Please see the videos below on a wide variety of discourses on meditation, Kriya Yoga, and other practices. For additional videos use the menu dropdown. If you have any questions, please contact info@modernkriya.com.
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Kriya Yoga and Yogananda's Delusion
Some Kriya Yoga teachers have claimed that the world is a delusion that one can only escape from with the help of the guru. Others, such as Yogananda, have made spurious connections between Hinduism and fundamentalist Christianity that have lead to considerable confusion for students. While the process of realization usually requires discarding the false notion of a self that is separate from the Absolute, it does not require a denial of life. In contrast, realization requires and awakening of the inherent nature of the Absolute in creation and within oneself.
Kriya Yoga, the Breathless State, and Deep Meditation
The breathless state has been mythologized in Kriya Yoga. While some have claimed that the state is entirely with breath (i.e. airless), the great master Yogiraj Lahiri Baba referred to it as the Tranquil Breath, which is an extremely subtle form of breathing that coincides with deep internalized concentration (dharana). To be able to attain this state, one requires considerable practice of Kriya Yoga in the correct manner.
How to Empower Your Kriya Yoga Practice
To empower your Kriya Yoga practice, it can be helpful to choose an Ishta Devata (form of the Divine) with which to cultivate a sacred relationship. As well, understanding and enacting through the mandala relationships with those who have walked that path before, as well as those in your community, can help support your spiritual progress.
Kriya Yoga for Beginners: Step-by-Step Guide
Kriya Yoga is a very potent meditation practice that has beneficial effects for body and mind. It is different from modern yoga in its focus on pranayama (intentional breathing that brings about an internalized state) rather than yoga poses (asanas). 15 – 20 minutes of daily Kriya Yoga practice supports one’s health and well-being and spiritual development.
Kriya Yoga and TWIM (Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation)
Kriya Yoga and TWIM (Tranquil Wisdom Insight Meditation) are extremely complementary practices. The internalizing and stabilizing power of Kriya Yoga multiplies the insight and tranquil nature of TWIM and vice versa. When these teachings are combined, the result is an extremely powerful toolkit of practices that can take one to the highest levels of meditation and awakening.
Exploring the Science Behind Meditation
According to historical records, meditation has been practiced for nearly 3000 years. Although there are many different approaches to meditation, they share similar benefits for the practitioner including helping to mitigate stress, affecting changes to the structure of the brain, and helping to prevent aging. Of the various meditation methods, Kriya Yoga is a highly effective practice that can result in deep meditation in five minutes or less and open the doorway of discovery to one’s latent spiritual and authentic inner nature.
Unlock the Power of Breath: Beginners' Guide to Pranayama
Pranayama is a form of intention breathing that is commonly practiced in yoga and meditation. It directly affects the body’s central nervous system to helps improve well-being through increasing awareness and regulation of physiological and cognitive states. Pranayama techniques such as Nadi Shodhana, box breathing, and Heart Rate Variability Resonance Breathing support stress reduction, cognitive resilience, and greater awareness.
Kriya Yoga and Modern Mindfulness
Kriya Yoga and modern Mindfulness practices have many similarities that make them extremely complementary. Both approaches share a common ground in that they emphasize self-awareness and the cultivation of inner peace. The development of insight (vipassana) through Mindfulness and the development of tranquility (samatha) through Kriya Yoga makes the synthesis of these two approaches a winning combination for one’s meditative practice.
Kriya Yoga and the Spiritual Ego
Many Kriya yogis who judge spiritual development on the basis of inner experiences do not understand the path to awakening. They may believe, for example, that samadhi (superconscious awareness) constitutes self-realization. This idea is incorrect. Rather, true awakening is the result of letting go of all impermanent concepts of the self (including the spiritual ego), until one contacts the Unconditioned Absolute, the result of which results in a permanent paradigm shift and understanding into one’s true nature.
Kriya Yoga New Year Resolution
It is helpful for Kriya yogis to look back at their practice in the past year and review their strengths, as well as determine aspects of their sadhana where work is still needed. This will make it clear where to make tweaks in their practice to help ensure spiritual progress in the coming year.
Kriya Yoga and the Inner Guru
In Kriya Yoga and many spiritual paths, the guru is considered essential for the student’s development. However, these worldly teachers are just preparations for meeting one’s inner guru. With the guidance of the inner guru, one develops a clear understanding of the nature of experiences in meditation or how to best live one’s life. This leads to the abandoning of attachment, dismantling of ego consciousness, and the realization of the Unconditioned Absolute.
Kriya Yoga, Krishna, and the Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is a dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna regarding the internal battle experienced by the spiritual aspirant. Krishna, as the voice of intuition, guides Arjuna to sacrifice his attachment to unwholesome tendencies and to experience direct perception of truth and intuitive realization.
Do You Have to Give Up Sex to Practice Kriya Yoga?
Some schools of Kriya Yoga believe that one has to give up sex in order to have success in Kriya Yoga. These same schools often laud the celibate life of the monastic as being superior to the householder yogi. However, this was not the opinion of Yogiraj Lahiri Baba nor his guru Mahamuni Babaji Maharaj, the deathless master. If the householder Kriyaban can engage in balanced, wholesome sexual activity that allows them to discharge their worldly duties while maintaining a balanced sadhana, these Kriyabans can attain the highest levels of samadhi.