The Complete Yoga Community

Everybody on the spiritual path experiences in the course of time five distinct phases – Saram Pad, Karam Pad, Shakti Pad, Sehej Pad and Sat Pad. These phases are stepping stones in the growth of consciousness; rites of passage that allow us to grow in an organic way. See it this way: a pot needs to be fired properly, steel must be tempered – otherwise the vessel will be brittle and cannot last. Understanding the phases will help you stay tuned and keep your faith together and heads high when the path gets rocky. You will know what to expect and can look forward to the changes.

Saram Pad
Saram Pad is when you accept your spiritual destiny. You have only just begun a whole new transformatory process and at the same time your soul feels it has finally come home. There is a distinct and strong feeling of elation. The student has come under the protection of the teacher. You feel peaceful and renewed, rejuvenated and, in a way, like a child. Deep down you have made a commitment and you indulgently feel absolved from responsibilities. The Divine is now taking care of you and the loneliness of the self is temporarily eclipsed. There is an exciting feeling of “Yes, this is it! This is what I have been looking for.” The soul is honeymooning with the Infinite and you feel as if all the angels are heralding your coming home. It is a time of wonder, innocence and deepening of values.

Karam Pad
Karam Pad (same root as Karma) is when the work begins. The honeymoon is over, the wonder and excitement is fading. You are not a novice anymore. You know your duty (your sadhana), your routine. You are conscious of the issues that you are working on (a servant of the Divine) and have taken on many altruistic and selfless jobs. The experience of this phase is being neither good nor bad. The joy of “being on the path” compensates entirely for the hardship. You know that you are doing the right thing.

Shakti Pad
Next is Shakti Pad – a major threshold. The student has developed Shakti and feels quite free and empowered. You have worked on issues within yourself and what used to be a problem no longer is. You are quite confident to handle just about any situation. The sweet experience of success is heady. And yet you are not happy. Your spiritual practice is floundering; you can be totally careless about what used to be of paramount importance. Look out for the tell-tale signs – if you do not want to get up and do yoga and meditation, maybe you are in Shakti Pad.

Shakti Pad is ego confrontation. Some part of you feels ready to challenge your spiritual teacher and any teacher who is worth his salt will provide you with tests. The healthy approach to Shakti pad is to continue to dedicate yourself. In your ups and downs, bow to your teacher. You are still under their protection and they will see you through.

The problem in Shakti Pad is that sometimes you trick yourself into believing that all this gain has been due to your own efforts and your own prana. You feel you have done it all yourself. If you know your identity to be in God, you will grow and expand in the most incredible way in this phase. You may feel tempted to “drop out”, to turn away from the spiritual path or, alternatively, seek other paths and teacher who, ironically, will not let you in but rather withdraw from you. You, the student, will have forgotten (maybe you never knew) that there is only one teacher and one path which is God.

If through your changes and mood swings you can see your goal of coming closer and closer to God, you will be fine, and whatever may happen to you, you are still under God’s protection. All in all, Shakti Pad is a most exciting phase. Scores and scores of souls long for this experience, this initiation. You are strong now and you are being tested. This is time to keep up and look forward to the next phase.

However much you want to challenge, confront and overtake your spiritual teacher, try and see the humour in the situation. Let the sweet smile of devotion shine through the tears of your frustration. Yogi Bhajan says that Shakti Pad can come anytime ofter three to 11 years of Kundalini yoga.

Sahej Pad
When you come out of Shakti Pad, Sahej Pad is the reward. Sahej pad is a very different phase, characterised by sobriety, sweetness, grace and openness. You know the difference when you’re in it! You realise as a fact that you were only fighting with and against yourself and the fight is now over. No longer is their a need to conceal hang-ups that are unacceptable to you. You have dropped the hang-ups and this comes as a real surprise and change in energy. You are humble and at peace, friendly and loving with everybody, you have no enemies and await in patience God consciousness unfolding.

Sat Pad
Sahej Pad crystallises into Sat Pad (Sat means truth). You are very clear, you are enlightenend. You are fearless and you do not notice a sacrifice as a sacrifice because, for you, there no longer is duality. Your will and the will of God are identical as one. Strictly speaking, you are not a student anymore but a master in your own right, except that it does not matter in any way to you. Sat pad is very carefree and a truly liberated way of being.

Sahej and Sat Pad make life that divine and uplifting experience that we all long for. Shakti pad is a dense forest that obliterates a magical garden. Take your practice in full stride and move towards Shakti Pad with anticipation. If your heart is pure you will make it unscathed. Persevere, you are nearly there.