kriya yoga synthesis of a personal experience part 3

8/14/2019 kriya yoga synthesis of a personal experience part 3

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PART III: GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING A PERSONAL ROUTINE

CHAPTER 9BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR THE PRACTICE OF KRIYA YOGA

In this chapter we are going to discuss a very good teaching method to guide thefirst steps of those who want to learn Kriya Yoga. Its main point is to introducethe concept ofIncremental Routine, a method of utiliing the different techni!uesthat is not even hinted at in traditional Kriyaliterature. The other chapters of thisthird part of the "oo# contain #ey ideas a"out what is really effective in ma#ingtheKriyaplant flourish at its "est.

In my opinion a teacher should always test a student$s predisposition for KriyaYoga. To this purpose% a very good routine is the practice of Nadi Sodhana

Pranayamafollowed "y Ujjayi Pranayama&see Appendi' to Chapter (% where agood elementaryPranayamaroutine is discussed in detail.)

Those who underta#e constant practice of a similar routine will start toperceive the flow of energy that moves up and down the spine. It goes withoutsaying that students who do not succeed in practicing such an elementary routineregularly for at least * to + wee#s should not even as# to "e introduced to Kriya

Pranayamaproper.,y the way%Nadi Sodhana Pranayamais far more important than e'pert

kriyabansare willing to admit. Actually - this is my firm opinion - the practiceof Nadi Sadhanashould always "e coupled with the "asic techni!ues of KriyaYoga. Than#s to it% a "eginner receives a dramatic transformation - manyimportant patterns of energy im"alance disappear. ithout this "alancing actionit is not easy to achieve awatchful but eaceful alertness,which is the "asis itselfof theKriya meditative state.

It is a common e'perience that after a long practice of Nadi Sodhanawithout adding any other techni!ue you enter a natural meditative state. As forUjjayi,this is the very foundation ofKriya Pranayama. Those who practice itand pay due attention to the natural throat sound of the "reath will discover thatthe core phenomenon ofKriya Pranayama happens spontaneously.

/or many students% the com"ined practice of Nadi Sodhana and Ujjayi"ecomes such a 0oyous discovery of well1"eing and 0oy that they may develop an2addiction2 to it. Even if they won$t $$upgrade$$ to Kriya% a minimal practice ofthese two techni!ues will always "e part of their life.

!bout introducing the "irst Kriya set of techni#ues

I would avoid the particular freny that accompanies a traditional Kriyainitiationwhere all the practical instructions are transmitted hastily in one single lesson3This is what usually happens with mass initiations. ithin a few days% almost alldetails are forgotten and one goes through a crisis. The teacher is no longer there

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and the other fellow kriyabansdismiss their fraternal duties "y stating they arenot authoried to give counsels.

Instead of this insane and stupid situation% teaching one to one is the onlyreasona"le alternative. Then% things may go differently3 The few people whohave had this privilege remem"er the words of their teacher% with the same voiceinflection% for all of their lives.

In certain circumstances &one might visit his teacher and not "e a"le toremain there for more than one day)% it might "e necessary to demonstrate all thetechni!ues in one single lesson% "ut generally spea#ing one should "e introducedto theKriyatechni!ues a "it at a time so that one can e'perience them withoutany tension.

In the first lesson I would not teach Na$i Kriya% whose 2time2 will comelater% nor Yoni %udraeither since that could "e a source of distur"ance. I wouldrestrict the teaching to Kriya Pranayama&first and second part only). After acouple of wee#s% the second lesson should "e devoted to emphasiing the detailsofKriya Pranayamathat really matter. 5nly then should the other techni!ues of

"irst Kriya"e introduced and chec#ed% and thus the teaching of"irst Kriya"ecompleted.

Some points to be emp!si"e#

(.&'erience of the beauty of (alabya Kriya and )m *aa +in the hakras-

6ome organiations% in their didactic effort to "ring Kriya Yoga to the people%pic#ed out some easy techni!ues as a preparation.

P. 7. choose to give.ong Sau and )m techni!ues for si' months. Thefirst techni!ue calms the "reath and the psycho1physical system. The secondtechni!ue addresses listening to the internal &astral) sounds% and the )msound.,oth are wonderful techni!ues% "ut in 8ahiri ahasaya$s Kriya% the preliminarytechni!ues are (alabya Kriyaand the chanting of )min the hakras. A kriyabanshould never overloo# them. They usher a kriyabaninto a state that is considereda real 2"enediction.2 A meditation session could "e composed of only these twotechni!uesfollowed "y a few minutes of en0oying the induced calmness. Even inthis short time one will taste a very deep calmness.

5ddly enough% (alabya Kriyadoesn$t re!uire concentrating on anything% it

is purely physical. :ust as an attempt to 0ustify this% we can say that merelypressing the tongue against the upper palate and maintaining the suction effect onthe palate for (;1(< seconds% can% in and of itself% generate sensitivity in the!jnahakraarea in a very short time. The detail of e'tending the tongue plays animportant part too. hen the tongue is fully e'tended% it pulls on some cranial

"ones and leads to decompression of the whole area.

=. &'erience the beauty of Pranayama with short breath not only during aKriya routine but also during additional free moments during the day

A famous Kriya teacher said that if you want to ma#e remar#a"le spiritual

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progress% you should engage yourselves in "eing aware of at least (>=? "reaths aday. E'periencing this is surely possi"le for everyone - at least once in a wee# -

"y practicing the techni!ue of Pranayama with short breath for a"out threehours. This is a great feat that will surely produce the )mkare'perience.

*.Ne$er ski the ractice of mental Pranayama at the end of a routine

%ental Pranayamahas a divine "eauty. ithout mental Pranayama,Kriya Yogaris#s "ecoming a self1imposed torture% a nightmare. I "et that without it oneunfailingly gives upKriya Yoga% unless one is sustained "y the e'citement ande'pectations created in him "y a heavy process of indoctrination.

4.&'erience the imortance of %aha %udra

It is very wise that a kriyabanpractices%aha %udra"eforeKriya Pranayama. Itis good to feel the difference "etweenKriya Pranayamawith and without%aha

%udra.The most serious schools ofKriya recommend that for every (= Kriya

Pranayama% one should perform one%aha %udra / three remains the minimumnum"er. &To ma#e it clear% those who practice +; Kriya Pranayamas should

perform%aha %udrafive times% while those who practice (= or =4 Pranayamasshould perform it three times.) @nfortunately% having listened to differentkriyabans% I dare say it would "e a miracle if kriyabansregularly practiced eventhe three re!uired repetitions. 5thers "elieve they are practicingKriyacorrectlywithout ever practicing one single%aha %udra3 There is no dou"t that if you

regularly s#ip this techni!ue and lead a sedentary life% the spinal column will loseits elasticity. 5ne$s physical condition deteriorates over the years and it "ecomesalmost impossi"le to maintain the correct meditation position for more than afew minutes - that is why%aha %udrais so important for kriyabans.

There are reports of yogis having achieved fantastic e'periences using only thistechni!ue. According to their accounts% the perception of Sushumna has increasedtremendously. There are kriyabanswho have set aside all the otherKriyatechni!uesand practiced (44%aha %udrain two sessions daily. They consider%aha %udrathemost useful among allKriya Yoga techni!ues.


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+. Understand that the joy coming from meditation is more imortant than selfanalysis

6ome kriyabanse'acer"ate the previous o"session for technical details "y nottrusting the sheer employment of a techni!ue% even it is done correctly% unless itis coupled with toilsome psychological wor#.

They want to "uild "ric# "y "ric#% "y the sweat of their "row% as if it werea highly comple' pro0ect of adding new structure to old structure% the ma0estic

"uilding of their redemption. They thin# that only "y tormenting theirpsychological structure is it possi"le to uproot any deeply ingrained "ad ha"itand the very roots of ini!uity and egoism. 5ften they impose upon themselvesuseless privations and attempt unnatural renunciations. They do not understandwhat the spiritual dimension of life is. Their idea is that the ivine residesoutside our human dimension and therefore we can progress only if we start astrenuous fight against our instincts. Religious conditioning can "e very strong%fatal in certain cases.

6ome entertain the thought of retiring from active life in order to live a lifeof self1denial. The few who have the opportunity to achieve this &not necessarilyentering a convent "ut for e'ample !uitting their 0o" and living "y a modestlifetime annuity) are doomed to discover that this sudden leap into this soardently longed1for condition does not fulfill their desire for perennial peacecoupled with ardent mystical inspiration. The initial feeling of total freedom fromworldly engagements "reeds good results in meditation "ut not so deep asimagined. They suffer from an ine'plica"le drastic diminishing of the sharpnessof their concentration. They are fully aware of how insane this is% yet they cannot

0ustify why their free time% instead of "eing devoted to a deep practice of Kriyaor to*aaor whatever spiritual activity they choose% is depleted in too manyuseless occupations.

o not impose on yourself perfect chastity. There are famous "oo#s on Yogademanding impossi"le things. How precious would "e a "oo# that teaches how touse one$s own intelligence and to thin# with one$s own head3

Avoid any compulsive process of self analysis. o not try to discover e'act

grounds on which to 0ustify continuous fluctuations "etween feelings of well1"eing and 0oy during Kriyaand periods where there will "e nothing pleasura"leor e'citing. The "est attitude is to let Kriya enter your life and "ring all the

possi"le "enedictions without tormenting yourself "ecause you feel unworthy.,lessed are those who have the courage to go ahead unswervingly% in spite oftheir failures% worthlessness and unsuita"ility3

,ehave li#e a dedicated maid who does her daily duties with patience andcircumspection. 6he prepares the daily meal% ta#ing care of all the details fromthe tedious tas# of peeling potatoes to the final art of putting on the finishingtouches. The awareness of having completed her 0o" well is her gratification.

In time there is a greater reward for those who practice Kriya

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conscientiously even if they see no apparent result. 6omething tremendously vastwill manifest and crush down any dichotomy of worthyBunworthy% pureBimpure.It is not only a matter of astral sounds and light% cosmic e'pansion% or "as#ing inendless 0oy/your very perception of Reality will change. 6ome will rediscoveran almost forgotten potentiality of aesthetic en0oyment &as if they had eyes andheart for the first time) others will "e deeply moved "y the significance of theirfamily% "y the value of lifelong friendship and will "e surprised "y the intensityof the responses of love from their heart.

At the onset of theirKriyapath% some students are far from a"iding "y not onlyPatan0ali$s moral rules "ut also common1sense guided health rules. 5ften there isa clear split "etween the new interest in meditation and other well1rooted socialha"its.

It$s a good rule for a teacher to pretend not to notice pro"lematic delusivestudent "ehavior. @ndou"tedly after months of practice% some changes in akriyaban$s temperament and ha"its will appear% "ut they will "e unsta"le. A

teacher values the constancy of the practice of meditation and avoids censorialattitudes. 5ften% to help a kriyabanget free from a harmful ha"it% you need onlyto give him a glance and a smile. The point is that "eginners are not a"le torealie they are slaves to "ad ha"its. 8et us ta#e for e'ample the pro"lem ofsmo#ing. How many have a clear vision of the real situationD Parado'ically% it iseasier to !uit smo#ing "ecause of a new ecological vogue than as a result of alucid vision of one$s addiction to nicotine.

E$PERIENCE THE PEERLESS EFFECTS OF THE INCRE%ENTAL

ROUTINES

Kriyabanscustomarily practice the same standard techni!ues day in and day outchanging neither the se!uence nor the num"er of repetitions. In fact% anunvarying routine that always ta#es the same amount of time is what isrecommended "y many organiations. There is no dou"t that a fi'ed routine isthe "est practice for "eginners however% practicing it for one$s entire life issomething else3

In the first part of the "oo# I have introduced the concept of IncrementalRoutine. I strongly recommend that a student focus on fundamental Kriyatechni!ues li#eNa$i Kriya, Kriya Pranayama, and the basic form of (hokar and

practice them intensively following the format of the Incremental Routine. Thisis one of the most worthwhile activities a kriyabancan engage in% an effort thatwill play a decisive role in "uilding the foundation for a lifelong en0oyment of

Kriya. hen the earnestness of the student is un!uestiona"le% it is wise toencourage them to "egin at least oneIncremental Routine0This counsel should

"e given without lingering or investigating too much.I have witnessed un"elieva"le results in those who follow this counsel%

results that are inconceiva"le to those who follow a traditional practice.

opi Frishna wrote how hopeless is the attempt to o"tain a full realiation of thepotentialities contained in the human "ody and mind "y going on only in the

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traditional way &a few minutes of concentration following the format of thecommonly1counseled unvarying routine.)

2... the whole #ingdom is the product of the activity of Pranaand the atoms ofmatter "oth com"ined. G Jothing would "e more ridiculous to suppose thatthis com"ination of Prana and matter which resulted in such marvelous

organiations of living creatures "e so flimsy and unsta"le as to yield readily tothe human will. The impression prevailing in the minds of some people that afew minutesK e'ercise of concentration can wor# miracles in changing oneKse'isting level of consciousness G... is% therefore% as correct as it would "esuppose that repeated light hammer1"lows dealt to a metal can lead to the releaseof atomic energy. An overhauling of the entire human "ody is necessary to effecta radical transformation of consciousness G... This is the reason why real successin Yogais so very rare.2 &opi FrishnaKundalini1 (he Secret of Yoga).

hat happens in athletics gives us a good e'ample of how to progress. Athleteswho wish to achieve world class performance must somehow increase theintensity and the !uality of their practice. 5nly through short intensive intervaltraining sessions where they push their physical and mental endurance "eyondtheir normal levels% will they succeed in accomplishing otherwise unachieva"lelevels of performance. This is a 2law2 no one escapes.

Jow% do not "e offended "y the comparison "etween Kriya and sports.Kriya is not a sport% "ut in the "eginning stages of Kriya,while applying itsdifferent psycho1physical techni!ues% it has many points in common with theessence of athletics. ,oth shun the employment of "rute force% and "oth re!uiregoals and the diligent channeling of one$s strength to achieve them. ,oth also

re!uire analying and evaluating one$s performance to learn from the e'perience.e understand% of course% that this process is an authentic challenge and"eginning it is an act of courage% a mature act of trust in Kriyaand in oneself% adecision that should only "e inspired "y one$s intuition.

Kriyatechni!ues arouse specific effects &especially perceived the ne't dayfollowing the practice) which may appear as distur"ingL moods% fancies%memories and suddenly1arising desires. Actually this is a clue that a cleansing

process is happening in one$s su"conscious mind. Kriyabansshould "e familiarwith the "asic laws of the human psyche. Coupling an Incremental Routine,to "e

practiced once a wee#% with the daily practice of a simple Kriya routine has

within itself an e!uili"rating mechanism that will help them to get throughalternating moods that will surely appear during the way.There are situations such as the anguished feeling of "eing overwhelmed

"y a sudden storm of increasingly dar# pessimism% in which kriyabans shouldsense if it is necessary to stop their practice for a few wee#s. After the pause% the2warrior2 in them will return to the "attlefield ready to "ring this wonderful wor#to fruition.

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I& In'(ement!) Ro*tine o+ N!,i K(i-!

Here is an e'ample of the very words we can use to introduce a student to aneasy "ut very importantIncremental RoutineL

25n 6aturdays - or on any free day - after a short practice of (alabyaKriya% %aha %udra andKriya Pranayama% practice ? sets ofNa$i Kriya, thusdou"ling the num"er of the usual 4 scheduled repetitions. As usual% completeyour routine with mental Pranayama. The following day% you can ta#e a "rea#from allKriyapractices and you can give your mind the "alm of a long% tran!uil

*aa0/or the ne't few days% resume the original standard routine.5n the following 6aturday% practice * times the normal num"er of Na$i

Kriya% i.e. (= sets. 5f course% this is always to "e done within the framewor# of(alabya, %aha %udra... finish with mental Pranayama0 If possi"le ta#e a longwal# in the evening to calm the deep regions of your psyche. The following dayrest "y doing 0ust*aaand go for a wal#... After one wee#% or two if you wish%

practice (+ sets of Na$i Kriya.... and so on .... =;% =4...up to ?; sets% which is =;times the original recommended num"er.

The increase of this delicateKriyatechni!ue should "e gradual. If you tryto outsmart the process and perform too many repetitions all at once% nothing willcome of it "ecause the inner channels close up. 5ur inner o"stacles cannot "eremoved in one day our inner force is not strong enough to dissolve them. Thisinternal power is initially wea# and must "e enhanced wee# after wee#./urthermore% this process should "e incorporated within a regular active life.

It is up to you to ma#e your practice days as pleasant as possi"le. It isadvisa"le to "rea# these long sessions into two parts - to "e completed "eforegoing to "ed. 7ou can conclude each part "y lying on your "ac# &Sa$asana1 thecorpse pose) on a mat for a couple of minutes. 7ou may complete the first partunhurriedly in the morning% carefully respecting every detail. In the afternoon%after a light meal and a little nap% it is fine to go out% find a pleasant place to sit%and then reserve some time to contemplate nature. Then you can complete theremaining prearranged num"er of repetitions% a"sor"ed in your practice and

perfectly at ease. 7ou will see how the effects increase as daylight approachestwilight.

If you always practice in your room% arrange to have a tran!uil wal# in the

evening. Everything will proceed harmoniously and the "enediction of "lissfulsilence will unfailingly visit you.$$

It is possi"le to choose any variation of Na$i Kriya% "ut the "est is surelyvariation G4.= e'plained in chapter ? &$$oming down through four directions$$).It rivets the attention in a way the "asic form cannot0 Its smooth shifting ofenergy along the circumference of the head has an unparalleled effect. As for thisvariation% since one set consists of *+ descents of energy% preceded and followed

"y chanting )min the hakras% the process "egins with *+ ' = descents. Thene't steps areL *+ ' *% *+ ' 4....% *+ ' (9% *+ ' =;. It has "een e'perimentally

proven that there is no need to go "eyond *+ ' =; repetitions.

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As for this variation% it happens that after the first half hour the headmovements are hardly noticea"le. In other words% the forward% "ac#ward% andsideways movement of the chin is reduced to a couple of millimeters3

A good effect of this practice is a stri#ing increase in mental clarity% pro"a"ly due to the

strong action on the third hakra which governs the thin#ing process. A morecali"rated% precise and clear logical process rises from a more efficient synergy "etweenthoughts and emotions. Intuition flows unimpeded when important decisions are to "emade.

@nfortunately% traits of hardness might appear sometimes in your temperament.7ou will find yourself uttering statements that others find offensive and cutting "ut thatfor you% in that moment% are the e'pression of sincerity. Although sustained "y aluminous internal intuition% you might hurt friends through your words and only hourslater% "eing alone and detached% notice how those words were inappropriate.

To understand the reason for this pro"lem% let us loo# into the meaning of$$crossing$$ the #not of the navel. &Na$i Kriya is done primarily for this reason andsecondarily to unitePrana and!anaand attract them into the spine.) It is e'plainedthat the cutting of the um"ilical cord at "irth splits a uni!ue reality into two partsL thespiritual and the material. The spiritual% which manifests as 0oy and calmness%esta"lishes itself in the higher hakrasand in the head the material esta"lishes itself inthe lower hakras. That rupture "etween matter and spirit inside each human is a

permanent source of e'cruciating conflicts in the lives of many spiritual searchers.Through this Incremental Routine and through conscious effort towards harmony

"etween the two dimensions of 6pirit and matter in our daily lives% the healing of thisrupture ta#es place. Although the healing is harmonious% visi"le manifestations can "einterpreted negatively "y others% often due to a kriyaban$s newly ac!uired confidence

and conviction that may appear to "e stu""ornness or dogmatism. The personality of akriyabanis destined to "e ideally collected around a central point and all inner conflictshealed. The effects are perceived inwardly and o"served clearly in one$s practical life.5ne feels an inward order settling each action seems as if it were surrounded "y a haloof calmness and headed straight for the goal.

It reminds me of Aha" in 2o"y ic#2 "y Herman elvilleL 26werve meD yecannot swerve me% The path to my fi'ed purpose is laid with iron rails% whereon mysoul is grooved to run. Jaught$s an o"stacle% naught$s an angle to the iron way32

II& In'(ement!) Ro*tine o+ K(i-! P(!n!-!m!

After some months &when the previous Incremental Routine of Na$i Kriya iscompleted or at least half completed)% the kriyabancan "egin a parallel processusing the techni!ue ofKriya Pranayama and increasing it gradually0 *+ ' =% *+' *% up to *+ ' =;Kriya Pranayamasis a very good plan =4 ' =% =4 ' *%..=4 '=4 is lighter "ut also good. Practice in se!uence the three phases of Kriya

Pranayama, a"iding "y what is said in Chapter +. hen the practice is "ro#eninto two or three parts - for e'ample "etween morning and afternoon - youalways start from phase (% then introduce phase = and then phase *.

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I have learned to respect allKriyaschools% "ut I will tell you now that when I tried toincrease the num"er of Kriya Pranayama that I was taught to perform in my firstschool% after +; repetitions ofKriya PranayamaI developed so much nervousness that Icouldn$t remain sitting. Jow% with my new Kriya Pranayama &closed mouth% partlywithKechariand partly without% and mentally chanting )min each hakra) I neared

(;;;Kriya"reaths% always dwelling in the most complete tran!uility.However% I counsel here to move forward prudently% not giving too muchattention to the right length for each "reath. uring this process &Incremental Routine) itis a"solutely necessary to follow nature% respecting the rhythm of the "reath suited toone$s own constitution. If you feel that your "reath is too short% don$t worry a"out it37ou will have plenty of time in the future to lengthen it. /urthermore% when more than a(;; "reaths are practiced% it is wise to ma#e use of the (= letter %antra 2)m Namo

2hagabate 3asude$aya2 &)m Na %o 2ha 4a 2acoming up and (e 3a Su 5e 3a Yacoming down)% which does not mean to apply all the su"tle details of )mkar

Pranayama"ut simply to utilie that "eautiful%antra. uring each stage of the processit is important to #eep a slender thread of "reath up to the completion of the prescri"ed

num"er. In other words% the process should never "ecome purely mental.

In these optimal conditions% "e ready to "ecome a"sor"ed in a most sweet e'perience.on$t "e upset if on some occasions this routine "ecomes an e'traordinary 0ourney inyour memory. It happens indeed that "y focusing our attention on the hakras weo"tain a particular effectL the inner screen of our awareness "egins to display a lot ofimages. This is a physiological fact and we have reasons to suspect that for those whoaffirm they are e'empt from such phenomenon% it is "ecause they do not have enoughlucidity to notice it. The hakras are li#e 0ewel "o'es containing the memory of one$swhole life and they give rise to the full splendor of lost reminiscences. The essence of

past events &the "eauty contained in them and never fully appreciated) is lived again inthe !uiet pleasure of contemplation while% sometimes% our heart is pervaded "y arestrained cry. It is a revelationL the light of the 6pirit seems to twin#le in what seemedto "e trite moments of our life.

III& In'(ement!) Ro*tine o+ te B!si' +o(m o+ To.!(

&Procedure GII.( e'plained in Chapter >)

This third Incremental Routine has a value "eyond words. Its Incremental

scheme is different from the two previousIncremental Routines. e have alreadyhinted at it in Chapter >. 6tarting from (=% a kriyabanadds si' repetitions perwee#. The fi'ed ma'imum of repetitions is =;;.

8et us clarify what I mean% adding si' repetitions per wee#. uring thefirst wee# practice (= repetitions each day. Then consider the practice of (?repetitions each day - ,ut% if there are pro"lems% practice this techni!ue everyother day. The third wee# you can practice =4 repetitions on alternate days. It isnot necessary to practice every day rather it is wise to wor# three days a wee#on the average. hen you reach a consistent num"er of repetitions &more that+;) the effects are very strong. Therefore "e very careful. o not practice more

than =;; repetitions.

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I hope the reason is clear why we have said that this last Incrementalscheme isdifferent from the plan utilied for theIncremental RoutineofNa$i Kriyaand of

Kriya Pranayama% in which you practice only once in a wee#.

As for the necessity of having achieved Kechari %udra "efore practicing(hokar, there are many who have practiced (hokarwith enthusiasm and withadmira"le commitment who have "enefited from its remar#a"le effects "ut whohave not realied this%udra.Kriya literature affirms Kechari %udra is crucialfor initiation into the.igher Kriyas0 !charyas of originalKriya indeed demandto see the actual e'ecution ofKechari %udra- they want the student$s mouthopened in front of them and to see the tongue disappear into the nasal pharyn'.

Jow% there is no dou"t that Kechari %udra helps to perceive thevi"rational state% rhythm% and astral location of each hakra% "ut to those whoare depressed "ecause they are not a"le to achieve Kechari %udra% let us remindyou &without any fear of "eing contradicted) that many mystics who e'periencedthe ivine never heard ofKechari %udra.

any Kriya !charyas claim thatL 2@ntil one is esta"lished in Kechari%udra% one cannot achieve the state of Eternal Tran!uility.2 This statement isfalse.

As for a possi"le Incremental Routine of the !d$anced form of (hokar, it isunrealistic to give any indication. Those who have achieved the "reathless state%and are a"le to effortlessly hold the "reath during this practice% are not #een tofollow any other cautionary warning a"out the num"er of rotations to "e

practiced. Anyone who succeeds in that form of (hokarusually doesn$t have thepatience to gradually increase the num"er of the rotations.

uring this Incremental Routine important e'periences occur. An endless ,eauty%creating a previously un#nown devotion% intensifies around the fourth hakra% as if amighty hand were s!ueeing the chest region. 5ne feels li#e they are "eingimmo"ilied "y an immense strength. It is "ecause of the intensity of this e'perience%which sometimes seems difficult to endure% that the effect of (hokarhas "een descri"edas 2into'icating2.

The daling point that is perceived in the center of the heart hakraand thatturns out to "e the star inside the third eye gives a kriyabana deeper e'perience. There

comes the feeling of "eing divided into a thousand parts - each one of them on theverge of e'ploding from "liss. It is only now% having in one$s heart the rever"eration ofsuch a state% that one learns to meditate without mental pollution% and withoutimaginings.

I wonder how those devotees who never had a taste of such "liss are a"le to findthe strength to continue practicingKriyafor years. 7ou can only than# those uncertainillusions a"out Kriya% those impro"a"le promises that "oo#s andgurusma#e to thoseinterested in Yogaand meditation to attract them to theKriyapath% which #eep one tiedto this practice until the real e'perience happens.

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4lobal Results !chie$ed through the omletion of the !fore65escribed

Incremental Routines

After completing these threeIncremental Routines% one has the feeling that entireeons have passed and one has achieved something concrete and permanent. Afterthis once1in1a1lifetime e'perience% a person seems 2older2 in wisdom andtemperament% as if several decades had passed. They have learned how to #eepemotions at "ay &I mean superficial emotions) in such a way that only deepsentiments then guide their decisions.

Among other things% we cannot conceive that a kriyaban who doesn$tdevelop this faculty can nevertheless $$survive$$ on the Kriyapath. 7ou cannotimagine how delicate an operation it is remaining faithful to the Kriyapath thatcan suddenly go "ad3 e are governed "y emotions and instincts that include ourreligious conditioning% our wea# points% our fears% our dou"ts% and our

pessimism. It is important to have the a"ility to go our way even when ourclosest friends are trying to convince us to follow theirs.

I have tried to retrace this theme in some oriental "oo#s "ut I have foundso much rhetoric% too many words without practical meaning. They distinguish

"etween positive &affection% happiness% contentment...) and negative &envy%aggressiveness% illusion ...) emotions% "ut at the end of "oring discussions youstill have not grasped the essential factL untamed emotions can create disaster inour life. This fact is serious% and tremendously important. In my opinion%kriyabanswho are not a"le to complete at least one Incremental Routine of a

"asic Kriya techni!ue are always on the verge of losing everything they haverealied.

e all #now that frantic and hysterical emotions often rise une'pectedlyfrom one$s inner self% then disappear after a while. They actually e'press a realitydevoid of authentic depth "ut their propulsive action inevita"ly results in hurriedacts accompanied "y a sort of cere"ral fever% nourished "y a narrow% visceral

pleasure. hen passion inflames one$s whole "eing% it is not possi"le to "eguided "y common sense the conse!uence is that our deeper and most earnestchoices sometimes withdraw to an irrevoca"le halt.

:ust as during the summer hail stones are molded% condensed and enlargedin the air "efore falling down to the earth and cause disasters% fatal decisions ta#eshape in advance in one$s imagination. uring daily% fre!uent daydreams% the

perspective of renouncing something positive which re!uires a greatcommitment throws a false light upon our immediate future% so that what in thepast would appear as an act of cowardice% now seems to glitter at the horion ofour life% li#e a dull% flat% som"er s#y that suddenly lights up% serene% in luminousaure "lue. hen we listen to such alluring emotions% we pave the way for ourdoom. A wrong decision may "ecome our crucifi'ion% our covenant withunhappiness% with a state of inner misery that will last a lifetime.

And lo% some put asideKriya Yogaforever while others interrupt a courseof studies and throw away a profession they had "een dreaming for years forwhich they had fought and suffered. They do the same with a "eloved% with

friends% with their family itself. Jothing can stop themL the wise words of people

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near them have no power to stop them. An indomita"le internal strength wants toproduce sheer calamity in their life. 6ometimes we have the idea that a personwants only one thingL to affirm with stu""ornness his 2right to ain and

suffering02 GThe sentence in !uotation mar#s is an e'pression of the %other /main disciple and companion ofSri !urobindo.

The decision to yield to emotions does not differ from that of an asteroidfalling through the atmosphere on its way to fire and destruction.

To this very common tragedy% 2emotional maturity2 is opposedL this is ahealthy relationship with reality% the !uintessence of what we visualie when weuse the terms 2wisdom% mental health% centrality ...2 This is e'actly what one cano"tain through the practice of theIncremental Routines.

Another important effect of theIncremental Routinesis that one develops the!uality of a self1teacher.

At the very "eginning of theKriyapath% it is o#ay to put a certain amountof trust in a school or in a teacher% "ut su"se!uently% one has to trust his owne'perience and intuition. ost kriyabans "egin their path as gulli"le persons%ready to "e cheated. TheIncremental Routines change their lifeL they replace theinfantilism of hanging on 2authoried2 teachers$ every word with an o"0ectiveestimate of the effects of each techni!ue and of each routine. @nsure and full ofdou"ts% kriyabans"ecome a"le to "e acutely creative and ameliorate day "y daythe e'ecution of the techni!ues% 2reading2 with o"0ectivity the o"tained results.Having shaped a sound vision of Kriya, they do not feel the necessity of

practicing under the supervision of Kriyae'perts. In the days following a longsession of practice% one has a deeper understanding of the techni!ue through

perceiving its essence intuitively. 5ne receives important cluesL certain details ofa techni!ue appear as wearisome and prove useless other aspects reveal all their

power and are greatly appreciated.

Some remarks about the (ribhangamurari mo$ement related Incremental

Routines

In Chapter > we have descri"ed the micro movement (ribhangamuraritechni!ues. That movement is perceived first "y simply moving one$s awareness

along a prescri"ed path% then through the help of a %antraand also with the helpof movements of the head.As for the purpose of those techni!ues% the main idea was that they induce

the natural movement ofKundalini energy and guide it to cross% during its returnflow toward its seat in %uladhara% the three main #nots &4ranti)LtongueB%edulla% heart and coccy'. It is o"vious that this theoretical e'planationwould re!uire more space and other #ey clarification. The given description hasraised many dou"ts in the readers. Their legitimate o"0ections are worth !uoting.

A very pertinent one wasL $$These techni!ues come from 6atya Charan8ahiri &grandson of 8ahiri ahasaya) "ut we have no proof they come from

8ahiri ahasaya. e #now that 6atya Charan practiced seriously after retiring.

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Jow% who guided him% as his father Tincouri 8ahiri was no more there. Could hehave misinterpreted the diaries and diagrams descri"ing the (hokartechni!ueD$$

5ther readers as#ed why many schools don$t teach anything related to the(ribhangamurarimovement "ut consecrate the last stages either to (hokaror to4ayatri Kriya&the process of raising the hakrasintoKutastha.)

As many have o"served% some drawings which appeared in Kriya Yoga"oo#s% inspired "y 8ahiri ahasaya$s diaries% show something similar to the(ribhangamurarimovement "ut not identical.

5ther !uestions show the genuine desire to understand where in one$sdaily routine to place the (ribhangamurari techni!ues and% a"ove all% if the(hokar6 (ribhangamurarican replace the different stages of (hokar0

In my opinion (hokar6(ribhangamuraridoesn$t su"stitute for the classic form of(hokar7 (ribhangamurari techni!ues are an enrichment% you can test their poweronly "y practicing them. The pro"lem is that their effect cannot "e received if thecounseled num"ers for each one of them are ignored.

They re!uire an immense amount of dedication during a long part our life- I mean years not months.

The (ribhangamurari techni!ues have the power to create a permanenttransformation in your attitude towardsKriya "y ma#ing you ac!uainted with amostly un#nown ecstatic state while fully living the e'perience of life - let usdefine it as a sort of trance with open eyes. 5nce again% I must stress that theyshould "e e'perienced first inside a rigid scheme of Incremental Routines.

6ome students try to relish right away the power of (hokar6(ribhangamurari"y a desultory% system1less e'perimentation% far from a"iding

"y the a"ove1mentioned rules. hat could "e the real impact of the (hokar6(ribhangamurari techni!ue remains un#nown and not even vaguelyforeshadowed.

Jow% if you consider the enormous amount of time that these IncrementalRoutinesre!uire% you understand that no one is a"le to tac#le with them withouthaving an e'treme trust in another person% in one who gives you that instruction%who loo#s into your eyes and with a serene smile challenges you to e'periencethe mystery of @nworldly ,eauty they contain.

The only thing I can do% the only thing worth doing% is to relate what is stored inmy memory - the e'periences that happened and the spiritual advice received.hat happened in my life was a miracle. hen I received these techni!ues% Iwas completely free from wor#. I could complete all the Incremental Routinesasthey were proposed to me% even those that appeared as $$impossi"le.$$ 5f course%receiving a "oost% a strong encouragement% from a person who had already

practiced them was indispensa"le. If I had read those techni!ues in a "oo#% Iwould have surely failed in respecting the num"ers the effect would have "eenfar from "eing the same.

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5ne of the most difficult periods of my life "egan when I received the!mantraktechni!ue. I felt down and had strange emotional and mental mood changes. Itwas li#e e'periencing a slow recovery from a nervous "rea#down that ro""ed meof my energy and 0oy of living. Actually I felt an a"solute lac# of enthusiasm itwas as if there e'isted no activity that could produce any satisfaction. I felte'traneous to activities that I would otherwise have found very enticing. 6omedays I remained in my room doing nothing% as in a state of convalescence.

In some ways I was prepared for this event. y teacher had e'plained that"y perceiving this new flow of energy along the (ribhangamurari path% onewould foster a decrease in the hectic condition caused "y superficial emotions.The impression of having no feeling% of "eing dull% insensi"le% was only anillusion due to this meaningful internal transformation.

hen the amount of practice spent perceiving the (ribhangamurari flow"ecame greater than one hour% I felt li#e I was going to e'plode. I felt howdifficult it was to "ear all that power. y dreams were very lucid I wo#e up inthe morning as if I had lived a deeply intriguing and captivating adventure.5ddly% when I approached the =;; repetitions% any trou"le disappeared. That

period was mar#ed "y an uncur"ed enthusiasm a"out my new practice.After having completed the prescri"ed num"ers of !mantrak% without

waiting for the official initiation% I immediately started the practice ofSamantrak. All of us in the small group #new what would have "een thetechni!ue of Samantrak "y simply reflecting on its name &Sa6mantrakM with the

%antra.) It had to "e a (= sylla"le%antraL o"viously $$)m Namo 2haga$ate3asude$aya0$$

I had my first Samantrak session in springtime on a near perfect day%when the pure air% fresh "ut pleasant% invited me to practice outdoors% where Ien0oyed a "lue s#y with a small cluster of clouds floating in the golden light. Iwas really happy% and it seemed I had entered a new dimension. There were onlyfew repetitions of the techni!ue% "ut they changed my mood. Samantrakwas li#eturning on various lights along the three1curved path. It was as if so much sunand clear s#ies finally entered my practice. The%antra$s sylla"les% which I putwith care li#e seeds in each center% would warm me up the way the sun warmedup the land around me.

The only pro"lem was that the use of the%antrawould induce me to gospeedily. It was only when I decided to ma#e a special effort to go ahead slowly%

that the (ribhangamuraripath "egan to "e 2lit.2espite the fact that pauses in each hakra were short% I had theimpression of reaping the reward of my practice of the 4ayatri Kriya. The colorsof the hakras% namely the colors of the relative (attwas,were perceived% firsttimidly and then always with great clarity.

Though having not yet completed the last sessions of Samantrak% my soul wasalready pro0ected upon the ne't step% eagerly anticipating its effects. The wordsof my teacher at the time resounded in my mindL $$The practice of (hokar&meaning the (hokar6(ribhangamurari techni!ue) will produce a state of

into'icationL you will "e drun# with 0oy all day long3$$

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At long last% I received the yearned1for techni!ue. That moment of my lifewas really a magic one. I would "e lying if I did not say that I have an endlessnostalgia for it. 6ince I practiced this routine in summer and in the open air% Iassociate it with long sunsets% with evenings that seemed to have no end.

Through this procedure% the (ribhangamurari flow is intensified "yspecific movements of the head. In Chapter > I have descri"ed how a continuousslow movement of the chin ends with a 0er# directed on a specific center% then%after a micro pause% the movement restarts and there is another 0er# directed onthe ne't center and so on - five 0er#s. The pro"lem is that many kriyabansfocusall the attention on giving the stro#es and don$t understand the value of creatingmental pressure along each millimeter of the path. The desire to get a strongeffect too soon should "e cur"ed. The (hokar6(ribhangamurari can "e ideallymastered in four steps. 8et us here consider the movement sensation up the spineand down along the three1curved pathL

(. /irst of all it is necessary to feel that the movements of the headaccompany perfectly% millimeter after millimeter% the flow of the internalcurrent. /or some time% we ma#e a point of forgetting any attempt atintensification. ,efore considering a further step% we do our "est to o"tainan uninterrupted perception of the current.

=. 5nly now we can try to intensify the perception of the internal flow "ycreating a mental pressure along each part of it. e utilie the movementsof our head to 2touch with pressure2 each millimeter of the path% up anddown. The chin is to "e moved slowly as we are striving to win a strongresistance. In Chapter > we have suggested the ideaL $$li#e s!ueeing with a

pencil an almost empty tu"e of toothpaste to get the last little "it out. $$

*. Jow we focus on what is happening when% stopping for a fraction of asecond% we vi"rate the related sylla"le in a center. e develop a resolve to

"ecome aware of each of the (= centers. hile points ( and = "enefit fromour effort with!mantrak% point * "enefits from our effort with Samantrak.

4. 5nly at this point we give all possi"le emphasis to the five stro#es andwe perceive also what is radiating out of each center after the stro#e.

If I could add a fifth further point% it would "e to give e'treme attention to whathappens while chanting (eeee in the%edulla. In that moment we must try toreach &to "ecome intensely aware of) theKutastha.

8et me now give an idea of what the standardIncremental Routineof (hokar6(ribhangamurari implies.

hile!mantrakand Samantrakare practiced every day% theIncrementalsessions of (hokar6(ribhangamurariare practiced once a wee# &the other daysone can% however% practice up to *+ repetitions.) A kriyabanmust have had allthe time necessary to meta"olie the su"conscious material that the strong action

e'erted upon%uladhara"rings to the surface.

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A kriyabanperceives first a tran!uil flow of energy rising along the spineduring =;1*; seconds &this is in itself a strong e'perience)% then while comingdown% the head follows the inner flow along the three1curved path% cutting thethree main #nots during =;1*; seconds. The movements are perfectly rationaland have only one purposeL to increase the strength of the process. In five placeslin#ed with 3a Su 5e 3a Yawe have the stro#es. ,y moving the head left% thenright% then left% a kriyabancreates anIda6Pingala "alance. At this point there isthe stro#e upon the %uladharafollowed "y the ascent through the spine. ,yrepeating this process again and again% there is real hope that one succeeds inentering the Sushumna channel% stopping the "reath and en0oying a "lissfulecstatic state3

5ne "egins with *+ rounds a wee# later one practices *+'=% then *+'* ...and finally *+'*+ repetitions. This means (=9+ rounds3 Can you imagine the

powerful effects of this actionD (=9+ means that you "egin in the morning andend in the night% doing again and again the same action. There is no dou"t thatyou$ll succeed in opening the door of Sushumna3 5f course you have preparedthis e'perience "y practicing *+'*


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one of them in the related center. I was perfectly aware that mine was not acommonly esta"lished way of practicing% "ut I could not avoid it.

I started to perceive something in my heart% a sort of tension of tenderness.I e'perienced the strong power that procedure has of changing the way you loo#at life. I realied that my mates$ lives were wrapped up in love. I understood thatthe reality of love was the most intense force of life% corrupted only "y the

pollution of mind. I felt that human "eings could not "y instinct avoid loving orta#ing care of some"ody - their own children for e'ample. I had no dou"ts thatthey were a"le to give their own life for their children. There was in each one ofthem the power for great and incredi"le actions. As a conse!uence% they couldnot avoid painful e'periences.

I felt as though our lives were soa#ed in love as well as pain and tragedy.This duality was involved in earthly e'istence% interwoven with our "eing. Thesentiment of this inescapa"le reality was e'perienced as a painful grip tearing mychest apart. As the sun rose over our path and the sanctuary appeared over a hill%something thawed in my depths and there came such an intensity of love that thesame e'perience turned into a 2"lissful2 pain.

Jow I was ready to focus all my efforts on the %icro (ribhangamurarimo$ement. It was impossi"le however to drop the %acro (ribhangamurarimo$ement entirely. I "egan e'periencing the%acro %o$ementas a form of*aa

"efore each Kriyaroutine. ith the encouragement of another kriyaban / whopracticed in this way for months - I "egan practicing it with open eyes. /orreasons that escape my understanding% the psychological effect of this practicewas remar#a"le. /rom the very "eginning I had realied that an important detailwas to move not only my head "ut my gae also% smoothly% without 0er#s. 6incethis detail is very important% let me dwell upon it.

I started with open eyes and chin on the chest. The eyes loo#ed at thefloor. I murmured in a whisper the sylla"les of the %antra and simultaneouslyraised my chin and gae. y attention moved centimeter after centimeter%loo#ing at anything that was "efore me. Then% without turning the face% my headmoved toward the left shoulder% then returned to the center while at the sametime I raised the chin up as much as possi"le. uring this movement% my eyesturned up high. hen% from that chin1up position% my face slowly turned to theright% my eyes followed the movement and ended "y loo#ing attentively at thearea on my right% as far "ac# as possi"le. Then my face slowly turned to the left.The eyes followed the movement% shifting horiontally without losing any detailof what was in front of me and ended "y loo#ing attentively at the area to myleft% as far as possi"le. uring the last four stro#es given from the left% theintensity of my gae diminished and the eyelids closed. In the final instant I feltli#e falling asleep. In this way I repeat the procedure again and again.

The first effect I noticed from the first day of practice was the intensity ofoneiric activity. 6ome dreams remained very vivid in my imagination during themorning hours. I considered this a privileged way of creating a dialog with theunconscious sphere.

I perfected the a"ility to meditate anywhere and not "e distur"ed "y

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anything. hile in the "eginning I was inclined to "e maniacal in preparing theproper meditation environment and "ecame nervous and worried a"out theslightest thing% now I loved to meditate in unusual places and impossi"lesituations - e.g. traveling "y train or watching a movie. I saw that% strangelyenough% such occasions could esta"lish% "y contrast% a particular state ofawareness yielding unhoped1for results.

y practice of %acro (ribhangamurari mo$ement with open eyescontinues to the present day and I don$t want to contemplate the eventuality ofdropping it.

Some remarks about %icro (ribhangamurari routine

hen I received this instruction I was told that% analogously to the Yoni %udrawhich is practiced every night at the moment a kriyabanprepares to withdrawhis awareness from the "ody and from the physical world and gets ready for

sleep - which is a 2small death2 - the %icro mo$ement (ribhangamurariIncremental Routineis li#e a peaceful return to the origin - a preparation to 2dieforever2 - meaning to "ecome forever free in 6pirit. It was e'plained to me thatthis lastIncremental Routine% "esides "eing the "est preparation for the consciouse'it out of the "ody at death &%ahasamadhi)% "urned forever the necessity ofreincarnating. (

A kriyaban should ma#e every effort to create the opportunity to granthimself the 0oy and the privilege of completing the recommended num"er ofrepetitions without every yielding to the temptation of hurried practices.

In%icro6mo$ement Incremental Routine we have *+ sessions of practice. hat$snew is that the ma0or part of this session re!uires more than one day.

5n the first day you perceive *+ icro1movements in each of the (=centers &you start from what we have already envisaged in chapter >.) Thesecond session re!uires that you perceive *+'= icro movements in each center.G7ou e'perience one single long roundL >= icro movements in the first hakrawithout interruption% then >= in the second hakra% and so on.... After somedays% you face the third session with *+'* icro movements in each center. Thenother days pass "y. Then you have your *+'4 session which will fill up yourwhole day.

The ne't stepsL *+'% *+'?% will not only fill up a whole day"ut also part of the ne't day. Therefore you must divide your effort into two

( As for what happens during the process of %ahasamadhi% we have heard many stories a"outpossi"le $$Kriyaways$$ of leaving the physical shell o"viously we cannot vouch for their authenticity.6ome assert that the typical practice is (hokar% others hint at procedures happening entirely in

Kutastha0 e can reasona"ly assume that it is not always possi"le to perform the physical movementof (hokar. To focus one$s awareness in the spine or at the point "etween the eye"rows may "e the onlything possi"le. The most interesting thing I$ve heard is that some kriyabans,during the last wee#s ormonths "efore leaving the "ody% practice only one techni!ueL perceiving the %icro6mo$ement(ribhangamurari nelKutastha. At the moment of death% they merge with the Infinite through the

same procedure.

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parts. hat was heretofore never allowed now happensL you can sleep a wholenight "etween the two parts which are considered one session. hat is importantis that you start more or less immediately on the morning of the ne't day.Therefore% you are not allowed to go to wor# and it is also recommended thatyou #eep silent% avoiding any opportunity for conversation. &However% the use ofcommon sense should always prevail if addressed% a polite reply is alwaysimperative.)

7ou can now understand that the following sessions re!uire more daysthe last session re!uires a"out (= days3 8et me descri"e what happens during thelast sessionL you perceive *+'*+ micro movements in each center3 This meansL(=9+ micro movements in%uladhara% (=9+ in Swadhistan.... and so on% endingafter some days in%uladharawith (=9+ movements.

It is clear that you can complete this routine only when you are free fromwor#. 8et me emphasie that one should never s#ip over a stage. on$t thin#%$$5n my ne't 6ummer holidays I$m going to find a doen days to practice *+'*+.$$

Jo3 It does not wor# in this way. ,efore perceiving the icro movement *+'*+times in each center you must have perceived it *+'*< times. And "efore this%you should have perceived it *+'*4 times% and so on....

Completing thisIncremental Routine is really a giant achievement. anysplendid e'periences will happen and the last internal o"stacles will "e clearedone after another.

The period in which I was a"sor"ed in this process is enveloped in my memory"y a dreamy aura. I even still find it hard to remem"er it sometimes% only in 0est%I as# myself if it actually e'isted. /or more than two years I deviated from thecommon way of living. I practiced all day long% every day% out in the open if

possi"le.I used to carry along a seat made of a plastic and a wool layer% something

to drin#% and a thirty1si'1"ead rosary. I would sit down% "reathe deeply andproceed with the %antra and the conse!uent icro movement. At the end ofeach cycle% I would move an o"0ect% a little stone% from one side of my "ody tothe other to #eep trac# of the appro'imate num"er of *+ cycles.

5ften an invinci"le drowsiness overpowered all my "est efforts. 5n theinner screen of my awareness a lot of images were displayed li#e dreamli#evisions. Jo help came from changing the position of the legs% practicing %aha

%udraseveral times% or interrupting the practice for a short pause. any times Iwondered what "enefit% if any% could "e received from what seemed to "e avoyage into the unconscious world of dreams.

After interrupting the practice to get some rest% I found out% however% thatit did not solve my pro"lem - sleepiness came "ac# as soon as I resumed the

practice. There was no way &coffee% a lot of rest) to find some relief from itthere was nothing to do "ut to accept the situation.

I went on increasing the length of my sessions. /rom a certain momentonwards% especially "y assumingKechari %udra% the drowsiness changed into ane'traordinary condition of rela'ation. ore than once I found my "ac# slightly

"ent forward I learned not to straighten it with a sudden movement% "ecause that

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would interrupt the condition of a"sorption and !uiet.After many hours of practice% at the end of my day% occasionally% I was

caught "y such euphoria that I felt the irresisti"le instinct to swing the "ody. Itwas li#e dancing from a sitting stance% accompanying the dance with a su"tleform of internally hitting the center where I was focusing my concentration.henever I pronounced the seventh sylla"le% my trun# swung left% thin#ing ofthe following one it swung right... and then left again. hen I thought the lastsylla"le my trun# !uivered a little% giving such a profusion of "liss3

I learned to practice without "eing distur"ed "y anything in this way% thetechni!ue landed in my life as a new instinct arousing spontaneously when I satdown and straightened my spine. /rom that moment onwards% the heart hakra

"ecame a reality manifesting very easily as a warm% pulsing sensation the otherhakras "ecame easy detecta"le "y inducing% through a moderate use ofattention% a swinging sensation in them. This event deepened my way of

practicing the Kriya techni!ues, erasing forever the necessity of anyvisualiation. =

5ne day I was on a cliff not far from a "each where a small num"er ofpeople used to go for a wal#. I too# shelter under a tree from the sun% and at dus#I went to the "each% leaned my "ac# against a roc# and stayed there% pretendingto stare at a distant o"0ect. I practiced #eeping my eyes open. The s#y was anindestructi"le crystal of infinite transparency and the ocean waves werecontinually changing their color% having in themselves an almost un"eara"lecharm. I was trying to hide my tears "ehind the "lac# lenses of my sunglasses. Icannot descri"e what I felt e'cept in poetic form.

There is an Indian song &in the final part of the movie %ahabharata)whose lyrics are ta#en from the S$etas$atara Uanishad1 2I have met this reat6pirit% as radiant as the sun% transcending any material conception of o"scurity.5nly the one who #nows Him can transcend the limits of "irth and death. Thereis no other way to reach li"eration "ut meeting this reat 6pirit.2 hen I listen tothe "eautiful voice of the Indian singer repeating 2There is no other way2% myheart #nows that nothing has the power to #eep me away from this state and thisterrifically "eautiful practice% which I will en0oy for the rest of my life.

= Even a little practice of this e'ercise is a miracle of sweetness. In the last part of your Kriyaroutine%you can perceive three micro1movements in each of the (= centers starting from %uladhara andreturning to %uladhara0,y repeating this for three rounds% you plunge into a state without parallel.

After this routine% you can lay down in corpse pose &Sa$asana) o"taining a particular state of physicaland mental immo"ility where theKundalinienergy will rise into the heart hakra.

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CHAPTER (;THE PRAYER OF THE HEART/ THE VERY CORE OF ALL THE %YSTICAL

PATHS

y purpose is to cope with a vital pro"lem. How many people are there whohave started and then give up the practice of the .igher KriyasD @nfortunatelymany receive (hokarwithout complete e'planation and drop its practice aftersome initial attempts% yielding either insignificant or no results. 5ther Kriyastudents enact the part of the hum"le devotee and affirm that for them the"irst

Kriyatechni!ues are enough% that there is no need for any other techni!ue. If youtell them they have renounced a great treasure% they will turn a deaf ear to anyo"0ection. Jow% for those who are willing to consider the matter according to anew perspective% I want to "ring the.igher Kriyasclose to the no"le art of the

practice of thePrayer of the heart.

Actually% in my opinion% (hokar&in each stage and variation) in order to "e fullyrealied should "e lived in the dimension of the ontemlati$e Prayer. Indeed% ifmy convictions have any validity% outside that dimension% the whole set of the

.igher Kriyas ris#s to "ecome only a toy with which to e'periment% to "ee'alted through it and then let all "e disintegrated "y endless dou"ts andincomprehension of what we are doing.

Am saying that theKriyapath is incomplete without considering the pathof ontemlati$e PrayerD Certainly I am% of this I have no dou"ts3 I am firmlyconvinced that those who went to 8ahiri ahasaya already practiced Prayer+*aa-, pro"a"ly for su"stantial part of their life. To them Kriya Yoga didn$trepresent something totally new "ut was a od sent improvement of what theyalready were doing% in which they had already poured their soul. /or them thelofty procedure of (hokar wor#ed and actually gave results "ecause they werealready very near to the achievement of thePrayer of the heart.

If a person has no factual #nowledge with these themes% one will thin#that I am a"out to diminish the value of the (hokartechni!ue. ell% (hokarcaninduce a particular state in the heart% a state that can "e deepened only "y a mindtransformed "y ontemlati$e Prayer. After (hokarthere are stages that lead tosomething that I have no words to define. /or this reason I will refer to the greatmystical traditions% especially Hesychasm and the wor#s of Teresa of Avila.

Practicing the ontemlati$e Prayerin order to create the "est am"ient for(hokarand utiliing (hokarto give a "oost to the intensity of a ontemlati$e

Prayer creates the condition where $$the Prayer reaches the Heart$$. There are nowords ade!uate to e'press what this implies. ivine 8ight is e'perienced in theheart hakra. Yoni %udra intensifies the e'perience of 8ight and through itma#es the last #not &4ranti) in the point "etween the eye"rows e'plodeL withthis event allKriyaprocedures end in full% final Emancipation.

In the following paragraphs you will find good material for refining yourpractice% fully realiing what (hokarhas prepared you.Kriya yogais our life andevery word that comes from great mystical traditions enriches and inspires us.

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5ur lifelong effort is greatly "enefited from such a study. 7ou will o"tainundreamed of results li#e for e'ample the endless delight of the "reathless state.

hat I am suggesting &the practice of the ontemlati$e PrayercoupledwithKriyatechni!ues% perfecting (hokarat the ma'imum level) is a 0ourney thatcan ta#e a lifetime to flourish in the full 6elf1realiation state - and perhapscontinues "eyond the life of the "ody. Throughout oneKs life% it can "e mediated

"y different teachers% each one ade!uate for the appropriate stage of practice anddevelopment.

Therefore% I am setting out to ta#e "ac# the discourse of *aa introducedin the first part of this "oo# and e'pand it. I will tal# a"out Hesychast traditionssummariing their #ey teachings and s!ueee the essence of the writings of 6t.Teresa of Avila. 7ou will also find hints to 6ufi and Ti"etan traditions. Clearly%the second part of the "oo# could not contain this material.

ontemlati$e Prayer

hat is ontemlati$e Prayer8It is the repetition of a formula which has adevotional meaning of offering% of surrender to od. In Christianity over thecenturies% a great deal of incomprehension and misunderstanding has arisen withrespect to the practice of ontemlati$e Prayer that it ris#ed an almost totaleclipse. /or many devotees Prayerwas - with rare e'ceptions - a plea to odwith the sole purpose of o"taining personal favors or "lessings for a sufferinghumanity.

Jow% let us consider only the so called Prayer of 9orshi or!doration.&An e'ample of such a Prayer is 8ahiri ahasaya$s $$)m Namo 2haga$ate3asude$aya$$. Another could "e )m Namo Shi$ayaor Sri Ram *ay Ram *ay *ay

Ram )m.....) Each person chooses his favorite formula and repeats it many% manytimes entering a deep state of meditation and contemplation. ThePrayeris saidwith meaning and intent% with all the faculties of the soul. It involves the entirehuman "eingL the energy of the "ody% the "reath and the pulse manifest the!uality of a sovereign calmness. This is ontemlati$e Prayer0

ell% I am affirming that one can understand the whole edifice ofKriyaand hence put the "asis to "ring it to perfection only"y enthusiastically adoptingit as a daily ha"it.

The consolidated ha"it of ontemlati$e Prayer characteries a successfulinternal transformation of the devotee from a curious and acute researcher%

pleased with one$s discoveries% to a hum"le mystic who #nows he #nows nothing.The 2internal dialogue2 that hindered every effort of concentration is now undercontrol.

ThePrayer of the .eart is the goal of the evolution of the ontinuousPrayer. It is not a simple concept such as Prayeruttered with devotion andfeeling. It is a deeper e'perience achieved at the end of a life of surrender tood. 5nly "y wor#ing hard to achieve this state% helped "y the od 6ent gift of

(hokar,can one reach the summit ofKriya Yoga. 7ou are not geared to o"tain

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any #ind of astral e'perience% "ut you will come into communion with od andparticipate in It$s grace% discover ho is yours already% listen to ho neverceases to tal#% posses ho even now posses you.

7ou would not see# me unless you had already found me.&Pascal)

hat you will find in this chapter has one purpose onlyL to stimulate yourcuriosity &perhaps something dormant in you coming from who #nowswhence...) to create a momentum which will assist you to "egin the practice ofontemlati$e Prayer. Although your initial efforts may "e far from an ideal of

perfection% you will enter the most e'traordinary period of your life.I invite each kriyabanto deepen the themes that are dealt with here. 7ou

will find simple "oo#s that e'plain with amaing simplicity everything essentiala"out the practice of Prayer. I am referring for e'ample to "iographies of saints%!uoting the counsels give "y them.

The literature is vast% "ut there is no purpose in reading everything. The"eauty that is "orn from these te'ts ma#es you feel the goal as the nearest of thenear% more appealing than anything else in the world. ,eing aflame for it% you

practice "eyond the point of e'haustion and achieve your goal.If initially% as is perfectly understanda"le% the following paragraphs seem

empty rhetoric% the depth and purpose of the treated matter will "ecome apparentas your reading progresses.

The teaching of Hesychasm

Hesychasm &from ree#L NOQOSU hesychasmos% meaning 2stillness% rest%!uiet% silence% tran!uillity2) is a Christian orthodo' movement considering inner

peace a necessity for everyone. 5n ount Athos the mon#s wor#ed out a wholesystem of contemplation "ased upon a simple Prayer &Kyrie Iesou hriste, Yietou (heou, &leison me ton amartalon - 2:ord *esus hrist, son of 4od, ha$emercy on me, a sinner2) which is called the $$*esus Prayer$$ practiced in completesilence.

Their main teaching is how to reach the lofty state of the Prayer of the.eart. Perfection of the Prayer of the .eart leads to the highest mysticalachievementL the perception of the 2Uncreated :ight2.

Hesychasts interpret Christ$s in0unction in the ospel of atthew whichsaysL 2go into your closet to pray2% to mean that their first duty is to withdrawinward. 5nly when we you have stilled your hearts and "odies you can "e fullyopen to the presence of the ivine. The "ody should "e held immova"le for along time. The starting point is the re0ection of any distracting thought. Afterignoring the physical senses% you "egin to e'perience internal stillness. Thediscipline is toughL you watch your thoughts and courageously fight them. uchof Hesychast literature is engaged with the psychological analysis of temptingthoughts. A great emphasis is placed on humilityL disaster will "efall if one

proceeds with pride% arrogance or conceit.

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The "oo# (he 9ay of a Pilgrim,a Russian novel written "y $$Anonymous$$ in themid1nineteenth century and translated into English in (9*;% is a masterpiece. Inthe meeting "etween 5rthodo'y and the est which has occurred over the pastseventy years% pro"a"ly no single "oo# has e'ercised a wider appeal than (he9ay of a Pilgrim.

It is a simple% edifying "oo#% of universal spiritual appeal. It is imminentlypractical in its advice to not dither in starting the *esus Prayer. The main reasonfor the wor#$s attraction is the presentation of a wandering hermit$s life as themodel e'istence for those who truly wish to lead a spiritual life. Than#s to theinspiration coming from it many feel to "e a "orn again Christian and are a"le tosay the prayer faithfully for several hours daily. *

The story is a"out a pilgrim returning from the Holy 6epulcher whostopped at ount Athos and told of his lifelong search for the teaching on how2to pray continually2 - the way 6aint Paul had recommended - to a mon#. 5ne isimmediately struc# "y the opening wordsL 2,y the grace of od% I am aChristian% "y my actions% a great sinner% and "y calling% a homeless wanderer ofthe hum"lest "irth roaming from place to place. y worldly goods are a#napsac# with some dried "read in it% and in my "reast poc#et a ,i"le. And thatis all2.

Jo one #nows for certain if it is a true story a"out a particular pilgrim or aspiritual fiction created to propagate the mystical aspect of the 5rthodo'Christian faith. 6ome% on the "asis of other witnesses% identify the author as theRussian 5rthodo' mon# Archimandrite i#hail Folov. hatever the historicaltruth% this pilgrim is the ideal representative of a vast category of people whospent their life visiting sanctuaries% churches% monasteries% the Athos ountain%the Holy 8and see#ing od through the ontinuous Prayer.

The pilgrim completes not only a pilgrimage of physical order% "ut a"oveall spiritual% that is countersigned "y some precise% universal stages.

These stages mar# the passage from the scheduled appointment withontemlati$e Prayersaid with tongue and lips while fighting the restlessness ofthe wandering mind% to the intense% lofty e'perience of the Prayer of the .eart%to the fullness of ontinuous Prayer,going on effortlessly day and night.

The "oo# narrates how the pilgrim was resolute a"out covering an infinite

distance across the steppes% if he had to% in order to find a spiritual guide thatwould reveal to him the secret of ontinuous Prayer. 5ne day% his ardor wasawarded he found a spiritual teacher who accepted him as a disciple and

* 6trange as it may seem% for many the first e'posure to the Prayer of the .eartcame from /ranny andVooey "y :.. 6alingerL 2... if you #eep saying that prayer over and over again% you only have to 0ustdo it with your lips at first 1 then eventually what happens% the prayer "ecomes self1 active. 6omethinghappens after a while. I don$t #now what "ut something happens% the words get synchronied with the

person$s heart1"eats% and then you$re actually praying without ceasing.2A"out thePhilokalia&which is often used "y Hesychasts)% it is a collection of te'ts on prayer and

asceticism written from the 4th to the (


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gradually clarified to him every detail of the practice that was so stronglyattracting him. The Pilgrim was instructed to repeat the :esus Prayer *%;;; timesa day% then +%;;;% then (=%;;;.

,y following this counsel% the pilgrim finds eventually thePrayerat hislips and in his mind every wa#ing hour% as spontaneous and effortless as "reathitself. In this wonderful condition he comes to e'perience the effulgence of thedivine light% the innermost 2secret of the heart2. In order to give an idea of what%from now onwards% his life has "ecome% the pilgrim !uotes the ospel passage ofthe "irds of the air and the lilies of the field - identifying himself with them ascompletely dependent on odL whatever happens% it cannot separate him fromod. 8i#e a person en0oying the "eauty of a chilly winter near the fireside% onewho practices ontinuous Prayer contemplates either the sad or the 0oyousspectacle of life having found the infinity of the s#ies residing in their heart3

Prayeris a marvelous gem whose glitter warms up life. Its magic spreads intoeach facet of life% li#e wal#ing out of a dar# room into fresh air and sunlight.

6ince the action of ontinuous Prayer goes on automatically in the mind%always present li#e a "ac#ground sound% the 2inner dialog2% which preventsmeditation% is under controlL one can live permanently in the dimension of

%ental Silence.Hesychasts counsel to care for this state at all stages of one$s life at every

moment. The first commandment is to preserve in yourself a prayerful spirit -that is% to have od in your remem"rance and e'ert yourself in every way tocommit yourself to Him. hen this intention is sincerely etched in your mindand heart% then they counsel to $$arouse in your heart a feeling of heat.$$ Theye'plain that when you have succeeded in attaining this condition% you mustdevelop all your duties in such a way as not to destroy it. 7ou must live thiscondition and heed it continuouslyL as soon as it changes% realie that somethingin your consciousness is creating disharmony. Therefore you must analyeyourself% find the cause of disharmony and rectify it.

They also addL $$uring active life learn to constantly fi' your ownattention on the region of the throat - the words ofPrayer gush out incessantlyfrom there. uring immo"ile meditation feel the words of Prayerin the heart.$$

They e'plain that in this way soul and "ody live in harmony and this is the"ase of the spiritual life. This harmony is not lost during sleep.

I sleep% "ut my heart wa#eth&Song of Solomon ;1


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Then peace from thoughts of every #ind./rom this arises purging of the intellect%And ne't the vision of heavenly mysteries.@nheard of 8ight is "orn from this ineffa"ly%And thence% "eyond all telling% the heartKs illumination.8ast comes - a step that has no limit

Though compassed in a single line -Perfection that is endless&%onk (heohanis, the .esychast ascetic of the =th century)

.esychasm1 the esoteric rocedures

any readers of (he 9ay of a Pilgrim wonder how to underta#e the practice ofontemlati$e Prayer. 8et us here attempt to summarie the esoteric teachings ofthe Hesychast method.

A kriyaban discovers that those instructions have amaing similaritieswith theKriyaprocedures. The study of them provides a particular lens to "etterunderstand our Kriya discipline. The words of those who had practicale'perience of the Prayer of the heart% are very important for us% and it would "efoolish to superficially glance over it.

,asic teachingL how to start the practice of ontemlati$e PrayerThey counsel to murmur the Prayer 0ust audi"ly enough that you can hearyourself. hen you are $$satiated$$ of this oralPrayer% "egin to repeat it mentally.hen assailed "y distraction or lainess% then return to repeating it aloud. It is

very important not to distur" the peace of the practice and to maintain a tran!uilrhythm.7ou can ma#e a few prostrations &"ows from the waist% while the rest is

immo"ile.) Twelve prostrations will suffice in the "eginning. That num"er can "econstantly increased. The prostrations warm up the "ody and strengthen fervor in

Prayer.Then sit comforta"ly and try to lengthen the rhythm of your "reath.

,reathe in and "reathe out producing and perceiving a sweet noise and sensationin the throat. G6trange as it might seem% I have found this instruction inHesychasm literature. I am not creating this instruction using my Kriya

#nowledge. As the "reath reaches a sta"le and regular rhythm% com"ine thePrayer with the ingoing and outgoing "reath. Esta"lish a lin# "etween therhythm of the "reathing process and the mental repetition of thePrayer.

As a general rule you should repeat your Prayer for a minimum of ((


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worthy of your desire or attention.This state produces a partial transformation of our way of living "ut it

needs to "e remem"ered that this state em"odies only the "eginning of truemystical e'perience.

6& P(!-e( o+ 7*iet 8 9& P(!-e( o+ Simp)e Union

The "ody "ecomes insensitive and the will is totally captivated "y irresisti"ledevotion. The other faculties% such as memory% reason% and imagination% are

progressively captivated and occupied with od. ,oth intellect and will area"sor"ed in od. istractions are not possi"le and the e'ternal "odily senses are$$imprisoned.$$

In Kriya Yoga% we descri"e this as the first stage ofSamadhi. At this stage onelistens to the internal astral sounds% the sound of )mand also witnesses theivine 8ight. 5ne is in total a"sorption% "eing drawn and merging very deeplyinto the e'perience% feeling as if approaching annihilation "efore such

tremendous2eauty.

& P(!-e( o+ E'st!ti' Union

The description that I am going to give of this state% using the words of 6t. Teresais very strange. It is not an e'aggerationL she couldn$t have found "etter wordsattempting to e'press the ine'pressi"le.

8et us then "egin to e'plain that the soul is wounded with love for theivine. ,ody and 6pirit are in the throes of a sweet% happy pain% alternating

"etween a fearful fiery glow% a complete impotence% unconsciousness% and afeeling ofsuffocation% sometimes intermi'ed with such an ecstatic flight that the

"ody is literally lifted into space. /rom this the su"0ect awa#ens in tears.The way with which od hurts the soul is ine'pressi"le. The torment is

so alive that the soul goes out of itself% although at the same time so sweet thatyou can not compare it with any pleasure of the earth. 6t. Teresa further e'plainsthat there are moments in which you can feel li#e an arrow has deeply penetratedyour heart. 5ne laments with such a vivid and intense pain% "ut at the same timethe e'perience is so delicious one never wants it to end.

;& P(!-e( o+ T(!ns+o(min< Union

Also called the 2ystical arriage2% it is the highest state ofPrayerthat can "e

achieved in this life. It represents the most intimate union of the soul with odthe soul "ecomes ivine and is no more su"0ect to ecstasy - the contact withod happens even when the "ody does not assume the appearance of a corpse.

Jow the 0ourney of the soul ends. hat at one time had the character ofsupplication or of a sweet conversation with our personal idea of od has

progressively transformed into a hard wor# not "ased upon fleeting emotions%and has now lead the soul to the ultimate crowning e'perience of the encounterwith od.

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)ther sources of insiration1 (ibetan 2uddhism

(ibetan 2uddhisminsists so much on the value of%antrathat I couldn$t avoid!uoting this source of inspiration. Their teaching is repeating )m %ani Padme

.um &$$Hail the 0ewel in the lotus$$) again and again until the chaos of yourthoughts !uiets. e rarely come across technical remar#s% practical teachings%

"ut you can find them if you #eep on see#ing.Among a great deal of empty chatter% I found an e'cellent teaching. 8et

me summarie itL "y repeating the %antra% the pulse of your heart "ecomesclearly evident and your attention turns to the easy movement of "reath throughyour nostrils in and out. 7ouKre no longer lost in thought. 7ouKre not spacedout. 7ouKre in the state of meditation. The layers that are covering up your true

"eing% reveal your true nature which is love and compassion.If Ti"etan ,uddhists would stop here% all would "e perfect. @nfortunately

they try a childish demonstration that all the teachings of the ,uddha arecontained in the %antra1 )m %ani Padme .um. 7ou find also cleare'aggerations li#e the story that if any animal or insect should hear this %antra

"efore dying% it would "e re"orn to the pure land of!mitabha..... Another storyis that "y reciting the %antrawith mindfulness and a proper understanding% allsufferings will dissolve and up to seven generations of that personKs descendentswonKt get re"orn in the lower realms....

Annoyed we read that viewing the written form of the %antrahas thesame effect that reciting it....... or that spinning the written form of the %antraaround a wheel is also "elieved to give the same "enefit as reciting the%antra....e are used to such nonsense and #now for certain that the "eauty% purity andvalue of the%antra said with our voice and heart has no su"stitute.

(he Sufi mystical ath

The art of ontemlati$e Prayeris developed "y the Sufi &Islamic mystics) in anastonishing way. Reading some pages of their literature means receiving spiritualthe into'ication and 0oy that are the "est antidote to the tendency toward

melancholy which can "e the worst malady of many spiritually oriented people.6oul stirring ardent feelings and sincerity are to "e found thereL the cele"ration ofod and nature shines with a strength and amplitude "eyond comparison.

I died as a mineral and "ecame a plant I died as plant and rose to animal I diedas animal and I was an. hy should I fearD hen was I less "y dyingD 7etonce more I shall die as an% to soar with angels "lest "ut even from angelhoodI must pass onL all e'cept od doth perish. hen I have sacrificed my angel1soul% I shall "ecome what no mind e$er conceived.

&Rumi,(ranslated by !0*0 !rberry)

Sufispassionately loo# for the possi"ility% in which they firmly "elieve% of a

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direct e'perience of od. any practice a private and silent!doration. 5thers0oin together in an outward group e'pression of their love for od.

The word5hikris commonly translated as 2remem"rance2. Essentially%the practice of5hikris a form of Prayer in which the uslim e'presses one$sremem"rance of od. Through5hikrthe seed of remem"rance is planted in theheart and nourished daily% until the tree of 5hikr "ecomes deeply rooted and

"ears its fruit.ost inspiring instructions are given to avoid distractions in such a way

that the heart is occupied with neither 2family2 nor 2money2. 5ne continues untilthe heart is continually applied to the5hikr0

Sufisteach that the purpose of5hikris to purify hearts and souls and to "efortified "y the 8ight of the ivine. hen the heart is immersed and enraptured

"y the Truth% it turns to the highest ideal without "eing deflected "y anything.How "eautiful is to thin#% to feel that when we open our heart to!llahand

utters words in His praise%!llahfills us with strength and inner peace. How greatis the inspiration that we receive from images as this oneL 2hen a servant of

!llahutters the words $$:> Il>ha Ill> !ll>h$$ &There is none worthy of worshipe'cept Allah) sincerely% the doors of heaven open up for these words until theyreach the Throne of !llah.2 Therefore% 5hikr is something of tremendousimportance.

hen praying% the individual "ows as a human person and gets up as od.&!l6*unayd)

They teach to "egin the practice "y uttering the %antra aloud &5hikr of thetongue)% then a state of great a"sorption ma#es it impossi"le to go on in this way.

At this point the mental practice commences. ,y persevering assiduously in thisway% putting all our concentration into the practice% the sylla"les chantedmentally are gradually effaced from our awareness and only the meaning of the

Prayerremains. The mind "ecomes so calm that it is una"le to thin#% while thedeepest sentiments are awa#ened - the touch of ivine Recollection drives themind cray and the most into'icating of 0oys "egins to e'pand within.

2Heavens and earth contain e not% "ut the heart of y faithful servantcontaineth e.2

&Prohet %uhammad con$eying the words of 4od, .adith Kudsi0)

2Fnow that there is a physical Heart in each "ody. There is a spiritual Heart ineach Heart. There is a 6ecret in each spiritual Heart. There is a Hidden in each6ecret% and there is a ost Hidden in each Hidden. I am in that ost Hidden.2

&(he Secret of Islam=>4% "y Henry ,ayman)

If one wants to follow the Sufi path and uses the Kriya techni!ues% one willencounter no difficulties whatsoever. 5f course% one should "e endowed with astrong self1teaching spirit. There is no dou"t that (hokarhas a great affinity witha particular Sufi way of practicing their 25hikr2. I am referring to those

procedures in which the chanting of the $$:> Il>ha Ill> !ll>h?? is accompanied "y

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the movements of the head.ItKs interesting that 8ahiri ahasaya gave the Islamic mantra $$:> Il>ha

Ill> !ll>h??to his uslim disciples to "e practiced during (hokar. e don$t havethe e'act details of that procedure "ut it seems reasona"le that the head was lifted&with or without the help of the "reath) from under the navel up to the "rain afterreaching the "rain% it moved from the "rain to the one shoulder% then to the othershoulder and then it hit the heart.

6ome Sufiorder e'plains that he who wants to guide his Prayer into hisheart% imposes a circular movement to his head and then lowers it on his "reast.A modern Suficonfraternity practices it in the following wayL 2:>2 is placed inthe head% 2il>ha2 &with head "ending to the right) in the right upper part of thechest% 2ill>al2 &with head "ending to the left) in the left upper part of the chestand 2l>h2 &with head "ending down) in the heart then again 2:>2 in the head%while raising it....

As the num"er of repetitions of the techni!ue increases in intensity% a deepinto'ication is felt in the heart. 5ne may a"ide "y the num"er of repetitionsgiven inKriyaschools &related with the practice of the "asic form of (hokar) orcan go "eyond them in a completely different dimension. I #now that the Sufisreach a num"er of repetitions that is inconceiva"le to a kriyaban.

onclusion

I hope that what you have read here has stimulate your curiosity &perhapssomething dormant in you coming from who #nows whence...) to create amomentum which will assist you to "egin the practice of*aa. I invite you todeepen the themes that are dealt with here "y your own study. The literature onthis su"0ect is vast% "ut there is no purpose in reading everything. If initially% as is

perfectly understanda"le% some "oo#s will appear as full of empty rhetoric% nowand then some sentence will light the sacred fire of an un"elieva"le enthusiasmwhich will give new life to yourKriyapath.

The study of the "iographies of saints will ma#e you feel the goal as thenearest of the near% more appealing than anything else in the world. ,eing aflamefor it% you will "e a"le to practic

kriya yoga synthesis of a personal experience part 3

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