Welcome to your meditation practice to reshape your consciousness, break negative habits, and honor the life cycles that unfold in your being. 

Today’s meditation was inspired by Elena Brower, a yoga teacher who I turn to for wisdom, inspiration, and guidance. I thank her for introducing me to this mediation experience.

And now, I have the honor of introducing you to this experience.

Welcome dear one and thank you for choosing to be here. 

The SA TA NA MA chant (aka Kirtan Kriya) derives from the Kundalini lineage and was created by Yogi Bhajan, the man who brought Kundalini yoga to the United States. It is considered the most important meditation within Kundalini, and is recommend as a foundational practice for all students.

Yogi Bhajan has said that if you only do one meditation, this is it.

Here’s why.

Mantras have a powerful ability to reshape our subconscious mind and open us to the possibility of transformational change. When we chant SA TA NA MA, we can connect with the deeper layers of who we are.

Say hello to your soul, or what I like to call, your BEST SELF.

Related: Twist towards your BEST SELF with a Hatha Yoga Flow

It is here, in this deep layer, that we can break free from negative thought patterns, cleanse the system of stagnant debris, and reshape our internal world for alignment and wellbeing.

To be transparent, I have not personally experienced this, but I also have not committed to this specific meditation practice. But, the handful of times that I have engaged with the Kirtan Kriya, SA TA NA MA, I have felt a deeper sense of connection, calmness, and clarity.

Yogi Bhajan recommends doing this every day for 11 minutes, and like all powerful things that we commit to, the changes and benefits will begin to take shape and manifest.

Now, let’s talk about the how-to for today’s meditation.

As we chant the Kirtan Kriya, SA TA NA MA, we will connect the thumb to each finger, creating different mudras that represent the four stages of life. Below is a picture tutorial, as well as further explanation behind each dura.

Bring your thumb to each finger, and repeat:

• point finger – SA
• middle finger – TA
• ring finger – NA
• pinky finger – MA

SA: The First Life Cycle

As you connect your thumb to your pointer finger, visualize the vast universe, it’s many mysteries, it’s great power, and it’s extreme beauty.

This life cycle represents nothingness, infinite potential, and cosmic consciousness.

This is where all existence is birthed from, the universe.

TA: The Second Life Cycle

As you connect your thumb to your middle finger, recognize exactly where you are right now. You are residing, being, and existing on planet earth, as part of the world. 

I like to call this cycle, the Messy Middle.

It is where we experience complexity, frustration, joy, pain, adventure, boredom, separation, and unity.

As living beings, part of us will always reside in this plane, but part of us can also cycle through the entire experience, especially if we desire to shed layers and evolve into our best self version.

NA: The Third Life Cycle

As you connect your thumb to the ring finger, recognize that everything – people, plants, animals, seasons, moments, habits, and experiences – experiences death.

Change and transition are how the universe continues to evolve, and yet we also experience it in the microcosm of our very worlds. Death can symbolize deep pain, sorrow, and grief, and it can also symbolize hope and prosperity.

For example, losing a loved one can cause a disarray of emotions, sensations, and actions, causing our consciousness to fixate on the pain, and yet if true healing is allowed and experienced, it can also produce profound transformation. I learned this from reading Sheryl Sandberg’s story in Option B. It was painstakingly amazing how her soul grew from the terrible and unfair tragedy of losing her husband, and yet she’s instilled hope and growth in so many who’ve also felt the heaviness of death too.

Another lens to view this cycle from is in regards to our soul’s evolution. As we continue to pursue thoughts, feelings, actions, intentions, and relationships that lend to our soul’s growth, it is only natural to experience the death of psychic disorder (negative thought patterns and emotions), unproductive habits, and toxic relations.

And remember, when I refer to your soul, I am talking about your BEST SELF.

MA: The Fourth Life Cycle

Lastly, as you connect your thumb to your pinky finger, recognize that all death leads to renewal, a rebirth or emergence shall we call it, bringing new possibly and opportunity back into the universe and into our individual lives.

Mother Nature is our best example of this, as the seasons change each and every year, we bear witness to this beautiful process.

All birth/rebirth comes from a place of nothingness, offering infinite potential to create the life we want to live and lead. This is what brings us back to the beginning, connecting our thumb to our pointer finger, and continuing to cycle through the stages of life and all it’s experiences.

You are now armored with the information to effectively experience the SA TA NA MA (Kirtan Kriya) meditation and benefit from it’s beautifully profound meaning and intention.

As I mentioned in the beginning of today’s blog post, if this meditation is speaking to your BEST SELF, then it’s recommended to do every day for a minimum of 11 minutes (per Yogi Bhajan). If you choose to undertake this commitment, stick with it, and give your nervous system ample time to integrate the mantra and mudras into your being.

And hey, if you try this meditation and don’t feel called to continue with it, that is okay too. I do urge you though to continue searching for what speaks to you and then dedicate yourself to that practice.

It is only with dedication, commitment, patience, and willingness that we can start to witness and experience the profound effects of these spiritual teachings.

Now I believe it’s time to mediate, shall we begin?

Please gather yourself into an upright seated posture, one that supports freedom and length through the spine, and hit the play button.

I will be there, waiting to chant SA TA NA MA with you.