ਮਨ ਰੇ ਪਵਨ ਦ੍ਰਿੜ ਸੁਖਮਨ ਨਾਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

O Mind, faithfully stubbornly hold on to Gurmat Jugti of Naam Abhyaas that involves the Pavan (Swaas Swaas Naam Japna), and this will ensure that the Sukhmana (and Ida, Pingula) process is taken care of.

Yogis worry about the Ida, Pingula and Sukhmana process, but Gursikhs don’t directly worry about this, and through Naam Abhyaas, all Chakras are pierced, Kundalini rises through Sukhmana, and whatnot.

Yogis try to awaken the Kundalini and make it rise through the Sukhmana Naadi. Sukhmana Naadi runs through the central backbone but the backbone is full of bone marrow. In order to melt it in order to make way for Kundalini to rise, they bring heat through the Pingula Naadi (Solar Naadi) by involving different Aasans and Pranayaam, and when the body gets overheated due to Pingula, they use the Ida Naadi (Moon Naadi) to cool it down. As the marrow melts, they move their Kundalini through Sukhmana towards the forehead. As the Kundalini moves through 6 Chakras (some say 8), the practitioner receives many super-sensory (Ridhi Sidhi) powers. The aim is to bring the Kundalini to the topmost Chakra, and that’s where they think salvation is.

The problem with this process is that it’s a very risky process and can cause death or permanent damage to the mind or body. If the Kundalini moves up through Ida or Pingula, instead of Sukhmana, it can cause major problems. A Yogi from Kashmir wrote about his spiritual experiences involving Kundalini. He was able to awaken the Kundalini and move it up, and even saw the light, but it also caused him severe pain. He had no peace, and he suffered in this way for many years before he discovered that his Kundalini had moved up not through the Sukhmana but through Ida or Pingula. He was fortunate to have survived. Many die in this process.

Gurmat Yog, on the other hand, is nothing but Sukhdaaee (happiness-giving, blissful). It does not matter whether you rise too much spiritually or not; still, as you chant Naam with Gurmat Jugti and sing praises of Vaheguru through Gurbani Kirtan, you get nothing but bliss, and no damage can occur, as is the case with the aforementioned Hatha Yoga. All the Kundalini process that is so complicated in other faiths, occurs effortlessly in Satsangat:

ਕੁੰਡਲਨੀ ਸੁਰਝੀ ਸਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਪਰਮਾਨੰਦ ਗੁਰੂ ਮੁਖਿ ਮਚਾ ॥
(The Kundalini got released in Satsangat and topmost bliss was attained when Naam (Guru) got heated in the mouth i.e. when Naam was chanted with vigour).

In Gurmat, a Gursikh does not think of Sukhmana, Ida, Pingula, or Kundalini, nor does he care what and where they are. Everything just falls in place as he devours Gurmat Naam with Gurmat Jugti.