Kriya Yoga – Its Benefits and Advantages

By Richard A. Bowen©2010

Kriya (pronounced kree-ya) yoga is an ancient technique which was re-introduced to the world in India in 1860. Previously and temporarily lost through the passage of time, and again available to sincere individuals, it is a simple, psycho-physiological technique which offers wide-ranging benefits for the practitioner. The technique employs the breath to enable the one to manipulate life force (prana or chi in India and China, respectively).

The Breath

The yogis say the breath ties the soul to the body. Mastering the breath (“breath control”) offers a number of benefits. Perhaps most importantly, it allows one, with diligent practice, to breathe less. This means the lungs do not function as much and the heart beats less often. As the heart and lungs are two of the body’s biggest energy users, the result is huge energy savings for the one who is practicing breath control. (Reminder: Never force breath control. Never force the lungs to stop functioning. Yogic breath-control techniques allow the breath to slow or temporarily stop naturally, and of its own accord.) The energy therefore saved can be used for other, perhaps, higher purposes – better and higher brain functions; emotional control; subtle, keenly-felt intuitional experiences; etc. Breath control can also result in longer life, and a better life journey.

The ancient yogis used this clue of the breath to develop a science, which came to be called simply Kriya yoga, whereby the practitioner would not only control the breath but also use it to manipulate energy.

It is well known in the East, and it is becoming well known in the West, that human bodies, the bodies of all animals, birds, fish, and even plants, are sustained by something other than air, sunshine, food, and water. (Stuff a dead man’s body with bread and he remains dead.) Most of the time the energy which sustains us does so rather unconsciously. For example, when I wake in the morning I do not command my brain to think or my lungs to function – these work automatically. Kriya yoga allows one to manipulate the energy which operates organs, muscles, nerves, and even entire bodily systems.

So how is this beneficial? Primarily because, as conscious beings, we desire to be in control – of our thoughts, emotions, feelings, bodies, brains, hearts, and ultimately our lives. And so we can avoid living a life “by default”; in other words, because we are more in control of our destinies, we can more readily create the lives we choose.

Theory

As a long-time practitioner of Kriya, and one who has seen the effects of those who do not take the technique as a serious study, I cannot reveal the actual Kriya technique in these pages. Nor would I like to. In my opinion and experience, the technique requires some preparation and study, so the full and myriad effects can be realized. Preparation requires at least one year of study, which I highly recommend. (Interested persons can obtain this preparation from Self-Realization Fellowship in Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A., website www.yogananda-srf.org which is the organization responsible for the proper dissemination of Kriya.) However, I can generally discuss the technique here.

Kriya, as stated, allows the practitioner to use the breath to manipulate his/her body’s life force. Using the breath, not through visualization but by actually directing it to do work in the spine and brain, enables this to occur.

It is well known in yoga science that the life-force energy which sustains us comes into the body at the top of the spine, at the powerful part of the brain called the medulla oblongata. (Even western medicine concedes that merely touching the medulla with a needle means instant death.) From there, cosmic energy is distributed down into the spine, through the six chakras, or energy centers, which then distributes the energy to the muscles, organs, and nerves of the body.

The spine is the “tree” upon which all of the body hangs. When we direct the breath to the spine, we can see that this can have large implications – in other words, we are going to the “source” from which many of our body functions stem. So as we interiorize our thoughts and feelings in meditation, and we take control of the breath, we direct the energy of the spine to do our will.

The spine can be viewed as a microcosmic universe. The East Indians explain it thusly: the outer cosmos has 12 zodiacal signs; the inner cosmos of man also has 12 zodiacal signs, which are symbolized by the spine’s six chakras – 12 by polarity. As the Kriya yoga practitioner moves the life force along the spine, s/he is actually traveling through this inner cosmos. Just as men and women evolve and grow through the passage of time as the Earth travels through space, so do they evolve through passing through their own inner cosmos along the spine. However, they do so much more quickly and consciously. So in other words, as one practices Kriya, one speeds up one’s evolution, travelling quickly and consciously along the spine. Additionally, one can imagine there are infinite “points” along the spine, just as there is truly infinite space all around us – on the Earth, in the sky, in our universe, in outer space, etc. So therefore, in my experience, we have infinite possibilities to experience our lives inwardly and to improve them by a conscious interior evolution.

I shall pause here and assure you that the technique of Kriya is simple and quite easy to do, only requiring a little practice to master after the initial preparation.

Another important aspect of Kriya is that it stimulates and promotes the use of the considerable life force which resides in the spine. When the practitioner stimulates this life force by use of the breath, the spine wakes up and becomes enlivened. Therefore the practitioner can depend less on outer energy, through the lungs, heart, bloodstream, etc., and more on the infinite inner energy that resides in the spine (and brain). So the result is longer life through less use of physical organs, muscles, nerves, etc., and healthier living because the body can become more dependent on its own inner energy, rather than energy obtained indirectly from food, sunlight, water, and air through the mediums of the organs, nerves, and bloodstream.

Stimulating and using this here-to-fore unused energy in the spine provides another benefit: it promotes a noticeable feeling of bliss or joy. I have experienced this almost continuously since I began practicing Kriya yoga thirty years ago.

I have mentioned the brain a number of times in connect with the practice of Kriya. The brain can be thought of as another chakra, but in fact it is the superior area in the body where one, if sufficiently advanced, can experience the whole of life. Often called “the thousand-petaled lotus” in yoga texts, the brain is capable of giving us cosmic awareness, or cosmic consciousness, which is probably more than many who are reading this article are after. However, I mention it because it is truly an important and significant area of the body. In fact, during Kriya practice, one manipulates the life force up and down the spine and also over the brain, and then to the point between the eyebrows, or the “third eye” as it is known in yoga teachings. Therefore as one manipulates, guides, and feels the energy along the spine, s/he also helps stimulate and control the energy of the brain.

As you can see, and as I have attempted to point out, practicing Kriya yoga, or a technique like it, can have large implications. I have mentioned some of them here, and I am sure there are numerous others. As my yoga teacher used to say, “The proof is in the pudding.” Only practice of the Kriya technique can supply one with all of the answers to the questions of exactly what Kriya yoga does and how it does it. With Kriya, one opens up many vast areas to explore in the inner world.

by Richard A. Bowen

© 2007

People from all walks of life practice meditation. Age, sex or religious orientation do not matter. And the best part about meditation is that it is simple.

Meditation is a way to find peace, to calm the mind, and to increase powers of concentration. In some respects, meditation is the opposite of activity. So when we practice meditation, we attain balance. This is especially needed today with so many demands on our time. It is easy to get caught up in constant activity. So learning how to meditate can provide a way for us to rest and retreat, even for a short time, from our busy lives.

Find a peaceful room or corner in your home. Sitting upright in a chair (or cross-legged on the floor), hold the spine straight. Place your hands upturned at the juncture of the thigh and abdomen, shoulder blades back, chin level with the floor – this opens up the chest and allows for deep, rhythmic breathing. Most importantly, gently place the attention of the mind and the inward gaze of the eyes at the point between the eyebrows – the "third eye." Should your attention wander from the "midspot," during your meditation gently bring it back again and again. Now relax. Let go of all your thoughts, worries and cares.

A technique to help calm the mind is to watch the breath as it flows evenly in and evenly out. Do not try to control or regulate it, but just watch it flow. Yoga practitioners say that the mind and breath are inseparable: the condition of one reflects the condition of the other. As you watch the breath, you will note that it begins to slow down of its own accord; so too the mind becomes peaceful and calm.

The body has its own rhythms. Early in the morning, the body is waking up and getting ready for the day. Late at night before bed, it is preparing for sleep. Just before getting up and just before going to sleep are excellent times to meditate. These "in-between" times, when we are waking and getting ready for sleep, our bodies are receptive, so meditating at those times is very beneficial. As it makes sense to take care of our bodies by exercise and the right foods, meditation can help focus the mind and quell the emotions.

In the beginning, it may be difficult to meditate more than a few minutes. If that is all you feel comfortable doing, then go with it. Practice will enable you to meditate longer. But even a few moments of meditation can yield big dividends.

I have found meditation to be an invaluable tool in my life. It helps me remain calm during trying times. It helps me better focus on whatever I am doing. And it provides a calming "retreat" from all the stresses and strains of modern living. Give it a try.

When I began practicing meditation 28 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing. I had heard of meditation but did not know that I could learn to do it. I thought it was reserved for people living in the Far East. Today knowledge of meditation is much more widespread and mainstream. Every organization, it seems, from corporations to churches are offering some sort of meditation. By practicing these simple instructions, you should have no fear about not knowing what to do should you have the opportunity to participate.