Leo why did you stop practicing Kriya Yoga?

[Panteranegra]

Hey Leo,

I’m really grateful that you introduced me to Kriya Yoga—it’s been transformative, and my life is improving every day. That said, I’m curious about something: why did you stop practicing Kriya Yoga?

I remember in one of your blog videos, you mentioned having an experience where you realized that meditation and yoga “weren’t gonna do it for you” (lead to enlightenment). I found that interesting, but I’m wondering why you chose not to follow that path more consistently

[Leo Gura]

Several reasons which are quite personal to me:

1) Health problems made it very difficult to do it consistently.

2) It just pales in comparison to psychedelics.

3) It doesn't suit my type of mind and philosophical interests.

[OBEler]

@Panteranegra probably because psychedelics are too powerful compared to Krisya  yoga.

 

[Javfly33]

@Panteranegra Where did you learn Kriya Yoga? 

13 minutes ago, OBEler said:

@Panteranegra probably because psychedelics are too powerful compared to Krisya  yoga.

 

 I mean meth is also pretty 'powerful' compared to meditation. Why people not just do meth instead of meditating? 

We really need to come to a consensus into what Yoga or meditation is. Is not designed to give you in 20 minutes a peak mystical experience. Is supposed to be a path. 

IMO you guys mix up things which are not related. 

Edited December 8, 2024 by Javfly33

[Thought Art]

@Javfly33 Meth isn’t a psychedelic 😵‍💫 

[Javfly33]

44 minutes ago, Thought Art said:

@Javfly33 Meth isn’t a psychedelic 😵‍💫 

And yoga is not a psychedelic. So why say they are more 'powerful' ? 

In the same way when Leo says 'it just pales in comparison to psychedelics". 

Yeah, no shit. You literally ingest a chemical. What did you expect ?¿

Edited December 8, 2024 by Javfly33

[PurpleTree]

19 minutes ago, Javfly33 said:

And yoga is not a psychedelic. So why say they are more 'powerful' ? 

 

For "consciousness expansion" or whatever is what he meant i guess they are "powerful" meth isn’t.

[decentralized]

@Leo Gura have you ever had spontaneous mudras or asanas from Kriya yoga or something else?

[Ishanga]

It should be clear what the result is of taking psychedelics too seriously, Leo is an example of that... I will give him credit that he has a very very strong desire to know Truth and Reality, and has put great effort into that path that he has chosen for himself, I have lots of Respect for him in that endeavour, but its gotten him where he is today, suffering health problems and such, not sure if his use of psychedelics lead to this or not, but now it seems he is stuck reliving previous experiences and going via that to come to conclusions about Reality.. 

Yoga is can be a fast way or slow way, slow way is safe and secure in that its a progression, you go the path of Peace and Bliss, then Your more naturally open to higher Realizations of Reality and its safe, Your Stable and Grounded, the other ways like psychedelics is like giving a homeless man $1 Billion to spend, he will go crazy with it and is not prepared for it, so that is dangerous, unless Your sick of this sort of life and want to leave it...

[kray]

3 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Several reasons which are quite personal to me:

1) Health problems made it very difficult to do it consistently.

2) It just pales in comparison to psychedelics.

3) It doesn't suit my type of mind and philosophical interests.

Do you feel like it comes with a baggage with it? Like the baggage of religious traditions and culture?

[Ishanga]

35 minutes ago, kray said:

Do you feel like it comes with a baggage with it? Like the baggage of religious traditions and culture?

There is no baggage with Kriya Yoga, its a direct method dealing with internal energies and such, its just internal work, you do the practices and see the results..

[James123]

@Leo Gura psychedelics are temporary. Yoga or meditation are stable. Combination of both is amazing. 

[Javfly33]

2 hours ago, PurpleTree said:

For "consciousness expansion" or whatever is what he meant i guess they are "powerful" meth isn’t.

Oh Ok. 

[Thought Art]

3 hours ago, Javfly33 said:

And yoga is not a psychedelic. So why say they are more 'powerful' ? 

In the same way when Leo says 'it just pales in comparison to psychedelics". 

Yeah, no shit. You literally ingest a chemical. What did you expect ?¿

Well, your brain is full of chemicals. And, many chemicals aren't psychedelic or psychoactive at all. Essentially, from a chemical perspective you are simply altering chemicals in the brain through Kyra Yoga.

In terms of accessing higher/ altered states of consciousness Leo has decided that psychedelics are his preferred spiritual tool. 

Psychedelics have been used for thousands of years as spiritual tools. Just like Yoga, meditation, Qigong, etc... There isn't just one type of tool that is the correct spiritual tool.

Notice as well there is clear distinctions in the types of chemical ingested. Different chemicals can be psychedelic, Opiate, dissociative etc. Yet, there are specific psychedelic compounds which offer very reliable and powerful spiritual experiences.

Just like not all breathing is the same, not all posture is the same, not all movement is the same, etc not all compounds are the same.

 

Edited December 8, 2024 by Thought Art

[Francis777]

1 hour ago, James123 said:

@Leo Gura psychedelics are temporary. Yoga or meditation are stable. Combination of both is amazing. 

Yeah, yoga when done properly almost forces you to evolve, or more accurately I should say is embody.

Psychedelics don't force you to walk your talk (edit: as much as yoga). I guess that could be seen as a positive and a drawback.

Edited December 8, 2024 by Francis777

[Thought Art]

31 minutes ago, James123 said:

@Leo Gura psychedelics are temporary. Yoga or meditation are stable. Combination of both is amazing. 

I actually bet that is false. Do some yoga, or meditate and feel the effects. Then, go to work or speak to your parents, or whatever. I guarantee your state will change and this idea they are permanent is a fantasy. 

Really, though... It's a development of a system of spiritual techniques and maturity that creates change.

Edited December 8, 2024 by Thought Art

[Thought Art]

3 minutes ago, Francis777 said:

Yeah, yoga when done properly almost forces you to evolve, or more accurately I should say is embody.

Psychedelics don't force you to walk your talk. I guess that could be seen as a positive and a drawback.

Does it really? Or, are you referring to the entire 8 branches of Yoga.

Does yoga make you face hard truths? What about Yoga is making you walk the talk that extremely difficult psychedelic trip doesn't also? Both tools and techniques can be extremely challenging.

How, does Yoga make someone "walk their talk?".

 

Edited December 8, 2024 by Thought Art

[Javfly33]

19 minutes ago, Thought Art said:

Well, your brain is full of chemicals. And, many chemicals aren't psychedelic or psychoactive at all. Essentially, from a chemical perspective you are simply altering chemicals in the brain through Kyra Yoga.

In terms of accessing higher/ altered states of consciousness Leo has decided that psychedelics are his preferred spiritual tool. 

Psychedelics have been used for thousands of years as spiritual tools. Just like Yoga, meditation, Qigong, etc... There isn't just one type of tool that is the correct spiritual tool.

Notice as well there is clear distinctions in the types of chemical ingested. Different chemicals can be psychedelic, Opiate, dissociative etc. Yet, there are specific psychedelic compounds which offer very reliable and powerful spiritual experiences.

Just like not all breathing is the same, not all posture is the same, not all movement is the same, etc not all compounds are the same.

 

I think we have debated this in the forum in the past and we clearly have different views.

In my experience psychedelics are not spirituality and they offer you no ultimate goal, but momentarily intense mystical experiences (which, can have positive long-term therapeutic effects as well as other psychoactive substances).

Yoga or Buddhist Meditation (for example) is not designed to produce in you any concrete experiences (in fact it is usually taught to not get distracted with any momentary samadhi that might have happened), but rather a path with a concrete goal. 

I myself benefit from psychedelics in the sense that they opened some doors for me to start meditating for the first time, so is not about denying the usefulness of them, but pointing out that comparing them with actual spiritual paths is a mistake, which inevitably will lead to frustration if understanding them as that.

So that´s why I raised the question of " 'more powerful' in what sense?"

Clearly in producing in the next 4-5 hours an intense fluctuation in consciousness, nothing can beat an ingested external chemical. But my point was meditation or yoga is not designed for that goal. So the comparison makes no sense imo. 

Edited December 8, 2024 by Javfly33

[OBEler]

5 hours ago, Javfly33 said:

@Panteranegra Where did you learn Kriya Yoga? 

 I mean meth is also pretty 'powerful' compared to meditation. Why people not just do meth instead of meditating? 

We really need to come to a consensus into what Yoga or meditation is. Is not designed to give you in 20 minutes a peak mystical experience. Is supposed to be a path. 

IMO you guys mix up things which are not related. 

Psychedelics are also a journey and supposed to be a path. Lool at how Leo built up on previous psychedelic trips.

I don't mix up things. Both are tools on jour spiritual journey.

[Francis777]

16 minutes ago, Thought Art said:

Does it really? Or, are you referring to the entire 8 branches of Yoga.

Does yoga make you face hard truths? What about Yoga is making you walk the talk that extremely difficult psychedelic trip doesn't also? Both tools and techniques can be extremely challenging.

How, does Yoga make someone "walk their talk?".

 

Your emotions given enough time after a psychedelic experience eventually settle down. Yoga when done properly ignites a process which never allows for your emotions to calm down and your forced to resolve all conflict the original expansion of consciousness presented you with.

In my own experience and from what I can tell from others is that this problem is a lot less present when working with psychedelics, you can trip, sure it might be difficult, you might know you have to make changes but more often than not you come down and your entire body and state of just existing itself does not become completely dysfunctional, yoga (when done properly) very frequently DOES have that effect, forcing you to evolve. I.e walk your talk, face your truths.