Reprinted from YogaChicago September 2011 issue.

I have learned, practiced and taught meditation for over 45 years because my love is to see the miracle in each person when they open to who they are, share their unique gifts and thrive as they make a better world. Meditation is a powerful tool to unleash that potential. I was often uneasy about many things in spiritual and meditation movements that seemed ungrounded in the beauty and reality of everyday living and that simply promised extraordinary experiences. I believe in testing each thing I learn and then sharing what works. I learned that when using meditation as a skill to reach enlightenment or realization, everyone journeys through the same set of stages, almost as if they are mile markers along a road. I had the privilege to study for over 35 years with Yogi Bhajan, a master of kundalini yoga, from his immigration to the USA in 1969 until his passing in 2004. He taught these techniques worldwide, founded the 3HO foundation to reach everyone and trained teachers. My role was to elaborate, systematize and research the techniques and to develop practical programs. I learned about the three journeys, the stages and the meditations to complete the journeys directly from him and have shared that along with my own experiences from practice and teaching them. The stages provide an indispensable map for deepening and understanding meditation. Every expedition requires a purpose, the skills and a map. The purpose of my lifes expedition is often called realization. Realization simply means to be happy, to thrive, and to experience the full measure of our humanity. The skills we need for this expedition are acquired through the practice of meditation. Meditation is natural to us and we can cultivate it, become skilled in it, and bring ourselves to a deep, full expression of who we are and can be. Now, without a map, any expedition can seem daunting. A map is essential to orient our exploration. The map for this expedition towards realization is simple. It consists of three journeys. As you become skillful in each meditation, you progress along the journey and expand the range of your experience. Each journey consists of seven meditation experiences. Each meditation awakens a part of you and develops a skill that clears your way. The seven meditations systematically confront the patterns and limitations we all have in our mind and emotions while expanding our sense of presence, stillness and connectedness. Each meditation is an experience that is different for each person since each of us is individual in our character, interests, history, culture and training. And each meditation is a keystone to the transformation of our capacity to feel and act from our authentic Self. Each of the three journeys guides us through seven stages of our Self and our meditation capacity.

I learned these stages directly from my teacher, Yogi Bhajan, and developed the two day workshops for each journey. The three journeys are:

Crystallize and Experience the Self

In this first journey, you deepen the basic skills of attention, focus and stillness. Most importantly you open the heart center and crystallize your sense of Self. Then you open to all of your feelings- good and bad- without losing your own self and inner compass. The names of the stages in this journey are: upset, boredom, irritation, frustration, focus, absorption and, finally, crystallize and experience the self.

Express and Distill the Self

In this second journey, to Express the Self, the meditations expand your capacity to express your self effectively and authentically in every role and area of your life. It is all about our power to connect, express, create and have joy. The seven stages are called-rasa, delight, politeness, humility, elevation, graceful enlightenment and express and be your Self.

Transcend and Sublimate the Self

In the third journey, you open the intuition fully and connect to your Infinite Self. You refine the skill to become still, grateful, and go past your real and imagined limitations. The seven stages are called presence like a beacon, everywhere radiance, prayerful stillness, preacher, teacher, sage and Infinite Pulse. Here is an example of a meditation you can practice that is part of the seventh stage to meditation that crystallizes your sense of Self.

The Crystallized Self and the Heart Center

Through all of human history individuals have found a way to crystallize the self. With that crystallized self we can stand before the depth and mystery of our being and act with dignity, integrity and creativity.When we begin to crystallize the Self, we start to separate our ego and commotions from our Self as we open our heart center. Opening the heart center is the key to the culmination of this first journey. For the meditation we use a classical mantra: Humee Hum Brahm Hum,. There are many mantras that work on the heart center. The sound Hum itself and the sound Hu are used in various wisdom traditions. The Humee Hum is the sense of self we get in our connection with other

people, things and thoughts about our self. It means, We are we. It affirms our interconnection with all we are part of. Brahm Hum is the subtle aspects of our Self. It is the formless creative witness in us. It is the part of our existence as a self that is beyond rational capture and is the ineffable reality of our Being. Combined they are like a heartbeat. The energetic form and flow of these sounds work the heart center, navel center, and throat and brow centers together. The mantra brings the experience of the Self fully present in your body and mind. A crystallized self is an integrated sense of self. It requires the meditative capacity to be still, open your sensitivity to all sensations, and to simultaneously be aware of your awareness. It is from this space that we can step back from our emotions and feelings while sensing them all. Then we can make room for compassion. That begins with compassion for your self. That allows the whole self to become present. All the parts of you that you affirm and all those you do not; all the parts you know and all that you do not. That is why we say that opening the heart center is the first step to being fully human. Here is how to use the mantra in the Heart Seal Meditation. Sit in a meditative pose individually. Close your eyes and focus through the brow point. Cross the hands right over left over the heart center in the center of the chest. Sit in a meditative pose individually. Close your eyes and focus through the brow point. Cross the hands right over left over the heart center in the center of the chest.

Feel your heart beat. Keep the chest lifted slightly. Chant the mantra out loud. You can do it Acapella. You can also use a musical version of the mantra precisely done by Gurusangat Singh called Humee, Hum from itunes, amazon or kriteachings.org. Sit still and consolidate your self. You welcome the unknown infinity of your being to synchronize with every action, thought and cell. You meditate aware of all sensations. Aware that you are aware. Aware that you are present and observing. Aware of all that flows through you. Aware that you are created and creating in this moment. Aware that each moment records your thoughts, acts and feelings as a ripple in infinity and eternity. Before this simplicity and vastness, be humble, joyous, contained, content and conscious. Practice alert mind, full heart and bless all. Bless your self; bless your friends and enemies; bless all that is known to you; bless all that is unknown. Be clear, crystal clear. Continue for 11 minutes. With practice you can extend this to 31 minutes. To end, inhale deeply, suspend the breath and press the hands firmly on the chest. Exhale in one powerful stroke through the mouth. Repeat this three times. Then be still or deeply relax on your back.

Excerpts from the soon-to-be-published, The 21 Stages of Meditation, by Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Ph.D. Gurucharan is an expert in psychology and meditation, author, consultant, researcher and director of training for the Kundalini Research Institute. Contact: yogamaster@aol.com Gurucharan Singh Khalsa leads the three-part workshop, Crystallize the Self November 1213, Express the Self January 14-15 and Transcend the Self March 17-18 at Kundalini Yoga in the Loop (KYL), downtown Chicago, 312-922-4699 or www.shaktakaur.com.

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