Benefits of Meditation
We highly recommend attendance at a weekly yoga class and Sunday Yoga Workshop on Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Poole in order to learn more about meditation in depth; or alternatively attend our monthly Kundalini yoga retreat Bournemouth on the last Sunday of the month.
Timings In Kundalini Yoga there is a significant amount of importance placed upon timings and the number of repetitions in an exercise. This all goes back to sacred numerology, and the cosmic vibration of numbers. The duration of time held in meditation varies from 3,11,31 and 62 minutes.
Three Minutes A posture or meditation held for three minutes will be working on the aura. It takes three minutes for one blood cell to leave the heart, travel through the body and come back to the heart again. Therefore, within three minutes the whole body will receive the information contained within the meditation or posture. Within that blood cell, there will be the vibration of the mantra, the focus of the exercise, the chemical adjustments of the breathing pattern and the invocation of the mudra (hand position). When the whole of the physical body has received the message of the meditation, the aura will reflect simultaneously. Three signifies the three aspect of us: Mind, Body and Spirit, and the three aspects of God: to create, to sustain and to dissolve.
Eleven Minutes Many meditations are for the duration of 11 minutes when we first begin practice. It takes this amount of time to stimulate the glandular system. Therefore, when holding the meditation for this time we have now moved to working on the glands. As we now know, the glandular system is responsbile for a state of well-being, how we feel inside. With the release of certain hormones we perceive a senses of happiness, vitality and completeness. When the levels are depleted there will be feelings of sluggishness, loss of life and irritability. When the glandular system is finely tuned, all glands will be omitting the correct levels of hormones and the person will be in a state of emotional balance and stability. Therefore, when working with number 11, we are working on the emotional bodies. In numerology, the number 11 breaks into one plus one equals two. Two is know to vibrate the energy of the Moon, which is always connected to the emotional realms, as the Moon waxes and wanes, so do our emotions.
Thirty-one Minutes Three plus one equals four. Four is the number for stability, solidity and the base. In numerology we say that four represents Man. It is our structure and our solidity. When in meditation for 31 minutes we will be working on the nervous system. It is known that it takes 31 minutes to stimulate the three nervous systems within the body. The nervous system is responsible for our stamina, endurance and our capability to withstand the many challenges that life may throw our way. The nervous system will make us strong in the moment when the hurricane is all around us.
Sixty-two Minutes Six plus two equals eight. Eight is the number for Infinity. When you draw the number eight there is no end, you can carry on forever following the shape of eight. This number has always been associated with 'the never ending'. When working with 62 minutes you will begin to stimulate the frontal brain. This, in turn, will stimulate the pineal and pituitary glands in the head. Within this amount of time, you would have worked through the physical body, the emotions, the mental realms and now be in communication with the aspects of the Divine within. It is these two glands that are known as the gateway to our higher consciousness. Through their secretions our consciousness is elevated to a level far beyond our normal everyday human perspective. Yogi Bhajan has stated that within 62 minutes, you will begin to see God within everything.
Two and a Half Hours Traditionally, this is the longest period of time in Kundalini yoga that we meditate as a prescribed time duration. Two and a half hours, breaks into 150 minutes. One plus five plus zero equals six. Six is the number that corresponds with the planet Venus, the energy of Love. When working with two and a half hours we begin to tap into the Love of God. This love is known as Bhakti, which translates as 'devotion'. Within this love is the gift of the Siddis. The Siddis are the magical powers attained through yoga. There are very secretive, but very real. In India you can see many demonstrations of various Siddis, such as levitation, manifestation of objects and being able to be in many places at the same time. When you get to this stage in the practice it can be where you trip up. To attain a magical power is not the goal, but a gift along the way.
Material taken from 'Open Your Heart with Kundalini Yoga' by Siri Datta
