The Divine Shield
Meditation for Protection and Positivity
(K.R.I. Level One Teacher Training Manual, p. 418)
Posture: Sit in Easy Pose. The raise the right knee up with the right foot flat on the ground and the toes pointing straight ahead. Place the sole of the left foot against the arch and ankle of the right foot. The ball of the left foot rests just in front of the ankle bone of the right foot.
Focus: Close the eyes and focus at the brow point.
Mantra: The mantra is Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Chant it in a comfortable high pitch.
Mudra: Make a fist of the left hand and place it on the ground beside the hip. Use this to balance in the posture. Bend the right elbow and place it on the top of the right knee. Bring the right hand back along the side of the head with the palm facing the ear. Form a shallow cup of the right palm. Then bring it against the skull so that it contacts the skull below the ear but stays open above the ear. It is just as if you formed a cup of the hands to amplify a faint sound that you want to hear.
Breath: Inhale deeply and chant the mantra in a long, full, smooth sound. Project the sound as if someone is listening to you. As you chant, listen to the sound and let it vibrate through your whole body. (If you chant in a group you may all inhale at different times. The group sound will seem continuous. In a group you can hear the overtones that develop. Let those tones vibrate all around you and in every cell of your body.)
Time: Continue for 11 to 31 minutes. Then change the legs and ear to the other side. Continue for an equal amount of time. Start slowly; learn to hold the concentration into the sound. Build the meditation on each side to total 62 minutes.
End: Inhale, exhale, hold for 5-10 seconds, then relax.
Comments: It is difficult to focus on your higher feelings and sensitivity if you feel fearful and unprotected. If the universe seems hostile, uncaring and non-responsive it is easy to become filled with cynicism, despair and hopelessness. In that depressed state it is impossible to sense the fullness and possibilities of Life. It is very difficult to solve the very problems that upset you.
Those feelings occur when the aura that surrounds your body is weak and small. The human aura can extend out to 9 feet in all directions. If it drops below 4 feet, we tend to become depressed. We cannot fight off negative thoughts from our self or from the environment. If we can extend the aura, the outer arc of the aura acts as a filter and a connector to the universal magnetic field. It is that outer “circumvent field” that preserves the integrity of the aura, the furiously active blend of thoughts and feelings that emanate from our body and mind.
It takes a year of Kundalini Yoga to expand the aura 6 inches to 1 foot. The aura can be temporarily expanded. One way is to connect your aura with the universal field by using an inner seed sound that activates the power of the heart center. The compassion of the universe uplifts and expands you. It provides a divine shield to accompany you through your trials and tribulations.
This meditation does exactly that. If you make it a regular practice, a sadhana, you will become positive, fearless and happy. Nothing will stop you as you pursue your goals. It will eliminate the feeling of loneliness and separation from your soul.
The sound of “ma” calls on compassion and protection. It is the same sound that a baby uses to call on the mother. In this case, your soul is the child and the universe becomes the mother. If you call, she will come to your aid and comfort. When this shield is strong, it is easy to sense the tide of the universe, the tao. You become spontaneous and vital as you move in rhythm with the greater Reality of which you are part.
When the shield is strong you are protected from the impact of your own past actions. You are like a great ship that turns toward God and Reality and then must cross the waves of your own wake that you created by your past actions. The shield keeps you alert and awake to the real task of your life.
Comments (from Kundalini Meditation Manual for Intermediate Students, p. 38):
Man’s fundamental nature is to unfold, to evolve. Fear curtails this activity and you become unhappy. If you are fearless, your potentials will unfold. Without a regular habit of sadhana to build the strength of the aura, you are at the mercy of fears. If the magnetic field is strong, negative thoughts turn to positive energy as they pass through the auric shield. This meditation calls on the cosmos or God through the sound of compassion and stimulates your inner sounds. The universe becomes the mother and you the child. Call and she shall come to your aid.