The word “Kriya” has taken on many meanings in the modern world of yoga, but in its truest essence, is a Sanskrit word that refers to “evolutionary action”. Kriya is conscious action we actively choose as we move ourselves out of karma and into our dharma. Kriya Yoga refers to the ancient Science, technology and practice of yogic techniques that serve to evolve the consciousness of the human being. There are many different kinds of Kriya Sets one can do in practice ~ they may be slow and deeply meditative, or quick-paced and actively focused; they may involve mantras, mudras, breathing patterns and different repetitive movements, but all are deeply healing, enlivening and transformative.

“Kriya Yoga (Sanskrit: क्रिया योग)
is a yoga system which consists of a number of levels of pranayama, mantra, and mudra,
intended to rapidly accelerate spiritual development and engender a profound state of tranquility and God-communion.”
~ Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi, “The Science of Kriya Yoga.”

KARMA means ACTION

Karma, in its essence refers to action, but from the yogic perspective, Karmic actions are the unconscious, habitual, repetitive behaviours we have taken on as a result of our conditioning and our past. Therefore, the unconscious actions we perform as well as the consequences of that unconscious behaviour, is all karma. The Universal Law of Cause and Effect (as taught in the Vedas) is directly related to Karma, which is why there is the common misunderstanding of “bad and good” karma. Though every action does have a ripple effect in this vibrational reality, ultimately, none of it is really “good” or “bad”, it simply “is” the logical consequence of choice. Whether our choices are conscious or unconscious, the law stays in effect always and all the time. Karma is like the “spiritual baggage” we accumulate throughout our incarnations, the lessons we are here to learn, which sometimes take lifetimes… Therefore, the more conscious we become, the less Karma we accumulate and the more we may start to shed karma, lightening the load and enlightening our journey along the way. (read more about Karma here)

Spiritual Evolution is a Choice.

As we awaken and become more consciously self-aware of who we truly are as eternal beings, we create the opportunity to transform from living unconsciously to living consciously. As we step into our spiritual path and really begin to do the work of healing and growth, we are ultimately making the conscious choice to evolve.

Spiritual beings having a human experience. Eternal Souls here on Earth as human, again and again, learning, growing, evolving and remembering who we are in truth. We realize that forgetting who we are upon our birth into human form, is all part of Lila, the “game”, here on Earth. And as yoga teaches us, self-realization is much more about un-learning all the programs we are running than it is about learning new things, because everything we need to know about ourselves, or why we are here, is within.

There is no separation between the sacred and the real.
There is no distance between you and the Divine.
The universe is not outside of us “out there” because everything we see is a reflection.
Each and every one of us the Universe.
Each and every one of us God.
Each and every one of us a Soul on an epic journey of returning to Source.
Each and every one of us an individuated point of consciousness that is part of and interconnected to the All That Is.
ONE.

Karma ~> Kriya ~> Dharma

As a Teacher of Himalayan Kriya Yoga practices, what I offer is a practice that is a sequence of different Kriya Yoga sets. Ultimately Kriya Yoga is a technology that accelerates our growth, deepens our healing and elevates our consciousness.

I was blessed to be initiated into these ancient Yogic practices at the Source and birthplace of Yoga in Rishikesh, India. In the foothills of the Himalayas, in the Shivalik mountains, I was taught by a Master Teacher and Sage, and initiated into a lineage of ancient teachings that go back to the dawn of time.

All Kriyas involve some kind of conscious movement, either seated or standing. From the subtlest movement of our attention and breath, to the most energetic and dynamic movements involving our entire physical and subtle bodies, Kriya yoga cleanses all layers of our being, energizes, oxygenates, purifies, detoxifies, cleanses, charges, aligns, strengthens and awakens the layers of multi-dimensional body. It shifts and enlightens our state of consciousness, brings clarity, focus and inspiration into our lives, and, as a result, elevates our entire lives.

A HOLISTIC YOGA PRACTICE

In the West we typically think of yoga as something purely physical, but we have yet to fully embrace the truly holistic nature of yoga as a spiritual practice, with many, many benefits, on and off the mat. Yoga is the Science of Consciousness. Yoga includes the physical asana practice, but is also pranayama (breathwork), meditation, mantra, mudras, philosophy, attitude, dharma, or purpose and a way of living that chooses to embrace this life as a Divine act of courage and Love. Yoga is about being present in the moment and realizing that all there ever is, is now. If there is an ultimate goal of yoga, it is to become one with all, in unity consciousness, seeking and discovering self-realization because it is in that realization of true self, that we become one… and yet, it is always important to remember that there is no real “end goal” to any of it because that is the nature of the infinite.

In Yoga we cultivate a deeper sense of awareness, we heighten all of our senses and awaken new ones. Through yogic practices we tune into the multi-dimensional nature of this reality and experience ourselves beyond the body and the mind. We become more and more Sattvic (pure, truth, open, authentic), which means we become lighter, brighter, clearer and in alignment with the harmonious flow of life. We learn that life can only ever be the way we are, which is why the best thing we can do improve not only our own lives, but life on Earth for all creatures, is to evolve our own state of being, raising collective consciousness along with our own because everything and everyone is interconnected.

However, none of these things are to be accepted on faith alone. Perhaps the most magnificent part of yoga is that it invites anyone who wishes to experience these things into their own journey of self-discovery. As a Divine Spiritual Science, yoga offers results to all who choose to try it. Yoga invites you to become the one who experiences, the one who witnesses yourself in the experience and the one who becomes ONE with the experience.

The Experience,
the Experiencer &
the Witness of the Experience.

The beautiful thing about Kriya Yoga is that it takes you into this trinity of experience quickly and deeply. According to Yogananda, "Kriya is an ancient science. Lahiri Mahasaya received it from his great guru, Babaji, who rediscovered and clarified the technique after it had been lost in the Dark Ages. Babaji renamed it, simply, Kriya Yoga." In his commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, Yogananda further explains that:

Kriya Yoga is described in certain scriptures as Kabali-pranayama,
considered to be the greatest of all techniques in controlling prana (life force) by distilling prana from the breath and thus recharging the body cells.
In this way exhalations and inhalations become unnecessary;
the cells are recharged by the reinforced bodily life-force and the cosmic life;
the physical cells therefore neither change nor decay.”

As a practitioner and teacher of these ancient practices I can say first-hand that Kriya Yoga changes one in profound ways. I have personally experienced and witnessed the transformative nature of these practices countless times and yet it remains difficult to describe because it truly is something that is meant to be subjectively experienced. What I can say with clarity is that after decades of living and practicing a variety of yogic practices, nothing else has offered the integrated approach of Kriya Yoga, harmonizing, enlivening and strengthening body, mind, soul and Spirit.

May you be blessed with the great opportunity to know Kriya Yoga and experience how it can serve you in a multitude of ways!

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or comments you might have and, if it charms you, please sign up for my light letter below to receive upcoming recorded Himalaya Kriya Yoga classes that you may enjoy in your own home anytime, anywhere!

Kriya Yoga क्रिया योग

KARMA means ACTION

Karma ~> Kriya ~> Dharma

A HOLISTIC YOGA PRACTICE

The Art of Sadhana