Kriya Yoga Mega-Thread

[Paan]

@Pacific Sage Ive seen that, thank you  im gonna start doing some of the movements and make a routine of it

[herghly]

@GreenWoods How many mahmudra sets do you do?

 

I've been thinking what's the optimal amount to do per 12 pranayamas.

[GreenWoods]

3 hours ago, herghly said:

@GreenWoods How many mahmudra sets do you do?

Currently none. I prefer to do more kriya supreme fires instead.

3 hours ago, herghly said:

I've been thinking what's the optimal amount to do per 12 pranayamas.

From little research it suggests that the purpose of mahamudra is:

- open the knot at muladhara

- incite the prana to enter the shushumna at muladhara

- stretch the spine, make it easier to feel the shushumna 

- as grounding (according to Gamana). It should be done when you feel strong side effects from supreme fire

- improving the systems capacity (while lowering side effects)

- more purposes which I am not aware of

All of those things are (to a larger or smaller extend) adressed by supreme fire and pranayama too. Evaluate for yourself how important maha mudra is for you specifically. Gamana suggests (in his kundalini book) sth like doing it and after some years when your body is more prepared replace it by more supreme fire.

Per 12 pranayamas I would do no more than one maha mudra (except one is a beginner)

I wouldn't do it longer than 15% of your routine time (except your routine is already very potent but you want to lengthen the routine nevertheless, then lengthen it by adding more maha mudras)

Edited September 8, 2019 by GreenWoods

[JonasVE12]

When I do spinal breathing, my body starts to vibrate really crazy, I also get some kind of ecstatic feeling in my body. For a week I have been feeling some pressure in my head at the top. Keep going?

[Paan]

what do you feel about this? Im thinking about changing from the gamana routine with Kriya supreme fire to lahiris routine.

[GreenWoods]

2 hours ago, JonasVE12 said:

When I do spinal breathing, my body starts to vibrate really crazy, I also get some kind of ecstatic feeling in my body. 

Pernani experiences that too. perhaps he knows some good advice. Otherwise just do it as long it is comfortable, then do other techniques 

2 hours ago, JonasVE12 said:

 For a week I have been feeling some pressure in my head at the top. Keep going?

Have you been focusing on that spot beforehand?

1 hour ago, Paan said:

what do you feel about this? Im thinking about changing from the gamana routine with Kriya supreme fire to lahiris routine.

I am not sure. Gamanas routine is more potent and might thus pose more risks. Kundalini yoga, sexual kungfu and psychedelics is even more powerful and many people do them still. The youtuber probably considers them very dangerous.

Then there is the issue that everyone tells a different pranayama and claims that that's what Lahiri taught. Eg Gamana and Ennio Nimis say that Lahiri taught pranayamas with only chanting in the head while eg. the youtuber and Stevens tell the spinal breathing as the original.

If you want to be more safe then do Steven's, if you want to be even more safe then do only mediations, and when you want to be even more safe then do hatha yoga...

Edit:

The risk what he is talking about is probably an increased chance for a premature kundalini awakening. If you think you could handle it then do Gamans, otherwise Stevens

Edited September 9, 2019 by GreenWoods

[GreenWoods]

On 9/8/2019 at 8:36 AM, GreenWoods said:

- open the knot at muladhara

- incite the prana to enter the shushumna at muladhara

Supreme fire and pranayama - to some extend - adress those too. But maha mudra is more gentle and more smoth. For example, supreme fire probably opens that knot through the sheer force of the induced pressure, heat, ... 

Btw, I have added maha mudra to my routine again

[TrynaBeTurquoise]

How important is the recommendation of not eating anything 2-3 hours prior? Would 1-1.5 hours still work if you have a fast metabolism? 

 

[JonasVE12]

3 hours ago, GreenWoods said:

Pernani experiences that too. perhaps he knows some good advice. Otherwise just do it as long it is comfortable, then do other techniques 

Have you been focusing on that spot beforehand?

 

I have been focussing on medulla, looking at bruhmadhya for 3 weeks. 

[GreenWoods]

5 hours ago, TrynaBeTurquoise said:

How important is the recommendation of not eating anything 2-3 hours prior? Would 1-1.5 hours still work if you have a fast metabolism? 

 

As far as I know it is because of thoses reasons:

-the stomache lock may be uncomfortable /  not possible with a full stomache

- kriya supreme fire generates heat / energy in the stomach region which might impair the digestion

If you don't do those two (or have no problem doing them nevertheless) it should be fine. Then there is:

- In case you set free a lot of prana through pranayama,... the energy at the stomache region increases too.  I don't know what exact effect that could have. But I guess, at the most, that your digestion will not be perfect. So just try it out and if you feel like it does no harm then keep doing it

 

@JonasVE12

- As I started yoga I also experienced pressure  (through energy) in the head. But I could slightly move it. Can you too? i was a bit worried so I decreased the intensity of my practise for a few months. slowly it subsided. and as my system adapted I could increse the intensity again. But I think in most cases I could just have kept going without decreasing the intensity

- When you feel it at the top ( crown chakra?) and it is energy then you are increasing the chance that kundalini awakens. I have almost no knowledge on that but I would assume that in 98% cases your kubdalini wouldn't rise before 8 months.(except you have a very long and intense routine and have pre-experience with energy work)

 

[TrynaBeTurquoise]

@GreenWoods Thanks! 

[kerk]

18 hours ago, Paan said:

what do you feel about this?

It's a good video and worth following that advice.

[kerk]

17 hours ago, GreenWoods said:

Eg Gamana and Ennio Nimis say that Lahiri taught pranayamas with only chanting in the head while eg. the youtuber and Stevens tell the spinal breathing as the original.

Both Gamana and Nimis present both methods (for example, compare Ennio page 97 and 181). Even Gamana shows them separately on his website. The chanting in the head is Mukherjee's method and he claims that's what Lahiri taught.

Nimis' book contains so many techniques, including very advanced kriyas plus lengthy material on Hariharananda's unique system (which is claimed to come from Sriyukteswar), plus SRF, plus Mukherjee - it's easy to get confused. Stevens also contains a lot of techniques, maybe too many, and they are separated out into many different sections.

These are good reasons to learn Kriya in person from a competent instructor if you can.

Edited September 10, 2019 by kerk

[kerk]

15 hours ago, TrynaBeTurquoise said:

How important is the recommendation of not eating anything 2-3 hours prior? Would 1-1.5 hours still work if you have a fast metabolism?

What works for you? If hunger will distract you during meditation, then eat closer to practice time. If digestion will distract you during meditation, especially during deep inner focus, then don't eat close to practice time. You may or may not need an hour. I usually have a little bit of fruit and drink a few minutes before.

[JonasVE12]

13 hours ago, GreenWoods said:

 

@JonasVE12

- As I started yoga I also experienced pressure  (through energy) in the head. But I could slightly move it. Can you too? i was a bit worried so I decreased the intensity of my practise for a few months. slowly it subsided. and as my system adapted I could increse the intensity again. But I think in most cases I could just have kept going without decreasing the intensity

- When you feel it at the top ( crown chakra?) and it is energy then you are increasing the chance that kundalini awakens. I have almost no knowledge on that but I would assume that in 98% cases your kubdalini wouldn't rise before 8 months.(except you have a very long and intense routine and have pre-experience with energy work)

 

The pressure is less present now, so I think I'll be good.

Also, I have heard people being really energized after their yoga routine. For me it's the opposite. I get extremely tired. That's unusual? 

[TrynaBeTurquoise]

Practicing Kriya before bed the last 2 nights i’ve been able to fall asleep much faster than i usually do. Like as soon as I lay down my body has this really good energetic sensation with that leftover pressure between my eyebrows (which feels kind of pleasurable to me lol) and its lights out for me in just a few minutes.

Then this morning I woke up around an hour earlier than I usually do and feel extremely rested. 

[GreenWoods]

On 9/10/2019 at 4:42 PM, JonasVE12 said:

Also, I have heard people being really energized after their yoga routine. For me it's the opposite. I get extremely tired. That's unusual? 

Do you get tired only after yoga or after meditation too?

[JonasVE12]

Only after yoga. Does not matter at what time of the day I do it, I end up opening my eyes and feeling like I come out of anesthesia or like I just woke up lol.

Don’t know if it is something unusual, but it’s weird that other people get energized from their yoga routine, While I become sleepy. I wonder what influences that.

 

 

[GreenWoods]

What do you mean by energized? Yoga definitely energizes pranically but that probably doesn't necessarily mean that you also get energized physically. When I do yoga, I get very energized pranically but my physical energy is usually not affected.

Don't worry about it.

Do you have a straight spine without leaning against sth? Being more  conscious during yoga might help too.

Generally, to boost physical energy: lighter food, cold showers, semen preservation, sleep schedule,...

[AdamDiC]

What would be the difference between Parvastha and self-inquiry? 

Both are basically focusing on awareness, nothingness, void.

Self-inquiry just seems like longer Parvastha, independent on any practices preceding in. Where parvastha is a state focused on after kriya to calm the mind.

Also, does SG recommend one-pointed concentration after practice. I swear he just says chill in the I-amness.

Thanks.