Kriya Yoga Mega-Thread

[kerk]

35 minutes ago, Paan said:

I ve just learn about the HRV technique or as they also call it the "hong sau". But when do they practice this? Is it after the maha mudra and the pranayama routine? Or is it in a separate sitting?  

Hong-Sau or Hamsa or Sohang or So-Ham is one of the mantra meditations. It is practiced different ways depending on who is teaching it.

[Paan]

@kerk thank you. But would it be wrong practise it after the pranayama. The technique really makes me go deep 

[MountainCactus]

2 hours ago, Paan said:

@kerk thank you. But would it be wrong practise it after the pranayama. The technique really makes me go deep 

Yes this is fine. You can also practice Hong-Sau and/or HRV breathing as a standalone practice. For instance, if I do group meditations anywhere I stick to Hong-Sau/HRV breathing as some of the peculiarities of Kriya (especially the higher Kriyas) would look strange and be disturbing to others in a group. Also, there are times I don't feel like going through the full ceremony of a full Kriya session and all the separate techniques (especially true once you are initiated into a few of the higher Kriyas) and instead just want to do simple Hong-Sau/HRV breathing. There are also times that I do not have the 1 1/2 - 2 hours required to do a full Kriya session at my current level of practice, and in those cases I will just do a short Hong-Sau/HRV breathing session. 

If you're not getting as deep practicing first Kriya as you do with HRV it is generally a red flag sign that you are likely not practicing first Kriya properly.

Edited January 10, 2020 by MountainCactus

[MountainCactus]

On 1/9/2020 at 8:21 AM, kerk said:

Seems like everybody and his dog nowadays claims to be disciples of Babaji. I remember one site where it said Babaji materialized to the guy in his car and that's how he became a kriyaguru.

Yeah, there seems to be a recipe to become a famous rich big baba guru these days... claim you met Babaji directly, print a book describing a bunch of fantastical miracles (that have to be more extreme than those that did this tactic prior), and create an internet presence to acquire followers. Sadly, people take these false guru's more seriously than they take the real guru's that are quietly helping people deep down in the trenches. 

[Paan]

For those doing the practise in KSR book. Is those practises "brain orbit kriya"? 

Saw this video talking about the dangers of doing it.

 

[Skin-encapsulatedego]

@MountainCactus

Could you share some tips on how to find a Guru?  For example, how do you recommend validating them?

 
There is an institution that offers initiation in my country.  However, I am skeptical of the quality of Kriya they offer.  They have a travelling Guru come by twice a year to initiate participants.  
 

How did you find your Guru?  Would you recommend travelling abroad to find one?  How does an international Guru-disciple relationship turn out?

Edited January 16, 2020 by Skin-encapsulatedego

[laurastarla]

Hi guys,  I’m a serious Vipassana meditator and since I started Kriya a month ago I have the free flow ! – trying to stay equanimous about that progress, but not succeeding ?

Since there are so many variations on the techniques, I adapted to what feels right, and curious if this is ok or if I’m starting bad habits.

Mahamudra 

Eyes open or closed ?

How to do neck lock properly as I am tucking my chin in towards my body? In fact I don’t get the neck lock at all, I am just holding my neck upright ?? I am missing the subtlety.

No more attempting Ujjayi breathing during  other techniques, I just can’t get it and it distracts me. I heard it’s better not to force it (Mountain Cactus in this thread I think), it will come naturally one day.

These breaths are short (6 seconds in, 6 hold, 6 out), due to moving and breath holding I have trouble elongating them, Pranayamas are twice as long.

Pranayama

Drawing pranayama up and down sometimes it flows in the center of my body rather than directly on my spine, what about you ? I don’t feel 1 & 2 very well, while 3, 4 & 5 are super obvious.

Supreme Breath of Fire

I do the 3 body locks then hold my breath as long as comfortable. How long are you waiting in between ? Are you using Om or concentrating on prana at all or looking at the 3rd eye ? do you have other advice or what works for you for this technique ?

Sleep –  insomnia, waking up every night at 3am and never really getting back to sleep. So always fatigued. But never felt so connected & in tune to my body !

Would love any feedback on any of this, or is that comparing ? ;-) thanks !

[Germo]

Find your meditation seat - Nadi Sodhana (3 - 12 rounds) - Ujjayi Pranayama (6 - 12 rounds) - Talabya Kriya (10 - 20 rounds) - Om Japa out loud (3 rounds initially) - Om Japa mentally (3 then 6 rounds finally) - Concentration (10 - 20 minutes)   

 

Is this the right scedule, and how long i gotta do that before moving to 1 kriya? Or how the all practice should look like for beginner? 

Should one perform all the preparatory excersises at minimum reps ? 

[Rainbow]

hello is anybody lives near South Carolina and wants to go to breatharian process with Nicolas Pilartz? it will be in March for 9 days.

[Pacific Sage]

On 2/6/2020 at 1:30 AM, laurastarla said:

 

Pranayama

Drawing pranayama up and down sometimes it flows in the center of my body rather than directly on my spine, what about you ? I don’t feel 1 & 2 very well, while 3, 4 & 5 are super obvious.

Sleep –  insomnia, waking up every night at 3am and never really getting back to sleep. So always fatigued. But never felt so connected & in tune to my body !

Would love any feedback on any of this, or is that comparing ? ;-) thanks !

Hi Laurastrala, great to hear about your free flows, awesome vipassana sittings must have given you sensitivity in all areas of your body making it easy for you to feel deeper.

I used to feel the flow in the center of my body too for the longest time but over time through visualization I am able to feel it through my spine. You should checked out Sushumna Pranayama from Santata Gamana's Kundalini exposed book.

I wake up almost every day in the range of 3 30 - 5 am too and if I am unable to go back to sleep I am fatigued too, sleeping early helps me . While trying to go back to sleep focusing on the third eye helps too.

I feel you with the energy and being connected to the body, feels amazing!

Edited February 9, 2020 by Pacific Sage

[Pacific Sage]

@Germo

On 2/6/2020 at 11:12 AM, Germo said:

Find your meditation seat - Nadi Sodhana (3 - 12 rounds) - Ujjayi Pranayama (6 - 12 rounds) - Talabya Kriya (10 - 20 rounds) - Om Japa out loud (3 rounds initially) - Om Japa mentally (3 then 6 rounds finally) - Concentration (10 - 20 minutes)   

 

Is this the right scedule, and how long i gotta do that before moving to 1 kriya? Or how the all practice should look like for beginner? 

Should one perform all the preparatory excersises at minimum reps ? 

Schedule is right ?

You can move to next level once you are comfortable with the concentration for a while.

Yes atleast in the beginning minimum reps for preparatory exercises.

[John Doe]

Sorry if these are repetitive questions, Kriya Yoga noob here. I'm a bit late to the party, and am curious to know which book everyone is referring to? Is it "Kriya Secrets Revealed" by J. C. Stevens? Also, I basically 'learnt' my practices off a guy on YouTube, his name is Ryan Kurzcak (I've linked his video). I'm around a month into these practices, but now I keep reading about 'initiation' from a spiritual master. How important is this? Is it safe to move forward without initiation? Thanks in advance.  

 

[kerk]

21 hours ago, John Doe said:

Is it "Kriya Secrets Revealed" by J. C. Stevens? Also, I basically 'learnt' my practices off a guy on YouTube, his name is Ryan Kurzcak (I've linked his video). I'm around a month into these practices, but now I keep reading about 'initiation' from a spiritual master. How important is this? Is it safe to move forward without initiation? Thanks in advance.

From what I can tell the books mostly referred to in this discussion are KSR by JC Stevens, which I like, and the books by Gamana which I think suck. You are entitled to your opinion. You are certainly entitled to mine ...

By tradition Kriya Yoga was only taught one-on-one, by personal initiation by Kriya Yoga founder Lahiri Mahasaya or by his senior disciples such as Panchanon Bhattacharya and others in his extensive network. There are various reasons for this which I think were covered earlier. Although Lahiri, Panchanon, Sriyukteswar, Hariharananda and many other great ones did write books, for the most part they did not actually teach techniques in the books.

For example you can go to the Yoga Niketan website and read English translations of Lahiri's books. They're quite enlightening but they do not give lots of step by step instruction. Nor does Sailen Dasgupta, whose excellent book is on that site and who was the guru of the site owner.

Today most KY is taught in-person -- privately or in groups -- in a ceremony which may be elaborate or simple depending on the source concerned. Lahiri did not set up one organization; in fact, he preached against building institutions around KY. The end result since his mahasamadhi (earthly departure) in 1895 is dissemination of KY in different versions, through a wide assortment of characters and organizations.

For example, Mr. Kurczak you pointed to is a disciple, and perhaps a successor, to Roy Davis who was authorized to teach KY by Paramahansa Yogananda, founder of Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF). That organization teaches a series of spiritual lessons by printed guides and online material. But the Kriya initiation of SRF is provided in person by its monastics, at various events around the world. SRF has gently asserted that persons like Mr. Davis may have been ordained at one time but such permission was not necessarily permanent.

JC Stevens and Gamana both argue against organization thinking and teach KY techniques directly without personal visits or ceremonies. I believe the proprietor of this message board takes a similar view.

I started with SRF and also with the Stevens book. It became clear that I could use personal instruction and found a marvelous teacher who is firmly associated with the Panchanon tradition. So I took initiation and became a Kriyaban. Others will have similar stories. I meditate every day and try to engage with prana, the energy at the core of being. Here's wishing you find your path.

Edited February 19, 2020 by kerk

[Mada_]

A while ago, I was doing "self inquiry" (however I was more neurotically focusing on what I thought was awareness). As I did so, pressure would build at the third eye, this became more and more apparent each time K did the practice.

One time, the last time I did the practice, maybe around 5 months ago, an intense pressure began to build. It was as if my third eye was a tunnel, as I could direct this piercing poke on brumadhya itself, and even inside this tunnel, and behind my forehead. This piercing, that was directed by my intention, got so intense, that the brumadhya itself popped and energy spilled out of it all throughout my body; it poured down my face, fell down my body, there was so much of it that it felt like some collected at my ass cheeks.

 

No article I can find describes this happening, nor any kundalini video. For a while I stopped all spiritual practice, and attempted to forget and surpress all things to do with it. Now practice (Angamardhana) Hatha yoga, and after I finish this Mandala period (40 days daily practice), I have another practice lined up (Yogasanas).

The current symptoms are just a large area of dullness that resides at the the brumadhya point. Often the feelings of slight pain inside the head, particularly a small are, like a line, of pain maybe an inch or two, inside the head behind the right side of the forehead. Also my head gets very tense very easily, especially when I contemplate, study or just think, quite a lot of tension builds in the head, behind the forehead and closer to the middle of the brain.

I try not to let it bother me. But if anyone has any information, resources or specialists I could see, this would be greatly appreciated. 

Thanks 

(Quoted from a previous thread I posted; thought maybe this is a more suitable place to post.)

[Aaron p]

@Leo Gura Could you provide a list of the most powerful practises from the Kryia Secrets Revealed book? Also, is it really important to practise the auxiliary practises? Really appreciate any replies from you or any other experienced kryiabans here thanks <3

[Javfly33]

Hi there, I'm currently doing Kundalini Yoga but I thought I should post this here instead of making another thread.

So lately my Yoga practice has gotten very very intense. 

In some exercises I have started to shout violently the following words

"Per litia, per litia, sdraeliee, per litia".

I have done some research and there's nothing out there regarding this words. 'Sat Naam' or 'Sat Kriya' are the common words that are said in Kundalini Yoga so maybe is just my brain saying certain words for no reason?

What does it mean that after an exercise in yoga, my body gets like 'possesed' and start staying this words like a maniac.

By the way the last time apart from shouting, I got my hands close to each other, and I formed like a ball of energy/light between them and I "shot myself" into the chest, I fall into my back and that shot scared me too. I would have laughed if not because I was very serious when it happened and it was like I had no control of why I did that.

I hear little people here talking about all kind of strange shit that happens with Yoga exercises. For some way this kind of stuff I don't see happen in meditation. I don't mean I consider myself special for it just want to make sure if this is actually a thing or this is just all deludements from the mind. Since I read fantastic shit from yoga maybe this is sort of placebo effect and none of this is 'real' .

[Aaron p]

@Girzo (didn't mean the tag<-) 

@Javfly33 when i do the practice where you imagine the breath going up the spine, through the head and into the white star at the point between the eyes, the first inhalation is always powerful as fuck i...slumped off to one side and nearly passed out one time because of how powerful it was lol 

Edited March 15, 2020 by Aaron p

[Mada_]

@Dutch guy Thankyou so much.

[Aaron p]

hey real quick, see when you guys say "kriya pranayama 1, 2 and 3" are yous talking about "First part of kriya pranayama" and "second part of kriya pranayama" etc from the Kriya Secrets Revealed book? i need to make sure im doing the right stuff...

[Nelhael]

Hi everyone,

I started my yoga journey about 5 months ago and I am here to share my experience and difficulties hoping some of you could help me with advice or your experience.

So, I started with this hoping it will be my journey to enlightenment. Beforehand I tried different types of meditation which didn’t have much effect or a very short lasting one (self inquiry, do nothing, shamanic breathing). It's quite difficult for me to get psychedelics in my current situation so I opted for kriya yoga. Sounds like the most potent technique. I’m currently following KSR by J.C. Stevens book. I was practicing every day for about three months until I gave up because of HUGE ego backlashes without any apparent benefits. I thought that I was doing something wrong so I went searching in my town (Zagreb, Croatia) for a real live teacher (I read somewhere on this forum that it would be better to learn from a real person than from a book) but only recent events that I could find was from Art Of Living organization and meeting them was so weird, they were so cult(ish) and secretive and my gut feeling told me that they are not the ones. I remembered why I was so drawn to Leos videos, he was more like a guide than a direct teacher. No instant solutions just hard work and practice. So, I decided to get back to my practice from the books.

My current practice is:

1.      Talabya kriya x30 (I would really like to reach Kechari)

2.      Maha Mudra x3

3.      Om yapa in the chakras x6

4.      Kriya Pranayama x24

5.      Concentration

I have some issues that I hope you guys could help me with:

1.      I have problems locating my sacral chakra. Well, different books have different locations for them but KSR tells it is halfway between muladhara and manipura but some other literature says it is much lower. My problem is that none of the location works. When I concentrate on any other chakra I can feel like a jolt of energy/ electricity through my body but for this one- nothing… Does anyone have any idea what could be the case?

2.      I have huge problems with breathing. That is why I went to find a real life teacher to check on my breathing. I am always gasping for breath on my out breaths doing maha mudra and kriya pranayama. I read somewhere (maybe on this forum) not to worry too much and just take a small breath in and that my breath would lengthen through time and practice. Is that ok?

3.      I have problems with concentration or better with my monkey mind. I read on this forum that some people do labeling or self inquiry in this part. So what are your experiences? What works best for you? What should I try?

I find that I cope better with the ego backlashes if I do regular grounding and go to the gym to let my steam out. I am thinking maybe some shadow work or self love techniques would also be great afterwards but didn't try it yet.