Prosperity comes in many forms. We most often associate prosperity with money: cold, hard cash. And of course prosperity does present itself in the form of cash, perhaps as a well-paying job, inheritance, or on very rare occasion lottery winnings. Money is a useful means of exchange. Money can pay for our homes, food, clothes, yogic pursuits, and is a means to give back to the community. It’s not wrong to associate prosperity with money but it can be limiting.

Prosperity isn’t about accumulating cash, it’s about having our needs met. When we embrace prosperity consciousness, we trust that our needs will be covered and that there is plenty of everything to go around. When we stop hustling and hassling, when we relax into the divine flow, opportunities come our way and, more important, we recognize and can take advantage of them. 

The day of JOY's inaugural prosperity workshop in London, I managed to miss both breakfast and lunch. When I arrived at the venue, one student was already there. As it happened, he had a bag full of sandwiches. This was not a pot luck event, he just had a bag of sandwiches. After we exchanged hellos, he promptly offered me a sandwich. For one reason or another, many of us have been trained to refuse gifts. In this spirit, the words “no, thank you” started to form in my mouth. Thankfully, recognizing the immediacy of the need for food at that moment, wisdom intervened and I accepted a sandwich. One perfectly delicious peanut butter sandwich which gave me the steam I needed to administer the workshop and to teach a vigorous kundalini kriya.

That's prosperity in action. You get what you need, when you need it. One way or another, the universe provides. Prosperity doesn't always come in the form of cash. It can take many forms. And for me on that day, it came in the form of a peanut butter sandwich.

How does this peanut butter sandwich relate to Kundalini Yoga? Through the practice of Kundalini Yoga and meditation, we develop our capacity to recognize opportunities. In this case, I could see the sandwich as a delicious gift instead of refusing with a perfunctory “no, thank you.” As well, Kundalini Yoga and meditation refines our ability to attract opportunities. In simplest of terms, despite a hectic morning and growling stomach, my morning sadhana allowed me to carry on with grace and a smile. Very likely, if I had been scowling and cranky, the sandwich wouldn’t have materialized.

The moral of the story: do more Kundalini Yoga, don’t be afraid to say “yes, please!” and bask in the bounty that surrounds you.