My Story (Going ‘Behind the Turban’)
March 10, 2016: This week, I wanted to step outside of my ‘normal’ health tips email.
I had originally started these email health tips as a way for me to connect local clientele with quick and easy ‘home remedies’ they could practice at home to help support health and healing during and after their Chiropractic care. However, as it goes, the list of emails slowly grew to something way bigger than I could have ever imagined. One of the ‘pains’ of growing so quickly, is that I hadn’t considered that people don’t really know about me and who I am. My local clients know me pretty well, they know about my spiritual practice, and we share our spiritual practice philosophies regularly. But, most of you don’t really know who I am or what the turban means to me.
I’ve read some really sweet comments by many of you about my turban and then some…..ahem, not-so-nice comments from people. So, today I’m giving you an insider’s look into ‘the turban’ and my spiritual practice, for those of you who are curious.
I am a Sikh. This is my spiritual path, and this has been a huge part of my life since I was 22 years old.
I grew up in a non-denominational, awesome family in the heart of the south in the US. My Dad has always been the type to look at ‘The One Universal Spirit’ that is contained in all beings and lives inside all of us.
By the time I was 21, I had already spent several years partying with my friends, playing pool, going to bars, frequenting Dave Matthews concerts (they got their start in Athens, GA, where I went to school, so I was at fraternity parties where they were performing for 50 people….awesome for me!), and going to college football games. At 22 years of age, I realized that I was done with all of this and looking for ‘more’. All of the media and our culture dictated that what I was doing was supposed to make me happy. However, at the end of the day, I felt sad, empty, and lonely. I knew that what I had been doing for the past 6 years was not going to fulfill me for the next few decades and that there had to be something else out there to help me feel self-fulfilled, happy and joyful.
Enter a Kundalini Yoga student into the Pier 1, home store where I was working during Chiropractic school. To make a long story short, I was in love with this lifestyle at ‘Hello’. Kundalini Yoga and the Sikh spiritual path fulfilled this longing that I was experiencing.
The practice of it, for me, includes ‘Bana‘, which is a way of dressing so that we actually stand out and are recognizable (like a uniform for doctor or police), and those around us, remember that ‘Universal Oneness’ that lives in all of us. ‘Bana’ includes wearing a turban, which hundreds of years ago in India was typically only worn by royalty (so it’s like a crown!). The practice of wearing a turban by the Sikhs was also way of equalizing the people during a time of inequality and divisive caste system.
When wearing a turban, we cover our crown chakra, which is an energy center located at the top of our head. Additionally, I don’t cut my hair, and I tie it up at this crown center. Energetically speaking, this helps to pull the sun energy down and into the crown energy center. The turban helps to keep the energy contained.
As for myself, my spiritual practice includes Kundalini Yoga, meditation, eating foods that help me to stay connected to that ‘Universal Oneness’, and living a conscious lifestyle that cares for my body, mind and spirit and helping to uplift those around me, if I have that in my power (in Sikhism, this is called ‘Seva’ or ‘Selfless Service’).
I love and value ALL Spiritual Practices and appreciate all people who are conscious and loving and work toward making the world a better place for all.
Thank you so much for taking the time to find out more about me. I thought it may help some people in understanding who I am and why I look different.
If you would like to read more about Sikhs, I invite you to check out www.sikhnet.com. If you are interested in Kundalini Yoga and meditation, you may go to https://www.3ho.org/kundalini-yoga.
With kind regards, Arjan Khalsa
My Challenge to You this Week
Is there is someone in your community who looks different than what you are used to? This may include someone with a different religion or culture, someone from another country that you’re not familiar with, or someone with a disability or disfigurement. If so, I encourage you to take the time to ask them about who they are and what their life is like. Most people are just ‘normal’ people and like the same things you do… love, community, peace, and friendship. Find the things that you have in common and enjoy those. I know that I always appreciate when people come up to talk with me out of curiosity, innocence and the intention of learning and understanding.
