Daily Home Practice
Week 1 & Week 2
Warm Ups
1. Sufi Grind - 2 Minutes (1 minute both directions)
Inhale into your navel. Hold your breath and make circles with your navel in one direction 5 times. Sit tall and exhale. Inhale into your naval and go the other direction 5 times as you hold the breath. Sit still and exhale. Continue this pattern with the breath alternating directions.
2. Cat Cow - 2 Minutes
Come onto the hands and knees. Hands on the ground under the shoulders, knees hip width apart so the thighs are parallel. Inhale as you tilt your pelvis up, lift your head up and flex your belly down. Exhale as you curl your navel spine up in an arched position with the head down and pelvis tilted down. Keep the arms straight. Continue rhythmically with the breath, not pausing, but keeping a steady flowing movement.
3. Spinal Twist - 2 Minutes
Knees bent sit on the heels (or in easy pose if this position hurts the knees). Place the hands on the shoulders with the fingers on the front and thumbs in the back. Elbows are out to the side at shoulder height, chest lifted with elbows wide. Inhale twisting the whole torso to the left, as you exhale twist right. Continue this movement with momentum.
SPARK Kriya
1. Ego Eradicator - 3 Minutes:
Sit in Easy Pose. Bring the arms out to the sides, and raise them until they form a V shape. The fingers are pressing against the mounds of the palms with the thumbs pointing up. Begin Breath of Fire* for 3 minutes.
To End: Inhale and hold the breath. Quickly begin to make fists of the hands, first with the thumbs inside the fists, then outside. Alternate rapidly as you hold the breath for 15 seconds. Then, with the hands in the original position, slowly bring the thumbs together overhead. Time your movement so that the thumbs meet when you can no longer hold the breath. Slow lower the arms in an arc around you as you exhale deeply.
Rest for I minute, breathing slowly.
2. Punches- 3 Repetitions:
Still sitting in Easy Pose, make hands into fists and bring them to the sides of the body at chest level with the elbows pressed back, Extend your chest out. Take 5 deep breaths, then inhale deeply and hold the breath. With the breath held, begin punching the arms alternately. Get mad!
When you cannot hold the breath any longer, exhale. Inhale and repeat the powerful punching motion with the held breath. Exhale. Inhale and repeat I more time, for a total of 3 times.
Then sit, eyes closed, and breathe as slowly as you can for 2 minutes.
3. Breath & Affirmation - 3 Minutes:
Sit in Easy Pose. Keep the spine straight. Look at the center of your chin through your closed eyes, or look at the tip of your nose through partially closed eyes. Inhale deeply and hold, suspending the breath while you mentally slowly recite: "| am bountiful, I am blissful, I am beautiful." Exhale all the breath out, then suspend the breath out as you mentally say "excel, excel, fearless.”
Then rest and relax for 3 minutes
To Close: Chant Long “Sat” and Short “Nam” x 1-3
Optional Alternate Meditation
Students retaking SPARK may choose this practice instead of SPARK Kriya.
Follow the evolving Warm Up exercise for weeks 1-2, weeks 3-4 and weeks 5-6.
Then do this meditation for 11 minutes in place of SPARK Kriya.
Meditation to Change the Elemental Psyche
Sit very straight. Raise the forearms parallel to the ground with the hands interlaced in front of the chest with thumbs locked. Originally this was taught with the right pinky finger interlaced on the bottom for women and the left pinky finger interlaced on the bottom for men. Pull and activate the lock. Close the Eyes.
Purse the lips making an “o” of your mouth and do Breath of Fire through it. Be steady. Use the strength of the diaphragm and the navel. The cheeks should not puff.
Continue for 11 minutes.
To end, inhale deeply, hold, and keeping the hands locked, stretch the arms straight overhead. Exhale. Repeat 2 more times. Relax.
This meditation can change your elemental psyche to realize you are more than your ego. It will help you to master the mind to realize your angelic nature as a human being. It tones the vagus nerve, strengthens the navel and stimulates mental clarity. It directs creative energy to the higher centers and promotes glandular balance.
Alternative or Additional Evening Practice
If you only have time to practice in the evening, do the follow meditation instead.
Shabd Kriya
A Meditation to Sleep Better, Love Better, and Fight Better
Sit in a comfortable posture with a tall spine. Place the right hand in the left relaxed together in the lap with the tips of the thumbs touching. Focus your eyes at the tip of your nose.
Inhale in 4 parts mentally chanting “Sa Ta Na Ma” on each part of the inhale. Then hold the breath for a steady count of 16 by chanting “Sa Ta Na Ma” x 4. Exhale thru the nose in two parts mentally chanting “Wahe” on the first exhale and “Guru” on the second.
Continue 15-62 Minutes
Week 3 & Week 4
Warm Ups
Free Movement - 6 to 15 Minutes:
Sway, move, shake, dance, tremble; Start slow, moving in a way that feels good. Notice where your body feels stiff and see if you can loosen it. As soon as you find yourself stuck in a pattern of movement, change it. Eventually build to move vigorously working up a sweat. Go wild, shake and feel free. Use the de-armoring breath to help release tightness, stagnation or numbness
SPARK Kriya
1. Ego Eradicator - 3 Minutes:
Sit in Easy Pose. Bring the arms out to the sides, and raise them until they form a V shape. The fingers are pressing against the mounds of the palms with the thumbs pointing up. Begin Breath of Fire* for 3 minutes.
To End: Inhale and hold the breath. Quickly begin to make fists of the hands, first with the thumbs inside the fists, then outside. Alternate rapidly as you hold the breath for 15 seconds. Then, with the hands in the original position, slowly bring the thumbs together overhead. Time your movement so that the thumbs meet when you can no longer hold the breath. Slow lower the arms in an arc around you as you exhale deeply.
Rest for I minute, breathing slowly.
2. Punches- 3 Repetitions:
Still sitting in Easy Pose, make hands into fists and bring them to the sides of the body at chest level with the elbows pressed back, Extend your chest out. Take 5 deep breaths, then inhale deeply and hold the breath. With the breath held, begin punching the arms alternately. Get mad!
When you cannot hold the breath any longer, exhale. Inhale and repeat the powerful punching motion with the held breath. Exhale. Inhale and repeat I more time, for a total of 3 times.
Then sit, eyes closed, and breathe as slowly as you can for 2 minutes.
3. Breath & Affirmation - 3 Minutes:
Sit in Easy Pose. Keep the spine straight. Look at the center of your chin through your closed eyes, or look at the tip of your nose through partially closed eyes. Inhale deeply and hold, suspending the breath while you mentally slowly recite: "| am bountiful, I am blissful, I am beautiful." Exhale all the breath out, then suspend the breath out as you mentally say "excel, excel, fearless.”
Then rest and relax for 3 minutes
To Close: Chant Long “Sat” and Short “Nam” x 1-3
Week 3-4 Optional Alternate Meditation
Week 5 & Week 6
Warm Ups
Camel Pose - 2-11 Minutes:
stand on your knees with your thighs parallel and toes tucked. Bring your hands onto your lower back, with your finger pointing down. Press your hips forward as you lift your chest, pull your shoulders together and drop your head back. If you can keep your hips over your knees, you can reach back and grab the ankles while pressing the hips forward.
Rock Pose - 2-11 Minutes:
Sit on your heels knees bent. Try to sit with your hip bones making contact with the bak of your heels. Let your hands resting on your knees. Keep the spine straight. Avoid sharp pain in the knees by using props, taking breaks or resting in easy pose instead.
Baby Pose - 2-11 Minutes:
From Rock Pose, lean forward until your forehead rests on the ground in front of your knees. Let your arms and hands, palms up, relax on the ground by your legs.
SPARK Kriya
1. Ego Eradicator - 3 Minutes:
Sit in Easy Pose. Bring the arms out to the sides, and raise them until they form a V shape. The fingers are pressing against the mounds of the palms with the thumbs pointing up. Begin Breath of Fire* for 3 minutes.
To End: Inhale and hold the breath. Quickly begin to make fists of the hands, first with the thumbs inside the fists, then outside. Alternate rapidly as you hold the breath for 15 seconds. Then, with the hands in the original position, slowly bring the thumbs together overhead. Time your movement so that the thumbs meet when you can no longer hold the breath. Slow lower the arms in an arc around you as you exhale deeply.
Rest for I minute, breathing slowly.
2. Punches- 3 Repetitions:
Still sitting in Easy Pose, make hands into fists and bring them to the sides of the body at chest level with the elbows pressed back, Extend your chest out. Take 5 deep breaths, then inhale deeply and hold the breath. With the breath held, begin punching the arms alternately. Get mad!
When you cannot hold the breath any longer, exhale. Inhale and repeat the powerful punching motion with the held breath. Exhale. Inhale and repeat I more time, for a total of 3 times.
Then sit, eyes closed, and breathe as slowly as you can for 2 minutes.
3. Breath & Affirmation - 3 Minutes:
Sit in Easy Pose. Keep the spine straight. Look at the center of your chin through your closed eyes, or look at the tip of your nose through partially closed eyes. Inhale deeply and hold, suspending the breath while you mentally slowly recite: "| am bountiful, I am blissful, I am beautiful." Exhale all the breath out, then suspend the breath out as you mentally say "excel, excel, fearless.”
Then rest and relax for 3 minutes
To Close: Chant Long “Sat” and Short “Nam” x 1-3