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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How to Deal with Negative Emotions in Kriya Yoga
Negative emotions can manifest at any stage of the meditation process and often have an adverse impact on one’s meditation. Such emotions are usually rooted in one or more of the Five Hindrances of sensual craving, aversion, restlessness and remorse, sloth and torpor, and doubt. Recognizing that a hindrance has arisen, one can use Right Effort to let it go and this will result in spontaneous progression through states of meditative absorption.
Kriya Yoga Guru: Celebrating Lahiri Mahasaya
Yogiraj Lahiri Baba, also called Lahiri Mahasaya or Kashi Baba, is considered the father of Kriya Yoga. His earthly journey from birth was guided by providence and led to his initiation by the immortal Mahavatar Babaji in 1868. At the bequest of his guru, renouncing renunciation, he consented to live as a realized yogi householder, imparting wisdom and the power of Kriya Yoga sadhana to many. As a guiding light on the spiritual path, he continues to be an ideal example of those actively engaging in daily sadhana while living a householder life.
Biggest Pitfall in Kriya Yoga
Although there are many pitfalls in Kriya Yoga and meditation in general, the biggest pitfall is the identification with phenomena as a self. This process of “I making” is very prevalent among Kriya Yogis and leads to the misunderstanding of reality and one’s nature within it. The remedy is to move beyond temporary bliss states to experience the unconditioned absolute (nibbana), thereby shattering one’s identity view, and leading to a clearer perception of reality. Then, one can work diligently towards pulling out the linchpin of conceit and experiencing awakening.
Is the Spiritual Eye Holding You Back in Kriya Yoga?
Many Kriya Yogis become obsessed with seeing the spiritual eye (Kutastha) and once they have seen it, they think they need to travel through it. But this is a misunderstanding perpetrated by some misinformed Kriya Yoga teachers who believe that the spiritual eye is the only way to progress in meditation. Instead of fixating on the spiritual eye, one learns to see all internal phenomena in meditation as impermanent, unsatisfying, and impersonal and to let go of attachment. This leads to true perception in meditation and rapid spiritual progress.
Kriya Yoga and the Power of Mindfulness
Mindfulness, sati sampajaññaa, is one of the most important factors in meditation. With mindfulness, one is has the requisite attention to recognize which state the mind is in, and to be aware of hindrances and attachments in meditation. Mindfulness is a perfect complement to Kriya Yoga, and helps the Kriyaban to go beyond the plateaus of blissful experiences toward awakening.
Does Kriya Yoga Prevent Kundalini Syndrome
Some have claimed that Kriya Yoga is a remedy for kundalini syndrome, which is an energetic imbalance that may arise from spiritual practice. While Kriya Yoga does follow a best practice methodology for working with prana (life force) through intentional breathing, it is not a foolproof remedy against kundalini symptoms. It is only when one has a correct understanding of the meditation process and how to let go of bodily, verbal, and mental formations (i.e., karmic seeds or samskaras) that one is able to prevent kundalini syndrome and move towards awakening.
Kriya Yoga and the Luminous Mind
It has been stated by some that the mind is harder to control than the wind. When one’s mind is rooted in restlessness and attachment, it may stay into unwholesome states that cause negative karma and suffering. When freed from taints and defilements the luminous nature of the mind manifests. As one realizes the luminous nature of the mind, ones attention is rooted in reality and one learns to let go of binding karma and move towards awakening.
Power of Mantra in Kriya Yoga
Mantra is used in Kriya Yoga to help uplift the mind from unwholesome states and support one’s practice of Kriya Pranayama. However, if practiced incorrectly, mantra can be an impediment to deeper states of meditation. Learning how mantra works and how to best apply it empowers one’s spiritual practice and supports one’s awakening.
Kriya Yoga Shortcut: 1000 Years of Spiritual Evolution in One Day
Some Kriya Yoga schools perpetuate the idea that one can use Kriya Yoga to experience 1000 years of spiritual evolution in a single day. Not only is the assertion doubtful, but it leads to a situation where Kriya yogis focus on doing an excessive number of Kriyas regardless of quality. This is a mistake and not in alignment with the instructions given by the Lahiri Baba, the undisputed master and originator of Kriya Yoga. By following Lahiri Baba’s simple instructions, one can experience rapid internalization, absorption, and superconscious awareness (samadhi).
Kriya Yoga and the Power of Intuition
In some Kriya Yoga schools, they teach that intuition is part of the nature of the soul (atman) and that accessing intuition requires banishing ego consciousness. However, what these same schools call the atman is merely a transitory state of expansion and bliss. To truly contact intuition requires going beyond expansion and bliss to access the Luminous Mind.
Mastering Kriya Yoga
Mastering Kriya Yoga is predominantly about four things: mastering Kriya pranayama, mastering paravastha, mastering samadhi, and mastering moral conduct. If any of these four elements is lacking, one’s sadhana (spiritual practice) will be weak. That’s why it’s important to understand how to optimize one’s efforts in spiritual life to lead to one’s awakening.
Samadhi in Yogananda's Autobiography
The description of Yogananda’s first experience of samadhi (superconscious awareness) in his Autobiography of a Yogi has made a considerable impression on Kriya yogis and spiritual seekers worldwide. While many have taken his perspective on the progression of meditation as the ideal, it is not without its problems. Accepting Yoganada’s biases without understanding their cultural context can mislead students in their meditation practice and retard their spiritual progress.
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