By Marie Fritz

Is preparation for sun gazing one of the reasons for the art of Kundalini Yoga? Is sun gazing an unrevealed, lost, or hidden aspect of that yoga? Here are some examples that hint that that might be so:

Morning Sadhana—it is an important aspect of Kundalini Yoga. It begins at three every morning and continues until sunrise, consisting of group (or individual if a group is not available)
chanting of the Adi Shakti mantra, considered one of the, if not the, most powerful mantra of Kundalini Yoga.

Ek Ong Kar A
Sat a Nam A
Siri Wah He Guru

An abbreviated Sanskrit meaning of these words is “There is one Creator whose name is Truth. Great is the ecstasy of that Supreme Wisdom!” The Adi Shakti mantra represents divine feminine creative power, agent of change, cosmic existence, its most significant form being the Kundalini Shakti, dependent on no one, yet interdependent with the entire universe. This mantra is designed to awaken the kundalini force within.

Why chant a powerful mantra relating to the feminine, which relates to fire, which relates to the sun, with the intent to awaken the kundalini, at dawn?…hmmmm…

Here is another reason Kundalini Yoga seems to be a preparation for sun gazing. Many of the Kundalini Yoga kriyas (techniques) are focused around strengthening and balancing the navel center, or solar plexus. The yogis believe the solar plexus is important because it is where we received nourishment before birth. When that connection is severed at birth, the sustenance assumes a more subtle form: The Divine Mother, or “energy of the universe,” empowering us through the navel/solar plexus center. In Kundalini Yoga instruction, it is taught repeatedly “When our Navel Center is strong and balanced, we can access a power source awesome in its magnitude.” What would that power source be? Might it be the sun? Hmmmmm….

There is a strong pulse beneath the navel. Ideally this should be felt under the umbilicus. If this pulse is displaced, many chronic problems can ensue.

So, they say, a strong navel center is considered to be a pre-requisite for the attainment of the long-term benefits of Kundalini Yoga. Maybe they consider it important to strengthen our solar plexus, not only to build stamina and stay healthy but also so we can take in and make use of the sun’s energy more efficiently.

Here is another example that might relate to morning sun gazing. There is a Kundalini Yoga practice done upon rising every morning to make sure the eyes are clear from the night’s sleep. Yogis are instructed to do this by gagging themselves with their finger or toothbrush until their eyes water. They are also to cough up phlegm caught in the “monkey glands” (whatever those are); all this would keep the yogis healthy, including preventing their eyes from getting cataracts.

Preparation to sun gazing was not mentioned in the Kundalini Yoga teachings, but might it have been included in the teaching at one time? It might be worthwhile to investigate the possibility that Kundalini Yoga is related somehow or is a way to prepare a person for sun gazing.
Marie Fritz
May 27, 2015

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This article was previously published on The Community Communique.