Kriya Yoga Mega-Thread

[Sev]

Has anyone here had an enlightenment experience through self learned kriya yoga?

[kerk]

On 7/3/2019 at 5:35 AM, Pacific Sage said:

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?

Strictly speaking, in the breathless state you are not breathing. Lahiri's Kriya concerns this, in the context of stilling prana. Breath suspension is not that strange to a meditator. Sooner or later you'll breathe again as your body requires.

Up to that point breathing could be so soft that you don't notice it; if you stopped to try to think about whether your breathing was shallow, or was completely still, I think that would be a waste of time and would take you out of the meditative state.

Pure consciousness is consciousness without an object. You wouldn't feel breathing during that state because you don't feel anything in particular, you are simply being. It isn't until you come out of that state that you notice and feel things.

[Pacific Sage]

1 hour ago, kerk said:

Pure consciousness is consciousness without an object. You wouldn't feel breathing during that state because you don't feel anything in particular, you are simply being. It isn't until you come out of that state that you notice and feel things.

This sounds amazing!! Thank you!

[kerk]

The word kumbhak is used to describe this breath suspension, but it should not be confused with intentionally holding the breath. When mental activity reduces, so breathing naturally reduces.

During Kriya, as your attention gets more interiorized in the spine and the gaps between thoughts get longer, you may notice you are breathing very little, or you may realize that you don't really know whether you are inhaling or exhaling. This phenomenon is not limited to Kriya and can be experienced in other kinds of meditation too. In Kriya, as I understand it, this indicates correct stilling of prana.

The important thing is to not worry about it even though the sensation may seem strange at first. Am I not breathing? Is something wrong? Don't panic. If you were really not getting enough air to sustain life your body would let you know big time.

You might experience a kind of spinning sensation, but not dizziness or fainting. You might even forget which direction you are facing. In my fairly long experience, the spinning is safe and kind of fun if you let go into it. It has never indicated a hazard. Taking a deep breath at that point can actually rev up the spinning.

On another possibly related point: If you are ever in an aircraft that develops a pressurization problem, and the oxygen masks pop out, of course you need to put them on fast (over nose and mouth, not just nose) and the plane will need to descend very quickly to a lower altitude with greater air pressure.

The masks are not connected to tanks but to chemical generators. There's only supposed to be as much as 15 minutes of oxygen supplied to those masks; enough to keep everyone alive during the descent. You can reduce your need for oxygen by remaining very still and quiet as you have learned with meditation. Though that may be hard to keep one's composure if the aircraft has a problem and is diving fast.

Edited July 5, 2019 by kerk

[moon777light]

On 6/18/2019 at 1:43 PM, herghly said:

@moon777light What do you think of his new book?

 

I feel it's getting to complicated. I prefer simple KP.  One of the grounding exercises he teaches is too complex. You need to remember to do too many things at once

are you talking about SantataGamana one? i havent read it. If it is, then i find it ironic that he bashed the other Kriya books for being too complex and yet here we are haha

[Mondsee]

On 6/7/2019 at 4:29 PM, moon777light said:

are you talking about SantataGamana one? i havent read it. If it is, then i find it ironic that he bashed the other Kriya books for being too complex and yet here we are haha

I have only read that one. The problem about it is that so much simplicity makes it super hard to understand. It assumes that you already know a lot of things, and doesn't explain them at all. Several spots, concepts, movements, etc. are just called by their name and assumed you know what is being referred to.

That book does not work for a total newbie. I felt completely lost after finishing it, didn't know where to start, and had to step back and find more basic material. All of this doesn't mean that the book isn't good, it is great, just consider it advanced.

[Pacific Sage]

On 7/5/2019 at 6:30 AM, kerk said:

During Kriya, as your attention gets more interiorized in the spine and the gaps between thoughts get longer, you may notice you are breathing very little, or you may realize that you don't really know whether you are inhaling or exhaling. This phenomenon is not limited to Kriya and can be experienced in other kinds of meditation too. In Kriya, as I understand it, this indicates correct stilling of prana.

 

This is my understanding of breathless state so far. Am open to the idea of suspension until more experiences. 

On 7/5/2019 at 6:30 AM, kerk said:

You might experience a kind of spinning sensation, but not dizziness or fainting. You might even forget which direction you are facing. In my fairly long experience, the spinning is safe and kind of fun if you let go into it. It has never indicated a hazard. Taking a deep breath at that point can actually rev up the spinning.
 

I am two months in so haven't experienced spinning from Kriya so far. Thanks for the advice will power through with a deep breath when I deal with it.

[Milan]

Anyone has the name of the four books prescribed by SantataGautama at the end of "The Secret Power of Kriya Yoga" please? 

[Esoteric]

@Milan

Who am I?

Beyond Shiva: The Absolute Truth

Tao Te Ching

Kriya Yoga - Synthesis of a Personal Experience

[Pacific Sage]

It's been two and a half months since I started and here's what I do :

Nadi Shodana 12 rounds

Ujjayi 12 rounds 

Talabya 5 sets

Kriya bow

Om Japa 6 rounds

KP as suggested by Santata Gamana- 108 times.

Concentration 5 mins

After Kriya state 10 mins

 

But while Nadi Shodana I almost do it Ujjayi style so I can have longer durations. Is there any text which says it shouldn't be done like this or does any one here follow the same way too? 

[herghly]

Get started on pranayama

[Pacific Sage]

@herghly

I did but am taking a break from it as I started experiencing energy in my temples. Not too discomforting but at times it gets intense. I have also started to keep my jaws in contact consciously through out the day with my tongue raised. I don't know what the reason for the energy there but I thought ll take it slow.

[Tetcher]

On 7/2/2019 at 7:33 AM, Paan said:

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.

damn same for me... imagine this is all a scam people think they will attain to god by doing their yoga practices but in truth they are just messing themselves...

[Pacific Sage]

@Tetcher

Who isn't striving for union here. But that might take decades. 

The increased focus resulting from stilling the mind from the practices for me is far more enjoyable as I am more calm and grounded through out the day. 

True there's always a risk. Life is a gamble.

[yellowschnee]

I had the following question in another thread:

'Why is Kriya Yoga held so secretive?'

 

And @kerk replied, quote 

'Most of the discussion on Kriya Yoga seems to be happening in the Kriya Yoga Mega Thread.

As to the question about why it's held secretive ... There are probably several reasons, but here are two of them.

Kriya's founder Lahiri Mahasaya was very resistant to organizations and groups forming around Kriya Yoga, and asked his disciples to keep it to themselves. It was said that even next-door neighbors who were longtime Kriyabans did not know that about each other. While Lahiri held group readings and discussions in his home, these were not Kriya instructions which were always given individually, or to married couples.

So in keeping with his wishes, that tradition has held -- to some degree -- in the years since his passing in 1895. His chief disciple, Panchanon Bhattacharya, perhaps relaxed it slightly, as he traveled in India to meet groups of Kriya practitioners and apparently these events included some technical discussions or demonstrations.

In the main, however, Kriya spread through the network that grew from Lahiri to his disciples and then to their disciples and on to today. You will also find Kriya teachers who baldly claim that they belong not to Lahiri's known lineage, but were taught by "Babaji" himself, the immortal, quasi-mythical guru Lahiri encountered in 1868.

When there are thousands of people who want to learn Kriya, some sort of structure and organization would appear necessary. Today, some organizations such as SRF and KYIO teach their versions of Kriya in groups, though these are still nonpublic events and admission is only to those who have agreed to keep the techniques secret. Dozens of other, perhaps less well-known sources, still teach privately.

Another reason is simply guided, personal instruction so that the initiate knows what to do, is monitored to see that they are doing OK, and has the opportunity to ask questions. You see on the Kriya mega thread people trying various techniques from books, not all of which are Lahiri's Kriya; some apparently doing them to excess and mixing them with drugs even. I don't think any legitimate Kriya teacher would support that.

Some have been frustrated with the culture of secrecy and written at length about it and even reinterpreted it in attempts to expose the teaching to the greater world. There are widely varying opinions about whether their information is authentic or even safe.

I hope that helps answer your question. '

 

 

Edited July 18, 2019 by yellowschnee
missing stuff

[The Blind Sage]

 

[loub]

I recently got into the book that leo recommended on his book list on kriya yoga (the short one), he does not give instructions on how to do 'maha mudra' and I coulnt find any detailed explanation. he seems to have given one in his prior book which I dont own.

could someone please give me the instructions on maha mudra as taught by the author?

Any additional tips for someone just starting his kriya practice are more than welcome too

[GreenWoods]

On 7/19/2019 at 8:37 PM, loub said:

I recently got into the book that leo recommended on his book list on kriya yoga (the short one), he does not give instructions on how to do 'maha mudra' and I coulnt find any detailed explanation. he seems to have given one in his prior book which I dont own.

could someone please give me the instructions on maha mudra as taught by the author?

Any additional tips for someone just starting his kriya practice are more than welcome too

Google it, the internet explanations won't differ much, but here roughly as explained by the author:

Maha Mudra:

1. bend your left leg so that the left heel touches the perineum. press your right leg with your hands to your body

2. inhale deeply and move the energy from the root chakra to the 3. eye

3. Holding the breath, extend the right leg. stretch forward and grasp your toes of your right foot with both hands. 

4. now do Jalandhara Bandha, Moola Bandha and Uddiyana Bandha. And mentally chant  Om 12 times in the 3. eye

5. return to the starting position and slowly  exhale, sending the energy from the 3. eye to the root chakra through the sushumma nadi

6. now do the same with the leg positions reversed.

7. now the same with both legs outstretched

8. do this 3 times.

it is recommended to do ujjayi breathing and khechari mudra (or as far with your tongue as you currently manage)

But you definitely need to buy his first book. It is more important in my opinion. there the basic techniques are all explained. the techniques in the 2. book are not for total beginners (as far as I now). I believe the author mentioned that after at least 1 year of practise you can do those.

Tips:

don't do it mechanically. Try keeping focused all the time. Try not to get distracted in thought stories. Semen preservation potentiates the practise. Once you can move the prana, try directing it to the heart chakra and enjoy:) And don't skip the parvastha state. And if you are interested, look up the microcosmic orbit meditation and big draw on YouTube by sexual kungfu. Those done prior to yoga might give it a boost. Yoga is insanely powerful:) don't give up if you don't feel immediate results, it will most likely be very worth it long term

[loub]

@GreenWoods that is just about everything I needed, thank you dearly!

I will check out the first book, it explains why I have been having trouble with these practices and I will stop Kriya till then.

[Tetcher]

19 hours ago, GreenWoods said:

2. inhale deeply and move the energy from the root chakra to the 3. eye

 

What does this mean ?