Kriya Yoga Mega-Thread

[GreenWoods]

24 minutes ago, John West said:

I'm into it for almost a year now, but I just did the practices that are recommended in Stevens book. I am now at Lesson 18, practicing every single day (haven't missed a single one) (Talabya Kriya, Maha Mudra, Navi Kriya, KP1, chakra tuning, Mental Kriya). I dont want the practice to take years. I'm willed to spend maybe one hour on it (for now). Would you recommend getting the book you just mentioned (or even other books of Santata Gamana series), practicing his stuff and cutting some of Stevens practices? What's your experience @GreenWoods ?

I would definitely buy the first two by Gamana. He has some practises like Kriya supreme fire which aren't mentioned in Steven's and are really powerful. If I were you, I would buy Gamanas books and do his routine (which is way simpler) and add the ones you find most powerful/effective from Steven's (or thoses you intuit are worth doing). 

I first did Steven's, but switched quickly to Gamana's as I liked his more direct approach more. I've been doing it for half a year (about 95% of the practise according to Gamana and 5% to Steven. I do about 12 pranayamas of Stevens to have the spine breathing and then continue with Gamana's pranayama which I find more powerful). If I feel like it, I will perhaps add some more of Gamana's in the future.

When you are already familiar with yoga, you can skip 95% of Gamana's books and go straight to the practises. Except the chapter about the after kriya / parvastha state, that's very important 

Edited June 19, 2019 by GreenWoods

[GreenWoods]

To those who are able to do Khechari Mudra. Once one can touch the bottom end of the uvula with the tongue (without the help of fingers), how long does it take till one is able to stick the tongue into the nasal cavity with the help of the fingers?

[Pernani]

8 hours ago, GreenWoods said:

To those who are able to do Khechari Mudra. Once one can touch the bottom end of the uvula with the tongue (without the help of fingers), how long does it take till one is able to stick the tongue into the nasal cavity with the help of the fingers?

It took me a little bit more than a month of talbaya kriya to be able to insert the tongue into the nasal cavity, but when I started talbaya I could already touch the uvula, maybe cause I'd often keep my tongue raised against the palate during the day? (cause it made me feel more spiritual lol)

Another dumb question guys, when visualizing the shusumna do you imagine it as a straight line going straight from muladhara? Or does it curve from the muladhara to sacral chakra and then go straight up ? im not sure how it's done cause I can't even feel where the sacral chakra is, they say its on the tip of the tail bone but I just dont feel it fam

[GreenWoods]

7 hours ago, Pernani said:

It took me a little bit more than a month of talbaya kriya to be able to insert the tongue into the nasal cavity, but when I started talbaya I could already touch the uvula, maybe cause I'd often keep my tongue raised against the palate during the day? (cause it made me feel more spiritual lol)

Another dumb question guys, when visualizing the shusumna do you imagine it as a straight line going straight from muladhara? Or does it curve from the muladhara to sacral chakra and then go straight up ? im not sure how it's done cause I can't even feel where the sacral chakra is, they say its on the tip of the tail bone but I just dont feel it fam

wow, that's impressive:) Are you now able to do full Khechari Mudra?

Did you already watch that one on feeling the chakras?

[Paan]

I have a question, how to not do a correct pranayama? how do I know i do it wrong?

[GreenWoods]

1 hour ago, Paan said:

I have a question, how to not do a correct pranayama? how do I know i do it wrong?

your pranayama is not correct when you don't do it according to the descriptions/ explanations. But even when you follow all the instructions, you probably aren't doing them perfectly at first. So over time you approach perfection of pranayama. 

Breath slowly, don't daydream, feel (or imagine to feel or visualize) the prana, don't do it mechanically,.....

[Paan]

@GreenWoods Thank you for the reply! I sometimes have hard to know how much I should constrict my throat. but i just try to make the breathing smooth

[GreenWoods]

9 minutes ago, Paan said:

@GreenWoods Thank you for the reply! I sometimes have hard to know how much I should constrict my throat. but i just try to make the breathing smooth

You mean with the ujjayi breathing? construct it such that it is still comfortable and you can breath smoothly. When you constrict itbso much that you struggle breathing, it's obviously too much. with experience you will fins the sweet spot. But even if you don't, I doubt that it will have that much of an impact. If you do the rest well, it shouldn't matter 

[John West]

@GreenWoods

Surprisingly it took me one day from the point of touching the uvula to getting the tongue into the nasal cavaty. The problem I had was that I was afraid of choking to death somehow. 

Recommandations:

Open your jaw (not the mouth nessecarily) very wide.

Gargle salt water and use a tongue scraper. I immediately catched a cold, and I think it was because of bacteria on the tongue.

[GreenWoods]

@John West Thank you 

[Aaron p]

@Girzohey guys, sorry I asked this ages ago I just forgot...where in the kryia book does it say about how to properly do to tongue raises? I'm trying to learn how to do the first part of kryia pranayama

Edited June 21, 2019 by Aaron p

[Pernani]

20 hours ago, GreenWoods said:

wow, that's impressive:) Are you now able to do full Khechari Mudra?

Did you already watch that one on feeling the chakras?

If you mean making the tip of the tongue reach the nose region then no, actually I think im just reaching phase 3 (from JC's book) so I haven't really achieved khechari yet

Im tired of being recommended that video hahaha it did help me a little though, especially with medulla but not sacral chakra. 

So how do u guys visualize sushumna?

Edited June 21, 2019 by Pernani

[GreenWoods]

9 hours ago, Pernani said:

If you mean making the tip of the tongue reach the nose region then no, actually I think im just reaching phase 3 (from JC's book) so I haven't really achieved khechari yet

Im tired of being recommended that video hahaha it did help me a little though, especially with medulla but not sacral chakra. 

So how do u guys visualize sushumna?

So the most difficult part is not getting the tongue into the nasal cavity but then to get it all the way up?

about sushumna. I never really thought about that, I just do it the way it feels right. Perhaps I am doing it wrong but I never really visualized it. I rather tried to feel my way up. And now I slightly can feel the energy down there (from the 4th chakra on I can feel the energy much more strongly). so I just try to guide it up. I guess it would naturally go up through the sushumna as it is made to transport the prana. But I am probably just too sloppy, that's why I do it according to Gamana. Perhaps another one following Stevens can help you more 

[Cocolove]

I just posted a retreat report and bolded the part about kriya yoga, which I would like someone to go read and explain to me within the context of yoga, I haven't heard anything about what I experienced with yoga.

 

[lennart]

I am a total beginner to Kriya Yoga and want ro start which of the two books on the booklist would you recommend me for the beginning? The first or the second? (Dont want to mention the titles)

[Cocolove]

if you're a total begginer start with the one that has this description on his list: "This book teaches you the secretive techniques of Kriya yoga"

 

[Paan]

ive been on the kriya yoga practice for around 14 months now. My routine is:

3xmaha mudra

1x kriya supreme fire

72x pranayama 

5min concentration

I dont know why, but my concentration has gone real bad. I fall into the monkeymind alot. Any suggestions for what to do about it? Maybe practice concentration by looking at an object for a long time? Ive also noticed that my short term memory has gone crazy bad. I have to list everything im gonna do for the day or Ill forget it. Even before I go into a store I can forget what one thing I was going to buy, i go completely blank. 

Maybe I just have alot on my mind right now but Ive noticed these things anyway. The kriya practice has not been what it once was were I could go real deep.

[Pacific Sage]

@Paan

There is an awareness technique for memory. Set a particular time in the night and remember the entire day's activities either top down or from night till morning.

Either of them should help with the memory gradually but the latter will help you remember your dreams better too. Increasing your awareness also increases quality of consciousness.

All the best!

[Pacific Sage]

@Paan

Also 5 mins is bad. Maybe you can try one of the guided meditation to settle your mind first and then do kriya? Hope this helps.

[Pacific Sage]

Is the breathless state a state where one is actually not breathing or just a state where one is so mindful and the breathing is so mellow that one doesn't feel it and all one is left with is pure consciousness?