Sa Ta Na Ma 6 Minute Mantra Practice (Cantonese Instructions)

The Lamma Meditation Society is pleased to present this new mantra meditation, a short practice of the Kundalini mantra “Sa Ta Na Ma”, in collaboration with Nature Yoga Hong Kong with teacher Brenda Pang and musician DJ Josué. Thanks also to our good friend Pragnya Wakhlu for her vocal help on this track.

We have released two versions of the practice: one with instructions in Cantonese by Brenda followed by the practice and one with music only. There will also be a video forthcoming.

The practice begins with 3 preparatory chants of “Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo” , which means something like: "I bow to the All-That-Is, I bow to the Divine Wisdom inside myself". This mantra is sung at the beginning of every Kundalini practice and serves to connect us to our inner guru and the lineage of gurus from the Kundalini tradition.

Next we continue with the main practice of “Sa Ta Na Ma”.  In this version we chant the mantra for one minute, whisper it for one minute, sung silently for two minutes, whispered for one minute and chant for one minute to finish. Then we sit quietly for a moment to allow the the mantra to settle and shift our vibration.

We recommend daily practice of this kriya for 40 or 120 days consecutively. It’s a wonderful practice with many benefits and very easy to do. Sat Nam and happy practicing!


Here is some more information for the Kirtan Kriya from Guru Rattana, Ph.D:

Kirtan Kriya, often referred to as SA TA NA MA meditation, is the most important meditation in Kundalini Yoga. It was one of the first meditations taught by Yogi Bhajan and remains today as a foundation meditation recommended for every student. Yogi Bhajan said that if you can do only one meditation, this is it.

SA TA NA MA incorporates the nuclear sounds of SAT NAM. SA TA NA MA uses the primal sounds to connect us to the evolutionary nature of existence itself. It is referred to as the panch shabd, which means a mantra with five sound currents. The fifth sound is "A." When we chant SA TA NA MA we imprint the evolutionary code of the universe into our human psyche.

SA is the beginning, infinity, the totality of everything that ever was, is or will be.
TA is life, existence and creativity that manifests from infinity.
NA is death, change and the transformation of consciousness.
MA is rebirth, regeneration and resurrection which allows us to consciously experience the joy of the infinite.

SA TA NA MA is so primal that its impact on our psyche is like splitting an atom. The power of his mantra comes from the fact that it rearranges the subconscious mind at the most elementary level. It has the power to break habits and addictions because it accesses the level of the mind where habits are created.

Directions:

Sit with a straight spine. Bring your mental focus to the brow point.
Chant SA TA NA MA. While chanting alternately press the thumb with the four fingers. Press hard enough to keep yourself awake and aware of the pressure. Keep repeating in a stable rhythm and keep the hand motion going throughout the whole meditation.

SA press the thumb and the first or Jupiter finger together with pressure.
TA press the thumb and the middle or Saturn finger together.
NA press the thumb and the ring or Sun finger together.
MA press the thumb and the small or Mercury finger together.

Each time you close a mudra by joining the thumb with a finger, your ego "seals" its effect in your consciousness.
Visualize or feel each individual sound come in the crown chakra at the top of the head, down through the middle of the head and out to infinity through the third eye. This is very important and must be done  with each sound. It is an essential part of the cleansing process. If this part of the meditation is not done, you may experience a headache.
While doing the meditation, you may experience pictures of the past come up like on a movie screen in your mind. Let them dance in front of your eyes and release them with the mantra. This is part of the cleansing of the subconscious mind. If emotions come up, you can also incorporate them in the chanting, i.e. if you feel anger then chant out the anger. Whatever you experience is OK. Do not try to avoid or control your experiences. Simply be with what is going on and go through it. It is all part of the cleansing process.


Credits:

Brenda Pang: yoga instruction, vocals
DJ Josué: music production
Farley Sangels: vocals, German rotary trumpet
Pragnya Wakhlu: vocals