Happy Winter Solstice

Winter Solstice is the equivalent of the solar New Year, a fertile time to set new intentions. The longest night of the year has been celebrated by many traditions as a sacred and rich time. In the past, it's been a night to gather around the fire, practice spiritual ceremonies to call back the Sun. Fire festivals, were held by most cultures throughout the ancient world. The Roman festival of Saturnalia was held on the winter solstice, and is thought to be the origin of what we call Christmas. Evergreen trees and bushes were chosen decorate the house, and fill us with hope as we go through the darkest part of winter. The Persian Mithraists held December 25th as sacred to the birth of their Sun God, Mithras, and celebrated it as a victory of light over darkness. In Sweden, December 13th was sacred to the Goddess Lucina, Shining One, and was a celebration of the return of the light. On Yule itself, around the 21st, bonfires were lit to honour Odin and Thor.

In the tradition of Kundalini Yoga solstices, equinoxes, full and new moons are respected and celebrated as energetic portals that can be accessed for spiritual transformation. In 2015 the Winter Solstice which is naturally a time of endings and new beginnings is strengthened by Saturn in retrograde. Saturn is the planet of testing, patience and discipline and on June 14 it starts traveling in retrograde motion. This backwards movement will encourage us to look within ourselves and help us to identify fear and anger-based programming that keeps us victimizing ourselves. 

The energetic power of the solstice will help us to access our emotions and recognize underlying patterns that are not aligned with the love and truth of our soul. With our new awareness we can drop these limiting behaviors and set new empowering intentions that will grow and flourish with the power of the Sun as it is reborn in the new solar year.

Come and celebrate Winter Solstice with me at KYC Newtown on Sunday 21 June: Winter Solstice Kundalini Yoga & meditation, Sound Healing and Art Exhibition,  4.30pm – 6.30pm. All money raised will be donated to the Kundalini Yoga  Festival Australia Pozible campaign. Buy your tickets at:

http://www.kundaliniyogacollective.org.au

Full Moon in Sagittarius - Pause and Reflect.

This month the Full Moon is in Sagittarius and the Sun is in Gemini, it's time to pause, take a breath and gain a wider perspective of the path you are on. 2015 is a year of change, we are officially in the Aquarian Age, however Yogi Bhajan called the last 20 years of the Picean Age and the first 20 years of the Aquarian Age the cusp period. These are turbulent times as the ego dominated Picean Age fear consciousness evolves into the knowledge of Aquarian Age Oneness. The ego is not going to go quietly and all around us we can see evidence of its death rattles.  If your life feels upside down, it's a good sign, it means you are in the middle of a transformation. 

This month's polarity pair of the Moon in Sagittarius (the planet of light and knowledge, read Oneness) and Sun in Gemini (the playful twins of duality) highlights the differences between the Picean and Aquarian Ages and calls us to examine fear based beliefs and habits and with courage and optimism, let them go.

Its not always comfortable being in the middle of growth and this months Full Moon brings us some light relief, Sagittarius is the sign of optimism, vitality, and good fortune. If there are things you have been wanting to change in your life, this is a good time to start. 

Adding to the power of the Full Moon, Venus is active in the skies and we are in the middle of a Mercury Retrograde. But don't despair retrogrades are a good opportunities to take a break, slow down and contemplate. Under the influence of Venus it's a good time to make some space for love and romance. Retrogrades happen when planets slow down and if you know this truth, you can go with that flow and use this time as an opportunity to take stock of your life and relationships. Allow yourself to be uplifted by this Sagittarius Full Moon, take some time to nurture yourself and you will be ready to move forward with confidence and embrace the positive changes you've dreamed of.

Enza DeLuca

www.blissfulmind.com.au

Becoming Intuitive 4 week course

This month I'm teaching a four week course entitled 'Becoming Intuitive'. As a Kundalini Yoga teacher, I strive to be an Aquarian Teacher as taught by Yogi Bhajan the master of Kundalini Yoga and one of the forecasters of the Aquarian Age. Humanity is experiencing a huge shift, as a whole we are moving from the separation consciousness of the Picean Age to the unity consciousness of the Aquarian Age, from ME to WE. Powering this evolutionary shift is the development of our self sensory system - our intuition, which is vital if we are to cope successfully with the supercharged information environment of this new Age. Yogi Bhajan taught yoga and meditation as a technology to help humanity become self sensory Aquarian humans and he devoted his life to creating a network of teachers around the globe that would serve humanity at this time.  The first class will be 6.45pm on 11/5/15 at KYC Newtown, 199 King St, or 6.45pm 13/5/15 at KYC Bondi Beach, 155 Curlewis St. They will run for 4 consecutive weeks. Each class will be approx 75-90mins. The focus of each class will be:

Week 1: Becoming an Aquarian Human 
Week 2: Developing Intuition
Week 3: The Neutral Mind
Week 4: The Subtle Energy Body
Everyone will be encouraged to commit to a daily Kundalini Yoga Meditation (3-11 minutes daily) to enhance Intuition. We will spend some time at the end of each class discussing our experiences.

Book and pay the earlybird price of $59 for the 4 week course at www.blissfulmind.com.au

Full Moon in Scorpio Kundalini Yoga class 7pm 1st May KYC Newtown

This month's Full Moon falls on May 3^rd, 2015 in Scorpio and we will be using Kundalini Yoga and Meditation to harness the power of the Full Moon at KYC Newtown at 7pm Friday 1st May. Full moon's illuminate the darkness and give us the chance of enlightenment by shining light into the darkest parts of our psyche so we can grow and evolve.

Every Full Moon the Sun and Moon oppose each other highlighting the polarity between the energy of the two ruling star signs. This month the Sun is in Taurus and the Moon is in Scorpio. Scorpio is a dark, mysterious and possessive sign that calls us to take control, look beneath the surface of things and find the Truth. Whereas Taurus energy is the complete opposite, it is not all concerned with taking control of a situation, it is all about relaxing, feeling grounded, centered and at peace. Taurus calls us to please the eye and our senses by focusing on light, beauty and the comfort that surrounds us. 

This is a powerful polarity pair that highlights the duality of our human nature.  Scorpio is calling us to explore the depths of the darkness and fear within us whilst Taurus try's to convince us to be grounded,stable, safe, to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures of the senses.

This is a great time to delve into the depths of your unconsciousness and gain clarity about your deepest desires. Ask yourself;

What is it that I truly fear?

What do I need to feel comforted and safe? 

The answers may surprise you. 

Other planetary influences at this Full Moon include a boost of energy from the combination between the Sun, Jupiter and the Moon that will power your ability to break through your limitations. 

Also, Mercury, Saturn and Neptune combine to increase our intuition and our ability to empathize and see the other sides of the story.  The Moon, Neptune and Chiron also help us to process any revelations and release repressed fear and anger. This gives us a valuable chance to confront the unconscious and heal the wounds from the past. 

To book your place at this months Full Moon yoga class email info@kundaliniyogacollective.org.au

The Taj Mahal - Incomparable monument to Love.

The Taj Mahal stands majestically on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, approx 2 hours drive from New Delhi.  The Taj Mahal is actually a mausoleum complex of white marble inlaid with precious stones. The entire design strives to be perfectly symmetrical, with the main building being flanked by two smaller pink marble buildings, one is a mosque and the other is a guest house.  The romantic history of the Taj explains the beauty and perfection of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built by Shah Jahan, emperor of the Mughal empire after his beloved third wife Mumtaz Mahal died in 1631 during the childbirth of their fourteenth child. Her dying wish was that he would build a monument for her that was as incomparable as their love for each other. The result was the building known as one of the modern wonders of the world.  The gardens surrounding the Taj are part of the original design and feature raised pathways that divide each of the four quarters of the garden into 16 sunken flowerbeds. The central reflecting pool set on a north-south axis, reflects the image of the mausoleum, and completes this incomparable monument to love.

Vrindavan - Holy city of Krishna

I have the runs, I don't feel sick, I feel cleansed and hollowed out. This 11th day of our 12 day tour and we are in Vrindavan, the holy city of Krishna in MVT ashram. It is a peaceful oasis in the midst of the everyday chaos of India. Outside the walls of the ashram is rubbish, dust, heat and poverty but the many temples of the city vibrate with devotional chants to Krishna that shout joy and light. My bowels feel weak and I know they are releasing long held fear and anger, a literal cleansing of karmic rubbish.  During my morning meditation I received a powerful vision of a time in my past when I was gripped with fear and anger, emotions  I repressed and refused to acknowledge and heal. As I bring the fear, anger and guilt into consciousness, I am blessed by my yogic training to be able to view the events in the neutral energy of love, compassion and forgiveness to all who were affected by my fear and also to myself and to let the very heavy energy of my fear go. Thank you India.

Cleansing in the Ganges

The Ganges or Ganga is perhaps the holiest river in any religion. Many believe the river has cleansing and healing powers, Hindu's believe that bathing in the Ganges will cleanse their karmas. It is traditional to dip once for your past karma, once for the present and once for the future. Throughout history, people found many medicinal qualities in the Ganga water.  

For Hindus in India, the Ganges is not just a river but a mother, a goddess , a tradition, a culture, and much more. The river has an unusual ability to retain dissolved oxygen, but the reason for this ability is unknown. The Ganges' purifying action has strong scientific evidence, DS Bhargava, a retired professor of hydrology, who has spent a lifetime performing experiments up and down the Ganges in the plains of India, says that in most rivers, organic material usually exhausts a river's available oxygen and starts putrefying. But in the Ganges, an unknown substance, or "X factor" that Indians refer to as a "disinfectant," acts on organic materials and bacteria and kills them. Bhargava says that the Ganges' self-purifying quality leads to oxygen levels 25 times higher than any other river in the world.
Many parts of the Ganges are now dirty and polluted, however in Rishikesh near the source of the Ganges the water is clean and inviting. The current is fast here and rafting through the rapids is popular, but there are a few safe 'beaches' where you can't enjoy the regenerative qualities of a dip in this sacred River.

Enza DeLuca 

www.blissfulmind.com.au

Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan Ashram

At sunset Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan Ashram is the place to be in Rishikesh. It is performed by ashram residents, and you will see many young boys dressed in orange organizing the ceremony. These boys are studying the Vedas at the Ashram. The ceremony starts with the singing of bhajans (devotional songs), prayers, followed by hawan (a purifying ritual where different herbs are thorn onto a fire). Then small baskets of flowers and lit candles (offerings made to Agni, the fire god) are floated in the Ganges. Everyone is welcome to attend the Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan. It's a good idea to arrive early if you want to get a seat on the steps close to the action. Shoes must be removed but you can securely store them for free at the entrance.

Mother Ganga - flow of everlasting life and love.

We arrived at our Rishikesh hotel and had our first view of Ganga Ma. The Ganges is the holy river of India, the Mother, the everlasting flow of life and love. Our hotel sits at the feet of the mighty Himalayas overlooking the sacred Ganges. The air is pure and the river runs fast and clean. Rishikesh is close to the source of the river and upstream this is very little development so it's probably one of the cleanest places to see the Ganges. There are two swinging suspension bridges Ram Jhula and Laksma Jhula which is further upstream. Our hotel overlooks a stretch of river upstream from Laksman Jhula and gazing off the terrace I can feel the peace and tranquility of this holy place. Just a few hundred meters from the hotel are the shops and restaurants that surround Laksman Jhula. This place is filled with holy gurus, yoga devotees and seekers of enlightenment. Sit down at any of the many cafes that surround the river and you'll soon be feeling chilled out. The sights and sounds are amazing, monkeys, cows, people and motorbikes all share the bridge and it really does swing!

Amritsar - The Golden Temple

Leaving the hotel in the afternoon in a Tuk Tuk is a hair raising dusty noisy experience, the roads are crowded and bumpy and filled with blaring horns. once we entered the old city we left the Tuk Tuk and continued on foot, the old buildings are falling apart but  some of them still retain intricate and beautiful detailing. The foot traffic is just as busy as the road traffic but the beautiful colors of the turbans and saris of the locals are facinating. At the end of a busy road we walk through a pink marble wall into a huge white marble square and the entrance to the Golden Temple complex. You leave your shoes at one of the shoe holding areas, walk through some shallow pools of water to clean your feet and then make your way up the stairs. Looking through the white marble archway you get your first glimpse of the Golden Temple sitting in the holy pool and yes it is as amazing as all the photos. There are four entrance archways which have no gates as the temple is open 24/7, the four entrances signify the inclusive nature of the Sikh religion. Guru Nanek founded the religion when he entered a holy pool and rose out of the pool three days later chanting Ek Ong Kar Sat Guruprasad 'Infinite Oneness creates Creation'. All Sikh temples provide a place where all are welcome to eat, sleep or pray. Most men take the holy dip in the water surrounding the temple near the ancient Bodhi Tree, the location of the original natural healing spring but for the ladies there are some private areas where you can relax and enjoy the holy dip. We were all amazed by how light and clean we all felt after our dip and also by how friendly everyone was. We met a lovely young Khalsa girl who wanted to tell us about here relatives in London while we were taking our swim as well as lots of people who simply approached us to introduce themselves or asked if they could have a photo with us. We left the Golden Temple feeling a part of this beautiful place and knowing that the Oneness of all is Truth.

Amritsar - the Gowindal Sahib

Our first stop in India is the Amritsar in the Punjab. This is the holy city of the Sikh people, even the airport is named after Guru Ram Das the founder of the town. The city itself is filled with crazy traffic, blasting horns and colourful saris and turbans - overwhelming and exciting. Our wonderful guide for the day, Jessie is a Sikh and on our first day he takes us from the tranquility of the Golden Tulip Hotel to Gowindal Sahib, approx 45 minutes from Amritsar.  This small town is the home town of three of the Sikh gurus, and is also famous for its healing pool at the base of 84 steps. It is traditional to recite the Jaapji on each step and the take a holy dip in the pool. To do the entire 84 recitations and dips takes approximately 17 hours. 

We made our way down the very crowded 84 steps on the women's side whilst our men used the men's side of the steps. We intended to say Jaapji and take a holy dip at least once, hoping to recite Jaapji on the bottom step. It was very crowded but there were a couple of areas curtained of that held hooks so you could undress and dip in your underwear or swimmers. By the time we got to the holy pool there was a crowd so after a quick dip to heal the body and wash away our karma we decided to head back up to the top step and chant Jaapji there. As far as I could tell we were the only ones chanting and we soon drew a fascinated crowd around us. By the time we finished the 15 minute long holy prayer of the Sikhs the white marble below my feet seemed to vibrate with sacred energy. The entire white marble and gold temple complex radiates peace and harmony and there are only a few stalls selling holy articles, and no one will bother you unless you want to buy something.  From the temple we walked 5 minutes to the house where three Sikh gurus lived, this humble house is filled with an aura of tranquility and it's easy to believe that so many people have been miraculously cured in this place. 

Full Moon Lunar Eclipse

Last nights Full Moon Lunar Eclipse was spectacular,  as the Moon moves through the shadow of the Earth, the electromagnetic field of the Earth shifts, which causes our own energy to awaken and inspire change in our life. Take a moment to contemplate what is happening in your world and how the challenges and joys in your experience have transformed your psyche.

This is the third of four lunar eclipses, which happens only 8 times in this century. At the lunar eclipse, the Sun, Mercury, Uranus and the South Node are all in Aries. 

Aries represents our hunger to expand, evolve and grow. Our need to move from old fear based consciousness to new age love 'Oneness'. Yoga and meditation can help us connect with the positive ego that is rooted in our eternal, invincible sense of self, this gives us freedom and confidence. 

To experience this Fearless state Aries helps us overcome the negative ego based anger and self righteousness, that is the result of thinking you can belittled or damaged by the opinion of others or by the loss of physical strength or possessions.

Aries’ polarity with Libra helps Aries achieve this goal. Libra is related to balance and neutrality, fairness and objectivity. The love and compassion of Libra will help us to deal with all our relationships, starting with the most important person we need to accept and forgive - Ourself. 

Uranus and Pluto completed their seventh and final exact square on March 16 but they will continue interact with other planets to create transformation. They call us to open our senses to our natural intuitiveness and Oneness with all things. We are all evolving into New Age Aquarian self sensory human beings and if you haven't already been inspired to expand your vision of Life beyond the illusion of 'Separation' the lessons will become more painful and more difficult to ignore until the locks around your heart shatter and burn and your True self can rise like a Phoenix and Unconditional Love can fill you with Light.

4 sleeps till my Mystic India Tour

On 8th April I start my Mystic India Tour, 12 nights visiting spiritual and yogic sites in India - I'll be sharing my journey on this blog - subscribe to share the fun

Kriya for Awakening your Ten Bodies

This week I'm teaching the Kriya for Awakening your Ten Bodies

Kundalini Yoga identifies 10 light bodies of consciousness.

The Ten Bodies are: 

Soul Body 

Negative Mind 

Positive Mind 

Neutral Mind 

Physical Body

Arc Line 

Auric Body

Pranic Body 

Subtle Body 

Radiant Body

This Kriya was created to bring balance to all of these these dimensions of You. The beginning of all disease starts with a blockage in one of our energy bodies. By strengthening and balancing our ten bodies, we can release these energy blocks before they affect our health. This is a full body workout that begins with a strong navel chakra asana called Stretch Pose, then follows with asanas to release tension throughout the spine and ends with 11-54 Frogs. After a deep relaxation the Kriya specifies the powerful Laya Yoga Meditation. If you're practicing at home, try Sat Kartar's “Laya Mantra” recording and always start your practice by Tuning in with the Adi Mantra.

Enza Deluca

www.blissfulmind.com.au

#yoga #kundaliniyoga #kundalini #newtown #meditation #fullmoon #pranayama #healing #newtownsydney #gong #retreat #baliretreat #yogaindia #yogabali

#quotes #yogibhajan #blissfulmind #blissfulbites

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This weeks New Super Moon, Total Eclipse and Autumn Equinox

This week I'm teaching the Kriya for Relaxtion and Releasing Fear to help us all deal with the astrological energy of the upcoming total SOLAR ECLIPSE and super NEW SUPER MOON on Friday, and the AUTUMN EQUINOX on Saturday.  Both are in the house of Pisces, the last and most spiritual sign of the zodiac, Piscean energy is watery, changeable and emotional.  The upcoming eclipse is magnifying that emotional energy, you may experience inexplicable anger, fear or frustration as repressed emotions are released.The Equinoxes mark the time of balance between day and night, the two times in the year when they are in perfect balance. At the Autumn equinox we mark the point in the year that the night starts to takes over which heralds the coming winter. On a spiritual level the Autumn Equinox is a time when we face our inner darkness, which is why so much of the emotional energy being released by this month’s Piscean moon energy is fear based.  Accept your emotions as they come up, make peace with what has happened or is happening in your life right now, trust and surrender. The Autumn Equinox is also a time to reap what we have sown, a time for gratitude, we can pause, give thanks for everything that has helped us to grow and for everything that mother earth provides. Eclipses create powerful openings for transformation and quantum shifts, while the New Moon (which is a super moon!) is the time to set your intention and create new beginnings. Overall, it’s a great time to practice Kundalini Yoga - come and join me tonight at 6.45pm at KYC Newtown, Wednesday 6.45pm at KYC Bondi Beach or  Saturday (Autumn Equinox) I’ll be leading Aquarian Sadhana at 5am and covering Linda’s 9.30am Kundalini Yoga class at 9.30am at KYC Newtown.

Enza Deluca
www.blissfulmind.com.au
#yoga #kundaliniyoga #meditation #autumnequinox #moon #supermoon #newmoon

MERCURY RETROGRADE AND THE FULL MOON IN LEO, FEBRUARY, 2015

If the start of 2015 feels rocky to you, it could be because Mercury has been in retrograde since January 26th. In Kundalini Yoga the energy of the planet Mercury is associated with communication, the mind, travel and mechanical objects and during the retrograde Mercury appears to be moving backwards in the sky, causing us all to feel lost and confused.

Mercury retrogrades can feel like your life and everyone around you has gone crazy. You may feel that there is just not enough time or energy to get everything done.  Take some deep breaths, tackle one job at a time and most of all give yourself a break.

Classic advice during a Mercury retrograde is - avoid travel as much as possible, don't sign any contracts and don’t buy electrical goods. Traditionally, it’s also a great time to get back money or goods that are owed to you, settle up your own debts and spring clean your home.  On the other hand it’s a great time to meditate and review your life. The feeling of being overwhelmed will highlight what is NOT working in your life.  

This week as the moon waxes you may notice communication problems are causing tension in your relationships.  This is not the time to argue and confront others, it is a time for patience and understanding - everyone is going through their own individual process of awakening.  You may need to reassure yourself that all is well and that everything always works out.

You may feel as if you've lost your direction and during a Mercury retrograde it is easy to physically get lost when you are travelling so give yourself some extra time to get to appointments.  This is not a time to make major life changing decisions, in fact making even minor decisions will be a struggle.  Don’t be surprised if your phone is going haywire or your computer refuses to behave – blame it all on the Mercury retrograde and surrender.  This is a week to take it easy, go with the flow, and do some yoga and meditation to remain calm in the midst of chaos. 

Tuesday evening the Moon becomes full, the Aquarius Sun is in opposition with the Moon in Leo. The polarity pair is all about the balance between the personal (Leo) and the impersonal (Aquarius). The Leo Moon deals with the creative self-expression of your ‘ME’ the individual ego that we experience through pleasure and romance. The Aquarius Sun is highlighting our communal ‘WE’, the universal consciousness of oneness and neutrality that we experience through friendship. This Full Moon encourages us to find a balance between romance and friendship, and between expressing ourselves in personal and impersonal ways. 

The conflict between our intensely individual ego self and our universal, non-competitive, all-encompassing true self is illuminated by this Full Moon.  The planet Uranus, is supporting the changes in thinking we need to make so we can grow and evolve in the Aquarian Age.  Our intuition is evolving and we are all becoming self sensory New Age Aquarian Beings.  When the moon is full and bright our minds are illuminated and we can see and feel our interconnectedness with all things and the shift from ME to WE is natural.

However these new insights are emotional and we can easily become overwhelmed as they are brought into consciousness.  Along with the beautiful feelings of unconditional love come negative emotions of fear, anger, pain and loss of the ego self.  Next Friday at 6.45pm at KYC Yoga Newtown (199 King St, Newtown, enter Egan St)  we will come together as a community and practice Kundalini Yoga and Meditation to use the power of the Full Moon in Leo as we work on becoming Intuitive and developing our self sensory capacity.  


PS: You might also enjoy my book Blissful Mind, Blissful Body available online http://www.blissfulmind.com.au/#!blissfulbooks/cqn6
#yoga #kundaliniyoga #kundalini #newtown #meditation #fullmoon #pranayama #healing #newtownsydney #gong
#quotes #yogibhajan #blissfulmind #blissfulbites
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