# An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice  ## Metadata - Author: [[Ryan Kurczak]] - Full Title: An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice - Category: #books ## Highlights - “Absence of Self-awareness, a sense of individualized existence apart from the wholeness of life, attachment, aversion and the will to live are the root causes of pain.  Absence of Self-awareness is the field for the other root causes of pain...”  -The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali 2:3-4 ([Location 626](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=626)) - We live in an infinite universe with infinite resources.  Living from a consciousness of lack denies this fact.  By changing the pattern of lack to one of abundance, all is provided. ([Location 670](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=670)) - avoided? It has been said that there is no way to contentment, contentment is the way. If we could give ourselves permission, just for a little while, to imagine a state of contentment during meditation, we would make leaps and bounds in our practice. ([Location 736](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=736)) - Ishvara pranidhana is, therefore, a surrender to this intelligence or power that allows this unfathomable existence to do what it does. ([Location 789](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=789)) - “Fearlessness, purity of heart, abiding in yoga [samadhi] along with knowledge, charitable giving, self-restraint and holy offerings, study of sacred texts, austerity [disciplined practices] and uprightness, nonviolence, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, serenity, freedom from finding fault, compassion for all beings, absence of craving, gentleness, modesty, steadiness, vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, freedom from malice and pride; these are the endowments of those born to a divine destiny.”  -The Bhagavad Gita 16:1-3 ([Location 830](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=830)) - The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, chapter 1 verse 33, states, “Consciousness is clarified by experiencing friendship with those who are happy, compassion for those who are suffering, elation towards those who are virtuous and neutrality towards those who are not virtuous.” ([Location 1027](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=1027)) - The Self-satisfaction of Spirit is hard to appreciate when the fulfillment of craving is all one knows. ([Location 1068](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=1068)) - Ideas which are synonymous to the concept of “experiencing our timeless essence as Spirit” include: God-realization, Self-realization, God-communion, divine communion, divine realization, awakening to the Christ consciousness, experiencing the wholeness of life, experiencing the one Spirit in all, connecting to Divine Mother, having a oneness experience, Samadhi, opening one’s heart to the divine, merging in Om, experiencing truth consciousness, surrendering to the infinite, etc. ([Location 1166](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=1166)) - Chapter two, verses 14 and 15 in The Bhagavad Gita states, “Material sensations of cold, heat, pleasure, or pain, are transient and impermanent. Endure them while you seek knowledge. The devotee who is not troubled by these sensations, who remains unmoved during episodes of transient displeasure or pleasure, who is wise [because of being knowledgeable], becomes receptive to realization of eternal life.” ([Location 1198](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=1198)) - One’s spiritual path is not intended to lift any one being above any other being. As we become more spiritually aware, we become more conscious that we are not an individual striving to be lifted up into heaven. We are not an individual entity trying to be so good that we are better than those around us. We are not aiming to say, “See! Look how good I have been! I have practiced the Kriya Yoga better than anyone and so now I have been awarded with ever flowing grace, Samadhi and a key to heavenlike realms!”   The spiritual path is intended to remove the veil of separation. It shows us that we are one with everything and everyone we have ever met or will meet. We realize that what happens to one of us, happens to all of us. Our sense of individuality fades as we realize that it was just an illusion. Through the previously mentioned practice of “ishvara pranidhana,” or surrender in God, we transfer our identity from the small personality to the omniscient impersonal intelligence/presence/being of the Universe. ([Location 1249](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=1249)) - How can we transfer our identity to a state of omniscience if we are focused on maintaining a state of pridefulness for a temporary personality? ([Location 1259](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=1259)) - In the past, it was the idea of secrecy that kept this yogic path sacred. In our current era, it is not secrecy that will maintain the sacredness. The sacredness comes from the sincere and devoted practice itself. ([Location 1285](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=1285)) - So long as the body and mind are relatively healthy, we can practice Kriya. The times to avoid practicing Kriya are when the body or mind are unwell. ([Location 1746](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=1746)) - In time, if you can simply maintain this witnessing presence, not judging, not trying to change anything, just watching the current state of your internal and external consciousness, the distractions will eventually lose their momentum. So long as you can remain alert and attentive, you will find yourself naturally flowing into a thought-free, superconscious state.   This does take practice and most people fall asleep as the distractions lose their hold. That is what we have been trained to do. Consciousness clears and relaxes, usually only before we fall asleep. We are training ourselves to remain alert and watchful, while the consciousness relaxes. Then we will experience the tranquility and bliss of the Self as the conditioning thins. ([Location 1945](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=1945)) - through each distraction specifically. Name the distraction and then affirm, “I give this up to the divine, my higher Self.” ([Location 1964](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=1964)) - To be spiritually realized means to be always consciously aware of our relationship with Spirit. Spirit is ever present. Spirit is untouched by karma. The dissolution of creation could occur, and Spirit would still be present and unperturbed. In the greatest joy, Spirit holds that experience within itself. In the unremarkable moments, Spirit abides. Spirit is God. ([Location 2962](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=2962)) - Theoretically, in astral realms thoughts and emotions materialize almost instantaneously. This is even more exaggerated in the causal realm. In the material realm, thoughts and emotions and desires are much slower to manifest. When we are in the material realm, we have an opportunity to gain mastery over our states of consciousness in a relatively safe place (all things considered). ([Location 3106](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=3106)) ## New highlights added August 19, 2023 at 6:06 PM - Kriya Pranayama Kriya Pranayama is an intensive method of Sushumna breathing. It will utilize the same method of drawing pranic life force up through the center of the spine on the inhalation and feeling the life force current descend during exhalation. Kriya Pranayama is practiced after the life force arousal technique.  Step 1: Assume your comfortable upright meditation posture. Bring your awareness to your spiritual eye center (the space between the eyebrows), the brain and spine. Simply be aware of these areas of your body.  With your eyes closed, rest your attention at your spiritual eye center by gazing forward and upward through the darkness of your eyelids. Direct your gaze slightly upward, as if you were looking at the point where the ceiling and wall comes together at the far end of a room. Do not strain your gaze by trying to look directly upward. Imagine you are gazing through the darkness of your closed eyes through the spiritual eye center.  Step 2: Take a deep, easy breath. Exhale and relax.  Step 3: Open your mouth about one centimeter, just enough so air can flow in through your mouth while you breathe. Inhale slowly, deeply and gently. As the air flows in through the mouth, gently tense the throat until you feel the air striking the back of the throat, giving a cool sensation. If you practice Hatha Yoga, this will be similar to ujjayi breathing, but with the mouth slightly open.  Note: When you breathe normally, you cannot hear the sound of your breath flowing through your throat. When gently constricting the throat, as described here, you will be able to hear the gentle rush of air as it flows through your throat. This need not be excessive, so that everyone around you would hear it, but just enough that you can hear it as you practice.  Step 4: The open mouth and gently tensed throat will create a cool sensation on the back of the throat as you inhale. Associate that cool sensation with the life force ascending up through the spine. As you inhale in this manner, imagine or feel the life force being pulled up from the base of the spine, through the spine, through the brain, to the crown of the head and then over the forehead to the spiritual eye center between the eyebrows. Pause briefly, holding your awareness on this cool sensation that has ascended up through the spine, with the breath.  Step 5: Relax the throat. Allow the body to exhale. You are not forcing the exhale. You simply let the lungs empty their air. As you exhale, imagine or feel a warm soothing life force current flowing down from the brain through the spine to the base of the spine. Pause briefly, holding your awareness on this warm, soothing sensation that has descended down through the spine.  Step 6: Repeat this process 14 times if you are a new Kriya practitioner. Proficient practitioners can increase this number as described below.   Step 7: On the last repetition, inhale, pull the cool current up through the spine to the crown of the head. Hold your… ([Location 1692](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=1692)) - once heard that Yogananda said that by practicing Kriya but not remaining after the practice, sitting in the silence, is like preparing a gourmet meal and instead of eating it, throwing it all away after preparation was complete. ([Location 1738](https://readwise.io/to_kindle?action=open&asin=B0BSB272BR&location=1738)) - Note: Pail of milk