Kriya Yoga – What’s It All About?

The word ‘Kriya’ means activity or movement. In Kriya Yoga you systematically move the body, breath, mind and energy to arrive at a clear, still and quiet state of consciousness.

Swami Satyananda Saraswati states in his book, A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya that, “Kriya yoga is more interested in awareness than concentration. What do we mean by awareness? By awareness we mean conscious attention of thoughts or of objects, either external or internal, without necessarily being one-pointed.

“If you cannot concentrate and your conscious perception jumps here and there, it doesn’t matter – just carry on your kriya yoga practices without becoming worried or frustrated. Kriya yoga doesn’t ask you to withdraw your mind to one point; it asks you to do just the opposite – to actually move your awareness, to rotate your consciousness from one point to another.”

Kriya Yoga is the next step forward from Hatha yoga. By utilising your awareness of the chakras with ujjayi pranayama and bandhas, pranic energy is thereby directed upwards towards the brain. In this way you spontaneously arrive at a state of mental focus without forced concentration.

The practice of Kriya Yoga enables the alignment of the physical, mental, emotional and pranic energies so that subtle perceptions of one’s self also unfold.

Kriya yoga practitioners find they gain increased awareness of themselves and others; are more productive in life; have more energy and focus; fears and phobias decrease as inner conflicts are resolved; and are more able to quieten their minds and experience reduced stress.

If you have a background in Hatha Yoga and want to go the extra yard to deepen your practice, Kriya Yoga can fulfil your goal.