The significance of the ‘Adi Mantra’ in Kundalini Yoga
At the beginning of every Kundalini class we begin by ‘tuning in’. We do this by chanting the Adi Mantra three times. Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo. This establishes a divine connection with our teacher and all their teachers before them.
The Adi Mantra is an ancient yogic mantra which instantly relates the yogi to the divine teacher within, and was used by Guru Ram Das and Yogi Bhajan. This key mantra connects us to the Golden Chain/link, and this name refers to the chain of teachers before us, your direct teacher, then her teacher, and so on. The Golden Chain itself is the channel through which the energy of the lineage and all of its wisdom and protection flow to you. This sacred link connects heaven and earth, it is the spark of kundalini passed from person to person; teacher to student; guru to teacher; cosmos and God to guru. On a practical level the Adi Mantra (golden chain ) is always recited before teaching or personal practice as a way to connect us with our inner wisdom and intuition so that we act from that place of knowing.
To close a class we then sing or chant ‘Sat Nam’. Sat means truth. Nam means name. Together, Sat Nam translates into something deeper: “I am truth,” or “Truth is my essence.”
Where there is a blockage (whether it is psychic, emotional, or physical) excess energy can be released. Where there is a lack, energy can be directed and replenished. Kundalini practice is the ultimate holistic practice with each kriya or mediation working across several bodily systems – or energetic layers –elevating our entire vibration.
In the Kundalini Yoga tradition, the human being doesn’t consist of just one physical body, or two (physical and mental), but rather ten—one physical body, three mental bodies, and six energy bodies. As you’ll discover in the practice, many of the exercises ignite the energetic bodies and things we cannot see, but feel. Kundalini Yoga engages all ten bodies, therefore working on multiple levels in a deep way.
All Kundalini Yoga works with the balance and strength of the Ten Bodies. Some practices concentrate on a specific body, while others work with the whole system. A kriya is a series of postures, breath, and sounds that work toward a specific outcome. Practicing a kriya initiates a sequence of physical and mental changes that affect the body, mind, and spirit simultaneously. A great place to start your exploration of the Ten Bodies is with the following kriya, “Awakening to the Ten Bodies.”
Regular practice of kundalini yoga and corresponding lifestyle changes can illicit remarkable physical, emotional, and spiritual shifts. This frequency upgrade leaves us with a calm nervous system, rational mind that knows its true identity and a balanced body.
Learning to manage our energy field will have increasing importance as we continue to navigate shifts in our evolution as a planet. Doing this with a sense of joy and grace is the kundalini way.