Luckysingh ji (others also welcome to reply)
I did try it.
Long ago before burrowing a channel in my life directly to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, I knew a little, more than a little, about Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji, and was actively involved in yoga cum mantras from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
This period in my life lasted a little over a year. There was an event that forced a choice between making a commitment to Sikhism OR dabbling in yoga - a decision about making a commitment is exactly what it was.
I attended a large yoga gathering, organized by 3HO Sikhs, in New York city. One of the lengthy asanas was performed while chanting "Aad Gureh Nameh. Jugaad Gureh Nameh. Sat Gureh Nameh. Sri Guru Dev Nameh." I stopped in the middle with a jerk. People to each side, my partner, not happy with me because my actions were stopping the "flow of spiritual energy" from one person to the next.
I got up, apologized, found my shoes, left and walked 20 blocks back to my hotel in tears. i walked to work off my strong emotions.
My problem? We were chanting very sacred words to a sacred hymn in a sacred granth who is Guru, and no one seemed to notice or care. There were many others, chants and asanas, that I had practiced in the past. Only this time the dismay hit me like a sudden blow of a hammer.
Now this is an open question. Why was I dismayed and with such sudden force?
Another open question. Why do some of the panth who witness the practice of chants and asanas in the main darshan of their gurdwaras become angry?
p/s Organizers charged $375.00 US for the experience. There were scores of people there.
Actually, I wasn't talking about yoga at all. I was talking about 'waheguru' simran, which I believe was what Ravneetji was discussing earlier.
I actually see a
huge difference in this and the yoga where gurbani is used. You may or may not remember, that I have actively started kundalini yoga classes a few weeks ago.
It's still early days for me to give a full witnessed account, but it is quite clear that it is NOT gurmat !!
Saying this, I can't say it is manmat either, but I can't have it crossing over into my spiritual progress in sikhi, since there is no relationship !!
I perceive it as an activity of general well being using focus of mind, meditation and postures, just like many of the other meditative yogas out there.
For those that have experienced simran, I can clearly say that you won't get the same anand as you can in simran, simply because it is not gurmat in my opinion.
Adminji, I clearly understand your feeling and comment above with reference to ''Aad Gurey namay'' shabad, believe me !
During my first lesson, when I first came across it when reciting this with some yogic posture, I had this real strange feeling !!
It was the feeling when one questions themselves and thinks 'is this blasphemy ?, or is this wrong because it just didn't feel right.
In front of me were two young white women, the sort that I would label as ''Californian beach girls''-(because these are women that take great care of their body and shape to always be looking good, slim and slender)
Now, obviously they are into the yoga class purely for the relaxation and well being.
Looking at these two, I thought to myself ''do they really know who actually said this and what that Guruji meant to all Sikhs ??''
I felt a little confused and may be upset because I had a better idea of what Guru Arjan Dev ji was about !!
Then, I thought to myself '' Is this really what Guruji would have expected to be happening to these uttered shabads of his ??''
Suddenly, my answer came to me and left me smiling with envy and pride for Guruji.
I thought we may be uttering Guruji's aad gureh namay shabad whilst sitting in this yogic posture and Guruji would probably see me and be smiling since Guruji probably uttered this very shabad himself whilst sat in his yoga position on the tathi tavi or hot plate!!!
That is the True Yoga, that I am nowhere in reach of.
Just the thought and vision of Guru Arjan Dev ji looking at me and smiling whilst I try and sit in a yogic position, gave me a feeling of comfort.
Because, only he could have demonstrated the True Yoga for any yogic out there, by sitting in his yogic position on a hot plate whilst hot sand was poured over him.
I enjoy the yoga as part of my physical well being, as I have to be involved with spinal posture activities due to the very high numbers of broken and fractured vertebrae I have in my back.
I can't understand how so many people started with this yoga and continued to become Sikhs, thinking that it was part of Sikhism !!
As a Sikh, I don't see any association at all, except for the gurmantars and shabads that the master Yogi Bhajan introduced misleadingly !
