Mind & Meditation - Our most important work! - The Kundalini Research Institute

“Our minds are constantly telling us what to do to be happy. But what if our minds are wrong? What if our minds are lying to us, leading us away from what will really make us happy? The good news is that understanding the science of the mind can point us all back in the right direction.” The Happiness Lab Podcast

That is the introductory tag line to The Happiness Lab podcast. It could also be an introduction to the yogic study of the Mind! Even though The Happiness Lab focuses on the recent Western science around happiness, it also is a big proponent of meditation. There is so much solid scientific evidence for the benefits of meditation, it’s beginning to go mainstream.

Yogis have been exploring this topic for a long, long time. Using introspection and their own personal experiences to unravel the ways that our minds work, they came up with practical techniques to positively impact our happiness. Their framework and descriptive language is very different from the modern, Western scientific approach – but they really are just two different perspectives on the exact same thing.

In my own life, I have found the yogic perspective on the Mind, and the meditations themselves, to be some of the most impactful studies I’ve ever done. Especially in today’s crazy world, I cannot imagine trying to thrive in it without these insights and techniques.

For example, a few years ago I was faced with a big career decision. It was such a big, life-changing decision that I was pretty stressed out and worried about making a “wrong” decision. Luckily, I had a habit of observing my mind and it’s games. I definitely was still feeling all kinds of fear, desire, hope, despair coming and going in waves! But I was able to watch them and not make any decision based on any one emotion – no matter how strong. I began practicing a few meditations for neutrality and sensing destiny. I observed my mind’s games – knowing that it was trying to find the decision to make me happy, but also recognizing that its inherent limitations could very very well lead me astray. I took the time to inquire – why was I feeling scared or nervous? What exactly did I want, and why? And I used Kundalini Yoga meditations to help get my mind into a state where I could best answer those questions! After about 2 weeks, I got to an answer that I felt, knew, was right for me. I could feel its resonance deeper than my emotional and mental turmoil, and I trusted that connection. With that trust, I quit my job in the natural food industry and came to work for KRI! And even though there are certainly some “bad days,” I don’t doubt that I made the right decision.

I wholeheartedly invite you to join the upcoming online KRI Mind and Meditation Level Two Teacher Training course. This will be a great opportunity to intensively study and practice the yogic science of the Mind, in the supportive company of other yogis. Through the reading, practice, home study, and online lecture time, you will gain valuable insights into how your mind works, how it sabotages your own happiness, and what you can do to untangle the self-imposed limitations and habitual ways of being, thinking, and acting that will take you more and more towards true, deep, and lasting happiness.

All yoga and meditation will help – so no matter what, I hope you keep up with your personal sadhana practice. And there are many, many amazing KRi certified teacher training courses around the world; so I hope you will find one that works for you. They will all facilitate your diving deeper into the mysteries of your own inner self. And, if it resonates with you, I’ll look forward to being with you in this KRI Mind & Meditation training in March.

Deepen your practice of meditation, clarify the relationship between you and your mind, and explore the basic nature and dynamics of the mind. Our relationship to our own mind is pivotal in effectively realizing our true nature and fulfilling our potential.

Teacher

Amrit Khalsa

Amrit Singh Khalsa is the CEO at KRI. He earned his PhD in Aeronautical Engineering from MIT and worked directly with Yogi Bhajan coordinated the 3HO legacy businesses and non-profit organizations, including KRI. After the passing of Yogi Bhajan, Amrit Singh served as the Chair of the Board for KRI for 7 years, and its Treasurer for 2 more years. Leaving a successful career in the health-food industry, Amrit is now dedicated full-time to the work of KRI.

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Amrit Khalsa