Kriya Yoga Mega-Thread

[kerk]

13 hours ago, moon777light said:

Ive heard somewhere that in actual kriya ashrams the students have to do Om Japa for 6 months before learning KP, because the processes can be that intense. 

Well ... yes and no and yes...
First to get something straight. Kriya Yoga founder Lahiri Mahasaya was very against ashrams. He made it plain that no organization was to be formed around Kriya Yoga. And he did not want people to become renunciates (monastics -- swamis -- monks / nuns) though if they already were monastic, he welcomed them. This is why some Kriya luminaries are swamis and some are not.

Lahiri's principal disciple, Panchanon Bhattacharya, was a swami but dropped that (literally, he threw his robes in the Ganges), started a successful business and got married. He wrote a book about all this.

The rule about no ashrams, monks, missions, temples etc. is not followed today by the large Kriya organizations. Lahiri did host group discussions at his home, as did some of his disciples at their homes. But this was not ashram life at all and there were no group meditations. Kriya was always person-to-person and rather private -- even secret. A lot of this changed after he passed on.

If you take the printed and online lessons from SRF, they include what you might call Japa in the form of Hong-Sau meditation. It is a powerful practice that basically combines mantra with Shambhavi Mudra (focus interior vision at center). Also included is the Om or Aum technique (sound current meditation) and a special physical movement sequence (not really part of Kriya and not taught by Lahiri).

In SRF these are preparatory for initiation into Kriya Pranayama, which is taught in person. You have to do these for several months and write down and discuss your experiences privately with a monastic person. If they decide that everything is cool you are issued a Kriyaban card which gets you into the initiation ceremonies and follow up meetings.

The regular practice of KP as taught by Lahiri combines the breathing with Om Japa at the same time. On this he was clear. He said that meditating without Om Japa was tamasic (look that up). The Stevens book kind of separates Om Japa from KP but that may just be the way the book is organized.

Edited April 5, 2019 by kerk

[moon777light]

@kerk thats cool!! i really like that he was against the whole worshiping someone thing and organizations, it just shows how ahead of his time he was. I tried researching Lahiri talking about Om Japa and KP but i couldnt find it. I wonder how much of a difference would it make? Also, I looked in the book and for KP2 and KP3 its instructed to chant OM on each chakra, basically Om Japa. where does it say that we do it separately?

[pointessa]

15 hours ago, kerk said:

Well ... yes and no and yes...
First to get something straight. Kriya Yoga founder Lahiri Mahasaya was very against ashrams. He made it plain that no organization was to be formed around Kriya Yoga. And he did not want people to become renunciates (monastics -- swamis -- monks / nuns) though if they already were monastic, he welcomed them. This is why some Kriya luminaries are swamis and some are not.

Lahiri's principal disciple, Panchanon Bhattacharya, was a swami but dropped that (literally, he threw his robes in the Ganges), started a successful business and got married. He wrote a book about all this.

The rule about no ashrams, monks, missions, temples etc. is not followed today by the large Kriya organizations. Lahiri did host group discussions at his home, as did some of his disciples at their homes. But this was not ashram life at all and there were no group meditations. Kriya was always person-to-person and rather private -- even secret. A lot of this changed after he passed on.

If you take the printed and online lessons from SRF, they include what you might call Japa in the form of Hong-Sau meditation. It is a powerful practice that basically combines mantra with Shambhavi Mudra (focus interior vision at center). Also included is the Om or Aum technique (sound current meditation) and a special physical movement sequence (not really part of Kriya and not taught by Lahiri).

In SRF these are preparatory for initiation into Kriya Pranayama, which is taught in person. You have to do these for several months and write down and discuss your experiences privately with a monastic person. If they decide that everything is cool you are issued a Kriyaban card which gets you into the initiation ceremonies and follow up meetings.

The regular practice of KP as taught by Lahiri combines the breathing with Om Japa at the same time. On this he was clear. He said that meditating without Om Japa was tamasic (look that up). The Stevens book kind of separates Om Japa from KP but that may just be the way the book is organized.

Thanks for a most interesting post. Could you expound on the technique of doing KP while doing Om Japa? Thanks ahead of time.

[SunnyNewDay]

I need some help

I got to L7 in the book but then stopped and don't know how to get back into it. I don't like sitting in half lotus cause my feet fall asleep. I also feel agitated to the the stuff l1-l7 and feel bored while doing it. am I doing something wrong? 

[pointessa]

28 minutes ago, SunnyNewDay said:

I need some help

I got to L7 in the book but then stopped and don't know how to get back into it. I don't like sitting in half lotus cause my feet fall asleep. I also feel agitated to the the stuff l1-l7 and feel bored while doing it. am I doing something wrong? 

 You do not have to sit in half lotus. You can do easy pose or if that bothers you sit in a chair, at least for most of the techniques.  Sometimes agitation and boredom can be a sort of ego backlash. Agitation can also occur as energetic blockages are opened. Tell yourself  that you are going to commit to  x minutes a day whether you want to or not. If you can not make yourself do the kriya, sit there for the allotted amount of time. This is helping you to learn self discipline. There will be times in any discipline when you don't want to do it. The ego can make up a myriad of excuses that seem legitimate. Just do it anyway. Try not to evaluate the outcome of the session. Just keep doing it on a regular basis and you will be able to see results.

[SunnyNewDay]

19 minutes ago, pointessa said:

 You do not have to sit in half lotus. You can do easy pose or if that bothers you sit in a chair, at least for most of the techniques.  Sometimes agitation and boredom can be a sort of ego backlash. Agitation can also occur as energetic blockages are opened. Tell yourself  that you are going to commit to  x minutes a day whether you want to or not. If you can not make yourself do the kriya, sit there for the allotted amount of time. This is helping you to learn self discipline. There will be times in any discipline when you don't want to do it. The ego can make up a myriad of excuses that seem legitimate. Just do it anyway. Try not to evaluate the outcome of the session. Just keep doing it on a regular basis and you will be able to see results.

Thank you. I'll look over the chapters again and try doing it again in the morning next week. 

[SriBhagwanYogi]

Nadi 10 rounds 

Ujjayi 10 

Talabya 10

Chanting Om 3 times loud and 3 times mentally in chakras

Concetration on third eye for 10 min

I do it 2 - 3 times daily 

Is that solid practice for Kriya Yoga beginner? 

[Esoteric]

2 hours ago, pointessa said:

 You do not have to sit in half lotus. You can do easy pose or if that bothers you sit in a chair, at least for most of the techniques.  Sometimes agitation and boredom can be a sort of ego backlash. Agitation can also occur as energetic blockages are opened. Tell yourself  that you are going to commit to  x minutes a day whether you want to or not. If you can not make yourself do the kriya, sit there for the allotted amount of time. This is helping you to learn self discipline. There will be times in any discipline when you don't want to do it. The ego can make up a myriad of excuses that seem legitimate. Just do it anyway. Try not to evaluate the outcome of the session. Just keep doing it on a regular basis and you will be able to see results.

I agree, that's great advice.

[kerk]

6 hours ago, moon777light said:

I tried researching Lahiri talking about Om Japa and KP but i couldnt find it.

He mentions it in the letters exchanged with practitioners. I found it in six letters numbered 76 through 80 plus number 96. These have been republished in various places. They're on YogaNiketan.net, it's called Garland of Letters in the history section.

Some of the exchanges may seem strange to those unfamiliar with the history of Lahiri Baba and Kriya. Lahiri discouraged people from worshipping him or thinking he was a sort of all-powerful being, but people did anyway. Even today in India some Kriya circles have elaborate shrines to Lahiri. Photos of these are various places on the web.

According to the stories of that era, Lahiri apparently developed considerable psychic / ESP awareness and although he didn't demonstrate it egoically, his students noted it and this may have led to some believing him to be supernatural. In general these were very conservative and mystical people of the time. So the tone of some of the letters is admiring and awestruck.

With Panchanon, Lahiri set up a small publishing operation (Aryya Mission Institution) to distribute his printed commentaries and Ayurvedic medicines. This is why the old letters and books sometimes refer to "oil" or other medicines. The Aryya Mission still has a website today.

Edited April 6, 2019 by kerk

[moon777light]

I have read the letters. Thanks for the info. From what ive understood in all those letters, he is warning about the mind wandering during pranayam, thinking about other things while not focusing. Maybe thats why The "mantra Japa" (which i assume is the Om's) is needed to focus? JC Stevens KP1 does not have the Oms, while KP2 and KP3 do. its said to do KP1 first 24 times, then KP2, then KP3 24 each. Maybe its prepatory for the higher KP's? 

I actually emailed JC Steven why not using the Oms in KP1. And now we wait. 

[Cocolove]

On 3/26/2019 at 6:33 AM, Shakazulu said:

Hey Where do I buy counting beads to practice the OM japa?

I made my own, ingredients from my local department store.

[Cocolove]

On 4/3/2019 at 11:54 AM, MM1988 said:

Do you guys feel heat during maha mudra?

Sometimes I get these intense heat waves after exhaling and sometimes I just dont. 

I always feel like Im doing something wrong if I dont feel the heatwaves, so whats the deal with that?

OH MY GOD YES.

I get these every time, and I usually have to open the window (its cold here) before doing it and sit under it to not freak out because it's so hot. I also get warm in general during meditation, but maha mudra makes me hot.

[Cocolove]

On 4/4/2019 at 7:22 AM, Salvijus said:

@peanutspathtotruth it's better to do everything from gross to subtle. Exercise then kriya should be the correct way imo.

to causal to nondual?

[Shakazulu]

@Cocolove  you are talented 

[pointessa]

16 hours ago, kerk said:

He mentions it in the letters exchanged with practitioners. I found it in six letters numbered 76 through 80 plus number 96. These have been republished in various places. They're on YogaNiketan.net, it's called Garland of Letters in the history section.

Some of the exchanges may seem strange to those unfamiliar with the history of Lahiri Baba and Kriya. Lahiri discouraged people from worshipping him or thinking he was a sort of all-powerful being, but people did anyway. Even today in India some Kriya circles have elaborate shrines to Lahiri. Photos of these are various places on the web.

According to the stories of that era, Lahiri apparently developed considerable psychic / ESP awareness and although he didn't demonstrate it egoically, his students noted it and this may have led to some believing him to be supernatural. In general these were very conservative and mystical people of the time. So the tone of some of the letters is admiring and awestruck.

With Panchanon, Lahiri set up a small publishing operation (Aryya Mission Institution) to distribute his printed commentaries and Ayurvedic medicines. This is why the old letters and books sometimes refer to "oil" or other medicines. The Aryya Mission still has a website today.

Thanks, this is useful information. I am going to look into it further.

[pointessa]

19 hours ago, SriBhagwanYogi said:

 

13 hours ago, Cocolove said:

 

13 hours ago, Cocolove said:

 

19 hours ago, SriBhagwanYogi said:

Nadi 10 rounds 

Ujjayi 10 

Talabya 10

Chanting Om 3 times loud and 3 times mentally in chakras

Concetration on third eye for 10 min

I do it 2 - 3 times daily 

Is that solid practice for Kriya Yoga beginner? 

This is a fine beginners practice. No need to be in a hurry. Stay here as long as you feel you need to.

Edited April 7, 2019 by pointessa

[Shakazulu]

Are beads for the om japa needed? Why don't I count to every tenth finger and tally it every tenth " om " 

[moon777light]

@kerk i want to thank you again for sharing the website for those letters.  I have been reading them all morning, its so intriguing to know first hand what Lahiri was writing to his disciples, whats good, whats bad, and to see all of the medicines he prescribed. Some of the disciples letters are funny and Lahiris replies.

Its offically one week since i practiced Kriya. 

Q: JC steven says strictly to NOT synchronize the mental/silent Om Japa with your breathing. ANy of you guys have tips to do this. I noticed that before i mentally say Om, i inhale, and mentally say the Om as i exhale. I tried to desynchronize them today but everything became mixed up and my breathing became erratic. Also tips how how to better that laser focus on the third eye during concentration? Many many thoughts start popping out of nowhere, unstoppable. However, today, there was a moment that lasted a good 10 seconds, where as if someone turned some switch off and all the chatter just stopped and i was just left to be. It was beautiful and something in me is telling me to be patient.

Note to self, i really need to get a Mala because even the simple 6 repititons i lose count of

[Cocolove]

I just had my first mystical experience about 20 minutes ago. Up until now I've had mild weird effects while meditating but this was crazy.

Been doing kriya for 6 monthsish. About a month ago I went from 36 KP to 72. Usually when I do a routine, I'll have one or two pranayamas where this thing happens. Once I get the energy to the top of my head, before I breath out, my head feels fuzzy and consciousness (like being conscious of my body) moves from the body to my bindu or focus point. It feels hot and vibrating. I can still feel my body but much less for a second or two. I usually crave this experience, it feels really good. 

For the past week (since I got back from a 1 week break of meditating while traveling) I didn't have this experience, until yesterday, when It happened a couple of times. 

Today it happened just a few pranayamas in, and then happened about 10 more times. When I had just a few pranayamas left, I went really slow and decided to hold my breath at the top for about 15 seconds, which usually gets this thing to happen. After about 5 seconds nothing happened and I was about to breath out when it happened but like X100. It felt like energy shot up my spine. I totally couldn't feel my body for idk how long, I'm guessing 15 seconds. I think the technical term would be out of body experience, subtle realm, or something. All I could feel was just this one intense vibration, no sounds, sights, body feelings, etc. I had thoughts because I was thinking 'what the fuck oh my god'. Then after I'm guessing like 15 seconds I could feel my body again (which happened to be drenched in sweat) and it took about a minutes to feel it all the way. In that minute I was breathing normally instead of Kp's, and my heartrate was very high.

I'm really excited because this is the first time something really blew my mind just from meditating, and yes, I know I shouldn't make a big deal about it and just let it happen, which I tried my darnest to do while it happened. 

[Reese Saville]

Anyone else notice you get really hot doing yoga, for me especially doing om japa.