Kriya Yoga - Part 1

We are honored to witness the growing interest towards our Kriya Yoga offerings. Thus, it is our pleasure to hold discussions on what we feel is one of the simplest and still extremely effective methodologies for real human spiritual transformation. At BTGY, one of the things we talk a lot about is accessibility. Creating a platform for people to learn about spiritual technology, apply it effectively and thus allow it to integrate into their own personal lives seems to be a sensitive subject. We are constantly striving to provide simple and grounded tools and techniques so that those who come to us don't feel overwhelmed by the wide array of details that emerge as we dive deeper into these practices. Yes, there can be nuances and precise internal adjustments that are necessary for our advancement, but we wish to remind everybody of a core philosophy we follow that the guru is within. Provided one practices with some semblance of structure and consistency, much of the details about practice and questions we have are ironed out in the process. We feel that the spiritual climate is ripe for broader exposure to these practices, and those who apply them will gradually approach a more refined understanding of them, and thus our questions themselves become more juicy. Our main message here is this - we know that diving deep into the systems of Hatha and Kriya Yoga can be overwhelming at first. We wish to provide generalized frameworks for those who are interested in walking with us, to walk with us. In addition, we will hold regular discussions and practice sessions so that we can ensure collective progress and understanding. If Kriya Yoga is something that you are feeling resonant towards, or wish to know more about, please read on.

The first apperance of Kriya Yoga was in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras over 2500 years ago. In Chapter 2 of this incredible document, the first known text to systemize yogic philosophy succinctly, Patanjali posits:

Tapah-svadhyaya-Ishvara-pranidhanani kriya yogah

Tapas - Austerity, heat, discipline

Svadhyaya - Self-study

Ishvara Pranidhana - surrender to God

Kriya - action

Yoga - union

So the classical definition here can be unpacked based on this original translation. We take this to mean that the Yoga, or the Union that is the chief aim of all our spiritual work, is defined through three specific steps. Tapas, svadhyaya, & ishvara pranidhana. When we actually start to look at the methodologies of Kriya Yoga, we can integrate these concepts further, but for now, let us simply sit with this basic outline.

We will jump now to cover a brief history of Kriya Yoga so that we understand that different between Kriya and the other yogas seen today.

In the early part of the 20th century, there were a few great yogis emerging out of India. Two of them to note here are Krishnamacharya, and Paramahansa Yogananda. Both of these men brought concepts of the divinity of natural human existence to the forefront of Western thought. Much of our religious structures and ideologies, especially in the early 1900s, were convinced that humans were somehow impure and we must go to church and repent for our sins in order for us to be accepted into Heaven at the end of our days. They propounded philosophies stemming from the great Vedic traditions of ancient India which stated that Man and God were One, and that this One Great Reality was/is the all-pervasive Truth. These philosophies, if we examine them further, are actually speaking to the same scientific understanding that we conclude today - all that is a part of our Universe is arising from some fundamental cosmic fabric; that all of 'this' is emerging from the same energy. To explain this to a 3rd grader, we might - you are alive, I am alive, that tree is alive, that bird is alive, even the rocks and the dirt are inside of this thing we may call 'life'. We are all a part of the One thing happened - call it life, called it the Universe, God, Source, Great Spirit... it is an inescapable and obvious condition of our mere aliveness.

All that being said, these two men, Krishnamacharya and Yogananda, both spoke to this. Yet, and perhaps more importantly, they brought to us the methodologies and processes that allowed humans to actually interact with this Great Truth in a more tangible way. It is not enough to intellectualize "We are all One". Without directly perceiving something, the belief is an ideal at best and a liability at worst. Think about it - if we are intellectually convinced that All is One, and we keep experiencing emotional turmoil or abuse in a relationship or in the world, we suffer from tremendous cognitive dissonance. No, we need actual practices that help us integrate into this understanding. And the comprehension of All being One is perhaps a life of work, for to truly understand it is something that may not be possible due to the limitations of the human mind. However, we can try. Kriya Yoga is one way that we try.

Real briefly before speaking more about Kriya, we want to pay homage to Krishnamacharya. This was the man that brought modern postural yoga to life in the early parts of our 20th century. He taught two of the most prominent figures in Western yoga today - B.K.S. Iyengar and K.Pattabhi Jois. These two individuals (Iyengar and Jois) went on to create systemized forms of yoga that are the most common practices we see and think of when we think of the word 'yoga'. Pattabhi Jois, for example, is solely responsible for the Ashtanga Vinyasa system of practices, which is where all flow/vinyasa style yoga is rooted. Iyengar is responsible for the props and strict alignment principles that many studios and practitioners follow. Both did great things for the yoga world and we do not in any way intend to discount their contributions. We wish to bring awareness to the fact, from this emergence of focusing solely on the physical aspects of yoga (such as through Vinyasa or alignment), the more deeply transformative aspects of the practie and the real essence of yoga has been obscured. Not lost entirely, but obscured. The great news is that through all this, exposure to yoga is higher than ever, and thus, we have people probing into deeper aspects to the practice. Hence, we segue on to Paramahansa Yogananda.

Yogananda was a prominent figure as far as discussing Kriya Yoga with the West. He has a famous quote "God is in the spine" that we take with all sincerity, especially at BTGY, being that one of our fundamental practices here is Spinal Breathing Pranayama. We have to understand that all any yoga practice is designed to do is bring us back in the alignment with the truth that we are not separate from life, nor have we have been, and that the reason we suffer in life is because we have forgotten this. This philosophical paradigm, that we are inseparable from life (hence, God, if we will accept this word), is a fundamental tenet of all yogic philosophy. and to layer upon this further, the yogis would say that all actions which produce an ill-effect in our lives are actions taken out of the ignorance that we are separate. If we knew, deep down, that we were woven deeply into the fabric of all existence, that everything we did mattered and affected everything else in a big way, our actions would most certainly change. And anyone who has consistently practiced yoga and applied these teachings over a period of time will see the results of this understanding. It is a truly awesome thing, to be clear. And our yogic methodologies help remind us of this great power that we all possess.

Which us exactly what Kriya Yoga is designed to do. It is an intentional system, applying tapas: self effort or discipline, and combining this with svadhyaya: observation of the self or looking inward, and the final yet most important step, ishvara pranidhana: surrender to the Absolute. When say "surrender to the Absolute", what we are really asking the yogi to do is imagine the most ideal situation possible. Really imagine this. What is the best possible scenario you can fabricate in your mind? Think about it! This is a grand task, this meditation alone - to meditate on your own personal perfect Universe. It will require great concentration and focus. And the sheer act of meditating on this will start to wire our brain to produce bodily affects such as changes in our inner chemistry, the neuro-circuitry of the brain, and other internal biological changes. Even the electro-magnetic fields of the heart and mind are affected through visualizing an ideal such as this, because we shift our attention away from the negative, or the old, and instead focus all of our energy on a new, bigger, more expansive version of Reality. To be clear, THIS is what the yogis mean by "surrender to God", or "surrender to the Absolute." This internal image that you yourself are creating, is the BEST POSSIBLE THING YOU CAN IMAGINE. Is there are greater thing? Yes? Well think of it then! If not, then surrender to That.

The science of this is quite fascinating and it has to do with using the conscious mind to conjure up and image, holding that image for long enough until the body mobilizes to prepare for the event, and then releasing the image and letting the body do the rest of the work. Did you know that the body does not know the difference between an event, real or imagined? Our brain has this immeasurable power to create an entire reality and project it inwardly on the screen of our consciousness, and the body will literally prepare itself as if the event is taking place. Hormones are released, gene keys are triggered, enzyme activity and proteins are responding, all in a systematic and organized response to the thoughts we are thinking. Just consider this the next time you have a negative thought.

We now have all this amazing modern science to explain the process of enlightnement, and we can couple this with the brilliant wisdom of our ancient spiritual scientists. The concepts around yoga simply help us with the integration of all this. And we believe that enlightenment, self-actualization, liberation, moksha - these are concepts that may have real and measurable outcomes in the human body. Certainly we can see what these ideas look like through the embodied examples set by many saints and sages - Jesus Christ, Buddha, etc. Truly, these potentials exist in every human body and nervous system.

As we believe that this is true, we mine the source texts for yoga to see what the ancient wisdom is saying. We look to find evidence and clues to the awakening that is happening on a collective level across humanity. And sure enough, we find them. As it says in the Bible "ask and ye shall receive. Knock, and the door will be opened to you." The sincerity of one's personal spiritual quest is perhaps the most important quality, because it means turning away from and questioning everything to reach our own conclusions. And, if everything is indeed One, this is absolutely critical. The understanding about all of this MUST arise from within. If it comes from without, from someone or something else, then we are ultimately unsatisfied. Kriya Yoga refers to this process effortlessly through the three steps - tapas, svadhyaya, ishvara pranidhana. It is seems quite clear and logical, no?

Okay. We will stop for today. We hope this has gotten some of you started in your quest to understand yoga, Kriya, and a bit of the surrounding history and science of these things. As we said, it is a lot at first, but allow the things to sink in as they do. Keep up to date on additional writings and commentaries, including technical aspects of the practice and the application of it. We hold a weekly class so check the website for our schedule and come attend. If anything needs clarification, hold off on any initial questions and see if the answer arises. We are here to support you but we wish to empower you, also. We do believe in you and the wisdom of the Heart. All that being said, thank you for your devotion, your sincerity, and your willingness. May all thirsty souls find something to quench their thirst, here at BTGY or elsewhere. May all beings awaken to the truth of their own being. OM!