Get out of my way!

This morning in hatha yoga I just couldn't resist teaching the Ganpati ("gun" "puti") Kriya.  I love this Kriya because Ganpati is the Kriya of Genesha the Elephant God.  A kriya is a directed action.  Genesha is a Hindu Diety.  As an American and probably non-Hinu, Genesha is going to be a little hard to relate to at first.  As you work with the mantra, you will activate the power of the elephant in you.  Just imagine an actual elephant walking down a path.  Most things are going to get out of its way.  It's a strong archetype.

Genesha is a little boy/man that has the head of an Elephant.  He is known as the remover of obstacles and the God of Happiness.  Genesha resonates with your root chakra (Muladara) located at the base of the spine.  This is where your karma or everyday choice making lives.  Genesha's archetype is wonderful to work with if you are trying to bust through some habit of food, drink or the negative mind. 

This kriya is very powerful and abrupt.  For that reason, I suggest you start with just one to three minutes.  Begin with an obstacle that isn't your biggest one.  For example, you have certain habits and some of those are more toxic than others.  Start with a habit that is a little less toxic.  I caution you in this way because this mantra is tapping into the space between or the space of creation.  Imagine the night sky and all the space between the stars.  This is were your potential or possible life lives...the life you imagine.  The energy of that space has the power to manifest.  As you live your life and make choices that are not so good for you, the space becomes filled with cobwebs.  This mantra rips the cobwebs down. 

You would imagine if you have a lot of cobwebs, it could hurt a little bit to rip it all down at once.  Yoga is a process of gradual changes.   Start small.  Start with one to three minutes.  As you harness the energy of the mantra, you can gently move to your larger obstacles.

To practice:

I begin by sitting in easy pose, taking a few breaths and calming.  I have a little statue of Genesha and I rub his truck as I say my prayers related to the obstacle that I wish to remove.  I personally pray to God, Jesus, Yogananda and Genesha.  In the beginning, I didn't know Genesha, so it felt odd, but now it doesn't.  Sit spine straight, arms straight with wrists resting on the knees. 

The mantra that you will use is sung quietly out loud.  Each word of the mantra is a one count with the final word (hung) being a two count. 

Sa-Ta-Na-Ma-Ra-Ma-Da-Sa-Sa-Se-So-Hung.

Each word of the mantra represents something and a finger is pressed as you move through it as follows:

Sa: Press the thumb to the index finger. (Jupiter finger)   means birth

Ta: Press the thumb to the second finger. (Saturn finger)  means life

Na: Press the thumb to the ring finger. (Sun finger)   means death

Ma: Press the thumb to the baby finger. (Mercury finger)  means rebirth

Ra: Press the thumb to the index finger.  means sun

Ma: Press the thumb to the second finger. means moon

Da: Press the thumb to the ring finger.  means earth

Sa: Press the thumb to the baby finger.  means infinity

Sa: Press the thumb to the index finger. means infinity

Se: Press the thumb to the second finger.  means personal

So: Press the thumb to the ring finger.  means merge

Hung: Press the thumb to the baby finger. means THE INFINITE

To me, the meaning is kind of like, I am that, you are that, all this is that and that's all there is.  

Now the fun part.  After 1, 3, or 11 minutes, release the mantra.  Take a big inhale and suspend the breath.  Shake your body for 30 seconds like a crazy person.  Imagine you are flinging off cobwebs.  Repeat this step 3 more times.

After that, bring your hands to prayer pose and simply gaze at your finger tips with long deep breathing for 20 seconds and then relax.  

Keep a journal and notice synchronicity in your life that occur to help you remove this obstacle.  You may find much turbulence is created before the obstacle goes away.  I guess this is the idea of "be careful what you wish for, you don't know how you'll get it."  Think about something you went through in your life that was uncomfortable.  During the transition, you may have been very miserable and unhappy, but when you look back at it you realize it was perfect and couldn't have happened any other way.  That's what this mantra kinda stirs up.

Let me know what happens....  I want to hear about your experience.  Om Shanti,  Pamela