Kundalini Kriyas of Kriya Yoga

The following tantnc kriyas provide what is possibly the most efficient method for systematically evolving man’s consciousness that has ever been developed. They are said to have been the teachings for the transcendental sadhana which Lord Shiva gave to his disciple and wife, Parvati.

By tradition, kriya yoga was never taught publicly. The kriyas were always communicated verbally from guru to disciple. It is only in recent years that these kriyas have been published in accordance with the needs of this era.

These kriyas are rather advanced and too powerful for the average aspirant. Before an aspirant takes up their practice, he should have a thorough familiarity with and practical experience of all the preliminary practices included in the book. Additionally, it is advisable that he takes up these kriyas only under the guidance of a guru, who can see that the aspirant is fully prepared for them and that any obstacles which arise while the aspirant is practising, do not cause him harm in the way of disease, mental imbalance or psychic dislocation. If possible, try to make arrangements to come to an ashram for one month for full initiation into the higher practices of kriya yoga.

Preparation

All the rules and regulations which were enumerated at the beginning of this practice section also apply to all aspirants who wish to learn and practise kriya yoga. It is essential that one has developed sensitivity to the positions of the chakras and kshetram by practising the techniques given for the individual chakras (chapters 4 to 10), and also the techniques for integrated chakra awareness (chapter 11). This sensitivity should be such that you can feel them both physically and mentally. You should also know the position of the two psychic pathways known as arohan and awarohan. They are explained in the practice called “Bija mantra sanchalana” in chapter

The following techniques are integral parts of the 20 kriyas:

Name Chapter vipareeta karani asana 9 ujjayi pranayama 9 siddhasana (or siddha yoni asana) 2 unmani mudra 11 khechari mudra 9 ajapa japa 8 utthan padasana 2 shambhavi mudra 4 moola bandha 5 nasikagra drishti 5 uddiyana bandha 7 jalandhara bandha 9 bhadrasana 2 padmasana 2 yoni mudra 10 vajroli mudra 6

These practices are all fully described in the chapters indicated and it is essential that you master them. If you try to learn kriya yoga without first of all perfecting them, then you will find the actual kriya techniques very difficult to follow and you will get very little benefit from them.

Mode of learning the kriyas

It is not possible to learn all the kriyas at once. Therefore, we suggest that you learn each kriya sequentially, spending at least one week mastering each kriya, and progressively adding each new kriya to those already learned. That is, in the first week learn and master kriya no. 1 - vipareeta karani mudra. Then in the second week, learn kriya no. 2 - chakra anusandhana, and do both no. 1 and 2 daily. In the third week, learn kriya no. 3 - nada sanchalana, and do it daily, together with the previous two kriyas. In this way, all the kriyas can be systematically and thoroughly learned in a period of twenty weeks. However, it may take many months of regular practice before the kriyas are perfected.

Length of practice

As you progressively add more and more kriyas to your practice program, the time required for daily practice will increase. Eventually, after mastering all the kriyas, your daily practice of the 20 kriyas, with the required number of rounds, will take between 2 and 2 and a half hours.

If you can spare this amount of time every day, then you will get maximum benefit. However, most people, no matter how sincere, will not be able to devote this length of time to their practice. Therefore, for those who wish to practise kriya yoga, but have less spare time, we suggest that you reduce the number of rounds per kriya as follows:

Kriya technique Full Reduced

1. vipareeta karani mudra 21 11
2. chakra anusandhana 9 9
3. nada sanchalana 13 5
4. pawan sanchalana 49 11
5. shabda sanchalana 59 11
6. maha mudra 12 6
7. maha bheda mudra 12 6
8. manduki kriya 1-3 min. 1-3min.
9. tadan kriya 7 7
10. naumukhi mudra 5 5
11. shakti chalini 5 5
12. shambhavi 11 5
13. amrit pan 9 9
14. chakra bhedan 59 11
15. sushumna darshan - -
16. prana ahuti 1 min. 1 min.
17. utthan 2-3 min. 2-3 min.
18. swaroopa darshan 2-3 min. 2-3 min.
19. linga sanchalana 2-3 min. 2-3 min.
20. dhyana - -

This daily program containing all the kriyas, with a reduced number of rounds, will take a total of about 1 to 1 and a half hours. The benefits may be slightly less than when you do the complete number of rounds per kriya, but still you will reap much fruit from your practice. While learning each kriya, you should do the full number of rounds, but this can be reduced as you integrate the next kriya.

Hints on practice

The following suggestions will help you to master the kriyas and gain maximum benefit:

1. Do not strain physically or mentally under any circumstances, or you may experience negative side-effects. This applies particularly in the case of kriyas such as maha mudra, maha bheda mudra, tadan kriya, naumukhi and shakti chalini. Regular daily practice will gradually bring such changes into the mind and body, that after some time, you will be able to practise the kriyas almost effortlessly.

2. Do not hold your breath for longer than is comfortable. In many of the kriyas, such as maha mudra and maha bheda mudra, most people will initially find difficulty in completing a full round in one respiration cycle without strain or suffocation. In the beginning, it may be necessary to break in the middle of each round, or to take a short rest at the end of each round and take a few normal breaths. As you develop the capacity to hold the breath for longer periods, and to control inhalation and exhalation, this concession may be disregarded.

3. After long inner breath retentions, it is best to breathe in slightly before breathing out. In many of the kriyas, such as maha mudra, maha bheda mudra, naumukhi and shakti chalini, where the breath is held inside for prolonged periods, there is a tendency for the lungs to lock. The best way to overcome this problem and release the lungs, is to breathe in slightly before breathing out. This will make the kriyas much easier to do.

4. While learning each kriya, check that you are doing all the steps and that they are being done correctly.