NEW VIDEO: Steady as Stone LIVE at Bhakti Fest 2018

Sat Nam Friends,

I have some more awesome footage from Bhakti Fest to share with y'all. This one begins with a sweet sweet UKULELE SOLO! Yes, that's what I said. I honestly could not believe what an an amazing line-up of musicians I got for this festival. Chad Wilkins plays ukulele like no one I have ever heard.

This song is a trio of English mantras. Words that are meant to reprogram your brain to make you know your excellence and strength.

I hope we can effectively "brain wash" you. :-)

Joyfully,
Sirgun Kaur

WAHEGURU: Mantra for Transformation

Greetings,

photo by Jake J. Thomas

In this video I explain the Kundalini Yoga and Sikh mantra "Waheguru."

This mantra is an expression appreciation and awe of the TRANSFORMATION that occurs when we step from our questions into our solutions.

I break the word down into four parts - WA, HE, GU, and RU, since each of these sounds has its own very rich meaning.

WA - an expression of wonderment
HE - in this moment
GU - darkness
RU - light

Put them together and you get a most powerful all-purpose mantra.

Joyfully,
Sirgun Kaur

What is a Mantra? || Finding Harmonic Resonance with Your SELF

Sat Naam,

In my newest video I give my personal take on what a mantra is and what a mantra does.

People sometimes ask me what the difference is between a mantra and an affirmation. To me, a mantra can be in any language. The distinction between mantra and affirmation is the thought process behind it.

--Take the meaning of mantra: to entrain/tune the mind.

--Take the meaning of affirmation - the action of affirming something.

Our Universe is not taking order through our words. Our Universe speaks the language of FEELING. When our mind is "in tune" with the greater part of our self (=yoga), we feel REALLY GOOD. The Universe responds in a way that will also feel good.

Many people use affirmations as a mantra... a combination of good-feeling words repeated over and over again until the mind is taken away from petty circumstances, and in-tune with greater purpose.

So if you are repeating "Ong So Hung" again and again and it sends you into bliss, that is what I would call effective use of a mantra.

If you are repeating "I am love" over and over again, and it sends you into bliss, that is also an effective use of mantra.

On the other hand, if you are staring at a disappointing bank statement, affirming angrily to yourself "I am rich. I am rich." That is not effective use of a mantra. You cannot mask your feelings with empty words.

The Universe FEELS you.

You feel me?

So say things that are easy to BELIEVE. 

That is one of the reasons it is easier for most people to use a mantra in another language.

Watch the video for more mantra talk:

Joyfully,
Sirgun

The Most Magical of Mantras || Live @ Bhakti Fest's 10th Anniversary

Greetings and Happy Sunday to you,

I have more live footage to show you from Bhakti Fest (thanks Masood Ali Khan!).

I want to share with you a most magical mantra... it's called... wait for it... THE MAGIC MANTRA.

Yep. For real.

I first learned this mantra in Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training in 2010. Yogi Bhajan said that if you repeat this mantra five times it stops the momentum of negative thought in its tracks and reverses it.

This mantra was again brought to my attention when my dear friend and teacher (here in Phoenix AZ) suggested I use it.

She never told me this exactly, but looking back, I can tell that she saw how destructive many of my thought patterns were at that time. It has taken me a lot of deliberate re-focusing to stay on productive (aka positive) thought tracks.

So here I give you a yogi hack: The Magic Mantra.

~It goes like this~

Ik Ong Kaar Sat Gur Prasaad
Sat Gur Prasaad Ik Ong Kaar

(Many will pronounce it EK, but I have yet to hear the sound "eh" in the Gurmukhi alphabet, so please do tell me if YOU have!)

So here it is... LIVE at Bhakti Fest's 10th Anniversary! (Did you know I got to see Deepak Chopra in person?!)

After you chant this mantra be very conscious of your next thoughts. DO NOT COMPLAIN. Seriously, Yogi Bhajan said so!

Joyfully,
Sirgun Kaur

-8 FULL ALBUM Video

Sat Nam Fierce Friend,

After the nice comments I got about my full album video of The Cosmic Gift, I was inspired to make one for my latest release: -8.

This album means a lot to me because it marks my return to the world of producing.

For those of you who do not know what that entails, producers make music sound like more than just a live recording. They make the artists you know and love sound like "them."

Chad Wilkins was my co-producer on this album, and he added so many great elements, like a reggae vibe on "Ra Ma Da Sa", and all the ukulele harmonies that sound like harp to my ears sometimes. Without his contributions, this album would sound very different.

And given that I LOVE the way this album turned out, I'm glad it doesn't.

Chad also played most of the instruments on this album including ukulele, acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitar, and even a little bit of organ (for "Ra Ma Da Sa").

In fact, I appreciated the elements he added so much I decided to release a spin-off album called Minus Vox. It's everything except the voices.

The other contributors to this album added equally uplifting additions: Jai Jot Singh on percussion, Ram Dass Khalsa on clarinet, and Caleb Michel on drum kit for "Kabir's Realization."

I had so much fun making this album. And I felt so grateful to have been able to devote as much time as I did to it, thanks to my sister-in-law watching my children 4 days a week.

This was my first endeavor since having children that made me realize I could mother AND chant, and have enough time for both.

Enjoy!

Joyfully,
Sirgun Kaur

New and Improved YouTube Experience

I learned how to make an intro for my videos the other day, and here is the product: 

The video itself wasn't edited, just the intro. I had one last song from -8 that needed an official video on my YouTube channel, in order to represent the entire album.

So here it is: "Har Piaarai Jio" - mantra for understanding the nature of sound, and the awareness that our human body as a resonator of sound. This mantra is about vibration.

This mantra isn't really a mantra though. It is considered a shabad, because it's longer, and it is an entire section of a longer bani (Sikh hymn).

The full bani is called "Anand Sahib," which is also where I got the ending of my song "Bliss (I Am the Light of My Soul") that Sat Darshan Singh sings. Here is the LIVE version, which pre-dates the recording that has become so popular.

Joyfully,
Sirgun Kaur

My New Favorite Mantra is "FUN"

Yes, I have of late been meditating on the word FUN. Imagining myself having fun, feeling fun, visualizing fun, and just breathing and being FUN.

I start my day out like this everyday, silently meditating on FUN.

Many fun things have happened. My children are very appreciative that I have been jumping on the trampoline, and playing more with them.

This is my way of being a better mother, and a more fulfilled human being at the same time.

Here's some fun we had the other day with a phone app:

Sometimes the simple things make all the difference.


Joyfully,
Sirgun Kaur

The Great Mantra Sadhana for Prosperity

I have coined this daily spiritual practice--or what we like to call "sadhana"--as the GREAT MANTRA SADHANA FOR PROSPERITY.

I did it for over 90 days and it felt like it shot forth into prosperity like a rocket. I have felt more creative, more driven, more energetic, and more passionate ever since. So I wanted to share it with you!

If you are looking for an easy place to begin a sadhana (they start at just 3 minutes a day!), check out my previous blog post HERE, where I outline 5 Easy Kundalin Yoga Practices Everyone Has Time For.

:: THE SADHANA ::

1) 11 recitations of Bahuta Karam

This mantra is for prosperity. It reminds us that you can ask and ask, but until you resonate with the vibration of solution (i.e. the vibration of your soul), you will not feel the prosperity. You will be like a person collecting water with a bucket that has a hole in it. Come with a mended bucket and receive all the "water" you can drink from the Universal "tap." (Read the full post on this mantra HERE)

2) 11 recitations of Amul Gun

Yogi Bhajan gave this mantra to people to recite specifically for business success. He said it “transforms nothing into everything. In your business it banishes losses, misfortunes and miseries.” Can't hurt, right? Even if just play it in the background as you work, it will be enormously potent.

3) 25 recitations of Aakhan Jor

Possibly my favorite of all three. This one seals in the energy of all them to me. It is the mantra that says, and I paraphrase, "I am not the doer, GOD is." Put a different way: I ask, the Universe gives. I call, the Universe answers. I am pray, the Universe hears. I request, the Universe grants. We recite Aakhan Jor to firm-up our certainty that everything is always working out for us. There is no need to effort, because the great power of creation is not ours to create. But it is ours to direct through our focus. (Read more about directing focus HERE). It is important to understand our place in this business of Creation. We don't create energy. We direct it through our vibration. 

And slowly...

If you don't know them yet, begin by listening. Snatam Kaur has 11 recitations of each on her album "Meditations of the Soul," which is a gem of a reference for people wanting to learn Japji better.

Oh, and check out the song versions I have made of these mantras too:

Listen to Aakhan Jor on Spotify

Happy mantra-ing!

Joyfully,
Sirgun Kaur

Mantra with Children

Good Evening Friend,

Being a mantra artist with children is a wild ride. For those of you who don't already know, I am the mother of two adorable boys--ages 2 and 5. 

One of the comments I get a lot goes something like this: "wow, your children are so lucky to have you to sing to them!" 

I smile. 

See, the people who buy my albums and come to my concerts are far more interested in my music than my children are. 

My oldest asks me to stop singing frequently, while my youngest allows me to sing three songs (oompa loompa, twinkle twinkle, and a song I wrote called "sit your little bootie down"), but only when he requests them. Mostly though, he prefers to sing these songs alone. 

I do play music in the house while they are playing sometimes. It relaxes me. 

I feel really blessed to have MANTRA at my fingertips in particular. My children are in the habit of watching me meditate, but I keep that to 20 minutes or so, and somewhere in that time my toddler often comes to pull down my shirt so he can nurse.

Mantra is the best friend of the mother or father who wants some peace of mind without needing peace and quiet. 

I can recite or chant mantra anytime, anywhere. I can chant out loud, or quietly in my mind. I can whisper it under my breath while I pick up toys, drive my car, do dishes, or take my kids to the playground. It's good to have at least a handful memorized and they can really be as simple as "Sat Naam" or "Waheguru", so long as it keeps your attention while you do it. 

Breathing exercises can also be subtle when chosen appropriately, such as the breath I generally use when I'm putting my children to bed. I count 4 on the inhale (1 - 2 -3 - 4), and 8 on the exhale (1 - 2 -3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8). It relaxes the nervous system and my kids can't tell I'm doing it. 

Later when I put myself to sleep I will often to some left nostril breathing, or alternate nostril breathing. (Here's a video I did a hundred years ago... I will try to make more!)

 

I'd like to share more of what I do as a mother in this blog, so I'm starting here.

Joyfully,

Sirgun