Today I wanted to talk about Death. Yup, the ‘D’ word. For so many of us death looms out there, somewhere in our future. Some people hurtle themselves at it, time and time again, through extreme sports or extreme living. Perhaps this is the hero’s response to this unseen foe; an attempt to conquer the invanquishable. Others deal with death by controlling every detail of their lives. They are trying to out manuever and outpace this stealthy predator.
For the yogi, death is the exciting doorway to self and only marks the end of their purposeful, physical journey of life. Death is not seen as an event to fear but an event to embrace. How do we embrace death while alive? By practicing.
Getting up in the wee hours of the morning before the sun shoots its first rays of light into the blackness is one of the ways of embracing this shapeless enemy. Little by little we begin to welcome the dark and we begin to remember that the expansive darkness is the place of our origin- where we begin and end. I noticed around day 55 that I no longer faced the dark with the feelings of dread or subtle fear. It now feels like the place of possibilities, the womb of my desires, the blank black chalkboard of creation. As I reflect on this sensation now, I can feel the tiny bubbles of anticipation for my future. From deep within me is springing the excitment of something awesome brewing.
There are only a few religions and esoteric practices which give you this most sacred knowledge – How to die. I believe even Dan Brown in his newest book, The Lost Symbol, touches on this somewhat taboo subject. (I only read 35 pages so far so I’m not sure how deep he goes). What I am going to tell you is that it is more simple than you think.
You need only practice thinking expanded thoughts about G-O-D, the universe, the Divine, etc. Yogi Bhajan gave this teaching and I had the privilege to study it this past weekend at a Level II Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training- Life Styles and Life Cycles. Utilizing breathing and visualization techniques is a safe way to give you a mock experience of dying. Please do not harm yourself to get this experience it will most likely have an adverse effect.
Confront your fear of death with baby steps and you will find that your life begins to feel more joyful.
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