He still looks a little like the banker he used to be, but the Persian meditation guru and poet Kambiz Naficy no longer dresses like one. His embroidered kurta is comfortable, ideal wear for his kriya yoga sessions. His voice, cultured and refined, has an almost hypnotic quality, the perfect complement to his air of unshakable calm.
Through his organization Joy of Life, Kambiz teaches an unusual philosophy, one intended to bridge the worlds of modern science and ancient wisdom; linking his discoveries in the scriptures with cutting edge research in quantum physics, energy-field theory and Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). Even his actual practice reflects this blend of traditional and contemporary approaches – you can either attend a three-day workshop or take the 30 day internet course, complete with skype sessions on weekends.
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Kambiz Naficy in Colombo
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It’s taken Kambiz over a decade to get here. In 1998, a young Kambiz was enjoying all the benefits of success in the Big Apple. With multiple masters degrees under his belt, he was an international banker in Wall Street for American Express International Corporation. He had the BMW, the designer wardrobe and the respect of his peers.
The only thing he didn’t have was peace of mind. “Everyone goes through what I like to call the dark night of the soul – your old personality doesn’t fit into your present situation and your whole world falls apart because you can’t keep growing in the same mould as you have been up to this point - that was what I was going through."
” Struggling with disillusionment and heartbreak, he simply opted out of his life, and made a radical choice - to move to the Maharishi International University in Iowa. There he would spend two years in near silence, meditating on the Gita and the Upanishads. When he came out, he was a changed man.
That very year he would establish the Joy of Life Organization and devote himself to raising consciousness of both individuals and groups of people. Employing a psycho-spiritual approach, Mr. Naficy says hundreds of people have attended and been enriched by the workshops Joy of Living conducts all over the world. His teachings are built around the practice of kriya yoga. “Kriya Yoga is the art of circulating revitalizing breath through the 72,000 energy channels inside the body using visualizations,” he explains, adding that these energy channels, similar to acupuncture meridians, exist at a subatomic level and are invisible to the naked eye.
The actual practice of kriya yoga can have a profound impact on the body. “After 12 seconds of kriya yoga your brain waves go down from 14 cycles per second to 7, and then another 12 seconds and you’re down to 3 cycles per second.” He says that this leaves the mind empty but alert. Reflecting this, your respiration and metabolism slows down, your blood pressure drops and the “net effect is that you’re intensely present but very empty of fear and worry.” It is in this state that you are best able to perceive what Kambiz calls the god force or life force.
“At the level beneath the atom is the thinking universe, there lies the god force and that force is pure intelligence.” According to Kambiz this universe below the atom mirrors your beliefs, manifesting your thoughts and self judgments in the material world. Talking about how we create the circumstances of our own lives, Kambiz says, “What people don’t realize is that they’re partnering with god.” He likes to challenge people to spend 90 days repeating self affirming mantras like “I am worthy of a great life,” to themselves. He says the change at the end of that period is truly remarkable. “Their facial muscles have changed, their luck has changed, they start to find parking spots on crowded streets, their income goes up. They are influencing the dance of the electron.”
For most effect, Kambiz combines his spiritual practice with psychological counselling. His three- hour sessions are neatly divided in half, the first hour and half being devoted to meditation and the remaining time being used to discuss what he calls the principles of joyous living. Included in this are proper marriage, how to focus the mind, what is self esteem, how self esteem is affected. His website lists seven levels of workshops, each with a different theme.
Throughout, he emphasizes the importance of focus. “Whatever you place your attention on grows. Yogic philosophy states that right behind your attention is the life force.” Should your attention focus on negative thought, you will find yourself weakened, not just emotionally and mentally but physically as well.
“The emotion that makes you strongest is love, and the ones that make you weakest are guilt and shame.” Most tantalizing of all, sincere practice of Kriya yoga will lead to “happiness which is irrespective of your external issues and circumstances,” promises Kambiz.
Find out more at
www.joyoflifeorg.com |
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