Kundalini Yoga Technology

Amrit Vela   Literally, the ambrosial hours. Refers to the early hours of the morning before dawn, from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Apana   The eliminating force of the body.

Chakra   Literally, wheel. Chakras are energy centers, or energy vortices, that affect our perceptions, feelings, and choices. They are powered by prana. There are eight major chakras that and correspond to areas of the endocrine, nervous system or electromagnetic field.

Dharma   Righteous path of duty. Action aligned with one's Infinite Self. The centralorganizing principle of the cosmos.

Fontanel   The soft, membranous, gap between bones in the skull of an infant that ossify later in life. These areas then form sutures (joins) that make the skull appear as a single piece of bone.

Gunas   The three conditions or qualities of matter: animal, human, and angelic

Gurdwara Gurdwara: Gurdwara Gurdwara means the “Gate of the Guru,” where everybody is welcome. The Gurdwara is a unique and powerful group activity that uses the technology of the Shabd Guru and the sound current of the Naad to connect the individual soul to the Infinite. Through music, prayer, and Prasad (sharing food that has been blessed), we uphold our tradition of sharing devotional activity. A short Gurdwara is held each morning at the completion of Sadhana.

Gurmukhi: The sacred language of the Sikh faith based on the transformative power of sound current

Hukam   Literally, a decree, order, or command. In Sikhism, the term refers to random verse read from the sacred scripture of Siri Guru Granth Sahib.

Ida   The nadi, or channel of prana, that ends at the left nostril. It brings in the cooling, soothing, mind-expanding energy of the moon.

Japji Sahib   The Song of the Soul. The very beginning section of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, consisting of forty paurees, or steps. Repeating the entire Japji adjusts all the elements in all the chakras and completely adjusts your subtle and physical bodies.

Kriya   An action that leads to a complete manifestation.

Kundalini   The uncoiling of your essential consciousness, your creative potential, the energy of consciousness, the energy of the soul itself. Literally, it means "the curl in the lock of the hair of the beloved."

Maya   The illusion of the reality of sensory experience of one's self and the world around us. Usually thought of as what takes us away from, or blinds us from perceiving, God.

Meridian   Channels of energy flow, a central concept to Chinese medicine.

Naam simran The remembrance of God's names. It produces a continuous, meditative, longingly creative feeling in which life is experienced as a spiritual flow.

Nadi   Channels of flow for the prana. There are 72,000 nadis, of which 72 are vital. Of those 72, three major nadis are important for the understanding of Kundalini Yoga: ida, pingala, sushmuna.

Prana   The subtle life force, the sub-atomic energy. The first unit of energy.

Pingala   The nadi, or channel of prana, that ends at the right nostril. It brings in the stimulating, energizing, heating energy of the sun.

Sadhana   A daily spiritual practice. A self-discipline that allows one to express the Infinite within one's self.

Satnam   Truth is my Identity.

ShabdGuru   A quantum technology of sound which directly alters our consciousness through the power of Naad. The sound current as Teacher, removing the constrictions and distortions of the ego.

Sikh   Literally, a student or learner. A follower of a monotheistic religion, Sikhism, founded in northern India in the 16th century by Guru Nanak. A Sikh is a person who takes his spiritual guidance only from the Sikh Gurus via the Siri Guru Granth Sahib.

Siri Guru Granth Sahib  
Literally, the Great Honored Spiritual Teacher Book. It is 1430 pages of the spoken words of seven of the ten Sikh Gurus along with those of other enlighten people of many faiths. It is revered as a great, living teacher by Sikhs and seekers of truth. The rhythm, content, and tones of sound in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib are Shabd Guru.

Sushmuna   The central nadi, or channel, through which the kundalini ascends. It originates at the base of the spine where the three major nadis meet. It travels up the center of the spine to the top of the head. It is also called the Silver Cord.

Sutra   Literally, thread. A rule or aphorism, often intended for memorization.