Kriya Yoga Mega-Thread

[Salvijus]

2 hours ago, Charlotte said:

https://www.gatewayworkshops.co.uk/spiritual_courses/kriya-yoga-the-lightning-path-to-self-realisation-workshop/

 

Shall I bother? £220 for 2 days course. 

She said on the phone I found her so I'm ready. I get what she's saying but this could also be a clever business strategy.

https://www.innerengineering.com/ieo-new/total/

275£

Sadhguru himself will be in London in April. There're programs in February also.

 

Edited January 23, 2019 by Salvijus

[MrBabar]

Hi guys,

A few advices for you that I hope will be as beneficial as it was for me!!!

For more than a week I have been practising Kriya like Ennios Nimmis recommend in his 3rd pdf, chapter 12: http://www.kriyayogainfo.net/Eng_Downloads1.html

To quickly summarize, i'm now doing 3 different preparation exercises for a total of 30 minutes in the morning. The prep exercices are meant to open sushumna so the prana can easily flow through it during pranayama. After that, I do Kriya pranayama with the mothod of Sri Mukherjee for 30 minutes at the end of the day. And for 10-15 minutes i try to rest in emptiness or I concentrate on crown chakra but I feel like these 2 things are meant to do the same thing: rest in emptiness...

For me, the most important detail while doing pranayama is to surrender / let go / relax. Don't try to control/do everything perfectly. If you can relax your body that's already good enough  . 

Please give it a try for a few days and report on the forum if you like it or not! 

 

 

[Charlotte]

@Sahil Pandit True! But there's something I'm not a fan of from learning from a book. 

@Salvijus Thank you!

[John West]

When you focus on bhrumadhya, do you focus on the "touch" sensation which is there or more the "sight" sensation (the blackness which is there when you close your eyes, or the colours that slide across your "mental screen")? Espacially for the concentration practice.

[Adamg]

On 5/31/2018 at 1:01 AM, Leo Gura said:

For those of you into Kriya, I would highly recommend that in addition to reading the original Kriya book I suggested, you also read the books of Santata Gamana. I now prefer his more simplified techniques. It's a much more streamlined version of Kriya which I think will be even more effective. I found too much needless complexity and variety in the other way.

Right now my technique stack is very simple:

1. Mahamudra x3
2. Kriya Pranayama x24
3. Kriya Supreme Fire x3
4. One-pointed Concentration for 5 mins

Eventually, with lots of practice, you should aim for something like the following stack:

1. Mahamudra x3
2. Kriya Pranayama x36-x72
3. Kriya Supreme Fire for 10-20 mins
4. One-pointed Concentration for 10-20 mins
5. (Bonus: Yoni Mudra x3)
6. (Bonus: Kechari mudra)

EDIT: ideally, do this stack twice per day. But if you don't have that much time, at least once per day.

Don't attempt to do this second stack right off the bat. It will not be sustainable. You need to gradually build up to it, like with heavy weightlifting.

I think the original book I recommended is still very good as an introduction and foundation because Gamana's books are so short and thin that they do not provide enough information about Kriya to a total newbie. They are aimed at people who have already been initiated in one school or another.

If you are strictly following the original book, that is okay. You can keep doing that if you want. Or you could switch to this more streamlined version like I decided to do. I don't like learning too many complicated techniques. But that's just me. Both ways should work in the end. It's mostly a matter of style. Although I actually think the streamlined version will end up to be more effective because it concentrates your limited time on the most powerful techniques, and less time is wasted on learning new complex techniques.

so which book do you suggest i should buy?gamanas or the one from your book list? or both. would be glad for an answer.

 

[herghly]

@Adamg To get a complete understanding you need to read both

[kerk]

4 hours ago, John West said:

When you focus on bhrumadhya, do you focus on the "touch" sensation which is there or more the "sight" sensation (the blackness which is there when you close your eyes, or the colours that slide across your "mental screen")? Espacially for the concentration practice.

I would say the first two, but as you continue the situation can change. One of the initial possible experiences is a change in the character of the darkness; this has been called Entering the Cave. It may feel as if you have suddenly entered a cave or forest, or other vast peaceful space. The change in environment will capture your mental and visual attention. You may hear a change in the interior sound as well.

If you start perceiving the kutastha, that is a visual phenomenon and so you would focus on that.

It seems to be common to see the kutastha somewhat from the side, at least at first. So if you see what may look like a ring in the distance, whether at an angle or head-on, that also will capture your attention and you won't wonder what to focus on.

[9]

I dabbled with kriya some time ago but I found Leo's suggested posture to be extremely uncomfortable for me.

My legs go numb pretty quick and it becomes more about fighting pain than actually doing the practice.

I've tried slight adjustments like the height of the seat but my legs still don't agree with this position at all.

I tried to get used to it for like two weeks but finally gave up.

Would practicing with another posture like vajrasana (which looks like this: https://i.imgur.com/yI1iIMc.jpg) be much less effective than what Leo recommends?

Thanks.

Edited January 24, 2019 by 9

[Leo Gura]

3 hours ago, 9 said:

I dabbled with kriya some time ago but I found Leo's suggested posture to be extremely uncomfortable for me.

My legs go numb pretty quick and it becomes more about fighting pain than actually doing the practice.

I've tried slight adjustments like the height of the seat but my legs still don't agree with this position at all.

I tried to get used to it for like two weeks but finally gave up.

Would practicing with another posture like vajrasana (which looks like this: https://i.imgur.com/yI1iIMc.jpg) be much less effective than what Leo recommends?

Thanks.

Finding a comfortable sitting position is very important. I would say, just find any sitting position you feel comfortable with which allows you to sit for a solid 60 minutes with minimal discomfort.

Right now I've changed up my sitting position to using a Zen-style seize bench with some extra cushioning. So for the pranayamas and breath of fire I am sitting on my knees using that bench. The Mahamudra is done without a bench obviously. That's what I found works best for me.

You could even just do it using a comfy chair.

Again, don't let technical details get in the way of your core practice. Once your core practice is established you can always fine-tune it, change positions, add stuff, remove stuff, etc. But you need the core practice ASAP.

[9]

33 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

Finding a comfortable sitting position is very important. I would say, just find any sitting position you feel comfortable with which allows you to sit for a solid 60 minutes with minimal discomfort.

Right now I've changed up my sitting position to using a Zen-style seize bench with some extra cushioning. So for the pranayamas and breath of fire I am sitting on my knees using that bench. The Mahamudra is done without a bench obviously. That's what I found works best for me.

You could even just do it using a comfy chair.

Again, don't let technical details get in the way of your core practice. Once your core practice is established you can always fine-tune it, change positions, add stuff, remove stuff, etc. But you need the core practice ASAP.

That's good to hear since sitting on my knees is really comfortable for me and actually that's the position I'm already using in my everyday seats.

I use my meditation pillow with that position but I gotta try that bench next time I'm on Vipassana retreat. They look pretty cool!

One more thing - do you place your palms facing up?

Based on the Martin Ball's work and some of my DMT experiences I suspect it may be the way to go although I'm not sure if the protocol of psychedelic induced nondual states directly translates into the practice like this. Any thoughts on this?

[Leo Gura]

@9 Yes, palms up, although it's a tertiary matter IMO. There are all sorts of mudras you could do.

[DnoReally]

Palms up, face east, blink only after an uneven number of seconds have passed, dont curl the toes, never let your thumbs meet as it interfers with your pets energy field and might cause an involuntary kundalini awakening, always close the door but not fully, draw a flipped pentagram on your doorstep to prevent demons and bad karma from damaging your prana flow, never chant om more than 5 times / 15 seconds (this is EXTREMELY important, dont ask why tho!).

Furthermore you should restrain from thinking of the third eye as a literal eye as it might actually materialize as such! Also inbreath and outbreath must be the EXACT same duration, violations of that rule will result in yogananda appearing through your 7th chakra and he will steal all your prana and sell it on the black yoga market (prana depletion aint no joke).

If you stick to the simple ruleset that I outlined and every single other one that has ever existed, you are good to go and you will eventually awaken the archetype of the eternal lobster in the crown chakra, fuse order and chaos and salvage your damn father from the belly of vishnu.

Also clean your room prior to every kriya routine.

 

[Alex bAlex]

Hi,

I am doing 5 min of concentration (the 5th week) followed by one hour of do nothing meditation (3rd month).

In order to do Kriya should I drop my meditation practice or should I start with Kriya (20,30,40 minutes) then sit still in meditation till 1-hour alarm goes off? 

Also, some Kryia exercises are timewise (10 min x then 20 min y ). in this case, how should I proceed with keeping track of time?

I'm usually doing my 5 min concentration then set the alarm for 1 hour and sit. To keep setting the alarm for 10- 20-30 min and then shut it off will disturb my practice so I need some advice here. 

To do have my daily practice plus Kriya is not a possible timewise. 

Thank you! 

[Igor82]

@Alex bAlex

Hello!

I used to do just like you, I had a 50min practice of meditation/strong determination sitting. I kept up my routine of strong determination sitting as long as my Kriya practice was 5 minutes long, but when it started to get longer than that, I just shaved off the time that the kriya took from my meditation!

Think of it like this, you got 1 hour to spend every day, so focus on doing the kriya, and when you are done, fill the rest of the time with the meditation. When your kriya routine starts getting as long as 40-50 minutes, then you can skip the meditation altogether and maybe insert it as a break from your schedule later in the day (maybe 20 minutes between your work halves).

My Kriya routine is pretty long at the moment (45 minutes), and I have moved my meditation habit to now be an optional afternoon break.

 

Try to focus as much as possible on building up the Kriya routine and remember to do it right! Don't sit around with the 3 first practices for months on end, but try to build yourself up to the Pranayamas, only then comes the real results. Proper Kriya is much more superior than regular meditation alone ime.

[Alex bAlex]

Thank you @Igor82

Last year I have reached to lesson 6 and stopped. This took me 4 months. Was it too long? (I was trying to focus on the 3rd eye for a long time till I moved on)

Also, I have stopped because I find it somehow difficult to keep the count of Ujjayi Pranayama and Talabya Kriya, many times just kept doing it and slip deep into thoughts, forget about counting. 

Anyway, I'll give it a go again soon  

[Igor82]

@Alex bAlex I have done this for soon about 5 months and im about to start lesson 10. Although I try to master every technique every time I sit down on the cushion. I always try to improve my sessions, and after I get very comfortable with a certain technique then I move forward when the effort has become a habit.

I use my fingers to keep count of every set of breaths I make, moving the thumb along the 3 parts of my first finger = 3 sets, and then the second finger until the last finger.

It's not that hard counting the Talabya Kriya, stay aware! The whole point is to put all of your attention into the practice, you can't just "make it a habit" and trust that your unconscious habits will get you your results while you sit there and fantasize about your dinner, doing the Ujjayi like a robot. That won't work... You need to fully feel into it, you need to fully do the practice! It also helps you to fine tune your practice towards perfection and I find that it helps me learn the steps faster. If you didn't apply rigorous awareness and discipline to your practice, I assume maybe that is what's missing.

A thing that helps me to stay awake while doing Ujjayi is to put all my attention on the sounds that are coming from my throat. Sometimes I don't do it and I do slip into fantasy land (I use my fingers to keep count anyways), but I find that I go much deeper and my practice becomes very enjoyable as I stay conscious.

There is quite a joy in mastering the techniques and staying conscious. Even though I'm probably slow with the practice and it takes me 45 minutes to finish the routine with 24 KP1 breaths, I find it to be a good thing! At least im staying aware, at least im meditating trough all of it.

Good luck!

[Forestluv]

On 1/21/2019 at 2:45 AM, Leo Gura said:

Keep it this simple. Don't over-complicate things. Over time just increase the potency with which you feel and visualize the pranayamas. They are the key to this whole thing. So do them with real intent and feeling. Each breath upwards should feel like it's filling your skull with enlightenment. Suck that prana up your spine and into your skull like it's an actual fluid in your body.

JC recommends putting attention on each Chakra as you breath in and out. Apparently there is also a prana energy flow. To me, this feels really awkward. At times, there is a vague sense of prana flow, yet when I am imagining spots in my sacrum, belly, sternum etc. it seems like a fantasy disruption. It's like I'm trying to coordinate breathing, images of energy flow, sensations of energy flow and images of individual Chakra centers. Is it ok to just imagine energy flow up and down the spine? Rather than trying to imagine the energy passing through an images of my sacral vertebrae, then moving on through the abdomen chakra, then passing through the heart chakra etc.

[Jordan94]

12 hours ago, Igor82 said:

@Alex bAlex I have done this for soon about 5 months and im about to start lesson 10. Although I try to master every technique every time I sit down on the cushion. I always try to improve my sessions, and after I get very comfortable with a certain technique then I move forward when the effort has become a habit.

I use my fingers to keep count of every set of breaths I make, moving the thumb along the 3 parts of my first finger = 3 sets, and then the second finger until the last finger.

It's not that hard counting the Talabya Kriya, stay aware! The whole point is to put all of your attention into the practice, you can't just "make it a habit" and trust that your unconscious habits will get you your results while you sit there and fantasize about your dinner, doing the Ujjayi like a robot. That won't work... You need to fully feel into it, you need to fully do the practice! It also helps you to fine tune your practice towards perfection and I find that it helps me learn the steps faster. If you didn't apply rigorous awareness and discipline to your practice, I assume maybe that is what's missing.

A thing that helps me to stay awake while doing Ujjayi is to put all my attention on the sounds that are coming from my throat. Sometimes I don't do it and I do slip into fantasy land (I use my fingers to keep count anyways), but I find that I go much deeper and my practice becomes very enjoyable as I stay conscious.

There is quite a joy in mastering the techniques and staying conscious. Even though I'm probably slow with the practice and it takes me 45 minutes to finish the routine with 24 KP1 breaths, I find it to be a good thing! At least im staying aware, at least im meditating trough all of it.

Good luck!

Nice post thanks that's inspiring

 

As for the duration, I feel like it's a good thing to be kind of slow, it means more calm/aware pranayamas rather than rushed

I'm doing 108 pranayama (the ones with chanting om in kutasha) in around 30-40minutes and my practice is not too good now, often times i'm only half-consious of the pranayama and half in my thoughts, the times where i've been a bit slower (as a result) were the times of better practice

I would think it's also way better to do like 48 nice slow pranayama in a session than twice more twice less conscious

Edited January 25, 2019 by Jordan94

[archi]

On 1/23/2019 at 8:45 PM, Adamg said:

so which book do you suggest i should buy?gamanas or the one from your book list? or both. would be glad for an answer.

 

 get all of them ... how do you value your enlightenment ?! 

[Leo Gura]

13 hours ago, Serotoninluv said:

JC recommends putting attention on each Chakra as you breath in and out. Apparently there is also a prana energy flow. To me, this feels really awkward. At times, there is a vague sense of prana flow, yet when I am imagining spots in my sacrum, belly, sternum etc. it seems like a fantasy disruption. It's like I'm trying to coordinate breathing, images of energy flow, sensations of energy flow and images of individual Chakra centers. Is it ok to just imagine energy flow up and down the spine? Rather than trying to imagine the energy passing through an images of my sacral vertebrae, then moving on through the abdomen chakra, then passing through the heart chakra etc.

It's not so hard to do all that. Just visualize the prana as an electrical fluid flowing up the center of the spine and hitting each chakra quickly along the way.

What is so hard about that?

Your sense is vague because this requires months of practice to get is sharp.

Even moreso than visualization, I would literally try to FEEL the prana shooting up the spine. FEEL it, and it will become a reality soon enough. This is a case of mind over matter. Don't sell your mind short.