This meditation is known as one of the most important and powerful meditations of Kundalini Yoga.
It has been the subject of medical studies and research for years now because of its ability to balance the hemispheres of the brain, improve mental functioning, regulate hormones, and strengthen the nervous system.
Medical studies at Harvard, UCLA, and the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation utilized recognized methods to measure aspects of brain health (scans such as SPECT and FMRI, memory, and blood tests) in participants that practiced Kirtan Kriya regularly.
The outcome of this research revealed many positive health benefits for mind, body, and spirit, including a profound anti-aging effect all the way down to the level of your DNA:
- Improved Memory
- Reduced Stress
- Enhanced Brain Blood Flow
- Increased Healthy Brain Size
- Improved Brain Chemistry
- Increased Telomerase: Telomerase is the enzyme that controls the length of your telomeres, the cap of your DNA
- Decrease in bad genes and improvement of good genes
- Improved Sleep
- Less Depression
- Clarity of Purpose
- Spiritual Well-Being
This simple meditation can be practiced by anyone at any age!
Practicing this meditation is both a science and an art.
It is an art in the way it molds consciousness and in the refinement of sensation and insight it produces.
It is a science in the tested certainty of the results each technique produces.
Meditations have coded actions to their reactions in the psyche.
Watch and practice the Meditation with Melissa Akal through our online programs here.
How to Practice Kirtan Kriya
There are 4 components: Mantra, Mudra, Visualization and Voice which coordinates the hippocampus and limbic portion of the brain.
Mantra:
SAA: Infinity, cosmos, beginning
TAA: Life, existence
NAA: Death, change, transformation
MAA: Rebirth
This is the cycle of Creation. (From the Infinite comes life and individual existence. From life comes death or change. From death comes the rebirth of consciousness to the joy of the Infinite through which compassion leads back to life.)
Mudra: Begin in Gyan Mudra – the mudra changes as each fingertip touches in turn the tip of the thumb with firm pressure.
On SAA, touch the index (or Jupiter) fingers to thumbs
On TAA, touch the middle (or Saturn) fingers to thumbs
On NAA, touch the ring (or Sun) fingers to thumbs
On MAA, touch the pinkie (or Mercury) fingers to thumbs
Each time the mudra is closed by joining the thumb with a finger, the ego “seals” the effect of that mudra in the consciousness.
The effects are as follows:
1st finger: Gyan Mudra for Knowledge
2nd finger: Shuni Mudra for Wisdom, intelligence, patience
3rd finger: Surya Mudra for Vitality, energy of life
4th finger: Buddhi Mudra for the ability to communicate
This meditation brings a total mental balance to the individual psyche. The mind goes out of balance when the pineal gland is dormant. The imbalance makes it seem impossible to break mental and physical addictions. This kriya is a catalyst for change because it is activating the pineal and pituitary glands within your brain. Whatever you need at the moment, it will readjust and align you to bring balance into your mind and thus your life.
In order to do this we combine the mudra and mantra with a Visualization:
Meditate on the primal sounds in the “L” form. This means that when you meditate you feel there is a constant inflow of cosmic energy into the solar center, or Tenth Gate. Imagine the energy of each sound moving through the Crown Chakra, and out through the Third Eye Point as it is projected to Infinity. This energy flow follows the energy pathway called the Golden Cord—the connection between the pineal and pituitary glands. (You may also want to try covering the head with a natural fiber cloth for proper circulation of prana in the solar centers.)
Voice: the Mantra is chanted in the three languages of consciousness, depending on the length of time you’re doing the meditation. This is the order:
1st ALOUD: voice of the Human (awareness of the things of the world)
2nd WHISPER: voice of Lovers (experiencing the longing to belong)
3rd SILENT: voice of the Divine (meditate on Infinity)
4th WHISPER: voice of Lovers (experiencing the longing to belong)
5th ALOUD: voice of the Human (awareness of the things of the world)
Vibrating on each fingertip alternates the electrical polarities. The index and ring fingers are electrically negative, relative to the other fingers. This causes a balance in the electromagnetic projection of the aura.
To End
Take a deep inhale, suspend the breath as long as comfortable – up to a minute – then relax the breath smoothly to complete 1 minute of absolute stillness and silence.
Stretch hands up as far as possible and spread fingers wide. Stretch the spine and take several deep breaths. Relax and seal your practice by bringing your hands together at your heart center and chanting one long SAT NAM.