• The word yoga comes from Sanskrit yuj which means union – the union of the individual soul with Spirit. Kriya Yoga is a method to attain the union of breath and soul in each inhalation and exhalation. Kriya means action and yoga unification. Kriya Yoga is action that leads to unification, to the state of no conflict in the consciousness.
• The word kriya means ’acting with awareness’, i.e. Acting in a way where each process is observed, directed, has a specific objective and follows this chosen objective. Babaji's Kriya Yoga system includes in total 144 techniques or kriyas which are transmitted directly from the teacher to the student in the course of three initiations.
• Yoga Sutras of Patanjali explained. Babaji’s Kriya Yoga. Editor’s Introduction to Question. On the Kundalini Shakti Kundalini and its role in spiritual evolution. Ebook download as PDF File. Download as PDF; Printable version; In. Kriya Yoga – Mahavatar Babaji Kriya Yoga – Lahiri Mahasaya. DEFINITION OF THE KRIYA YOGA TECHNIQUES.
• The Yogoda Satsanga Society of India (YSS) Lessons, a comprehensive home–study series compiled from his classes and writings, thoroughly present his personal instructions on the meditation techniques and “how-to-live” principles of the Kriya Yoga path he taught.

Kriya Yoga is a meditation technique which takes us inside to Silence, to a level of no conflict. The techniques are based on the breath, the awareness and the energy centers (chakras) in the spine – developed and tested through thousands of years, based on a rich and ancient tradition.

The techniques are simple and effective. In a retreat one receives inititation in the 1st Kriya which comprises of six techniques. There are further higher Kriyas, up to the 7th, which is subsequently given according to individual’s preparedness through regular practice.

When the body is born we start to breathe, when the body dies the breath leaves the body. This is happening all the time, we are breathing in and out. We inhale new life from the source, and we exhale that which is dead from the body. To realize who we are, our unity with life, we have to be consciously connected to the source of life through the breath.

Kriya Yoga is described in Paramahamsa Yogananda’s “Autobiography of Yogi” as an instrument through which the human evolution can be enhanced. The secret about higher states of consciousness is that it is intimately related to the breath. The word yoga comes from Sanskrit yuj which means union – the union of the individual soul with Spirit. Kriya Yoga is a method to attain the union of breath and soul in each inhalation and exhalation. Kriya means action and yoga unification. Kriya Yoga is action that leads to unification, to the state of no conflict in the consciousness.

Book, goes as far as to claim that one thousand Kriya breaths practiced in eight and a half hours can give the sincere yogi, in one day, 'the equivalent of one thousand years of natural evolution.' It was this technique of Kriya yoga, streamlined and updated for the modern age, that Babaji asked Lahiri Mahasaya to bring to Indian seekers of truth.

In the Indian scripture Bhagavad Gita this theme is thoroughly illuminated. Here we read about the warrior Arjuna, who is the best bowman of his time, and whose life task is to fight for good against all challenges. However, staying at the battlefield Arjuna is paralysed by an inner conflict: he may have to kill family members as they side with his enemy. Arjuna is irresolute and unhappy, and unable to take action until Krishna (Kriya Yoga) comes to help him. Arjuna’s consciousness is lifted to the level of unity, where no conflicts exist. As a result, Arjuna is capable of fulfilling his divine mission in life.

A good life without inner conflict is a fundamental human need. Those who faithfully and sincerely seek the Self, and who gradually receive the higher Kriya techniques, acquire insight into the deeper meaning of meditation. The source of knowledge is infinite, and the interaction between the Self and life itself is vital to realize unity in the consciousness.

Kriya takes us to subtle levels in the consciousness. Closeness to the breath brings us to the lotus flower of non-duality, to a level of deep inner Silence. In this way alertness and love are manifested as a state of consciousness. Neither the intellect nor the senses are able to bring us to this state. Only the breath, the life force, has the power to take us to the Self, the Divine.

With regular Kriya practice, one is building inner Silence which gradually becomes a part of us. As a result, one is more calm and peaceful in all aspects of life.

Kriya Yoga Tradition

Mahavatar Babaji

Mahavatar Babaji Maharaj is both ageless and eternally young. Sometimes he is formless, while at other times, he appears before his disciples in any form he wishes to liberate humanity from its worldly fetters.

Mahavatar means “Divine Incarnation”, a title bestowed on Babaji. This Himalayan yogi is said to incarnate himself each time that it is necessary to relight the Kriya Yoga flame. He is the deathless mahavatar who in 1861 gave Kriya Yoga initiation to Lahiri Mahasaya, and thereby restored to the world the ancient technique of salvation.

Sri Lahiri Mahasaya

Kriya Yoga was taught to Lahiri Mahasaya in the last century by a Himalayan yogi known under the name of Babaji. The story of Lahiri Mahasaya’s meeting with Babaji is related in Paramahansa Yogananda’s book, Autobiography of a Yogi.

Lahiri Mahasaya was a layman householder but he had obtained the highest realization by the means of Kriya Yoga. He soon became famous and many disciples came to him. He taught Kriya Yoga to monks as well as to householders. He has been called a Yogavatar, “an incarnation of Yoga”.

Sri Yukteswar Giri

Among Lahiri Mahasaya’s best disciples was Sri Yukteswar who was also a married man. Later he joined the monastic order and was known as Swami Yukteswar Giri. Sri Yukteswar was also a great astrologer, and created a form of astrology which he called Cosmic Astrology. This system establishes the relation between the planets, the stationary stars, the signs of the zodiac and the energy centres (chakras) situated in the human body. This astrology is therefore in direct relationship with the practice of Kriya Yoga.

Paramahamsa Yogananda

Paramahamsa Yogananda (1893–1952) is considered one of the pre-eminent spiritual figures of modern times.

Paramahamsa literally means “supreme swan (soul)”, and this title was bestowed on Yogananda by Swami Sri Yukteswar in 1935. Paramahamsa Yogananda, author of “Autobiography of a Yogi”, was one of the first Indian yogis to come to the West. Residing in the United States until his mahasamadhi (a yogi’s final conscious exit from the body) in 1952, he had an important part in spreading Kriya Yoga around the world.

Practice and technique of Kriya Yoga[edit]

For a thorough exposition of the practice and techniques of Kriya Yoga as an extensive, lineage-free, Guru-independent “sharing of a personal experience,” cf Kriya Yoga: Synthesis of a personal experience, by Ennio Nimis (same as External link, following Notes in Article) [1]Bernhard Hoop (talk) 23:09, 8 December 2011) (UTC)

I agree that the www.kriyayogainfo.net/index.html link should be included. It is a far better source for info on Kriya Yoga than this unfortunately wiki entry.

Kriya Yoga Of Babaji 144 Techniques Pdf To Word Converter

The offshoots from SRF should also be on this wiki page as well, Ananda and other major ones. The information about how SRF changed Paramhansa's name to Paramahansa should be included. They lost in court, but the history isn't on this page? That seems very odd, that some fanatics can edit history but not have that editing noted or noticed. I find all SRFmaterials or materials with the mis-spelled name suspect, but in a wiki article, it would make sense to include both and let people know about the difference between the two. comment added by Aasgaard (talk • contribs) 01:36, 11 November 2014 (UTC)

• Wikipedia focuses on facts and uses reliable secondary or third party references [2]to back up the facts. I suggest researching the guidelines on Wikipedia before proceeding. This page is about kriya yoga itself not about opinions of organizations and their history. Red Rose 13 (talk) 09:23, 11 November 2014 (UTC)

Kriya Yoga Mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita[edit]

In the book on page 502 God talks With Arjuna: Bhagavad Gita by Paramahansa Yogananda, it is written on 502 Kriya Yoga is referred to in this verse IV:29: 'That meditation expert (muni) becomes eternally free who, seeking the Supreme Goal, is able to withdraw from external phenomena by fixing his gaze within the midspot of the eyebrows and by neutralizing the even currents of prana and apana [that flow]within the nostrils and lungs...' and also V27-28

Verse 29 page 496Other devotees off as sacrifice the incoming breath of prana in the outgoing breath of apana, and the outgoing breath of apana in the incoming breath of prana, thus arresting the cause of inhalation and exhalation (rendering breath unnecessary) by intent practice of pranayama (the life-control technique of Kriya Yoga).

Kriya Yoga Of Babaji 144 Techniques Pdf To Word Online

Verse v27-28:A muni - he who holds liberation as the sole object of life and therefore frees himself from longings, fears, and wrath - controls his senses, mind, and intelligence and removes their external contacts by (a technique of) making even (or 'neutralizing') the currents of prana and apana that manifest (as inhalation and exhalation) in the nostrils. He fixes his gaze at the middle of the two eyebrows (thus converting the dual current of the physical vision into the single current of the omniscient astral eye). Such a muni wins complete emancipation.

This needs to be added to this page. Red Rose 13 (talk) 12:34, 9 September 2013 (UTC)

Kriya Yoga template[edit]

Hi Red Rose 13, good to meet you, and I'm glad you like my other edits. I found the template and added a couple of entries, and then put it on the pages, but am not married to it (although I did date it). You say it's not accurate. Since it's the Kriya Yoga template and this is the Kriya Yoga talk page, why not add to it to make it as accurate as possible (I'm not a Kriya Yoga student, so although I've read the books of the yogi's listed on the template, I'm not an expert of that particular pathway). The well known adherents and teachers part seems accurate. It links to this article as its 'home' page, so that will give information to readers, and it links to practices which are related to the yoga (because of your objection I added the word 'Related' in the title of the first section. Does that help?). Is it that it's not possible to define the Yoga on a template? And that's a very interesting write up just above there, thanks, very nice work and I agree, it should be added to the page. Randy Kryn 2:59 1 July 2014 (UTC)

• Hi Randy - see your post and would like to respond but I am off to work soon. Plan to respond later today and explain why the Kriya Yoga template is inaccurate etc... Have a good day Red Rose 13 (talk) 14:05, 1 July 2014 (UTC)

Great. It's been many years since I read Yogananda's book a couple of times. Wouldn't the template work (and I'll change 'Proponents' to 'Lineage' so the entire group is bundled together) if this page - the Kriya Yoga page - is bulked up with quotes like you arranged above (and maybe those three quotes can be put together into one paragraph, with ... in between the breaks), made more accurate, and it would then be the showcase which the template links to in its name. Just a thought or two to mull over. And did you get into the Mahatma Gandhi renaming voting last year? I missed it, and was sorry they changed it to Mahatma from Mohandas, a title that Gandhi very much wished that nobody would call him and even asked people not to. For his page on Wikipedia to be named using an honorific name which he disliked as both the title of his article and the Gandhi template is one of the worst labelings on the site right now, imnho. Randy Kryn 16:12 1 June 2014 (UTC)

Hi Randy here are some of my thoughts on the subject that might be helpful in our discussion:

(1) Babaji is the one who first gave the technique of Kriya Yoga. One of his disciples Lahiri Mahasaya asked if he could give the technique to all sincere seekers and Babaji agreed. From the Autobiography of a Yogi by PYogananda

(2) Lahiri Mahasaya was asked by Babaji to initiate people into Kriya Yoga. He did. from the Autobiography of a Yogi By PYogananda

(3) He died in 1895 and you can well imagine the large lineage that has spanned over 119 years!

(4) To have a template that only mentions a few of these people, is misleading.

(5) Also, some decided to give kriya without permission and started their own organizations. It gets very complicated to try to list who is a legitimate Kriya Yoga initiator.

(6) Swami Shivananda did not give Kriya Yoga.

My thought is to not have a template - it really isn't necessary. If you want one, then I would only have Babaji and Lahiri Mahasaya on it. Red Rose 13 (talk) 00:02, 2 July 2014 (UTC)

No, I would not push for one, especially since there would be so little information on it and I am very unlearned in the inner workings and history of the yoga and the groups. Yoganananda, of course, and others in the line, have given the west a historical line directly connecting western culture with yoga and the other teachings of learned individuals in India and elsewhere. The only other leap of eastern data to the west that is comparable is when Baba Ram Das wrote 'Remember Be Here Now', and others in that circle began to speak of human potential and new informational languages (the west had nothing comparable to Sanskrit, for example, when Yogananada was living). But concerning this discussion, who's who and what's what with Kriya Yoga on the level you are writing about is outside of my knowledge pool. Thanks for the great data, and please, write up the quotes of Yogananda you wrote about above into one paragraph and include it on the Kriya Yoga page. Nice to meet you, and enjoy everything, everyone, and everyplace (just made that one up, sounds like a Dr. Who greeting! Either that or the guy from the 'Truman Show'). In all, Randy Kryn 00:20 1 July 2014 (UTC)

Thanks Randy...I will add the above quotes if I haven't already...Happy editing! Red Rose 13 (talk) 01:17, 2 July 2014 (UTC)

Also Randy would you consider deleting the template from Wikipedia so that others don't use it. Thanks. Red Rose 13 (talk) 04:29, 2 July 2014 (UTC)

Hi. It wasn't my template creation, I found it laying around somewhere and added a couple of entries, so please take it, wrap it in a bag, and leave it at the side of the road if you'd like. Feel free to remove it from anywhere else it lurks. This discussion makes me want to go into storage and find my old Yogananada books for a reread. The U.S. should put him on a postage stamp, he was a great ambassador of knowledge to the West and must have had quite the spiritual calling in that direction to accomplish what he did. Randy Kryn 23:19 3 July 2014 (UTC)

Discussing the revert of my edits[edit]

Hello User:Chiswick Chap can we discuss the reason you reverted my edits? It is clear that 'Kriya yoga' is used to refer to various lineages and traditions, not just a single one. Please explain.Javierfv1212 22:38, 19 March 2019 (UTC)

Hi, and thanks for discussing.

The first point is that another editor reverted your additions, with the comment 'Reverted good faith edit - bring to talk page before you edit'. The onus is thus on you to explain why the addition should be made, not on me or the reverting editor. That might be considered sufficient 'explanation'.

However, to reply to your question, I would say that you would need to demonstrate that it is widely accepted that 'kriya yoga' has and deserves wider extension than the teachings of Mahavatar Babaji, not merely that someone else claimed the name for their teaching. To be plain about this, you would need to demonstrate not that X has claimed 'my teaching is KY' but that independent scholars A and B have stated 'X's teaching is a variety of KY'. In this scenario X is a primary source, A and B are reliable secondary sources within the meaning of WP:RS. I don't wish to put words into anyone's mouth, but editors can reasonably expect the evidence, specially for major claims that radically reshape an article, to be reliable and independent as usual across the encyclopedia. All the best, Chiswick Chap (talk) 10:03, 20 March 2019 (UTC)

IMHO The focus of this entry seems overly narrow[edit]

I've been studying a kriya-based yoga tradition in India that is partially based on Babaji practices but draws from other Kundalini / Himalayan kriya techniques that come from the western Himalayas, and which have also been influenced by classical Tantra. So, although there is some great content here, it seems overly focused on what we could call the Babaji / Yogananda lineage. It would be more accurate and comprehensive if it included at least some mention of other kriya-based practices such as Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan (which I do not practice or teach) and similar styles like Sattva Yoga, which I do teach. Given the popularity of Kundalini Yoga, this seems like the biggest omission. Just my $0.20. Thank you.

Could you recommend some references we could use? --Hipal (talk) 21:31, 1 April 2021 (UTC)