Healing in Action: A dialogue with Kevin Sahaj

I recently held a virtual interview with Sahaj - read on to learn more about his diverse background, his experience teaching Healing Yoga, relationship with Ayurveda, and personal philosophies.

Sahaj, I had the honour and privilege to attend your recent online workshop 'Yoga & Healing: a one-day introduction to Sahaja Healing Yoga​'. It was just a one-day experience and I feel transformed. How do you explain this?

I am always happy when someone feels the transformational effects of the methods I am sharing. The practices that I am sharing with others I have chosen from many sources for their ability to awaken the body, energy, and mind, and to catalyze the evolutionary human process of becoming a more sensitive, open, loving, and compassionate person. These teachings are gifts from awakened beings to people who want to grow out of the selfish, fearful, and self-centred small mind to remember their true nature; Sat Chit Ananda (truth, pure consciousness, bliss).

Your teachings show that you have a diverse background; you refer to Qi Gong, Tibetan Yoga, Buddhism, Ayurveda, and other forms of yoga. Would you say these are lenses or patterns that allow us to perceive the same subtle energy?

These teachings are more like a mirror than a lens, because when we look within we can find the source of all wisdom and subtle aspects of ourselves will be revealed, including the subtle energies in the body. I have always been eclectic in my studies and have dived into many sources of wisdom. I see that all the wisdom paths have the same truth, but defined in different ways, or approached from varying perspectives.

Can you describe in a few words what Prana means to you?

Prana is life force. The life force is in everything, and everything is alive with prana; birds, rocks, rivers, and plants. The whole universe is sustained by the prana of life and we are a microcosm of the universe. Within our bodies are 5 major life energies that have specific functions and control different aspects of our body, energy, and mind. We work directly with these energies in the healing yoga to align our individual existence with the universal Prana and become integrated with the flow of life.

How can you help couples connect with their subtle sexual energy? I see that this topic is part of your upcoming Yoga and Healing training at Delight and I'm curious about it.

Sexuality is a very misunderstood part of our lives, and yet it has a tremendous force on us, and in many ways controls us without our awareness. Sacred sexuality is a way of bringing consciousness into our sexuality rather than simply being automatically thrown into the powerful desire forces of procreation. In order to access the sacred aspect of sexuality, we have to become sensitive to our subtle energy flows in our own bodies. Then we can feel the energy clearly with another and join with them in a dance of love. Some traditions, for instance in Tibetan Yoga and Qi Gong, sex is seen as a very elevated and profound practice of coming out of the illusion of separation into the unity that is beyond the duality of male and female, self and other, the world outside and the world within. We learn some of these methods in the healing yoga.

Can you tell us a bit more about your relationship with Ayurveda?

For me, Ayurveda is like a gift to humanity to come back into harmony with all aspects of life. I haven’t studied Ayurveda in a formal way, but it has been guiding my life for over 30 years and I continue to learn more. The principles of Ayurveda are like a sattvic foundation to move deeper towards Moksha. In that way, it is like one wing of the bird is Ayurveda and the other is yoga - they go together.

What Ayurvedic tips can you share with us? For instance, do you embed Ayurveda in your Dinacharya (or ‘daily routine’)?

I think the best Ayurvedic tip I can offer is for a person to have a daily routine that includes spiritual practices like asana, breathing, meditation, and mudras, and of course the Ayurvedic Dinacharya is totally in alignment with this. The “best” tip I can offer is to eat less at regular times according to your constitution. And if you are wanting to go deeper into spiritual life, then only two meals per day is enough. After the main meal at midday, don’t eat another meal. This will make your mind body and energy more sattvic.

I saw during your workshop that you like drinking yerba-maté. Which other herbs or spices do you regularly use as a drink, food, or remedy?

I recently found Yerba Mate and really loved it! Although I am aware is it very strong and increases the pitta dosha so I don’t have it every day. I really only use herbal remedies if I need them, but one of my favourite things is grinding cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove into a powder and putting this in my morning coffee. I don’t believe coffee is an official Ayurvedic remedy, but I like it, so it is kind of a “Sneha” for me. I also love using Ghee in my food and make it at home fresh to use.

How do you understand Sahaja (or ‘spontaneity’) applies to Ayurveda?

The term “Sahaja” is a Sanskrit word that describes a state of being that is “natural” or “spontaneous” - it refers to the one who is in an awakened state and his or her actions and life are manifesting the same freedom, naturalness, and spontaneity that is in all of life around us. Maybe in the Ayurvedic sense, this would be like the ability to connect to the essence of Ayurveda beyond the textual references, and being able to find the natural balance, lifestyle, and medicines needed in a particular situation. Ayurveda arose in the state of “Sahaja” and was revealed spontaneously to the Rishis to help humanity. So in a way, the source of Ayurveda is “Sahaja”

Finally, could you share with us three books that you believe are worth reading?

That's a tough one! I have so many wonderful books. Here are a couple of my favourites: The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, I Am That by Nisargadatta Maharaj, and The Crystal and the Way of Light by Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche.

This blog was written by a student in our Ayurveda Practitioner Studies degree programme. If you are interested in becoming an Ayurveda Practitioner or want to deepen your professional knowledge, skills, and experience in the field of Ayurveda - see our website here.