Kriya Yoga is an answer to the need of human spiritual needs. It was taught in 1861 by Mahavatar Babaji Kriya Yoga to his disciple, Lahiri Mahasaya. The practitioners of Kriya yoga believe that it is an ancient spiritual technique revived in the modern era. Kriya is a means of accelerating human evolution. Ancient yogis discovered that the secrets of cosmic consciousness go hand in hand with mastery of the breath, India’s unique and enduring contribution to the world’s body of knowledge.
What are Kriya Yoga Principles?
As we mentioned in the 14 types of Yoga article, one of the main types of Yoga is Hatha Yoga which is very popular in most countries. To start practicing Kriya Yoga, one should devote himself to practicing Hatha Yoga to become ready to enter the Kriya Yoga system.
You should notice that Kriya Yoga is different from most yoga systems that include concentration on a special thing. It says that one should not make an effort to concentrate the mind and actually recommends internal movements.
Kriya” implies “action” and “yoga” implies the cognizant union of body, intellect, soul, and spirit. Yoga, in the highest sense, is realizing we are one with the Infinite—integrally associated with all that is. This particular yoga system is based on the following principles:
- A state in which a person keeps his mind to his attitude during the state of conscious training. He either talks to himself or makes positive suggestions to himself, which is actually related to the person himself or his subconscious mind.
- Steady control of the body is achieved by Hatha Yoga exercises.
- Skill in mudras and bandhas. Mudras are specific postures that direct energy to specific chakras and affect the organs to which they are connected. Bandha means a lock. It involves the contraction of muscles and organs and the accumulation of energy in specific nerve plexuses.
- Pranayama is the practice of regulating breathing. It is an important element of all yoga systems. An exercise for physical and mental health. In Sanskrit, ‘prana’ means life energy and ‘Yama’ means control. Practicing Pranayama includes breathing exercises and patterns. Pranayama is used along with other practices such as postures (asana) and meditation (dhyana). Together, these practices are responsible for Yoga’s many benefits.
Kriya Yoga Levels and Stages
Kriya Yoga includes a series of mechanisms (techniques) or “actions” that are grouped into five branches or stages.
Kriya Hatha Yoga: Consists of “asanas”, relaxing physical movements, “bandhas”, muscle knots, and “mudras”, symbolic physical-mental movements, all of which lead to greater health, peace, and relaxation, and stimulation of the channels. Babaji has chosen 18 body postures with a definite effect, which are taught step by step and in pairs.
Kriya Kundalini Pranayama: It is a powerful breathing technique for arousing a person’s hidden forces and consciousness and making it flow among the seven main chakras between the base of the spine and the crown of the head. This technique awakens the dormant abilities related to the seven chakras and makes a person dynamic in all five levels of existence.
Kriya Diana Yoga: It is a series of consecutive meditation techniques to learn the scientific art of manipulating the mind to clear the unconscious, increase concentration, clarity of mind and insight, awaken the power of perception, intuitive understanding (sixth sense), and the power of creativity and access to a breathtaking state of oneness, alignment and sympathy with God (samadhi) and self-knowledge.
Kriya Mantra Yoga: The silent repetition of complex and penetrating words is for awakening the power of direct (intuitive) understanding, reasoning, and chakras; The mantra becomes a substitute for “I” – the inner mental dialogue – and allows the storage of appropriate amounts of energy. The mantra also removes the tendency to unconscious habits.
Kriya Bhakti Yoga: Cultivating a passion for life. And it includes devotional activities and service in the way of God to arouse unconditional love and spiritual happiness; Including prayers, hymns, religious ceremonies, pilgrimage, and worship. Gradually, all the actions of a person, as the “beloved” is observed in all of them, becomes sweet.
How Kriya Yoga benefits me?
Kriya Yoga is the best choice to practice mind and body and obtain the benefits of meditation. Benefits of Kriya Yoga include but are not limited to:
- It is the fastest means of achieving spiritual success. it purifies the body, mind, intellect, and life at the same time.
- Its benefits include physical healing and increased energy levels, emotional balance, mental calmness, improved focus, inspiration, wisdom, and spiritual self-realization.
- The sincere practice of Kriya allows us to experience physical touch, sound vibrations, and divine flashes, helping us to elevate the mind to Transcendental Consciousness.
- As Kriya Yoga gives strength and youth to the body, memory, perseverance, and brilliance to the mind, no dietary restrictions are required for this process.
- techniques such as Kriya yoga asanas (postures), kriya pranayama breathing, kriya mantras (sacred syllables), and kriya meditation work holistically to increase awareness and energy levels. This allows us to view all types of events as opportunities for growth.
Conclusion
Kriya Yoga controls vital energy. Vital energy, which is prana, has a reciprocal relationship with the mind. The result is that by controlling the prana, the mind is also controlled, and then the person achieves a calm and balanced mind. Even if a person is in a crisis of unfortunate and disturbing events, he is still able to control his mind, and this is due to the chemical emanations of the body. This control and peace are permanent and unlike the fleeting and temporary effects of drugs such as LSD, etc. Through it, a person achieves a state of simultaneous awareness so that worldly phenomena and emotions are in one hand and inner peace in the other. By practicing it, the superiority of alpha waves in the brain is achieved, these waves are responsible for stopping the movement of the mind.
