This is my first 1000 day meditation. I have completed 529 days so far. This meditation is found in “The Mind: It’s Projections and Multiple Facets” written by Yogi Bhajan (p.160). There are three functional minds: Positive, Negative, Neutral with each of these minds having 3 aspects that correlate with them. Then there are 3 controlling projections within each of those aspects that act with each functional mind making a total of 81 facets of the mind. This particular meditation works on the Aspect 2 * Manager. So you may ask how I chose this one particular aspect? Well, it was by pure intuition. I was turning through the book and saw the meditation and caught my eye. It had all the qualities that I really wanted to work on. I found out after I started that two experienced yogis of my Kundalini family were doing the same meditation. I had no idea the depth that this meditation offered, So I kept on going, even after they completed their 1000 days. This meditation has been incredibly useful in helping me to find a better sense of identity and understanding of the following qualities
1000 Day Meditation for the Negative Mind: Aspect 2 (Manager)
1) Managing time: This meditation is slowly but surely allowing me to manage my time better. This has been very helpful in all aspects from managing my time at work, to managing time with friends vs taking time for myself. For me, this meditation starts with managing my time with routine routine routine. When I have routine everything fits right into place. I’ve even explored different times on when I wake up, do sadhana, etc. However, it’s now starting to become so apparent if I don’t have my routine then I can’t have the freedom and spaciousness to accept other things that pop up in my life. I feel less overwhelmed with life in general, and therefore I am able to do more at once.
I have a job where I am constantly on the go. I drive at least 50 miles/day going from one patient’s home to another. Yet now I don’t get bent of shape when I feel like I am running “late”, because I am never really late since I adjust my schedule accordingly. I stop when I need to rest and take a 11 min nap in my car, I eat when I need to eat. I say ‘no’ when I need to and ‘yes’ when I can. Most often my day ends differently then I scheduled it out to be (the life of a home health PTA), but I try not to get bent out of shape about it. When I feel like I’m on the edge…I breathe..and chant..a lot. Yogi Bhajan states that in this meditation when, “Balanced and fully developed, you can reduce conflicts, keep towards the main tasks and mission you took on, and protect your own interests…..redirecting impulses in order to reach what is more important to you.”
2) Boundaries: This meditation helps me to deal with being insecure about myself and others. It helps me to set healthy boundaries with friends, community members, coworkers without being so rigid as I once was. I’m more willing for them to be them and me to be me. Yogi Bhajan states, “Too strong and you act rigid in a desperate search for the rules to make order out of everything….To Weak, you can feel overwhelmed, lose track of the rules, feel the world ignores your priorities, and you become very self critical and sad.” Yogi Bhajan also states to compensate one might think too much or shift to please others. I still definitely think a lot, but perhaps I am more aware of it before I go down into the rabbit hole of darkness or overwhelmed feelings. This gives me choice to choose how I can think now. Do I really want to obsess with how that presentation or yoga class was imperfect? Do I want to obsess with how I took longer than I anticipated with that patient or focus on the fact that patient felt heard and received healing?
When I was in a romantic relationship I would often put my own needs/desires aside so I could be with the other person and care for him. When I did that I not only fell behind on important tasks/long term projects, but I also neglected committing to my own hobbies like archery/swimming/yoga. Now I know that I am more capable to be in a relationship and also be willing to put my needs first without guilt, even if that means less time with the person. This relates to all relationships I encounter.
3) Identity: This is the theme for me in this last year or so…who am I? We have roles that we play day in/day out in order to make sense of the world. This meditation has given me the opportunity to question which roles I am willing to continue to play and how I can live more purposefully/authentically to fulfill my destiny. This meditation is helping me develop a better sense of who I am.
As always, this is an ongoing process..trusting the processing..and growing every day with this process of learning.
So here are the instructions…
Part 1 (3 to 11 min) **I do this for 11 min**
Right hand over left, palms face down at heart level. thumb tips touch and point toward chest. Chant “Har” at a steady pace. With each Har pull the navel point and lift the chest up/forward. Then release the navel and allow the lower spine to rock back slightly.
I do this at a slightly slower “tantric har” pace. Sometimes I pick up the pace if the energy is lagging.
Part 2 (11 to 31 min) **I do this for 20 min**
Hands in prayer pose, inhale chop hands while chanting Har 12x to the left, 12 x to the center, 12 x to the right, 12 x to the center on one breath. Inhale again and repeat.
You will have to chant at a rapid pace in order to do this cycle in one breath.
To end inhale and continue with the chopping motion for one more full cycle silently (12 left, 12 center, 12 right, 12 center) while pressing the back molars together. Exhale and relax.
***For some reason I didn’t include this end sequence in the video even though I do it every day. I have no idea why this happened. So just keep in mind the ending**