Watch Snatam perform live at the 2019 Grammys Awards Premier Ceremony, February 10 from 12:30p-3:30p at Grammys.com

One of the greatest struggles that we, as human beings, grapple with on a daily basis – in many shapes and forms – is low self-esteem. It is the cause of deep loneliness to intense power struggles, and everything in between.

The Merriam Webster dictionary defines self-esteem as confidence and satisfaction in oneself.

But, I like to take a play on words and say that low self-esteem is a lack of steam within the self, a lack of something on the stove that is cooking and brewing within. If there is anything that I have learned in this life it is that you’ve got to be in yourself. “Stuck in the ribcage,” Yogi Bhajan my spiritual teacher used to call it. Most of the time, we’d prefer to be anywhere but the Self.

To serve this purpose, we have a wonderful array of distractions that we as a humanity have been working on for thousands of years and now have come to an incredible advancement and real tipping point. What are we tipping into? Well, unfortunately, we are tipping into absolute insanity. The good news is that where there is the possibility of insanity, because of the natural law of opposites that exist within our Universe, there is the real possibility of sanity too. Where is the sanity? It’s right inside.

Go inside.

Alright, now we are inside, right?

And, well, it’s boring. Just downright boring. Been there, done that. Deep breath, yada yada, and all that good new age stuff. No thank you.

That’s what most people conclude, and then they go back into the drama and trauma of low self-esteem and running on empty.

Here’s a way that I’ve discover, to make that inner experience absolutely delicious.

Sing! And not just any song will do. There is a sacred poem by Guru Arjan, the 5th Guru of the Sikhs who lived in Northern India from 1563-1606, that has given me incredible energy. When one sings it in the correct combination of rhythm and pronunciation, the neurons change in the brain, messages of well-being pulsate throughout the body, and within minutes, you’re in. Right inside . . . right with the Beloved . . . the Self . . . the love of your life. It is a technology called Shabad Guru, where the specific result of singing a series of sounds brings you into a higher state of consciousness. And it works. In particular, this Shabad, called “Darashan Maago,” can be sung when one feels low self-esteem as a tool to rise up out of that sensation into self-identity, honor, and distinction.

We’ll explore a little about why it does that. First of all, I invite you to take a moment to read the words of this sacred poem:

jis neech ka-u ko-ee na jaanaiThat wretched being, whom no one knows

naam japat ouh(u) chahu kunṯ maanaiChanting the Naam, the Name of God, he is honored in the four directions

darashan maago dayh(i) pi-aarayOh Beloved, please give me the blessing of Thy Presence

tumaree sayvaa ka-un ka-un na taaray ||1|| rahaa-u ||Serving You, who, who has not been delivered across the challenges of the world? ||1||Pause||

jaa kai nikaṯ na aavai ko-eeThat person, whom no one comes near,

sagal srisaṯ u-aa kay charan mal dho-ee ||2||The whole world comes to wash the dirt of his feet ||2||

jo praanee kaahoo na aavat kaamThat mortal being who relies on breath, who no one loves or desires,

sant prasaad taa ko japee-ai naam ||3||By the Grace of the Saints, he meditates on the Naam ||3||

saadhasang man sovat jaagayIn the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, the sleeping soul awakens

tab prabh naanak meeṯhay laagay ||4||12||63||Then, O Naanak, there is an attachment to the sweetness of God ||4||12||63||

By: Guru Arjan, fifth Guru of the Sikhs

As you can see, we venture into the lowest realms of human existence: “The wretched being who no one knows, the one who no one comes near, and the one who no one loves.” As we sing these words, and venture into these realms, we neutralize their impact in our lives. How does this work? It is a part of the promise of the original reciter, who in this case is Guru Arjan, to leave the pathway from his journey into awareness, through these words.

As the tip of the tongue taps the roof of the mouth with these sacred words, it stimulates the glandular system and nervous system, with messages of well-being in relationship to the particular challenges that are being addressed. With the act of singing, we bring our sense of innocence, joy, and love along with the breath into the experience which opens the heart.

Our repeating line is, “Darashan maago dayh(i) pi-aaray.” It is the anchor that we keep coming back to, and it creates a powerful form of self-hypnosis that allows us to transcend our neurosis and go into our sense of self. It means, “Oh God, please give me the presence of the Beloved.” The Beloved, or “pi-aaray,” is really the self, but it is not just the “me” of the situation.

When we come into cosmic consciousness, we enter into the “We” of it all. We find the core of the very existence of love and light to be right within us. By tuning into that, we then have access to an inner vibration that leads us into what is best for us and everyone. We are deeply fulfilled, as we easily enter into the most amazing love affair we can imagine, which is completely stabilized with our inner patience and wisdom.

Then we sing “Tumaree sayvaa ka-un ka-un na taaray.” In this line, we reach up to the Divine through the ethers and ask, “Who has not been saved by serving God?” I feel this line as a gentle nudge from the Guru, allowing us to laugh a bit, as we loosen our tight grasp on the notion that there is simply no hope for any of us! There is a way and it is through service.

A man once felt very depressed. Try as he might, he couldn’t shake it. He called Yogi Bhajan to ask for advice. He dialed the number that he had for him. Yogi Bhajan happened to pick up the phone, and without even saying “hello” or “who is this?” he spoke very clearly into the receiver, “Find someone more depressed than you and serve them!”

Then, Yogi Bhajan hung up, without even a goodbye.

The man gave it some thought and realized that there was a guy who lived down the street, who nobody seemed to like, and who looked pretty down most of the time. He went over to his apartment, knocked on the door, and asked if he could come in for a cup of tea. He was received with surprise and gratitude as they sat down.

The man asked “Hey, how are you doing?”

After a couple of hours of listening to this guy’s problems, he realized he didn’t have it all so bad. He felt a lot better, and it kicked his depression. The guy also felt a lot better, having had someone to listen to him.

Serve.

We may not all be fortunate to have a magical call with a spiritual teacher like Yogi Bhajan, but we do have this line of Gurbani, these sacred words, to speak to our subconscious and entice us into service. It is a communication that happens on the cellular level, where we actually change our vibration with these sounds. The key is of course to sing the words! Once we sing, we impart this vibration into our beings, and then we find the way to start living in this vibration, first starting off with our thoughts, then our words, and finally our actions.

Guru Arjan leaves us with the final teaching, and that is to be in the company of the Saints, in the company of the Holy. Never before has community been so important in our lives. Given the amazing sense of separation and isolation that our lifestyle can gives us, we are deeply challenged. We live in isolated homes, without much interaction with anyone outside of a small sphere.

Within the body of this sacred poem, we are given the instruction of gathering with the Holy; people of light and people seeking truth. I have experienced time and again how healing this practice can be, whether with people of my own tradition or in interfaith gatherings. Be in community! There is incredible healing available to you.

Finally, at the end of the poem, Guru Arjan conveys the sensation of sweetness. Once you feel the Beloved within you, the presence of Self and stabilize that with sacred community, it is a blessing that seems sweet, you desire it more, and bring it more into your life. You save yourself through your own desire!

This is a fool-proof method to obtaining a sense of self-identity, honor, distinction, and the highest self-esteem you could ever dream of. I recommend chanting it either first thing in the morning to set your day in a positive way or at night before going to bed to let go of any struggles and turmoil and find peace.

Enjoy it, and please join me in singing these beautiful words!

Note from Snatam:

I love to look at Beloved as a sound medicine tool kit, with each track having a specific healing effect. Please use this list as a quick reference to help navigate which track will be helpful for you at this time.

Amul – Priceless – To Feel the Priceless Love of the Divine

Gopaal – To Center the Self

Water of Your Love – To Tune in to the Sacredness of Water

Har Uplift – To Restore Equilibrium

Darashan Maago – Reestablishing Self-Esteem and Honor

Pooran Jot – Pure Light – To Access Your Authentic Light

Har Har Har Har Gobinday – The Power to Self Elevate to Your Highest Destiny

Sat Naaraa-iṉ – To Bring Inner Peace and Blessings

Watch Snatam perform live at the 2019 Grammys Awards Premier Ceremony, February 10 from 12:30p-3:30p at Grammys.com

Har Har Waheguru: Uplift and Restore Equilibrium

After the presidential election of 2017, I found the energy was quite heavy in my heart. I felt how separated we were as a country; divided in many ways, including religion, culture, and politics. I knew that I needed to come from a place of love with whatever actions and words I chose to use, and that my own capacity to judge others was quite present. At this time, I gravitated toward the following mantra, which later became the fourth track on our new album Beloved.

har har waaheguru

God, God, the ecstatic experience of bliss of chanting that One’s Name, brings us into a clear state of awareness.

In the cold winter months that followed the election, we composed the tune for this mantra. I felt that it would clear out negative energy and hoped that the melody would support that goal. Indeed, I experienced this to be true in the recording process. However, I would understand something deeper about this beautiful mantra a full year later, when I came across a certain lecture from Yogi Bhajan, my spiritual teacher.

He relayed that within us there are three basic energies: our animalistic nature, our human nature, and our angelic nature. (1) In our animalistic nature, we live at each other, eating and living for survival. In our human nature, we live with each other. In our angelic nature, we live for each other. If you watch people, you can see expressions of all three of these natures.

Ok, let’s take an example to see how this could play out. For the person living in an animalistic nature, let’s say he acquires a loaf of bread. He either eats it all on the spot or hides it in a safe place to have it later. For the person living in a human nature, his neighbor tells him that he’s hungry, and so he decides to share this loaf of bread with him. For the person living in an angelic nature, he actually goes out and looks for someone who is hungry and will feed that person.

After reading this, I then shared these teachings with my daughter. As I was doing so, I realized that I would very much like to be living more in my angelic nature. I felt this prayer seed into my heart, and the next morning, for the purposes of this blog, I set out to practice a meditation with the mantra "Har Har Waaheguru."

As I chanted “har har,” this powerful Name of God twice, it felt as if the earth and the heaven elements within me were being recharged and balanced. Then, as I chanted “waaheguru,” the necessary transformation within my being began to occur. I began to let go of emotions and energy that were no longer serving. “Waah” means bliss, and it takes us to that sensation when we chant it. “He” means the here and now. It brings the bliss to our experience and reality. “Guru” is the sacred word of transformation, that which brings us from darkness into light. It brings the healing and transformation to a personal level, as it works with our very own cellular structure and energy to create change and elevate the spirit.

After sitting with the energy for a few days, it became clear to me that this mantra is not just for clearing energy as I had thought. It is also for restoring a very important equilibrium in which we experience ourselves in our earthly human realm, and also in our spiritual heaven realm. We live in both realms and are made up of elements from each.

As hard as it may be to believe, the challenges we face in everyday situations are all placed there so that we have the opportunity to lose equilibrium, and come back to equilibrium, time and time again. It is a form of exercise that allows the soul lessons to be learned. It is a totally challenging form of exercise, but in the little that I have experienced, I have seen that we become stronger with each flex that brings us back into equilibrium, and this strength builds upon itself. Our daily mantra meditation practice is key in order to keep up, along with a healthy dose of self-forgiveness and love.

The beauty of all of this is that when we are in equilibrium with our true nature, which includes both being human and angel, we can serve. Service is the most powerful way to create unity once again – unity in our homes, our lives, our country, and our world.

I invite you to practice this very beautiful mantra meditation with me from the book The Mind. (2)

Here are the instructions.

Sit straight with your elbows by your sides. Place your hands at shoulder height by your sides with the palms forward and hands in Gyan Mudra (index finger tip on the thumb tip). Pull the shoulders back and lock them. Look at the tip of the nose.

Chant in a steady, clipped or marching cadence:

har har waaheguru

Please use one complete breath for each repetition of the mantra. Use the tip of the tongue on “har” and move the lips distinctly on the rest.

Continue for 31 minutes.

As the sound walks up your spine, you balance all five elements and passions in the midst of activity.

I find that it is best to use your own voice (or voices if you are in a group) and sing in a steady monotone. The sound of your own voice vibrating will be more successful in awakening the energies of your spine than listening and singing along with the recording. When your spine vibrates, it is the most beautiful music of the cosmos. The music for the Har Har Waaheguru track on our album will be great to chant along with as you are learning the mantra, as you go about your day, or even while you are sitting in easy pose with your eyes closed.

“This mantra removes phobias and subconscious blocks from the past. It creates balance between earth and ether and restores equilibrium, so past karmas are cleared.” – Bibi Ji (3)

Bibliography.

1. Yogi Bhajan, Success and the Spirit (Santa Cruz, NM: Kundalini Research Institue, 2011) pg 127

2. Yogi Bhajan, The Mind, (Santa Cruz, NM: Kundalini Research Institue, 1998), pg 166

3. Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa, Mantra (Santa Cruz, NM: Kundalini Research Institute, 2016) pg 43

Note from Snatam:

I love to look at Beloved as a sound medicine tool kit, with each track having a specific healing effect. Please use this list as a quick reference to help navigate which track will be helpful for you at this time.

– Priceless – To Feel the Priceless Love of the Divine

– To Center the Self

– To Tune in to the Sacredness of Water

– To Restore Equilibrium

– Reestablishing Self-Esteem and Honor

– Pure Light – To Access Your Authentic Light

– The Power to Self Elevate to Your Highest Destiny

– To Bring Inner Peace and Blessings

Watch Snatam perform live at the 2019 Grammys Awards Premier Ceremony, February 10 from 12:30p-3:30p at Grammys.com

We long for light; the light of kindness in someone’s eyes, the light of courage when a brave word is spoken, the light of compassion when someone who is hungry is given a meal and a second chance. Even when we feel that we are on the right side of things, without that light, nothing is achieved for anyone.

Fortunately, we have access to this light. Once someone achieves a connection with their soul, it is totally possible to not only be a source of light for yourself, but for others as well. How is this connection made? This sacred poem or Shabad of Guru Gobind Singh, who lived in a time of great struggle and challenge, has been really helpful to me in achieving and sustaining this connection to authentic light.

Let’s dive in and explore each line. We’ll start with the repeating line.

pooran jot jagai ghaṯ mai tab khaalas taah(i) nakhaalas jaanai.

One who embodies the consciousness of Khālsā, a living state of purity, has the divine light of the One shining forth from the heart in complete magnificence and radiance. It can be felt and perceived when it is there, and when it is not.

“Pooran jot” is the completely filling, omnipresent light. Only one living in purity, or “khaalas,” will be able to shine this light forward. This kind of purity comes from a clear mind and the capacity to stay in neutrality. Neutrality creates within us a space, and it is only then that the light of the soul can shine forth in this world experience, or “jagai.” When you make it there, you know it, and everyone else knows as well. You can feel it in your heart, or your “ghaṯ.” Likewise, when you haven’t made it to your purity, “nakhaalas jaanai,” people will know it too.

How do we achieve purity? It’s funny, because it’s one thing that you just can’t fake. Purity is really about presence. It’s about being purely present. When you walk into a room, it doesn’t matter how dumb people are, we (even the most dense of us) can sense when someone is being real or pure (which is just a fancy word for real in my opinion). You can’t sell purity. You can’t make someone be pure. You can’t even inspire someone. They have to, you have to, we have to inspire ourselves. It’s a moment-by-moment choice, in which we choose to follow our hearts and not our heads.

Let’s keep going. Here’s the next line.

jaagit jot(i) japai nis baasur ayk binaa man naik na aanai.

That one meditates in a wakeful state on the Ever-radiant Light, day and night, and doesn’t let even a little bit of something else to come into the mind.

To achieve this state of purity, this “khaalas,” we have to be very wakeful, “jaagit.” It is a constant meditation on the light, or ” jot japai.” It’s funny because so much of our culture has us believing that we can achieve inner happiness and peace through easy means; like if you use this shampoo, wear these jeans, go on this vacation, get this hairstyle, etc., you will be totally happy, and experience your essential truth! Don’t all the people in those ads just look so good? The bummer part of it is that it’s not true.

Of course, you already know that. But, here’s the kicker that we all get hooked into. We think that getting happy should be as easy as going to a mall and buying a shirt (or clicking a few buttons and ordering online!), but it’s not, and we feel so betrayed when we realize that we actually have to work at it, a lot.

Actually, as Guru Gobind Singh says, we have to work on it in a wakeful state in the “nis” day and “baasur.”Not only that, we have to be so focused on the One God, the “ayk,” that not even an iota of something else gets into our “man,” or heart/mind/soul.

Now, before you get squirmy about that God word, here’s something to keep in mind. God is the Divine light that is within all beings and within yourself. God is the truth. God is the moment that you remember to come from your breath and not freak out. When we don’t follow our neurosis and instead follow our truth, we are following God. It’s about consciousness and mindfulness, and Guru Gobind Singh is affirming that the greatest work is really that of the meditator.

Let’s continue on.

pooran praym prateet sajai brat gor maṟee mat bhool na maanai.

That one decorates herself/himself with the love and faith in the completely filling Light of the One, and does not go astray with empty religious rituals, observances in graves, or sitting in isolated meditation huts.

When I was a teenager, I remember going to hear a young woman sing in a Gurdwara, or Sikh place of worship. She was a few years older than me. When she sang that day, she became my absolute role model. She seemed sooo cool to me! The bomb! The best! I wanted to be just like her. She had a nice voice, and she was physically beautiful. But those two things weren’t what got me. Here’s what did it for me: Her eyes were closed, and she swayed side to side slightly, singing with absolute passionate devotion, so much so that she didn’t even have time to wipe away a little bit of spit building up on the corner of her mouth.

As I watched that little ball of white spit, I lost it. She was absolutely the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Her adornment, or her “sajai,” was her love, or “praym,” and her faith, “prateet.” There was a sense that she was speaking to God, and feeling God, and that God in turn was sensing and feeling her. At least the God in me certainly was! She broke through to the other side, to the place where God is real, to where our religious rituals have no meaning. The love inside them is all that matters.

How do you get there? The last line gives us a beautiful way.

teerath daan dayaa tap sanjam ayk binaa nah(i) ayk pachhaanai.

That one knows none except the one Lord in the performance of acts of pilgrimage, charities, compassion, austerities and self-control.

In this line, Guru Gobind Singh talks of the many religious practices of his time that are still alive today. The bathing holy places “teerath,” the giving to charity “daan,” the “tap” or yogic practices, and self-control “sanjam.” In all these, only see, or “pachhanai,” the “ay,” the One God. Let nothing be second to that.

You know, there is this large belief in our modern day world that you have to find someone who is going to save you. A lot of us put that on our spouses, and because of this, we get married and divorced so fast that we cannot even keep up with our own pace. “The other will save me.” We put it on our friends, our teachers, our co workers, our bosses. We put it on everyone else, accept the only one who can actually do something, and that is the Self. We have to do that work of finding the One, the God, the truth in every situation, every breath, and every moment.

As you can see, this is a very beautiful Shabad, with an incredible teaching. You may say to yourself, “Wow, that’s beautiful, but not really attainable.” Here’s where the miracle comes in. It’s called the miracle of positive affirmation. You sing these words that were originally recited by Guru Gobind Singh. In his state of awareness, he left a pathway to that same awareness, through these sacred words. Each verse will take you deeper and bring you to that essence.

At times, you will understand cognitively what is happening, but most of the time, it will be on a subtle level, where the vibratory frequency (of your big toe, for example) gets uplifted. As we uplift ourselves (big toes and all), we saturate our beings with this vibration, and since our beings include our minds, we are infused with it, not only in the physical state, but in the mental state as well. Likewise, we feel it on a spiritual level and call forth the energy of Guru Gobind Singh, whose energy is that of a warrior saint.

I recently recorded this Shabad for my new album Beloved. At the end, we sing the repeating line with a great amount of percussion, which brings to my mind the sensation of the battlefield. I invite you to chant the whole Shabad, and, especially in this section, chant and release, with the ferocity of a great warrior, all of your self doubt, hatred, and misgiving.

Let it all go and find your light.

It’s inside, waiting for you.

I especially recommend singing this Shabad at the beginning of each day, and singing it each day for a period of 40 days, to cycle through all of your changes and see how these sacred words affect you at your core.

Note from Snatam:

I love to look at Beloved as a sound medicine tool kit, with each track having a specific healing effect. Please use this list as a quick reference to help navigate which track will be helpful for you at this time.

– Priceless – To Feel the Priceless Love of the Divine

– To Center the Self

– To Tune in to the Sacredness of Water

– To Restore Equilibrium

– Reestablishing Self-Esteem and Honor

– Pure Light – To Access Your Authentic Light

– The Power to Self Elevate to Your Highest Destiny

– To Bring Inner Peace and Blessings

Watch Snatam perform live at the 2019 Grammys Awards Premier Ceremony, February 10 from 12:30p-3:30p at Grammys.com

Last year, I remember walking down the stairs in our house and the words “bandanaa har bandanaa” came to mind. As I recited these words, it brought me into my navel center, and I felt boundless strength to remain in my navel center come what may. The word “bandanaa” means “to be tied to.” Gloriously, we tie ourselves to God, that essence of light within each of us, and we celebrate this connection by chanting God’s Name, “har.”

It was in that moment that I decided to record these words that would soon become the second track of my new album Beloved, because I wanted others to have access to this same centering energy.

The question that we each have to ask ourselves is “Who is the boss? Who are you serving?”

Once there was a great musician named Tansen who performed in the court of the emperor of all of India, Akbar, who ruled in the 16th century. As a composer, musician, and vocalist, Tansen became known far and wide for his enchanting performances. He was, of course, paid very well by the emperor, who loved him very much.

The emperor was a spiritual man with an inquisitive mind. One day, he sat with Tansen and said, “Oh Tansen, you have such an incredible voice, and your compositions are truly beautiful. I wonder what your teacher’s voice is like?”

Tansen replied, “Oh sire, my teacher’s musical capacity and his voice are beyond description!”

The emperor replied excitedly, “Then you must invite your teacher to come to the royal court and perform! We will pay him very well!”

Tansen replied with his eyes down cast, “Sire, with all due respect, my teacher will not come to this court.”

The surprised emperor said, “Well then, we will go to him!”

Tansen looked up and shook his head, “Oh no sire, my teacher will not like that at all!”

But, after some thought, Tansen’s face brightened and he said, “I know of one way. You and I will have to go in secret early tomorrow morning to listen to him sing by the river.” The emperor nodded excitedly in agreement.

So, early before dawn, Tansen and the emperor set out to a clearing by the river, and as the sky was still dark, they hid behind some bushes and waited. As was his custom, Tansen’s teacher soon came to the clearing, bathed in the river, and then sat to sing as the sun rose. When the teacher started singing, the sound of his voice was so transporting that the emperor went into a deep meditative trance. His voice was soft yet powerful, enough to melt away any trouble or pain of the heart. After a few hours, the teacher finished, got up, and left. The emperor just sat there behind the bushes in a total state of ecstasy.

Tansen nudged him, and the emperor looked up in surprise. “Sire, can we go back to the palace now?”

“Of course, yes!”

That whole day, the emperor felt like he was floating through the air, the energy of the morning still carried him.

That night, the emperor took Tansen aside and said, “Tansen, you are an incredible musician. I have loved everything that you have done! But your teacher is so amazing! What is it that makes him so much better?!”

Tansen laughed and said, “Yes indeed! Well, I am your musician and play for your court. My teacher is God’s musician and plays only for God, who is the emperor of all emperors!”

When we choose to serve God, it is at once the best and most difficult decision to make. I invite you to ask yourself, what do you do in your life that brings you true authentic joy, peace, and well-being? You will most likely find that those things that bring you great joy come from the will of the heart, or God. In order to make choices to stay in the flow of the heart, we have to be fierce warriors, able to stay in our center. Sacred chant is a powerful tool, in that it fills our beings with the vibratory frequency that allows us to withstand stressful energies.

As I recall my spiritual teacher Yogi Bhajan saying, “If you feel depressed, press back!” Our practice of sacred chant presses back. Through positive affirmations, it strengthens our sense of self-worth.

So, let’s get back to those powerful words, “bandanaa har bandanaa.” These words are from a sacred poem or Shabad by Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, who lived shortly after Emperor Akbar’s reign. Here is the first line of that poem:

bandanaa har(i) bandanaa guṉ gaavah(u) gopaal raa-i.I am in service, and tied to God, tied to that One, and this union is achieved by singing of the qualities of God the Sustainer of the world, and King.

Through chanting these sacred words, we can find the way to tie ourselves to spirit, to love, to light, and to God. We allow this essence to become our master, and then we find the way to master this life, filled with courage, strength, and peace in our core. It is not only possible, but it is our destinies, in this time, to pave the way for humanity to find a new boss, for each one of us, called Spirit. Then, as you hear in our recording, we chant “gopaal,” the name of God the King. This moment of chanting “gopaal” is pure joy for me. I hope you enjoy it too.

Here is the entire Shabad, or sacred poem, by Guru Arjan for you:

bandanaa har(i) bandanaa guṉ gaavah(u) gopaal raa-i.I am in service, and tied to God, tied to that One, and this union is achieved by singing of the qualities of God the Sustainer of the world, and King.

vaḏai bhaag(i) bhayṯay guradayvaa]Coming into union with God is a great occasion.

koṯ(i) paraadh miṯay har(i) sayvaa ]1]In the service of God the residue of millions of sins is cleared.

charan kamal jaa kaa man(u) raapai.That one who imbues his heart, mind and soul with the essence of God’s Lotus feet,

sog agan(i) tis(u) jan na bi-aapai.That one is no longer attached to the fire of sorrow.

saagar tari-aa saadhu sangayOne is carried across the ocean of life in the company of saintly people.

nirabha-u naam(u) japah(u) har(i) rangay.Singing the Name of God who is the essence of fearlessness, one is imbued with this essence.

par dhan dokh kichh(u) paap na phayṟayOne who does not steal the wealth of others, and does not commit regretful acts,

jam jandaar na aavai nayṟayThe Messenger of Death does not touch that one.

trisanaa agan(i) prabh aap(i) bujhaa-eeThe fire of desire is replaced with deep understanding and awareness.

naanak udharay prabh saraṉaa-ee.Oh Naanak, one is liberated and forever in the sanctuary of God’s domain.

Note from Snatam:

I love to look at Beloved as a sound medicine tool kit, with each track having a specific healing effect. Please use this list as a quick reference to help navigate which track will be helpful for you at this time.

– Priceless – To Feel the Priceless Love of the Divine

– To Center the Self

– To Tune in to the Sacredness of Water

– To Restore Equilibrium

– Reestablishing Self-Esteem and Honor

– Pure Light – To Access Your Authentic Light

– The Power to Self Elevate to Your Highest Destiny

– To Bring Inner Peace and Blessings

I thought I needed to go shopping for some new outfits for our upcoming tour, but found some treasures with what I already have!

October 2018 USA and Canada Tour Dates: click here!

Dressing as a woman of grace and beauty takes a focused effort. I have become keenly aware to this fact, after many years of finding myself on stage in front of thousands of people, and seeing how important it is to dress in clothes that help me to deliver my best self in the moment. It is wonderful to be attractive to yourself and to others and we all have God given shapes that are beautiful. The problem lies when our end goal becomes those shapes. For example, when outfits are such that the eyes fall straight to a woman’s chest, we are left with nothing but that, her chest, which is a finite form. It creates insecurity in her and those looking at her because that finite form will not last in its beauty. If instead when looking upon her we are brought to a sense of higher consciousness within ourselves, and she is brought to a sense of higher consciousness within herself, just by her clothing choices, the matter is ended. That is dressing as a woman of grace and spirit.

I have been blessed with a lifestyle from the Sikh and Kundalini yoga traditions that celebrates both beauty and spiritual strength through clothing. I’d like to share some of the beliefs and yogic science and practices in hopes that you will be inspired to find ways to bring grace and spirit into what you wear.

Turban: As I chant the sacred mantras the tip of the tongue taps the roof of the mouth. This stimulates the hypothalamus gland, which then sends positive messages to the glandular and nervous systems of the body. This is all happening in the center of the skull, and there is an incredible amount of energy that builds. By wearing a turban this energy is stabilized and encouraged to remain within the being so that the chanting becomes a self-nourishing system.

White: I wear the white color, to remind me that I am one with all beings, as white is a mixture of all colors in the spectrum.

Veil: Every man and woman has an arc-line. This is depicted in pictures of saints as a hallow. The more we meditate and pray, which helps us to manifest our spirit energy on the earth plane, the more our arc-line shines. A woman has two arc-lines; the one from ear lobe to ear lobe, that is like a hallow, and then from nipple to nipple at her chest. A woman is given a chuni, or a type of veil to wear to bring her awareness back to her arc-line, to relate to it, and live from it, and then also to bring protection, grace and honor to her. It drapes over my turban, and then across my chest. I totally feel its effects, and wear one now for every concert or Kirtan performance.

Sat Naam,

Snatam Kaur

Photograph: Grayson // Barcelona, Spain // Light of the Beloved Tour

Watch Snatam perform live at the 2019 Grammys Awards Premier Ceremony, February 10 from 12:30p-3:30p at

The word mantra comes from a very beautiful experience; that of the sound waves moving the mind. Tra comes from tarang, which is the wave of sound. Man is the mind. When we chant sacred mantras, we are creating a sound wave that the mind feels safe to embark upon. This sound wave takes us out of our limited individual mind into our Infinite universal mind. We can see and experience beyond our limitations and the circumstance of the day into the greater story. There are many powerful mantras that work from many sacred traditions. There is one particular mantra from the Kundalini Yoga and Sikh tradition that has given me the capacity to self-elevate.

Har Har Har Har GobindaySustainer

Har Har Har Har MukandayLiberator

Har Har Har Har UdaarayThe One Who Uplifts

Har Har Har Har ApaarayCarrying Through all

Har Har Har Har Haree-angDestroyer

Har Har Har Har Karee-angCreator

Har Har Har Har NirnaamayWithout Name

Har Har Har Har AkaamayBeyond Desire

I remember chanting this mantra with my mother, Prabhu Nam Kaur, in the presence of my spiritual teacher Yogi Bhajan as a teenager. You can watch the video here, if you would like. It’s very fun.

Then, as a young adult, I got together with a group of my friends, and we recorded it in Eugene, Oregon. We had a guitar, a tabla, a drum, and a bunch of voices. Listen here.

Now, once again, it has come back into my life. For our Thanksgiving celebration in 2016, I made up a tune, and we sang it together as a community, just before having our feast. We seemed to go to heaven with its energy. I loved it so much, that a few months later, I decided to put that same song on my new album, Beloved.

The common thread throughout my experience with this mantra is that it just rocks, and throughout the years, all of the tunes that I have created have been super fun.

Essentially, this mantra is the Guru Gaitri mantra with four recitations of Har in front of each word.

In the Guru Gaitri mantra, there are eight words, each of which celebrates a different aspect of God. Some of these aspects of God are comforting and nourishing, while others are challenging to relate to, as life is in itself. By pulsating four times with har before each word, which is called the Shakti Yog Mantra, we are given the extra energy to face the challenge of each of these eight aspects and find healing and victory. As Yogi Bhajan said,

“These are the eight facets of God which you have to deal with whether you like or not.”(1)

Let’s experience each word. I invite you to take a moment and chant each word, and I will guide you into a series of sensations to help you relate to the meaning.

Gobinday

God is taking care of us; the sustainer. Feel all of the ways that you are sustained.

Mukanday

God liberates us. Feel yourself being released from the weight of the world. You are Spirit first, free to live in your truth.

Udaaray

God uplifts. Feel God coming into relation with your deepest troubles. Feel yourself being embraced by God and being healed as you are lifted up and out of each and every trouble.

Apaaray

God carries us. Feel how the hand of God is carrying you, has been, and will always carry you. You simply have to come back to our breath to realize it. Feel completely supported, held, and loved.

Haree-ang

God destroys. Let’s say, for example, that everything is falling apart in your life, and you are being torn apart by that experience. This is the energy of haree-ang. When we come into alignment with our Soul, through the power of breath and practice, we begin to see that what’s being destroyed is actually not in alignment with our Soul’s destiny. Instead of a destruction that we resist, it becomes a destruction that allows us to shed our old ways and start fresh. Really, in each moment, as sure as we exhale, there is an elemental destruction occurring in the universe.

Karee-ang

God creates. As soon as something is destroyed, by law of the universe, another thing is created. New blessings come into our lives constantly. However, new challenges get created too. That part we like to forget. But, it is the natural way of things. Challenge is there to make us grow. Either we face the challenge and grow, or we are paralyzed by it. Neither the challenge or the soul likes paralysis. Challenge is there, like a wave for you to ride and be victorious, not for you to freeze up. Once you are victorious, another challenge comes, another creation of karee-ang.

Nirnaamay

God is without Name. So, here we are as human beings with our minds, trying to define and name everything. That is the power and the job of the mind. It’s good. We need names to anchor into our knowledge and awareness. God also has many names from many traditions, and when we chant those names, we are uplifted. However, here in this mantra, we are going to let go of all of that and go into the unknown. Like a baby being born who does not have a language, and like an old man who breathes his last breath wordlessly, we are brought back into the essential nature of existence. We are asked to let go of our knowledge and just be in the flow of Spirit. Try it out for a moment.

Akaamay

God is beyond desire. When I meditated on this word, it gave me the feeling that God is by Himself, or Herself. A few days later, that was verified, as I read a lecture from Yogi Bhajan where he gave this definition as “Akaamay; it is by itself.”(1)

I meditated on that a little, and it felt like I had to let God go. Like a lover, who loves too much, to the point of going crazy, I had to let God go. I had to take the rejection that God is without desire for me or anything for that matter, and then be okay with it. Once I did this in my meditation, God embraced me, because God wanted a strong, centered, okay-with-being-rejected devotee.

When you chant this mantra, I invite you to chant from the navel point with each stroke of Har. It has the capacity to blast through super heavy energy and bring so much joy when the navel is engaged. Yogi Bhajan perhaps says it best:

“Where is the harmony point of yours? Your navel point. It must move to move your whole life.” – Yogi Bhajan(2)

Yogi Bhajan also teaches about the importance of chanting with the tongue for this mantra, and all sacred mantras.

There are two caves, or guphas, within this human existence. One is called the “bheej gupha,” which means seed cave, and the other is called the “gi-aan gupha,” or knowledge cafe. The bheej gupha is within the woman’s yoni, or vaginal opening. When the lingam, or male organ, enters, there is the possibility of the seed of life getting planted. The other kind of cave, the gi-aan gupha, is within the mouth. The yogis liken the tongue to the male organ, as it plants knowledge with its tapping on the roof of the mouth, through the recitation of sacred mantras. Consciousness is given life! Let’s find out what makes this all possible.

This area where the tongue touches the roof of the mouth is incredibly important in the yogic experience. The tongue is the only area in the entire human being where the Ida, Pingala, and Shushmana come together. These are three vital energy channels.

The Ida is the cooling moon energy channel running from the left nostril to the base of the spine. The Pingala is the warming sun energy channel that runs from the right nostril down to the base of the spine. The Shushmana is the central channel running through the center of the spine, with the Ida going down the spine on the left side and the Pingala going down the right side.

In a balanced state, the Shushmana is totally clear with the Ida and Pingala in harmony. When the Shushmana is clear, the Kundalini energy can rise up the spine to awaken consciousness. The fact that they have a place where they can meet is very significant, and it is for this reason that the yogis say to chant with the tongue. Yogi Bhajan relays it to us this way,

“All right and if you chant with it all this what we are chanting, it will create that unison that intercourse, that merger and you shall be happy, you shall be.” – Yogi Bhajan(1)

Now of course, everybody chants with their tongue. We all use our tongues. The power and effect that the yogis speak of comes when we chant with our tongue in awareness to what we are doing, and we have the sacred mantras to recite, to tap the codes of the ancient ones into our beings so that we may experience liberation.

This mantra is great for bringing in prosperity consciousness.

“This mantra fixes the mind to prosperity and power. It contains the eight facets of Self. ‘Har’ is the original force of Creativity. The four repetitions of ‘har’ give power to all aspects and provide the power to break down the barriers of the past. It converts fear into the determination to use and expand the reserve energy of the navel point. It invokes guidance and sustenance; all powers come to serve your true purpose.” – Yogi Bhajan(3)

There are a number of wonderful prosperity meditations utilizing this mantra that are outlined in Success and the Spirit, a collection of lectures and meditations from the teachings of Yogi Bhajan.

References:

1. Yogi Bhajan as found on Yogi Bhajan Library of Teachings, 1/14/1989

2. Yogi Bhajan as found on Yogi Bhajan Library of Teachings, 1/3/1989

3. Yogi Bhajan, The Aquarian Teacher, (Santa Cruz, NM: Kundalini Research Institute, 2005), pg 85-87

Note from Snatam:

I love to look at Beloved as a sound medicine tool kit, with each track having a specific healing effect. Please use this list as a quick reference to help navigate which track will be helpful for you at this time.

Amul – Priceless – To Feel the Priceless Love of the Divine

Gopaal – To Center the Self

Water of Your Love – To Tune in to the Sacredness of Water

Har Uplift – To Restore Equilibrium

Darashan Maago – Reestablishing Self-Esteem and Honor

Pooran Jot – Pure Light – To Access Your Authentic Light

Har Har Har Har Gobinday – The Power to Self Elevate to Your Highest Destiny

Sat Naaraa-iṉ – To Bring Inner Peace and Blessings

Watch Snatam perform live at the 2019 Grammys Awards Premier Ceremony, February 10 from 12:30p-3:30p at

Guru Nanak, born on April 15th 1469, started the Sikh way of life in Northern India, in a time of great turmoil. The caste system was very strong, and religious tyranny and separation ruled the land. His teachings gave rise to a new way that allowed for people of all castes to connect with God. He did not insist that people practice one religion or another, but that their practice be mindful, driven by love, and, at its core, helpful to living a life of truth and service.

One of his main methods of teaching was through singing sacred poetry, much of which he composed during his extensive travels on foot throughout India and surrounding regions with his disciples Bala and Mardana, a Hindu and a Muslim. The two disciples accompanied him musically, and many times they could be found outside, under a tree or by a river, in a deep meditative state, merging with God as Guru Nanak sang. Guru Nanak began teaching people his compositions so that they could experience this merger as well.

It was very helpful that his poems had great rhythm and rhyme, as people were then able to remember and chant them when going about their lives, in the farms, shops, homes, and many places of Guru Nanak’s disciples. The energy of the Guru, the magic and the beauty, stayed alive in their hearts, even after Guru Nanak left their village. From this experience of joy through sound, they were transformed, and the concept of Shabd Guru was born. The Shabd Guru is the energy of the Guru, or teacher, living and teaching within the sacred sound current of the Guru.

The first track on our new album, Beloved, is called “Amul,” and it’s the 26th stanza of Jap Ji, a sacred poem of Guru Nanak that is the seed of Sikh Dharma, as well as a gift to people of all walks of life. I invite you to learn more about Jap Ji through this online learning tool.

Each pauree, or stanza, has a special gift. According to Yogi Bhajan, this pauree transforms nothing to everything. In your business, it banishes losses, misfortunes, and miseries. (1) If you would like to meditate on this Pauree alone, this practice requests you recite it eleven times a day.

“Amul” means priceless. This word gets repeated many times within the stanza, and it also became our chorus for this recording. For me, when I chant this word, it has the effect of rooting me down, to what really matters, the Prana, or energy of life itself.

There is a story of Guru Nanak that I’d like to share with you that relates to this word “Amul.”

As Guru Nanak arrived at one village, a carpenter named Lalo heard of his arrival, came to Guru Nanak on the road, and bowed. He humbly asked Guru Nanak, “Beloved Guru, could you please do me the honor of staying in my home? We do not have much, but we give our hearts to you, and we are here to serve you.”

Guru Nanak accepted the invitation, and he and his small party became the guests of Lalo and his wife. The Guru slept on a blanket on the floor, and the couple prepared very simple yet delicious food filled with love.

The governor of the region, Malik Baago, was preparing a feast that he put on once a year for all of the holy men of the region. During the rest of the year, Malik Baago was a very selfish man, who treated people quite poorly. Somehow he thought that, in the eyes of God, this feast would make up for that behavior.

When the governor heard about Guru Nanak, he sent his messenger to invite the Guru to the feast, which was to be the next day.

But, Guru Nanak refused to come.

The messenger, shaken by the response, said, “Oh please, do come! My master will be so angry with me!”

Guru Nanak decided to accept and came to the banquet, where the most beautiful food was laid out on a large table. Many holy men were there, along with other dignitaries, eating this food. But, Guru Nanak sat down at the table and simply closed his eyes.

When Malik Baago saw this, he was furious, came straight away to Guru Nanak, and said, “You have been eating the food of Lalo from a low caste family! Why aren’t you eating this food, which has been prepared from my kitchen?”

Guru Nanak replied, “I will show you, instead of talking with words.”

He then asked the messenger to go and get some food from Lalo’s kitchen and bring it, along with food from Malik Baago’s kitchen. The messenger went straight away and brought back the requested items. By this time, everyone at the banquet had gathered around. Guru Nanak took a piece of chapati (or simple bread) from Lalo’s house into one hand and then a piece of fine bread from Maalik Baago’s kitchen in his other hand. He proceeded to squeeze each in his hands.

From Lalo’s bread, white sweet milk came out. From Maalik Baago’s bread, blood came out.

Everyone gasped, and Maalik Baago fell to his knees. “What is the meaning of this?” Maalik Baago asked in consternation.

Guru Nanak replied, “Lalo’s kitchen is filled with love. Everything Lalo and his wife does is with love. They earn their money honestly and treat each other and everyone who comes to their home with complete love and respect.”

Everyone in the village knew Lalo and his wife and nodded.

The Guru continued, “The workers in your kitchen fear you, and are angered by how poorly you treat them. The money you earn comes dishonestly, and this energy fills your home. In this food, there is nothing but that fear and anger that is permeating your life.”

Maalik Baago recognized this in himself and asked the Guru to teach him how to change his ways. The Guru agreed, and perhaps this Pauree reflects what he may have taught him. I invite you to take a moment to read it:

amul guṉ amul vaapaar.

Priceless are God’s Virtues, Priceless are God’s Dealings.

amul vaapaaree-ay amul bhanḏaar.

Priceless are God’s Dealers, Priceless are God’s Treasures.

amul aavah(i) amul lai jaah(i).

Priceless are those who come to God, Priceless are those who buy from God.

amul bhaa-i amulaa samaah(i).Priceless is Love for God, Priceless is absorption into God.

amul dharam amul deebaaṉ.Priceless is the Divine Law of Dharma, Priceless is the Divine Court of Justice.

amul tul amul paravaaṉ.Priceless are the scales, priceless are the weights.

amul bakhasees amul neesaaṉ.Priceless are God’s Blessings, Priceless is God’s Banner and Insignia.

amul karam amul phuramaaṉ.Priceless is God’s Mercy, Priceless is God’s Royal Command.

amulo amul aakhi-aa na jaa-i.Priceless, O Priceless beyond expression!

aakh aakh rahay liv laa-i.Speak of God continually, and remain absorbed in God’s Love.

aakhah(i) vayd paaṯh puraaṉ.The Vedas and the Puraanas speak.

aakhah(i) paṟay karah(i) vakhi-aaṉ.The scholars speak and lecture.

aakhah(i) baramay aakhah(i) ind.Brahma speaks, Indra speaks.

aakhah(i) gopee tai govind.The Gopis and Krishna speak.

aakhah(i) eesar aakhah(i) sidh.Shiva speaks, the Siddhas speak.

aakheh kaytay keetay budh.The many created Buddhas speak.

aakhah(i) daanav aakhah(i) dayv.The demons speak, the demi-gods speak.

aakhah(i) sur nar mun jan sayv.The spiritual warriors, the heavenly beings, the silent sages, the humble and serviceful speak.

kaytay aakhah(i) aakhaṉ paah(i).Many speak and try to describe God.

kaytay kah(i) kah(i) uṯh uṯh jaah(i).Many have spoken of God over and over again, and have then arisen and departed.

aytay keetay hor karayh(i).If God were to create as many again as there already are,

taa aakh na sakah(i) kay-ee kay-i.even then, they could not describe God.

jayvaḏ bhaavai tayvaḏ ho-i.God is as Great as God wishes to be.

naanak jaaṉai saachaa so-i.O Naanak, the True Lord knows.

jay ko aakhai boluvigaaṟ.If anyone presumes to describe God,

taa likee-ai sir gaavaaraa gaavaar. ||26||he shall be known as the greatest fool of fools! ||26||

When we exist as if this earth and all the dealings in it are the bottom line and the reality, we have lost one of the blessings of being a human being, and that is to connect with Spirit. The earth is here as a training ground to bump us back into consciousness. We are chiseled, purified, and trained, each with a very specific lesson plan that involves all of our relations and circumstances. However, we for the most part have lost our remembrance that we are Spirit first.

These are the kinds of things that tend to happen when we forget Spirit:

Our priorities shift in how we spend our time, we forget to nourish the Spirit, and thus feel a deep emptiness.Our words stop resonating with our inner truth, but instead resonate with the neurosis of the mind, which only leads to shallow talking and living.We do not see ourselves as beings of wisdom and Spirit, but instead as objects to gain approval or interest from others. Our clothing and the way we treat our bodies instead of being graceful, is disgraceful to the soul.Our business dealings do not have long-term vision, as we are only concerned with making money now, and not with the impact on our collective quality of life.

All of this activity takes a great deal of running around. There is no depth in this kind of running, and so we have for the most part lost trust in each other. We all know the end of that story. We end up with divorce, loneliness, and lack of love in our lives. It doesn’t matter how successful a person is. This story is a deeply sad one, and most of us are living it.

When we relate to “amul,” we awaken within us a sense of desire for that which is priceless. We live in the world, but we relate to that which is beyond it, above it, below it, and through it; that which is timeless, and that which is true. Guru Nanak calls it “God.” God, in this very real way, is about relating to Spirit, the breath, and the quiet moments when we stop, wait, and listen. Let God do the work! Lean on God! This is a priceless moment. From this moment, we then have the opportunity to choose words and actions of love, courage, and truth. This brings us the greatest prosperity one can imagine. But you need this moment. Without this moment, you can’t see or feel the truth.

If you are like me, singing is a great way to bring this energy forward into the mind.

The more we bring this “amul” moment into our mind, the more we infuse its energy into our lives. We then have the capacity to nourish the soul, think and speak the truth, and live in complete consciousness with our work and lives to serve and uplift all beings. We essentially live by the frequency of the Spirit. It is absolutely totally possible!

Please enjoy these words, and sing with me if you’d like. May they awaken within you the capacity to live in the consciousness of “amul.”

I am so happy to be able to share the chants from Beloved with audiences live on our upcoming concert tour. Being together physically and chanting is one of the most effective ways to teach and transfer the power of these incredible chants, to bring peace, love and light into our hearts. Please check out our schedule to see if you can join us.

References:

Sant Singh Khalsa, Sundar Gutka (Tucson: Handmade Books, 2000), Introduction section

Note from Snatam:

I love to look at Beloved as a sound medicine tool kit, with each track having a specific healing effect. Please use this list as a quick reference to help navigate which track will be helpful for you at this time.

Amul – Priceless – To Feel the Priceless Love of the Divine

Gopaal – To Center the Self

Water of Your Love – To Tune in to the Sacredness of Water

Har Uplift – To Restore Equilibrium

Darashan Maago – Reestablishing Self-Esteem and Honor

Pooran Jot – Pure Light – To Access Your Authentic Light

Har Har Har Har Gobinday – The Power to Self Elevate to Your Highest Destiny

Sat Naaraa-iṉ – To Bring Inner Peace and Blessings