May the Long Time ae iibon. You By Willem Wittstamm 1998 AQUARIUS FESTIVAL IN NIMIN, AUSTRALIA ‘ost of you are probably aware that 2008 is a big jubilee year because it’s forty years ago that Yogi Bhajan came to the West. Probably not so well known is the fact that the song “May the Long Time Sun Shine Upon You" was first published that same year. Ie's che closing tune of “A Very Cellular Song” on the LP The Hang- man's Beautiful Daughter of the Scottish based hippie-folk band Incredible String Band. I was/am a great fan of the Incredible String Band. And this is my favorite of their songs. Two years ago I met Shiv Charan Singh and his Karam Kriya group' in England, Being inter sted in Numerology, I was attracted by an email concerning a retreat in my neighbourhood. This was my first contact with Kundalini Yoga. Hearing the “Long Time Sun” song at the end of my first Kundalini Yoga sadhana (daily spiritual prac tice) seemed like a wonder to me. It struck me deeply that there still were people knowing and singing this song that as my personal mantra for more than thirty "Karam Kriya uses applied numerology to provide diagnostic tools for transformation years, It was so perfect that finally I found the teachings of Yogi Bhajan. I was hooked on Kundalini Yoga from the first day, with Isbnaan,? daily sadhana, and all Looked up the address of the Incredible String Band members. Robin Williamson, one of the ewo leaders of the band, got back to me, saying he knew that the song was picked up by Yogi Bhajan’s students during the sixties. Mike Heron, the other band leader said that both the tune and the words were his cre ation and were registered at the “Performing Rights Society” in the spring of 1968, So the song is forty years old now: Mike also told me that they never met Yogi Bhajan ot any of his Kundalini Yoga students. But the Invedible String Band toured the States several times in the late Sixties and “May che Long, ‘Time Sun” was always the farewell song on their live gigs (they yyed Woodstock). Looking for details about how the song also was integrated into Kundalini Yoga classes as the closing prayer, 1 found the answer in the Aquarian Times Winter ‘05 issue. Gurudass Singh of Virginia wrote in an article about the Khalsa String Ba Early morning cold shower hydrotherapy aeo “One day as he (Yogi Bhajan) entered the room, a group of yoga students including Guru Singh were playing a round of a piece by the Incredible String Band... Yogiji asked them to keep play- ing ie, and from then on requested them to play it after his classes. It quickly be- came a tradition that continues today at the end of every Kundalini Yoga class aught ehroughout the world During its forty years of existence the song inspired many people worldwide. In my research I came to know Paul Jo- seph from Australia, known as “Doctor Love" in the late Sixties. He wrote to me and told this story my deep appreciation and warm love to Mike Heron forall his wonderful gifts, but especially for this chane which has broughe immense joy and meaning to my personal life and more importantly, ‘great commonality and spirit in action for my community....The song became the anthem of the Aquarius Festival? thirty-five years ago and is now carved in the streets of Nimbin, Australia, and etched in the hearts of many. The song, has been che theme of a whole migration and resettlement of an area of Australia called the Rainbow Region. “Te started on one ofthe frst student meet- ings about the Aquarius Festival. They nd ‘were a particularly radical lot up there the arguments raged around the room and chaos threatened. Thad recently learned this, lieele song from the Invedible String Band. 1 searted to play the cune quietly on my _guitar, hoping co add a peaceful element to the proceedings. Whether it was the magic of the words or the seduction of the senti- ment, the mood of the meeting, changed. By the second chorus people started to hum along and by the third time every- ‘one was singing together and an amazing feeling of joy arose in the room. The trans formation was really delightful. When the song concluded someone said, ‘fly kites, could run a workshop on kite-making and flying.’ Another said, ‘ve got a truck, my uncles got a chainsaw I can borrow. The For more information about this festival visit \worw:rainbowregion com aulaquarius! enthusiasm — became infectious and we were warmed by che fires of expressed which creativity there—a fire is seill burning after thirty-five yeas! During the original festival, which had ‘no program oF stars, but was Austra iconic hippy love fest, the song, worked par- ticular magic. Paul Joseph headed a pro- ‘ession throughout the festival site and over 5000 people joined in singing and dancing to the tune for over two hours This year he has been elected president of the Aquarius Foundation and was in- vited by the city council of Nimbin to pur an exhibition together in the region- al gallery. Ie's called "Aquarius ‘08 - May the Long Time Sunshine upon You. I personally had so many magical mo- ments singing this song, the latese be- ing not so long ago at the funeral of my wife's grandma, After what I thought ‘was a somewhat hollow sermon by the priest, I stood up and spontaneously sang this song. How calming and sooth- ing it was, magically closing wounds. We all cried and laughed at the same time. Ic fit so well and was consoling Sac Nam. sing “Guide your way on There is one subtlety about the “closing prayer” I would like to share with the ‘gat (spiritual community): I have devel- oped a “technique” co intensify the direct impact ofa bri using May the Long Time Sun Shine. Le me explain. Closing my dai- ly yogic session, I sing the song and take a deep breath before the last line. When I have reached the “n” of the last word “on” I scretch it: “nnnnnnnnnnnn” and lay my tongue against the upper palate using all my concentration to vibrate the essence of what I had experienced/learned/imagined during the particular kriya, into my physi cal body. Ie so strong and direct, some- * Combination of posture, mudra, mantra, breath ing and rye: iterally means completed action times ic vibrates my whole head. The mes- sage is definitely anchored in the body. I would like to invite you all to join me in expressing my gratitude to Mike Her- on, the originator of the song, through which he has given so much to the yogic , why not say “thank you community. now? So many people have received such a wonderful benefit singing this tune. ‘The year of che 40ch anniversary of 3HO seems perfect for a gesture of thanks to the originator of the Long Time Sun song. If you would like to join me in ex- pressing gratitude or conveying experi- ‘ences you had with this song, please send mea letter or an e-mail. I will collect the cemails/letters and forward them to him. May the long time sun shine upon you, all love surround you, and the pure light within you, guide your way on, Willem Wittstamm is a Kundalini Yoga teacher in Germany. He hitchhiked through EuropelAsia in the Seventies, layed music in the Eighties, traveled with a variety show in the Nineties, and is now married and the father of five children. His special interests are Celestial ‘Communication and Kriyas using Jop Sahib. Contact him at Witestamm@t-online.d. ¥ Please note this Mr Witetamm's personal Incerpretation and not a technique taughe by Yog! Bhajan