Trouble Sleeping? Part II: the Shabad Kriya.

by Savitree Kaur

A month ago, I shared some night-time ritual tips to help with sleep. Here is an excellent breath + silent mantra meditation to add to your practice toolbox if or when you have trouble sleeping. It's called the Shabad Kriya.

The ideal time to practice this is at night right before bed. 
The real is when you will be most consistent with it. 
A regular, daily practice is best. 

Time: 11 to 62 minutes
Posture: seated with a tall spine
Mudra: hands on lap, palms up, right on top of left, thumb pads touching. 
Mantras: Sa Ta Na Ma and Wahe Guru
Dristhi: focus your eyes on the tip of the nose

The Meditation:
Inhale through the nostrils in 4 segments as you silently chant Sa Ta Na Ma (4 counts).
Suspend the breath at the top of the inhale as you silently chant Sa Ta Na Ma 4 times (for a total of 16 counts). Keep the throat open and relaxed, not clenched shut. 
Exhale through the nostrils in 2 segments as you silently chant Wahe Guru (2 counts).
​Continue for 15 minutes and up to 62 minutes. 

Kriya notes:
It is taught that the more you make it a regular discipline in your daily life, the better you will sleep and your nervous system can deeply relax, giving it the space to regenerate during your sleep.
Once you have practiced it for a few months, you will have greater control of your breath, and as you sleep, the rhythm of your breath will be synchronized with the rhythm of the mantra. The rhythm of your breath and this internal mantra will become woven into the fabric of your day and you will begin to hear the mantra rhythm subconsciously, diminishing anxiety and stress throughout your day.
This meditation has a 22 beat rhythm [4 count inhale, 16 count hold, 2 count exhale].
This is a multiple of 11. In Tantric Numerology, 11 is the number of Infinity. T
he number 22 is the mastery of the mental realm.
​This 22 beat breath gives the mind the power to stretch to the Infinite.
--From Yogi Bhajan's Class: April 1, 1974

​Want to practice together?