How Kriya Yoga Builds the Awareness to Assess Risk — and Prevent Pain Before It Happens
- in eternal aum consciousness
- Apr 13
- 19 min read
Updated: Apr 26
This article explains how inner awareness from Kriya Yoga can help detect risk early, assess consequences, and prevent avoidable suffering. Multiple parts of the blog cover:
The Pain of Loss & the Need for Awareness
The Simple RISK Assessment Model + Real-Life Examples
A simple and powerful method to overcome the emotional pain when things go wrong.
How Kriya Yoga Builds the Awareness That Prevents Loss + Takeaways
This post discusses sudden loss and may be emotional for some
Part 1: The Loss
The call that never should have come:
On Easter Sunday, my friend called to tell me that his only son, 21, died in a drowning accident in a lake in New Zealand. He was a classmate of my twins in school and had celebrated his birthday in India recently. This shook my kids and me to the core. We had taken many trips together over the years and were very closely bonded as family friends.
It's been many days since this happened, but it feels like it happened just now. The memory is very fresh, and it will remain so. There are some memories which one never ever forgets. They are like a knife cutting into your heart, leaving a permanent scar.
I am purposely not sharing the news link here, as it's very heartbreaking and will emotionally disturb you, reducing your ability to read further.
It is very painful when a life is cut short, when young. It's another matter when a full life is lived...
Similar event:
As the mind looks for patterns automatically, I recalled the phone call in March 2005, 2 days before Holi, in the evening around 7 pm, from the police, informing me that my brother had died in a car accident! This was a big shock to our family...
Part 2: Taking Responsibility
Guilty feeling within:
Could this blog have been written earlier? Would it have made a difference? What if the people who met with accidents had read it? Am I guilty of not writing it earlier? Am I guilty of not sharing this earlier? There are so many thoughts, as the mind works on what it is best at. Generating thoughts.
It is only after losing something or someone that we usually realize the value. I should have spent more time with this person. I should have cared more. I should have...so many thoughts. But what has happened has happened.
The feeling of guilt for not doing enough will always be there.
Part 3: The Psychology of Risk: Why We Ignore Danger
Personal grief raises a practical question: can awareness reduce preventable suffering? To answer that, we must understand how people misjudge risk in ordinary life
Similar accidents
You also may know some people who have been injured, disabled or died in accidents.
Daily deaths from all accidents ~12,000
Serious injuries ~150,000–300,000
New lifetime disabilities~60,000–150,000
These are per-day figures, globally. Astonishing!
This is quite a high number, considering all possible locations, such as home, outdoors, and the workplace.
There are many deaths and accidents every second, happening as I write this blog. It only impacts us when we have a role association with the person. Otherwise, they are just a number.
Why do people take risks?
According to Tony Robbins, there are 4 human and 2 spiritual needs.
Uncertainty is one of them. The mind wants to do something different. Something to try out. It's the opposite of certainty, which is also a human need. Too much certainty makes life boring. Hence, in different people, the need for uncertainty is different.
So humans will keep taking risks. This is not going to stop.
Need for appreciation:
Social media has created a constant need for external appreciation and validation, such as shares, followers, and likes.
It is the need for appreciation. The need to show off sometimes prompts people to take risks.
The answer to this is internal peace with oneself, which is independent of others' appreciation or criticism.
One is aware that it is their opinion. And opinions don't matter.
Hope:
We are always taught to be hopeful. Not realistic. We hope that things will work out. Chances of failure are less, etc. This is not based on facts.
Then, when you see the parameters of the risk assessment, you will not hope. You will know your chances!
When we were exploring society redevelopment as a business, I was shocked to know that out of 16,000 projects, 10,000 are stalled! Families are displaced, and there are financial issues and legal cases all around. We decided that unless we overcome this risk, we will not get into this business.
Achievement vs accident:
When you take a risk, there are 2 possibilities. Success and failure. The mind, tuned to hope, faith, and prayer, is looking forward to success, not aware of the consequences if things go wrong. No one likes to look at the downside. But that is how the mind works.
Why this blog?
Obviously, the thought that this could have been prevented? If yes, how? Why do bad things happen to good people? This Blog explores this further.
Even if one life is saved, one injury avoided, in the next 100 years, this blog is worth it.
Part 4: Risk Assessment
No Risk assessment training:
All the education we have is to learn skills of typing, reading, writing, and maths.
No one teaches us about the mind, the subconscious mind, relationships, and risk management. Attitude, lifestyle, balance, etc.
Skills can be learned. These soft aspects of life are not learned; they are absorbed and become a part of the personality.
Let's explore various parameters that impact risk assessment.
Profession:
The profession you are in significantly influences how you perceive risk. For instance, in my construction company, we are much more aware of risks because the buildings we assess, repair, and construct directly affect the safety of the occupants. In contrast, a classical dancer performing on stage faces a different set of risks.
Age:
With age and increased responsibilities, the ability to take risks generally decreases. As the impact on others depending on you increases.
Gender:
The male gender is perceived as more risk-taking, but this may be due to social conditioning. Actually, it has nothing to do with gender. Both can, and do take risks!
Location:
Each location, whether a city hit by a typhoon or a village flooded by overflowing rivers, has its own risk. Just the type of risk changes.
Status:
The richer the person, the less the risk-taking ability, as the possibility of losses is greater. With more wealth comes better advisors and hence better judgment.
Swot analysis:
We have heard of swot analysis. It's usually done to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats at a broad level. The threat here means risk.
However, this model does not account for the risk assessment of day-to-day actions!
Usually, in an accident, strength is overestimated, weakness is ignored, risk is not assessed, and, as a result, future opportunities are missed.
Risk management culture:
Usually, the word risk management is associated with the workplace. It is common to have risk management in place for plants, financial companies, businesses, etc.
Some companies see safety as an unnecessary speedbreaker in the race to do work faster.
Some companies, like Schlumberger, have made safety a core part of their corporate culture. Even the CEO can get fired for not wearing a seatbelt, I was told! This culture has not slowed the company down, but has accelerated its growth as people feel more comfortable working here, investors know their assets are better protected, and management knows they can focus on business without worrying about what could go wrong.
Risk is there in all areas. It is to prioritize and implement relevant systems to ensure there are no disruptions caused by accidents, mishaps, or losses.
How can we form a risk management model for personal life?
Part 5: Risk Management Model
The model:
As I contemplated, it is possible to make a list of all possible risks. Yes. It is. However, the list will be very long, and it's not possible to remember it when it's needed the most.
This led me to consider a risk assessment model that is easy to remember and quick to use.
R means repeatability. The number of times you have done this. If you are new to something, the risk is high.
I means an injury or impact.
S means stickiness. Means how long the impact will last. Usually in days, months or years.
K means knock-on effect. Meaning how many people will be affected. Usually, this is family, friends, ecosystem stakeholders, etc.
Simplifying implementation
Instead of putting a number to it, it makes another table with rules. Just keep it simple by putting 3 values.
High, medium, and low.
The mind can assess these easily.
The more highs, the higher the risk. Simple. In real life, you can not use scoring, etc. It's only for complex corporate scenarios in an Excel sheet and looks good in presentations.
Simplified table:
The weightage is also shown as high, medium, and low in this table.
Parameter | Meaning | Low (1) | Medium (2) | High (3) |
R – Repeatability | How often done before | Many times | Sometimes | First time |
I – Injury/Impact | Severity of harm | Minor | Moderate | Severe |
S – Stickiness | Duration of impact | Days | Months | Years |
K – Knock-on | People affected | Self only | Close circle | Wide ecosystem |
Scoring
High has a score of 3, medium 2 and low 1. So the minimum score is 4, and the maximum is 12. Most people can easily count to this number. Hence, the addition method, instead of multiplication or any other fancy formula.
Anyone high and it's a risk that must be assessed properly. So a score of 6 or more deserves attention.
You can use this scale.
Score Range | Risk | Detailed Assessment | Proceed Ahead |
4 | minimum | Not needed | Life as usual |
5 to 6 | Moderate | Assessment Needed. | Proceed with caution |
7 to 9 | Alarming | Exercise extreme caution. | Only with expert guidance and training can you proceed. |
10 to 12 | Extreme | Stop the activity immediately. Not worth taking the risk. | Do not proceed ahead |
Part 6: Examples in life for risk
Examples:
Some examples for risk assessment.
Fund raise
A company raising funds for the first time without involving an investment banker.
Risk. High. High. High. High.
Never done it before. Can sign unfavourable terms. Can get stuck for a long time. Can impact the whole team.
Swimming
Swimming in a cold water lake, trying to go to a point and come back to the shore.
Risk. High. High. High. High.
Never done it before. Hypothermia can cause drowning, and family and friends are devastated.
Night driving
Occasionally, driving at night on a single-lane state highway.
Risk. High. High. High. High.
Without any experience of night driving, there is no judgment, as the visual aid of light is also missing. The accident possibility is high. Disability and death could happen. It has a devastating impact on the family.
Using a photocopier
Using the photocopier for the first time, and taking a wrong copy.
Risk. High. Low. Low. Low.
Though you have never used a photocopier, at the most, you will take a darker or lighter copy, waste some paper and take another copy.
I have deliberately given this example.
List of risks and its mitigation:
The list is long and is available for reference here.
For every risk:
Understand what it means.
See how it appears in ordinary life.
Notice whether it is present in your life now.
Apply the mitigation steps before the risk becomes damage.
(40-page document link)
It's not practical to remember hundreds of them!
Rather than knowing the answers, it's important to learn the method for finding them!
There is no Navneet publication or a guide for this. Only sound fundamental principles.
Examples:
Here are some examples I have seen personally, where you can assess the risk yourself and be aware of the RISK MODEL. When the time comes, you will have to apply it with awareness. This Blog may not be accessible at that time.
Health risk examples;
Severe back pain while doing 108 Surya Namaskar in 40 minutes. Mixing aerobics with yoga for social media reels. Choice between classical yoga and fast aerobics. Learning: go slow.
Going shopping during a difficult pregnancy, bp out of control. Premature delivery. Lifelong attention and support are needed for the child. Urge to shop vs doctors' instructions. Learning. Go slow. It's a new phase in life.
Safety risk
A lady is going on an Ambulance ride in the evening with a dead body. 2 ladies and 1 child. Overnight. 9 hours drive. 500 km on the highway. Assess the appreciation of social work vs the risk of kidnapping and assault. Luckily, nothing happened to her. Learning. Wait till it's daylight.
A girl is inviting a homeless man into the apartment for food. Assess the kindness vs the possibilities of an attack. The flush tank came straight into the head of the girl, landing her in the hospital; luckily, she is alive today. Learning: don't trust strangers.
Lifting a suitcase in the train during the third month of pregnancy can lead to miscarriage. Choice between self-reliance and doctors' instructions not to lift heavy weights. Learning. Be cautious in a new phase.
Leaving the house in a fit of anger at night. A frantic search reveals that she is at the office, sleeping. Luckily safe. Anger vs safety. The choice. Learning: when angry, don't take action.
Going into a waterfall to slip, get caught, and drown. Choice between thrill and safety. Learning: no need to seek thrills.
River rafting accident turns serious as people drown in spite of wearing life jackets, and a head injury. Learning: no need to get into adventure sports.
Swept away by the sea, while caught in the current. Learning: never swim in unknown waters.
Car accident with serious injury and death to the passengers in the back seat, not wearing a seat belt. You know which richest person in India I am talking about. Learning: always buckle up.
Overconfidence in swimming up to a point in the lake and coming back, underestimating the distance and the hypothermia caused by cold water. lead to drowning. Learning: never swim in unknown waters.
Falling from the two-wheeler, as it slips on the road, when on a small ride near the home, despite being one of the richest jewellers in the city! The choice between haste and safety. The person died. Learning - never ever do 2 wheeler rides. Ever.
A couple is invited to a country in the Middle East by a local big sheikh. The lady is told to be with the women of the house, as men and women don't sit together. She is never seen again. Trust in a culture that is different in a foreign country, where nothing can be done as it is with locals. Learning: keep your distance.
Financial risks
Investment of money into a pyramid scheme, only to find out that instead of doubling, the capital itself is wiped out. In this case, the capital was actually wiped out. Learning: when things are too good to be true, there is a hidden problem underneath.
Relationship risk
A lady is getting married to a man in 15 days, as the other party does not give time to any background check, only to find out that the man is an alcoholic, leading to a miserable married life—the choice of courage to walk out vs social pressure to continue the marriage. The marriage continued.
The list goes on and on.
Some accidents, like a wildfire, a tsunami, an earthquake, I can understand are natural disasters, which one can not control, but sometimes escape. Many other disasters result from bad judgment.
With each accident, a learning. A little wisdom. Some were plain lucky that nothing happened. Others were not.
Could the accidents be prevented? Most of them, yes. In hindsight, everyone is wise. However, in the moment, the decision has to be made, and awareness is needed to assess risk. Clearly, in the above instances, the awareness is completely missing.
Objective
With this perspective, for any situation.
1. We have time to decide
2. We have to assess the downside risk.
3. Use the model given above.
For all this, keep awareness.
Standard risk mitigation measures:
1. Hire an expert when you do anything you are not trained in.
2. Awareness is the key. Focus on yoga to increase awareness. Kriya yoga provides the path.
3. Calculated risks can be taken; a small sample is better than going so far out.
4. Imitation of another person or a company is to be avoided. They have those strengths that you don't have. Someone can succeed; think about what made them that way, rather than just copying what they are doing.
5. Being with nature, like swimming in lakes, rivers, seas, hiking, in the jungle with wild animals like elephants, etc., has to be done carefully.
6. Injury is not always physical. It can be emotional, social, financial, or professional.
7. A study, a quick check, and seeking advice are all necessary to mitigate risk. With AI tools, you can easily assess the risk.
8. Think long term. Is the bungee jump worth the thrill when your entire life is ahead of you? What if the cord breaks?
Part 7: Coping With Loss
Message to my friend:
In such a situation, the purpose of living for parents is lost, as the only son, the future, the hope of the family, is gone forever.
I sent this message to my friend after a few days. And got a one-word response. "True" after some time from him.
"Losing a child is the greatest shock for any parent.
I saw this in 2005, after my brother passed away in a road accident.
My father and I decided to keep his work going. I still run the company on his behalf. He was the founder.
My father and I were both at work on the 7th day of his passing, as he had made commitments to the client. For my father, though very religious, keeping my brother's commitment came ahead of following a mandatory 13-day isolation (sutak) tradition.
My parents used to do Puja and devotion for many hours a day, and this still happened. They asked themselves why?
Every soul comes to life to get some experiences. We get attached to them by our roles. Prayers matter. Awareness matters more. The rituals are designed to increase awareness, not to get stuck in them for wanting something or fear of losing something.
I am still having trouble sleeping at night, as thoughts keep coming. During the day, I have work. At night, the mind keeps thinking. Why? But that's how the mind works. I can not even imagine what you are going through.
I involved dad in work for the next 15 years, and mom got involved with my twins, as they were born after 3 months.
Both parents had something to look forward to. Fathers get involved in work. It's much tougher for mothers. My mother still cries remembering my brother, even after 20 years.
A person lives through his work, just as a teacher lives through his teaching. Hence, they live forever. It's never about physical life, which has to end someday.
The work, the company, the people you teach, knowledge you create, systems you set, continue, long after the person is gone..
Your son has worked for your business. You have a choice to keep his work alive.
That is the best you can do, which will give you a purpose for the life ahead and keep the work he touched alive.
True fulfilment comes from giving, not having. Helping everyone with your talent and experience. That is the karma yoga path.
The tougher part is engaging his mother and both grandmothers. Think of something which will keep them engaged. I can't think of anything right now, but it will come up with time.
All of his friends have very fond memories of him. See him in them. Meet them, whenever possible.
We have no choice but to accept and move on. Easier said than done. But we must."
(I have removed names from this message to protect the privacy of the family)
What to do when things go wrong:
The person himself or others undergo mental trauma. This continues for a long time.
Whenever the memory is recalled like a video file, playing in the head, the same intensity of emotions comes back. The mood changes immediately. The pain reappears. This is the way the mind works.
When this happens, the ability to function properly is partially or completely lost.
What if the memory and emotions could be separated? Is there a way?
There is. It is called EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique.
There are many videos from Brad Yates on this topic.
Some of the ones I have used are given below.
Eft for loss of loved ones
Eft for abandonment
Eft for financial loss.
Multiple cycles of EFT are effective, as each cycle reduces the intensity of pain. You may have to do it a few times for a few days. That's all. It's a simple tapping technique.
Some people call this a healing technique. In reality, it is a dissociation technique.
Search for eft for _____ and you will get the video. Just follow the tapping action and repeat what is being said. Thats all.
Part 8: Awareness is the key.
The brain’s amygdala (fear center) often overrides the prefrontal cortex (logic), but Kriya Yoga strengthens the 'observer' mind that can pause before acting.
We are not in the ICU business:
In my company, and at home, I tell everyone. We are not running the ICU! There is no need for a decision in seconds. There is time to think. Use that time. The higher the risk, the more time needed to think.
The right decision made after some time is so much better than a wrong decision made quickly.
There are only a few instances in life when instant decisions need to be made, such as evacuating during a fire, seeking medical care, or taking someone to the hospital. Usually, what is to be done in such situations is known. There is nothing to analyse. But such instances are very, very few.
Origin of thought:
The thought to take a risk originates from the subconscious mind. In yoga, it is chitta or the memory store. It could be a sudden urge to take action, like bungee jumping, river rafting, or rope-hiking.
The mind is like an ocean. Generating thoughts. It is the nature of the mind.
The choice is to be on the wave, with its ups and downs, or to be the water itself, which sees waves as a part of its existence.
Awareness:
Life is all about awareness. According to yoga, awareness arises when buddhi is the decision-maker, not manas (emotions), as in the 4-part mind. To use viveka buddhi, one has to be aware of the situation, assess the risk, and then decide whether it's worth it. Don't get carried away.
Building awareness:
Awareness is built when you are out of the mind games of good, bad, positive, negative, emotions, judgments, etc.
Roles generate desires, and desires generate feelings. You can refer to this blog to know more about the emotional flowchart.
Being aware of emotions is the key. Suppressing them is not. When suppressed, they create havoc in the chitta. And then surface again even stronger.
I have seen people who appear calm behave completely differently when they are excited or intoxicated. All the suppressed feelings come out as aggression, substance abuse, etc.
Yoga regulates the breath, thereby regulating the mind.
The initial 4 parts of yoga, yama,niyam, asana and pranayama bring stillness to the body and to the breath, thereby making the mind still.
The most powerful form of yoga is kriya yoga! Let's explore further.
Kriya yoga leads to awareness:
The key is awareness. Kriya yoga gives a powerful way to bring this awareness. My initiation experience is given here. I have experienced lot of changes after doing kriya yoga.
Link to the kriya yoga blog
How Kriya Yoga improves risk perception
reduced impulsiveness
lower need for validation
better observation of thought patterns
greater detachment from thrill-seeking
clearer perception of consequence
Part 9: Spiritual connection.
Why do bad things happen to good people?
This is the obvious question one would ask. Why did we lose a young life for a small error of judgment? Why was the price paid disproportionately high?
When you were in the second standard. You were told. Nothing can be divided by zero. In the 8th standard, you were told about infinity.
So you only know what you are willing to accept and able to understand.
Some people just don't care. They take all possible chances and enjoy the thrill. No model works for such people.
I looked at the dwaita and adwaita models to seek answers to this question.
When you are in dwaita, you have karma, rebirth, and moksha. This is a good way to understand why something happened. It is due to the fruits of past karma. How much in the past? Many births. Why am I not getting the results of my karma immediately? They will come in future. When? Sometime in this lifetime or next. This model is a mind model to explain almost anything that happens to you. Good or bad. It largely maintains the social order, as people are bound by rules of right and wrong. This is necessary. Without this model, there will be chaos.
In the realm of Adwaita. Things are different. Read the Nirvanashatakam to know more.
Link of nirvanashatakam blog
There is no Karma. No moksha. Nothing. You are already free. You have decided to take some experiences and take this body. This is a completely different state, and very few, a handful, will understand and accept it. Most of them won't.
Either way you look at it. From dwaita or adwaita, you will get the answer to this question if you care. If you don't, it does not matter!
The answer does not change what happened. It only offers a possible coping mechanism.
Do prayers help?
Some people are always praying. Asking for health, wealth and happiness.
There are Mantras like Maha Mrityunjaya, which help. They positively impact the pranayama kosha, the energy system.
This, in turn, affects the manas, allowing one to make correct decisions.
However, if a person prays, will nothing bad happen to him? Not necessarily.
If a person does not pray, will nothing good happen to him? Again, not necessarily.
The key point of prayers is not to ask. But become capable of fulfilling the actions needed by your role, without being attached to the result.
When done with this attitude, the attachment to the body reduces, and acceptance of death is like accepting the profound action of breathing. Inhale is the birth, and exhale is the death. It's happening at all times. We are just not aware of it.
Part 10: Moving beyond the loss:
Kya karne se?
My mentor, Amrish Cheeda, has taught me one key principle. Always ask. What should I do? So that xyz will happen, or will not happen? Kya karne se? As he calls it in Hindi.
This has now become the default mode of thinking. This is captured in the paragraph I shared with my friends recently, when someone was upset about a past event and kept bringing it up again and again.
"Live life like driving a car.
Eyes looking ahead, knowing where to go, but taking action in the moment to operate the steering, accelerator and brake, occasionally looking at the rear view mirror to check on traffic behind.
In this example, the rear-view mirror is the past. If you drive looking there, you will crash. Learn from the past and move ahead.
Looking too much ahead also does not work. What you have at most is planning for 30 feet ahead. So, no point in making a 30-year plan till retirement! A 3-year vision and a 90-day plan work the best. But what you do today, right now, matters the most.
The enjoyment is in the current moment. The music. The company. The potholes, the honking, and you honking back, lane cutting, pandu catching, having cutting chai on the way, living in the moment.
Some will get in your car, some will get out at different times in different places. The journey of life, the driving continues.
The perfect moment is now. Drive whatever car you have. The Ferrari of your dreams, the ideal car, the ideal company, the ideal road may come someday. Or it may not. But start driving your life now! With the car and the company you have!"
Learning
A wise person does not try to eliminate all uncertainty from life. That is impossible.
But a wise person reduces avoidable danger, prepares for unavoidable shocks,
slows down before irreversible decisions, distinguishes thrill from value & protects health, dignity, truth, and freedom
Many of the greatest life disasters come not from fate, but from ignored warning signs,
repeated small compromises, emotional decisions, delayed action, overconfidence & lack of preparation
And many of the best outcomes come not from dramatic intelligence, but from discipline, clarity, caution where needed, steady truthfulness, and early correction
Part 11: Closing summary
Effect of the blog:
By reading this blog, will you become an expert in risk management? No. But it's a start, and with practise and awareness, slowly you will get better at it.
Knowing is the first step. Application with awareness at the right time is the key.
Life contains unavoidable pain
Awareness cannot control fate completely, but awareness can prevent many avoidable losses
Kriya Yoga sharpens awareness; therefore, inner practice is not an escape from life, but a wiser participation in life
Contemplation:
How will you implement the risk management model
Can you share any improvements to the given model?
Can you make people around you aware of the risks model?
Share your own RISK story in the comments. You can share anonymously too...
Let me know in the comments section.
The initiation.
My friend was initiated today in kriya yoga by Histas baba. He has started is journey on the path of self discovery. Gurus blessings will guide him ahead.
Blessing:
Through kriya yoga, may you be blessed with higher awareness to recognize and minimize risk (by the RISK model) to fulfill your mission of value addition to others' lives, through your roles.
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