  to the state? How it is to live in the no-mind  state? 

My dear, once you reach this, it is never lost.  Before my eyes, I can only see the Universe all  the time. I can only say that once I got liberated  from my mind, I realised there are no two.  My whole perception changed. So, now I only  see people, thoughts, positivity, negativity,  situations, incidents, and other things that are  different from me, but I don’t judge them at all.  

I feel compassion towards them. I see people  most of the time acting out of ignorance, and if  they continue to do this, they are going to suffer  for generations. So I don’t react to anybody, yet  at the same time, if someone comes to me for  the sake of fighting or arguing, I am prepared  to deal with that too. But I don’t need them. I  will never stoop down to their level. 

An interesting phenomenon happens when you  transcend your mind. Suddenly, you realise that  everything is falling into place. I feel everything  is in perfect sync with the Universe. 

Another phenomenon that occurs is that  anything you imagine manifests before you  even realise it does. You get assistance from  society, nature, and everything else. Let me  give you a few examples of what I mean. We  needed to sell a house, and it happened quickly.  We wanted to buy a house, and it all happened  in a matter of minutes. That is, while selling, a  buyer appeared. Similarly, when we wished to  buy, we completed the deal in a matter of a day.  Something must have changed dramatically.  As if the Universe is listening to your intention  and responding with answers or assistance. 

In our ashram [spiritual retreat], we had a bull.  There was no rain that year. I reasoned that we  were overfeeding the bull and should donate it  to a local gaushala [cow shelter] where it could  be useful. We discussed it in front of the bull  and decided to let it go. Because the bull sensed  that we were going to send it somewhere, it  stopped eating for the next three days. We were  worried and unsure as to what to do. Someone  advised telling the bull that I will not sell or  send it away. I did it, and the bull resumed  eating. Amazing, isn’t it! 

There was a very emotionally expressive  female dog who would give six babies every six 

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months. It was overwhelming for me to manage  this. Somewhere, I was not comfortable with  it. I said, “What is this going on? So many  babies every few months?” I was looking at the  dog while thinking these negative thoughts.  The very next day, the dog went and ate the  medicine kept for the plants and died. In yet  another incident, I was looking at two trees  standing adjacent to each other, obstructing the  space. I thought if one of the trees is not there  then that space could be used for parking. In  the next two months, one tree completely dried  out and fell dead. 

The point is that thoughts in this state become  so powerful that they actually manifest. You  must exercise extreme caution. That is one of  the reasons why one must perform a great deal  of tapas, or sadhana [spiritual practice] to purify  oneself and the mind. The most essential thing  to remember from these experiences is to never  think negatively. Anyway, once you begin living  in awareness, good and positive things will  happen naturally, and negativity will begin to  fade. 

No one normally achieves this state overnight. It  is a gradual process to arrive at this point. Tapas  Shakti must be developed via the consistent  practice of meditation and mindfulness in daily  life. It’s an issue of commitment; it takes some  time. Sadhana is nothing more than calming  your mind, purifying your mind, and increasing  your consciousness. 

So are there any levels of sadhana or practice  that you introduce seekers to? 

Swamiji has created a systematic structure for  this. In the first level, we do ‘Agnya Initiation,’  whereby we take the Kundalini from the  Mooladhara Chakra to the Agnya Chakra,  bypassing the lower chakras like the Manipura  Chakra and Anahata Chakra. Swamiji said that  

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these lower chakras are a little riskier as they  attract souls. So, when you meditate on the  Agnya Chakra, the pituitary gland is activated  or charged, which gives constant awareness  that remains for the next 12 hours and helps  in calming down the mind. Mind is nothing  but a continuous projection of your life energy  which, in most cases, runs outwards. So you  better meditate on the energy. 

Energy and consciousness are two inseparable  factors of Atma. Consciousness is Atman, and  energy is Atma Shakti. But where is everyone’s  consciousness? Energy is within and moves  in a circuit throughout our system. But your  consciousness is always out, constantly thinking  of something and projecting somewhere; not  present here. So the first step for us is to bring  that wavering mind to the energy here, to the  origin. Meditate on the Kundalini Shakti—the  life force. 

What is the importance of the Agnya Chakra?  I tried meditating on it a couple of times, but  I felt pain and tension in this area. Can you  explain why this happens? 

Your blood circulates throughout your body,  but it has a centre called the heart. Your life  energy is also centred in the Mooladhara. As  long as there is greater energy concentration  at the Mooladhar, your mind prioritises your  gross layer: physical body, eating, and so  on. You do not comprehend the subtlety of  situations or anything vital in life and living.  As a result, it has to come up. When it appears,  you should meditate on the life energy. It allows  you to progress from living on a basic level to  understanding and feeling what is going on  around you. 

I will tell you why you feel the pain. If you try  doing it on your own, you might not be able to  understand its presence or its original quality.  

Kundalini Shakti is Ananda Shakti and Gyana  Shakti. It has to give you good ideas and expand  your awareness. It has to give you happiness.  But this only happens when you take a Sparsh  Diksha [Touch Initiation] from a guru. Only  after this can you realise the difference.  Without the guru’s touch, you will never realise  or feel your Agnya Chakra. That is the mistake  you have been making. 

A 19-year-old girl from central India approached  me. She learnt something from YouTube about  Kundalini Yoga and started practising it. She  was facing some trouble and was requesting  help. The source she was learning from was not  forthcoming with help. 

Following anything like this without proper  initiation from a guru is the biggest blunder.  Most people are unaware of it. People begin  practising without understanding how the mind  works. When they begin to practise, whatever is  stored in their subconscious mind comes to the  fore, causing the problem. The problem is not  caused by Kundalini Shakti; it is caused by their  own thoughts. 

In a month, I am approached by at least four  such people who want help because they messed  up. Swamiji clearly said that this is a very  private practice done under the supervision of a  guru and that online teaching or learning is not  advisable. But nowadays, who listens to a guru?  A book or YouTube cannot be your guru. When  you face a problem, YouTube cannot guide you. 

Do you impart the knowledge in stages? Yes, there are levels of training or teaching for  our simplified kundalini yoga. The first level  starts with introspection. We ask students  to introspect on their thoughts, desires, and  anger, and its origin, and help them see what is  worry, what it causes, and how to get rid of it.  The first level is also the body level; hence we  

initiate students into Agnya Chakra Dhyana, or  meditation on the third eye, where the pituitary  gland is situated and which is related more to  bodily functions. It is also called Sparsh Diksha,  or touch-based initiation, as we touch the Agnya  Chakra and give initiation. At this point, we  teach and give instruction manuals for physical  exercises and movements for the body to get  ready for channelising energy throughout the  system. After this, we begin with dharma or duty  consciousness, papa [sin], and punya [virtue].  

How to do your dharma? Swamiji explains this  in a simple way. He says, “Don’t hurt yourself or  others. That is dharma. If you hurt then it is papa  and if you do good to other beings by thoughts  or deeds then it is punya.” Duty consciousness  from the perspective of giving back what one  has taken from society and nature becomes part  of the seeker’s integral understanding because  the body has grown up taking everything from  society. So there is a due, and you have to pay  it back. 

Before winding up on this level, we teach them  ‘Panchabhoot-Navgrahaga-Dhyana, or Five elements-nine-planets’ which helps one make  friends with the five elements and the nine  planets. 

What about the other stages? 

At the second level, we give Naina Diksha,  or initiation through the eyes. It’s done by  looking into the eyes of the seeker to expand  their mind. It is similar to how a fish looks at  the eggs and hatches them. Then comes the  Gyan Diksha, or thought wave initiation. A guru  looks at a student’s mind, passing the energy  through the thought wave to expand it and help  raise the shakti. The tortoise lays the eggs on  the seashore and goes back to the sea. But only  through thoughts does it hatch the eggs. If you  kill the tortoise then the eggs will never hatch. 

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Similarly, in Gyana Diksha, by thought waves,  the guru will do the initiation. The point here  is that at this level, we raise the level of your  mind by thought. Only when a seeker takes all  three dikshas is the entire process considered  completed. And one can call oneself a sadhak  or a sadhaki. The interesting thing is one need  not sit for hours to do this. All three mediations  should not exceed 30 minutes. But one should  do it daily to produce results. 

At the third level, we teach Karma Yoga,  Turiyatita meditation, or Crown Chakra  Meditation, and nine-chakra meditation  which includes seven chakras; the eighth is  the universe and the ninth is absolute space.  At this level, we teach the students life before  birth and life after death. When people acquire  some knowledge about life after death, they will  be responsible enough to live well. Otherwise,  they end up complicating their lives after the  demise of this physical body. As life doesn’t  cease to exist after the end of the physical body,  it continues in different astral dimensions. So,  they should know before coming to this birth  where they were, their soul, and where it can  reach after leaving the body. 

Another very interesting topic we cover at this  level is why men differ; why there is variance in  mankind: Seven reasons and 16 factors which  affect an individual to be different from others.  Knowing them will free you from all sorts of  comparisons. 

We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article.  Mail us at editor@lifepositive.net 

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You have to go to the ashram for learning  Bramha Gyana at the fourth level. There you will  be taught how evolution has taken place from  static to dynamic, from God to the panchbhootas,  and how the evolutionary process has shaped  the human race. You will not be taught what we  read in science or geography books about us. It  is going to be a philosophical way of explaining  life and God but in a scientific way. This we call  a spiritual science. If you follow and practise  what you have learnt here, you will develop the  state where you will start seeing that everything  is God. You will start to notice God’s presence  in everything —small, big, or inanimate things. 

Swamiji says that intellectually, you have  received Brahma Gyanam and have become  Brahma Gyani. Bramha Gyan doesn’t mean  that you produce rabbits out of your hat. It is  more about you realising your life, its origin,  and your purpose. After this, your perception  changes; you never commit mistakes that you  would have otherwise. You don’t carry a grudge  against a person or situation in life; rather,  you accept it the way it comes. Without this  knowledge, your mind is not trained to accept  people, incidents, and situations as they are. 

So, in short, in these four levels, what we give  is intellectual understanding and after that,  your work starts as a sadhak to practice daily to  convert this into experiential knowledge.