In Kundalini Yoga we are taught about five stages a person will go through not only in their yogic journey but in the many avenues of life. This next series is going to take us through the five different stages of the Spiritual Path according to Yogi B. Enjoy!
FYI: “Pad” translates to “stage”.
A seed is planted. Picture Source.
Saram Pad – The First Stage
“A novice must cultivate obedience, motivation, and discipline.” ~ Yogi B
This is a beautiful stage. It is the first of the five and it is when we are called to learn or explore something new. When we are introduced to the path. Saram Pad is often associated with the “honeymoon” phase as we feel new beginnings are occurring, peaceful and renewed.
There are three things that will motivate us to Saram Pad: Necessity, possibility, and destiny.
When we are unhappy with life in some way – we are in pain, frustrated, have a lot of problems – we search for something different. Sometimes we will be introduced to the new thing or we will have a vision or we will just find it by “God-Incidence”. Then there are the times when we notice someone really enjoying a state of happiness we want in our own lives. We ask, they deliver, and then we want more so we pursue it. The third style of motivation, destiny, is intuitive and comes from within us regardless of what we are experiencing in our life. It is a calling.
We begin our path and come under the grace and protection of the teacher of our path, in this case, Yogi B and the Golden Chain which we tune into before every class with the chant “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo”. It feels like you’ve come home because you’ve come to your destiny and accepted the responsibility of the path you’ve chosen.
Here we are. A beginner. We don’t know what to pay attention to. We are given direct and easy rules to follow. The road for the beginner is easy and doesn’t include any special cases or exceptions. The purpose of this stage is to establish habits so more detailed training can occur. This is also the stage the novice begins to experience certain things inherent to the path, for example, the novice may be asked to do breath of fire daily for three minutes, or to take cold showers daily, or do a silent retreat.
This stage is easy to move forward from with consistent practice.
“On a spiritual path, the rules help the novice to notice and distinguish between ego and the true Self.” ~ Yogi B
My First Experience
I still remember the first Kundalini Yoga Class I took about eight years ago. I don’t remember how I found the class but I talked my best friend and boyfriend at the time to come with me for a Chakra Series. I remember the class being a bit of a trek from our home, but each week we made it, and we were amazed!
It was my first experience of yoga (in this life!) and it blew me away. The series began with the root chakra and culminated with the auric field. Each class we left in a yoga high. The crown chakra was so intense we had to hang out in a nearby park for a while before navigating public transportation home!
It left a strong mark in my memory. I can’t recall my teachers name or the studio she opened. I can recall though her stories and music, bits here and there of kriyas, and that her beautiful tiny studio was located in the St. James area of Winnipeg. She studied for a month in New Mexico after quitting her job at Superstore. She was radiant as a teacher and full of knowledge.
It was about five years after that initial series before I came back to Kundalini Yoga as a daily practise. I used to joke that Kundalini Yoga had ruined yoga for me. Every class I tried (and I tried quite a few) I left feeling unfulfilled. I remembered yoga working all of me, each level, not just one or two levels. I knew I had to find Kundalini Yoga again.
Hmmmm… This seems like a calling…
What was your first experience of Kundalini Yoga? How did you find it?
Research Sources
The Aquarian Teacher KRI Level One Instructor Textbook (Primary Source)
Hari Singh – At the Feet of the Yogi
Steps Along the Path
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