Kriya Yoga

What is Kriya Yoga?
Kriya is an ancient living tradition of yoga and tantra. It contains a well rounded mixture of techniques that address the many different areas of life; physical, vital, mental, intellectual, and spiritual. These include breathing to awaken the life force, meditation, yoga postures, mantras, sexual spirituality techniques and practices to move vital energy and open the heart.

Kriya Yoga is revealed by Sathguru Kriya Babaji of the Himalayas, the immortal Siddha-Avatar and fountainhead of all Kriya traditions. Kriya is the practical side of all religions because it provides a systematic approach to awaken consciousness and bring the practitioner into a state of divine power, light, energy, peace and bliss.

Under Babajis inspiration through the ages, thousands of these techniques, or Kriyas, have been discovered by the greatest teachers of yoga often as a direct result of a transcendental experience or specific mastery over some external or internal energy or process (siddhi). It is likely that some of these techniques have been many times discovered and rediscovered independently by various individuals throughout the history of the developing consciousness of mankind.

These practical techniques, in fact, can be found in a significant number of esoteric traditions in various parts of the world, known under different names and practiced with slightly variant forms. Certainly, the scientific art of Kriya Tantra Yoga does not belong to any geographic location or culture since one of its purposes is to transcend such limitations. Indeed Kriya Tantra Yoga belongs to all humanity. However, we rightly honor the origins, particularly India, the great homeland of Yoga and Tantra which even today continues to produce great and noble individuals through these practices. Much of what we know about early Tantra was recorded by inscription on palm leaf manuscripts using encodement metaphors which can only be understood by the initiated.

In practice, Kriya Yoga, which is an oral teaching supported by centuries of written records, consists of many practical techniques for inner change. In essence, Kriya Yoga is all about uncovering and releasing the accumulated debris of lifetimes so that the individual becomes liberated from the illusion that he is something other than the Divine essence.

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Do you personally practice Kriya Yoga?

Re: Kriya Yoga

“Much of what we know about early Tantra was recorded by inscription on palm leaf manuscripts using encodement metaphors which can only be understood by the initiated.”

Ah, yes, the 'initiated.' That's the sticker. Secrecy in spiritual traditions creates 'innies' and 'outies.' I think we are way past the time when it serves any purpose, unless you're trying to make a buck. Luckily the secrecy surrounding Kriya yoga techniques has begun to leak, and there now are various books and websites where some of the information – not all but some – is available if you look hard enough.

I have heard all the rationales – “Some are dangerous ,if practiced without proper guidance.” “In the wrong hands, too much power.” “You need the direct transmission from the guru,” etc. etc. I have the same problem with “initiation” if it also swears the initiate to confidentiality.

“Open hearts, open minds, open information”. Or as Satguru Stewart Brand is fond of saying, “Information wants to be free.”

I've been collecting various of my own homegrown kriya techniques, amd would suggest, for starters, learning how to purr ('m a 'feline initiate'):

On the inhale: (vibrating the septum, soft palate and trachea) HONGGGGGG
On the exhale (gargline a Franch “R” in the back of the throat) KREEE

Works best with a wide smile.

Explanation: the trachea resides just in back of where the aorta and upper vena cava enter the heart - actually it branches to the two lungs at that spot. When you vibrate the traches ('tracheal resonance' in voice coach circles) the vibrations are passed to the circulatory system (blood stream). 10 - 20 loud 'purrs' and your fingers and toes should start to tingle. Blood, like water, transmits sounds very well.

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P.S. You might also check out the “Advanced Yoga Techiques” website.
 www.aypsite.com
The teacher, Yogani, has been able to retain his anonymity since starting as a Yahoo list, then a website, then publishing four books: “Advanced Yoga Techniques,” and one on pranayama, a spiritual novel, and now one on sexual yoga. I have great respect for his ability to put out so much excellent information without forming a cult of worshipful devotees.

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Well said.  I love Kriya Yoga.  I was personally initiated by Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath but I believe that the spirit is the true Guru.