(continued from The Secrets of Kriya Yoga I)
The techniques of Kriya yoga primarily teach us to concentration the breath until it becomes effortlessly deep and smooth. Generally, this is done by becoming still (as if in meditation). Focusing on the breath and listening to it. We notice the subtle nuances of the air entering and leaving the nostrils as well as the temperature and the rise and fall of the chest. Next, we start to listen to the silence between breaths. We then gaze into the Ajna chakra which is also known as the third or “spiritual” o “all-knowing” eye. Finally, we learn to synchronize the breath with the cosmic energy flow (prana) and direct it into the spine to awaken the Kundalini. From here, the energy travels up through the spine, through all our major energy channels, and finally merges with the heart and brain. It is from this point that we reach enlightenment.
Another essential teaching of Kriya yoga is meditation on the elemental cosmic sound of “AUM.” We cannot just sit and repeat this mantra mindlessly. We must use meditation and pranayama in unison to become aware of the subtle force in the sound. The sound of AUM becomes, then, a definite interiorized experience of the primordial state of infinite possibility. There is a resonance that comes into the body, into the chest, that vibrates the cells to a higher level. We start to loosen our grip on the previous definitions we have made for our self as separate from the infinite whole. The vibrations of the sound AUM are like waves that gently reshape the contours of the rockbed at seaside. Every time we sit and concentrate wholeheartedly on the sound, we gently sweep away fragments of our “selves” that are no longer working for our highest good. It becomes easier to redefine ourselves. We let go of the “me” from six weeks ago, two years ago, ten years ago. Are you really the same anyway? We give permission for these vibrations to reshape us completely.
Nature works in harmony with the very specific harmonic frequencies and patterns that operate through cosmic energy or prana. Kriya yoga aims to make the body more in alignment with these frequencies. Every single cell has a harmonic frequency at which it functions ideally. The right harmonic frequency is the difference between a cell singing with radiant energy and becoming cancerous or diseased. Most of us age so quickly because we have not lerned how to harness the vital energy that radiates through the cosmos. Once we do this, we not only start to age more slowly, but we can literally feel the life force radiating through our limbs, in our internal organs, and throughout our entire physical body. Those of us who are deeply sensitive can feel this life force expanding out from our body in a field that touches and affects others. Those who are extremely adept, such as practiced yogis, can transmute this life force into pure energy to use as they see fit.
Swami Harihararanda Giri reminds us that Kriya yoga has many benefits. It is thought that a child at least thirteen years of age can practice Kriya yoga and that an elderly person can benefit just the same. “Kriya Yoga brings about the simultaneous development of body, mind, intellect and soul. Kriya Yoga is the essence and synthesis of all yogic techniques taught in the world. However, the meticulous austerities and painful processes, which are associated with many traditional yogas, are totally absent in the Kriya Yoga technique. . . The simple and easy breath control prescribed in Kriya Yoga technique restores lost equilibrium. The pure oxygen breathed in this process purifies the inner mechanism of the body, activates the limbs, and increases the appetite. It gives strength and youth to the body, and memory, patience, and brilliance to the mind. It purifies the body, mind, intellect, and life simultaneously.
Kriya yoga practices have been shrouded for a long time, and although some may believe this was a way for one group of people to keep spiritual knowledge from other groups, it might simply have been that learned yogis realized we could have a world of very powerful “Darth Vaders” on our hands in stead of a bunch of very powerful and loving beings willing to invest their spiritual energy in making the planet a better place. However you choose to practice Kriya yoga, or IF you choose to practice, it is said that the teachings are powerful and work fast. Prepare yourself for an incredible spiritual journey, but know that even with its expeditious nature, the spiritual path is usually ripe with pitfalls and mis-steps. We step back onto the path again and again in order to finally be freed from our spiritual shackles. No matter the techniques we use, they must be infused with love in order to seal a positive fate for ourselves and out planet. Kriya yoga, though guarded by a lineage of yogis, is a practical set of practices which help to elevate the physical body, the activity of the mind and the spiritual foundation from which we grow. It is said believed that Kriya yoga gives the aspirant a direct connection to the divine experience. The techniques are simple and straightforward, and though given only to students of the lineage, the lineage is growing, and its disciples bringing the information to greater and greater portions of society with the hope that all can be transported from mundane existence to a merging with the Infinite Light of all being.
References:
Swami Sadhanananda Giri http://www.kriyayogabook.net/
Paramahansa Yogananda Autobiography of a Yogi,
http://www.spiritual-center.com/spiritual-yoga-2/babaji-kriya-yoga-secrets1-best-way-to-dissolve-karma
About the Author:
Christina Sarich runs http://www.yogaforthenewworld.blogpost.com