Are you still walking on the path of spiritual growth? How about flying? Welcome to kriya yoga! Fasten your seatbelts now!
- in eternal aum consciousness
- Dec 22, 2024
- 13 min read
Updated: Sep 16
In Gratitude:
All the pictures in the blog are shared by Skanda baba in our kriya yoga whatsapp group. All the knowledge shared has come from gurus, masters and acharyas. I am only the medium to present it here. My sincere gratitude to everyone in the “aeroplane of spiritual journey” with me.
Evolution:
Darwin talked about biological evolution that took millions of years, Similarly spiritual evolution takes many lifetimes. Kriya yoga is the easiest and fastest way. As guruji says, it is an “Aeroplane route to go to god”. Stop walking and start flying!
Kriya Yoga:
Kriya yoga is an apparently mysterious yoga technique, which is kept secret, only to be imparted by a guru (master) to a shishya (disciple). This blog describes my journey into the vast ocean of kriya yoga initiation, which is like dipping my finger into the water, standing on the shore. It's a limited perspective, which I hope will encourage more and more readers to explore and take up kriya yoga to accelerate the purification process within.
Kriya the meaning:
Kri is doing and ya is observing. When you do, you can not observe. However, when everything is one, the act of doing it the doer and the observer, everything is the same!. This is the essence of kriya to realise this. The techniques are helpful to realise this.
Swami Yogananda:
He took kriya yoga worldwide and authored the book. Autobiography of a Yogi. A realized master, he did great seva to humankind by spreading the light of kriya yoga, all over the globe.
Autobiography of yogi:
Many famous personalities including Virat Kohli swear on this book and the transformation it brought into their lives. I read this book in my school days.
Waiting since 15 to get initiated!
I was fascinated by kriya yoga, but was not aware where to get the deeksha from. And I waited...I was 15 then. I still remember being fascinated by the real life experiences mentioned in the book. It was magical. The book always stayed in my memory and the intention to learn kriya yoga remained.
The seeker searches for 35 years for an effective kriya practise:
It was during 2018 that I resumed my search, as I was disillusioned with my close friends and was seeking a fresh perspective on life and the source of happiness, beyond relationships. I came some schools of kirya yoga, that did not match the criteria i was looking for, knowing my get quick results nature, The criteria were:
Easy to implement
1-2 days learning not in months
Not online - in person
Having an established lineage of gurus.
A living master at present.
I should not change my guru lineage
I should not change my ishtadev.
This was in 2018. I was 50 then. 35 years had passed by.
Atma kriya yoga:
The criteria matched when I was introduced to Bhaktimargas kriya yoga, by my dear friend Mitul. This was done in 2019. This is a form of kriya yoga, done with a lot of stories about Krishna, Radha, bhakti etc. initiated over two days. Somehow I was not able to connect to it. Looking back, I know I was not ready for it. No wonder, our teacher hiranmayee, who was connecting with her gurudev to give me diksha by touching the third eye spot between the eyebrows, did not get an indication to proceed! So I was one of the few who was not initiated, though I knew the steps of atma kriya yoga. I never really practised and then the intention to do kriya yoga again fizzled out...
However, I connected with Bhaktimarga again in 2023, where i attended 10 sessions of group om chanting as seva to everyone. In the process, my thought process changed completely. I was blessed to become a group om chanting organizer by Swami Vishwananda.
You can read about it here. https://www.limaye.org/post/group-aum-chanting-reveals-surrendering-to-supreme-consciousness-being-a-witness-without-desires
At different stages of life, paths appears to guide one to the next stage. Everyones path is different as the programming of the mind is different. Just be open to accepting what works and if something does not work. its ok too. its time to move on. This open approach lead to the concept of school, college, PhD and PostDoc of spirituality. Read more about it here.
Online Kriya courses.
There are some schools that teach kriya yoga online. I had eliminated them as this is not a skill training. This needs deep connection within, with a guru, which can only be in person. As a guru shishya parampara is vital, just knowing the techniques in an open ended format without a guru lineage, is not enough, as we are working with subtle body and causal body, not just the gross body.
The first clue:
I always knew that Kriya yoga is the fastest way for purification of the self at all levels. I had watched a few videos on this topic earlier, on and off. Somehow the intention was not getting set. Now, at 55+ In one of the videos of 5th dimension, shared by Sonia, my dear friend and wellness coach, it was mentioned that the kriya yoga should be done from kriya.org ; this was the first divine clue. I made a note of it immediately.
The second clue - A resource from quora:
I found an interesting post in quora from a person who has done kriya from multiple schools. Kriya yoga is one of the important steps taken in life. I just wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing. Learning from others' experience, someone who has done many schools and has a comparison, is helpful. It only helps to make a quicker decision.
The statement that caught my attention was “The results from the techniques are… intense. Intense amounts of energy, and intense thoughtlessness and stillness. They have the absolute best tools for bringing about the stillness necessary to quickly progress within the deepest reaches of meditation.”
Decision taken:
This further reinforced my decision to do kriya yoga from guruji, paramahamsa Prajnanananda, disciple of paramahamsa Hariharananda (gurudev), an enlightened soul from kriya.org school. So gurudev's kriya yoga was confirmed from two sources.
Dilemma of new gurus and initiation:
Coming from a family with nath sampradaya and sant dyneshwar in our guru lineage, i know it's vital to have guru kripa for progress. To take on new gurus, is usually not recommended for a normal sadhak. However, I see guru elements (tattva) in everything, even on the keyboard on which I am typing on... You can read more about it here. For me the initiation process was conducted by my own natha sampradaya gurus. There was no difference as the perception of physical form is only at the gross level.
Connecting with Skanda baba:
I got the contact number of Skanda baba through the website, and he patiently guided me. I got a call in October that someone had dropped out and the initiation is possible in Nov 24. I took this as a divine call for a turning point in life.
Initiation in nov 24 after waiting for 40 years:
So finally, after a wait of 40 years!, I got initiated in kriya yoga. Histas baba initiated me with a lot of love and affection in November 2024 at Lalbaug centre in Mumbai, India. During the initiation, I still remember him asking me about ishta deva, and I insisted on om, the formless, not a form! (I got clarity later in the retreat in a satsang session)
Video on introduction to Kriya Yoga:
Here is a small introduction video I discovered recently in our kriya yoga WhatsApp group. I had never seen any video of paramahamsa Hariharananda. Watching this first 10 mins video gave me goosebumps. Gurudev's energy, clarity, willingness to share, his smile, his eyebrows raised at all times, are simply divine! To read more about him, https://kriya.org/guru/paramahamsa-hariharananda/en
Strong Traditions and roots:
Most of the kriya seekers know that kriya yoga blossomed in Karar Ashram. Did you also know that Harihananda gurudev was managing the Karar ashram for 30 years and was initiated by great masters like Shri Yukteshwar, Pramamahamsa Yogananda, Swami Satyanada and Sanyal Mahashaya. He was a living master, until he took maha-samadhi. Now his disciple Prajnanananda Guruji is leading the way.
Guru's lineage is very important. I usually stay away from swambhu gurus as they have no established lineage and could be delusional for me. However, this school of kriya yoga has a proven lineage of masters, handing down the techniques with love, generation after generation.
Here is the guru lineage of paramahamsa Hariharananda's school of kriya yoga.
Integration with existing guru lineage:
In our lineage, our gurus are as follows. As kriya yoga is open to having any masters, integration with any existing sampradaya with a lineage of gurus is very easy.
1. Adinath (Lord Shiva) & Matsyendranath (who took a form of a fish to listen to the dialog between Shiva and Parvati ma and got the knowledge of self - enlightenment
2. Gorakhnath (very popular in nepal) & Gahininath
3. Nivrittinath & Dyneshwar (the only saint who is referred to as mother. who is in sajeevani samadhi)
4. Pandurangnath (blind at birth, authored 132 books before samadhi at age 32) & Skanaddas.
5. All the saints, mahavatar babaji, kuldevta, shiva, all kriya yoga masters, rishis, sant, devi, devtas, ancestors, pure souls, Everyone.
6. Ishta. Krishna.
7. Self
Now following the specific process of kriya yoga, I pray to the gurus in my chakras and invoke them, starting from muladhara chakra upwards as shown above. Now my gurus are with me at all times! There is no where to go, no one to ask!
During the initiation:
The initiation process has the following key steps along with teaching techniques:
Karma Clearing: Negative karmas are absorbed during initiation and you are reborn. A lot of karmic baggage is cleared and you are free to act now. Now one has to be aware that no actions that hurt others are taken as gurus are within you now.
Seeing the light: See the divine light on the day of the initiation. No other school of yoga, I know of, does this. The divine light is the one, that the kriyavan sees again, when they attain purity within. This is a small glimpse of what we are seeking. This happens due to the presence of masters during the initiation process.
Systematic learning: During the initiation, the techniques are taught in a systematic way. Something that everyone can learn easily and follow every day.
Kriya yoga's 10 steps:
This is a ten step process. Some of the steps, you can see in the video by gurudev. I am not going into the steps of kriya yoga or what happened in the initiation, as it is something one has to experience yourself. Just knowing the steps is a tiny part. The major transformation comes from guru's blessings and your unconditional love for guru and all the masters.
Great initiation experience.
We were asked to bring a small token dakshina and 5 fruits and flowers. thats all via a detailed whatsapp message sent by Skanda baba.
During the full day initiation, delicious lunch packets were served to keep the energy levels high in the second half.
Long sitting on the ground was not possible. Hence I got a chair from the organizers. Super easy to sit for full day on the chair. Here are some pictures.
2. Our group after initiation in the evening, with Histas Baba sitting on the chair for the picture.
Kriya Yoga Benefits:
Overcomes the Bad effects of planets: By practising Jyoti mudra every day to get free from astrological effects of planets as the gurus kripa is invoked in the spine, which also represents planets. For anyone who seeks astro remedies, welcome to the one stop solution that handles it from within and not from outside!
Kriya yoga power: The kriya yoga process is firmly embedded within now for purification. One breath cycle is one year of normal evolution. This is as told by the realised master, Hariharananda - gurudev, who founded kriya.org (Refer to the image given below)
Crown Chakra: Crown chakra has least possible thoughts. All other chakras are linked to desires. Kriya yoga helps you focus on the anterior fontanel region, where the crown chakras is. The train of thinking stops immediately.
No rituals and beads to chant: There are no rituals to follow, no beads to churn, you are free to choose your gurus in the prayer process, hold your own toes as if you are holding the toes of the masters to seek blessings, there are no gadgets, no diyas, no homa, everything is breathwork and inside work on the chakras…
A powerful healing Process: At the end of the kriya, we touch our own toes, as if we are holding our gurus toes (remember, gurus are within now!) and put the hand on the area of the body that has an ailment. This is a powerful healing method. As it is the blessings of gurus which will cure you! Being a rational person and logical in nature, this step still makes my eyes wet as I feel the guru's powerful presence within me! For me, this is the most powerful step.
Does not interfere with other practises, in fact supplements it:
You are free to continue whatever you are doing, whichever path you are following. Kriya yoga practise will only accelerate progress in all fronts, as gurus are within you now, integrated with every breath you take. You now become the medium to for serving others through the natural talent, experience and qualifications you have, in every role you plan in life.
To know more about roles https://www.limaye.org/post/you-are-not-only-your-role
Easy to do. Anywhere. No objects needed:
Anything done consistently gives results. So the Implementation of daily practice of Kriya has to be practical in our day to day life. It is!
Kriya can be done anytime of the day: Morning and night are the best times. But there is no restriction.
It is simple: Kriya yoga does not need any great intelligence. It's a simple thing. To do it every day.
Fits your available time: Out of the 10 steps, based on the time available, you can do some of them. 2 being the key, which can not be missed. Time taken can be as low as 5 mins to as high as 45 mins. Depends on your schedule.
No external objects. There are no garlands, prasad, mala, chandan, tilak, dress code, absolutely nothing as you are going within. There is nothing external. So Kriya yoga can be done at any place anytime as long as you have an empty stomach (food taken 3 hours prior to kriya).
How to practise:
21 days of practice. Engage in practice for at least 21 days non stop and see the difference.
Practise Before sleeping: Do kriya pranayama and breath watching before sleeping. Then it happens on its own at night, as you sleep. This is very profound.
Just like paying the gym fees or knowing which exercises to do is not enough, realize that action gets results. this reminds be of a marathi abhang . 'केल्याने होत आहे रे। आधी केलेची पाहिजे ।। य़त्न तो देव जाणावा । अंतरी धरिता बरे ।। meaning you will definitely achieve your goal but you first have to start working towards it. Work is like God. You better set your heart on it.
Support:
There are multiple centers for practice over the weekends. These are free of cost, and run by kriyavans, mostly in their homes. There is a center in Lalbaug, where the initiation happens, where you can come and practise the kriya. I recommend you come here at least once a month and for 10 Sundays at a stretch to know the techniques perfectly.
An image of practise session conducted at home.
Group of souls on the same path
Recently, I came across the logo of a unique organization called. Business by Brahmins! It is their slogan that caught my attention. "Sanghe Shakti Kaliyuge". In Kaliyuga (todays times), Strength is in being in a group. I have made many friends with Kriyavans in recent times and I enjoy interacting with them.
Effectiveness:
The 10 step kriya yoga process is the simplest and fastest technique for god (self) realisation. It was told and I can already feel it.
How to measure progress.
This is a good way to measure progress of kriya techniques.
1. Is the breath becoming smaller in intensity, not in duration.
2. Are attachments and aversions (greed and fear) to results decreasing?
3. Is love, compassion and empathy for all increasing (are you smiling most of the time).
4. Is your mind calmer, sharper? (things are clear and obvious to you without any confusion)
read more about it here.
Does kriya yoga give you unrestrained freedom?
Was Just thinking aloud..kriya yogas one breath cycle is equal to 1 year of cleansing and progress...does that give you the over confidence of indulging in "pleasures" of the mind, with a powerful tool in hand to nullify it? The answer revealed itself that with kriya yoga, you will observe and control the mind effortlessly, rather than mind pulling you into its pleasure seeking activities! So the question self answered itself in no time! This is the power of clarity of Kriya yoga. Another perspective is that as gurus are within you now, you will never misuse kriya yoga!
Altered State:
Eternal anahata naad, awareness on breath, focus on the sahasrar chakra and vibrations, shambhavi mudra, khechari mudra except when eating or talking, even in sleep... Are the state...i am getting into slowly... It's a natural calling to move from sound to light!
to hear anahata-nada in 4 easy steps:
Eternal kriya yoga state.
K eep eyebrows up.
R ollup the tongue in khechari
I mmerse yourself in anahata nada
Y our gaze must be steady in shambhavi and focus on fontanelle
A wareness of breath always.
108 🙏🏻 to gurus and masters , Who made kriya a state, not just a practise!
Get initiated asap:
Please don't wait for 40 years like I did. Do it! Get initiated. Take action. Here is the number of skanda baba from Mumbai. +91 9819438467 please get in touch with him on WhatsApp to get in the queue for initiation..as of now there is a waiting list of a few months…he will immediately get you in!
You can also fill this form to get in touch. https://www.kriya.org/contact/en if you need details on where you get kriya yoga initiation in your city. Skanda baba will also connect you to the right people.
An image from one of the international centers, on the initiation day.
Next program
5th Jan is Yogananda's birthday. You can start the new year by getting initiated in kriya yoga to fly in your spiritual journey! There are programs usually every month in Mumbai. Please get in touch with Skandababa to know about the next one.
if you miss this one. not to worry. Kriya yoga initiations are done by many Yogacharyas all over the world. I am fortunate to be initiated by Yogacharya Histas Baba in Nov 2024.
Update Sep 2025 It is around 9 months and multiple kriya yoga camps After the initiation. The practical insights and benefits are listed below
There are 10 steps in kriya yoga. 2 are the key steps. They take 8 mins. I do usually 6 steps. It takes 18 mins. This is doable on a daily basis. If you do all, it takes 30 mins.
Initiation is full day 9 to 5. With practise etc. Then you have to practise on your own.
There are centres across the world where free practise sessions are held usually over weekend free of charge.
I went to Mumbai centre 4 times on 4 Sundays to get the technique right.
Benefits of kriya yoga.
R is my dear friend, who did kriya yoga a few months back. Let me explain some benefits of kriya yoga, over last 6 months. Both me and R are in paravastha state easily as soon as we close our eyes.
Most of the time, i am Thoughtless and blissful. I think when i have to for work. But was soon as thinking stops, i am again thoughtless.
Both of us can hear anahata nada at all times. Mine is slightly louder and more persistent. This naada keeps the awareness that this is my mind, my body. I am playing many roles like an actor. So there is nothing to seek now. I am just in the flow. Whether it is work or fun.
My only state is of helping everyone as a medium, without any attachment to results. If results come, they will come. They have nothing to do with my actions or state. Great Health benefits, super financial progress, close like-minded buddies, are all by products of benefits of kriya yoga.
In fact i discovered the mission of my life during kriya yoga at prayagraj at midnight during shivratri. There is a blog on that too.
May kriya yoga transform your life, as it has transformed ours.
Blessing:
Blessing all of you with flying at jet speed in your spiritual journey! Remember that gurus are in every breath you take and are inseparable. Just pray to them with love and let the magic happen.
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