part iii: learning of kriya yoga -- practical aspects author: ennio nimis

7/30/2019 PART III: LEARNING OF KRIYA YOGA -- PRACTICAL ASPECTS Author: Ennio Nimis

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PART III: LEARNING OF KRIYA YOGA -- PRACTICAL ASPECTS

CHAPTER9

PRELIMINARY REMARKSONTHE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF MEDITATION

AND KRIYA YOGA

The theme of this chapter is potential dangers ofKriya Yoga in connection with

alienation from reality and with the premature awakening ofKundalini. A reader

who browses through the Web pages dealing withKriya Yoga orKundalini Yoga,

will find some pages warning against the dangers of "premature awakening of

Kundalini". It is necessary to deal with this theme before facing any didactic

issue.

There are millions of people in the West practicing meditation every day,

but there is few information about how to avoid dangers. Usually meditation is

introduced as an omni-beneficial activity. But meditation is taking a walk in your

psychic inner world, thus necessarily there should be obstacles and dangers to be

considered. 1

This subject has aroused a great interest: the list of the problems that the

allegedly premature awakening ofKundalini would cause is limitless. Besides

Kundalini, there are a few web sites that warn against any form of meditation: all

hinting at the possibility of a break with reality with unusual or extreme

strengthening of emotions, in particular agitation and anxiety, long-termdisorientation where one spaces in and out of higher planes, unable to focus long

enough to work.

There are evident exaggerations. Unfortunately there is a tendency in the

Web to duplicate pages from site to site without changing a coma. If one makes

up that a yogi died of spontaneous combustion during the practice of

Pranayama, he can verify that after a physiological time (one or two months)

this story will appear on a couple of other sites. Thus we can read also that:

"Trough practicing Kundalini Yoga, an aspirant can develop occult, psychic

powers. These powers can be used for constructive or destructive purposes, but

quite often they are misused. For example the ability to read someone else's mind

can create problems and is likely to be ... resented by those who it is used on."

This is comic! When we find such amenities we wonder: "who on earth has

written such nonsense and with what purpose"?

We can also read that Yogis are inclined to fall into sorcery and black

1 This theme could have been placed in the first pages of this book, but I think it is

convenient to deal with this theme now because few people ever read a preface. Most

readers behave like timorous animals in unfamiliar territory, wondering whether to give

a modicum of trust to the author. They prefer to get a general idea of the author's

motivations (and obsessions) by concentrating on certain techniques to see how

deeply they are discussed. Only if they are convinced of the value of a book, they might

pay attention to the author's message in a preface. I have also decided that the first part

of the book conveys my first enthusiastic idea ofKriya as a path of Beauty. I was not

aware of any danger. Now I realize that possible dangers must to be discussed seriously;

however in my opinion it remains marginal in the discussion of the mystical path, quitetied up to deviant behaviors of people.

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magic because they evoke, unaware, negative entities. One guy claimed that:

"When you repeat that Mantra Om, Om... you are actually invoking a demon

spirit to come and possess your mind. Whatever that follows is the result of that

specific Hindu Demon you are invoking. " The same person adds that during a

meditation session began to levitate and "... ever since that second I haven't sleptas a human, I lost my sleep! Whenever I closed my eyes, I saw the flames of

Hell, I didn't dear to close my eyes, I couldn't! I became a psychiatric case, and

26 times I've been hospitalized."

We are baffled when we meet people in real life (maybe even our friends)

who claim that Kriya is responsible of all their psychological and psychiatric

problems and of some physical troubles too. They want to convince you that by

breathing fresh air (Pranayama) they have developed all kinds of mental

ailments, even schizophrenia too. From a benediction as it seemed at the very

beginning, Kriya turned out to be a curse, a misfortune. They mention

contemptuously the same techniques that we have experimented so many times,

with so much love, drawing the purest delight.

When I read or heard all this, my first reaction was: "Now, if I must go

crazy, I prefer to go crazy because ofKriya, instead because of life itself. If the

germs of madness are inside me, they will come into bloom both if I practice

Kriya and if I do not practice it. Any discussion about whetherKriya can

accelerate the situation is perfectly useless because the answer will be never

demonstrated. Yet, considering the glorious moments experienced, I will walk

such path without an ounce of fear, had I to burn in it."

For a lot of time, this has been my way of thinking, also because I

believed after all that the alleged dangers were imagined by minds full of

confusion. But life taught me that there is a part of truth there. I continue with the

usual enthusiasm and courage but I am prudent when I talk aboutKriya to other

people.

The situation I am totally unprepared to deal with is what can happen to those who have

made use of drugs or who have shown symptoms, even weak, of mental disturbances

and start practicingKriya either because it's a trend or as a treatment. I don't know what

counsel to give to them or if in this situation it is better to exclude the practice ofKriya

altogether.

Sometimes the situation is not clear and I just guess what is confirmed by their

friends and never by the reluctant student: a desultory life-style marked by drug abuse.

Personally, I've always been taken aback when people blame their spiritual practice fordamaging their psyche but say nothing about the drugs they have taken! How came that

a person went to India every year for a series of years? How came that for many years

there wasn't any interest in learning Yoga? Only recently they have practiced some mild

form of concentration and lo, a catastrophe! They go on maintaining that now they are

ill and suffer because of their prematurely awakened Kundalini! The same person who

for years took acids, any kind of amphetamines, opiates and (emulous of Castaneda)

didn't disdain the use of psychotropic plants, now is accusing the simplest yogic

exercises to have caused their doom. We don't want to rub salt in the wound -- no one

likes to put a past, which cannot be changed, in causal relation with today's troubles and

tragedies. Anyone wants to exorcize the thought of having seriously damaged their

brain and be in a condition of permanent, fatal psychic disorder. They ask us to respect

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the psychological wall they have erected. That is their past, ended forever: we are

invited to worry only overKriya and its effects that had to be marvelous (as we hastily

have promised them) and, on the contrary, have been frightening. We listen nodding our

assent and we are not permitted to clamor for a mirror in which they can see how

inconsiderate and cruel they had been toward their body.

In other students we perceive that there is a pre-existing psychological trouble.

They seldom confess how in the past at the climax of a psycho-physical breakdownthey refused to take prescribed medications. They claim they succeeded in solving any

problem through the sheer use of their will. But we see that the reality is quite different.

How terrible is sometimes this illusion of self healing! If someone is psychologically

fragile, it is very unlikely they use the techniques of Yoga in the right way. Probably

they don't aggravate the condition of their alienation but fear and anguish might arise as

an unconscious resistance to awaken they lurking mental nightmares. Let's get things

straight: often it is the very mental disturbance that brought people to spiritual and

esoteric interests. Failure is certain: fear forces one to remain on the surface and bars

their way to deep practice. A radical transformation is impossible, feared as the worst

spectrum, a menace to one's psychological stability. Let us remember this, when they

give the most absurd and funny excuses to justify their leaving Kriya: they are doingthe right thing!

Often the worse experience for a kriyaban who has tried to help them is to be a

witness of what seems a gigantic ingratitude: not only do they abandon the Kriya path

but they revolt against it as if it was an horrible thing causing havoc. Sometime they

claimKriya is the arch-enemy of the spiritual experience. Let's bite our tongue: they are

not ungrateful but sick persons and our biggest mistake was a failure to understand it

and overestimate a pseudo, almost automatic, healing action ofKriya.

On some occasions we meet both drug abuse and mental disturbance and will

never know if there were the drugs who damaged their brain and nervous system, or it

was because of an already damaged brain that they sought drugs as a remedy. The rules

of politeness require that we listen to them without reacting.

Another situation of real doom is when a student, curious of exploring the

Afterlife unknown territory or dreaming to contact a deceased relative or friend, may

get involved in spiritualism (mediumism). I have some grounds to believe that the

untrustworthy soil of spiritualism is one of the best areas to cultivate splits inside one's

personality. In my opinion, this is a field where one certainly would hurt their psyche. I

deal with this minor-in-frequency theme because there are people who claim they have

the privilege to communicate directly with the historical Masters ofKriya. It is

pathetic and, to an extent, even amusing being told that their message is coming from

the hereafter: "In this epoch, the Kriya is old-fashioned and useless. Devotion is

enough!".Classical spiritualism - characterized by a person (medium) who enters a trance

state at a desk, answers the questions put by the bystanders through a code of loud raps

- has handed over its place to more modern methods such as those where all the

participants, putting their hands on an upside-down glass to move it among the letters of

the alphabet stamped on a comfortable flexible tablet (Ouija board). Many prefer the

more accessible revelations of a channelerwho lets the invoked entity express through

the flood of his own eloquence. It is interesting to see how the channeler's biographies

trace a common scheme. All tell that once they were skeptic of their own faculties and

would not accept yielding to the higher Will who had decided to entrust to them the

mission to serve as medium between spirits and humanity. Once their mission was

accepted, from the same ultra mundane source came the inspiration to mix the flow of

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the various revelations with the diagnosis of unlikely illnesses, with prescription of

expensive alternative remedies.

If spiritualism kept its promises, it would be the most valid gold-mine of

information - a direct connection with the beyond, far more accurate than any other

source! Alas, reality has nothing to do with their imagination! Apart from the automatic

writingin which the one who asks is the same person that gives the answer, the Medium

knows in advance the preferences and anticipations of the person who addresses him.Therefore all becomes like a closed circuit: question and answer reverberate in an

endless loop like the feedback of a microphone set next to its loud speaker. As anyone

can observe, the messages are always agreeable. Every adept, even of limited

intelligence, receives the message that the Divine has assigned him an important

mission I believe that this is, psychologically speaking, very dangerous. I knew some

kriyabans who plunged into situations of such a narrow vision that their life style

appeared grotesque. What I witnessed, with a sadness sharpened by the particular

situations which at that time took place, was the mental fragility of most people

practicing spiritualism. They puzzled me not only on account of their statements but

also of what emerged through their eyes. It was as if, from behind the mask of their

face, another personality appeared, extremely self-confident, who allowed others todefraud them in the worst of the ways. Their original desire to find total freedom,

spiritual realization, ended in the worst of all prisons. They gave all their possessions,

and their life, to a person who was an authentic rogue.

Kundalini

Let us begin by what is said in any Kundalini book. This concept provides a

framework which is convenient for expressing what is happening along the

Kriya path. Kundalini is Sanskrit for "coiled": it is conceived as a particularenergy coiled like a serpent in the root Chakra (Muladhara). The representation

of being coiled like a spring conveys the idea of untapped potential energy. A

tremendous concentration of spiritual energy lies allegedly at the base of the

spine. It sleeps in our body and underneath the layers of our consciousness,

waiting to be aroused by spiritual discipline.

In Kundalini Yoga a seeker aspires to harness this tremendous power

through specific techniques (particular breathing patterns, Bandhas, Mudras,

Bija Mantra...) and guide its rising from the Muladhara up through the

Sushumna, activating each Chakra. It is explained that whenKundalini arrives at

the crown Chakra (Sahasrara), it bestows infinite bliss, mystical illuminationetc.

Each book warns against the risk of its premature Kundalini awakening

and asserts that the body must be prepared for the event. Some explain that the

problems manifests when Kundalini comes up through the wrong channel.

Others explain that even ifKundalini would come up through the right channel,

the person is unprepared to sustain all that power. They claim that the

enlightening and beautiful experiences can be so powerful that people doubt their

sanity.

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Gopi Krishna

Let us consider an excellent testimony, that of Gopi Krishna. In 1967 he

published his first major book in India,Kundalini --The Evolutionary Energy in

Man (currently available under the title Living WithKundalini ). The book givesa clear and concise autobiographic account of the phenomenon of the awakening

ofKundalini. He experimented it in 1937 although he had not a spiritual teacher

and was not initiated into any spiritual lineage. His life after awakening was both

blessed by ecstatic bliss and tormented by physical and mental discomfort.

He practiced concentration exercises for a number of years. His practice

was visualizing "an imaginary Lotus in full bloom, radiating light" at the crown

of his head. As he sat meditating - exactly as he had for the three hours before

dawn each day for seventeen years - he became aware of a powerful, pleasurable

sensation at the base of his spine. He continued to meditate; the sensation began

to spread and extend upwards. It continued to expand until he heard, quite

without warning, a roar like that of a waterfall and felt a stream of liquid light

enter his brain.

"Suddenly, with a roar like that of a waterfall, I felt a stream of liquid light entering my

brain through the spinal cord. Entirely unprepared for such a development, I was

completely taken by surprise; but regaining self-control instantaneously, I remained

sitting in the same posture, keeping my mind on the point of concentration. The

illumination grew brighter and brighter, the roaring louder, I experienced a rocking

sensation and then felt myself slipping out of my body, entirely enveloped in a halo of

light." (Gopi KrishnaLiving With Kundalini).

This experience changed radically the scheme of his life. He experienced acontinuous "luminous glow" around his head and began having a variety of

psychological and physiological problems. At times he thought he was going

mad. He adopted a very strict diet and for years refused to do any other

concentration exercise.

"The keen desire to sit and meditate, which had always been present during the

preceding days, disappeared suddenly and was replaced by a feeling of horror of the

supernatural. I wanted to fly from even the thought of it. At the same time I felt a

sudden distaste for work and conversation, with the inevitable result that being left with

nothing to keep myself engaged, time hung heavily on me, adding to the alreadydistraught condition of my mind. [...] Each morning heralded for me a new kind of

terror, a fresh complication in the already disordered system, a deeper fit of melancholy

or more irritable condition of the mind which I had to restrain, to prevent it from

completely overwhelming me, by keeping myself alert, usually after a completely

sleepless night; and after withstanding patiently the tortures of the day, I had to prepare

myself for even worse torment of the night. "

Let us see how the experience stabilized and he emerged from this negative

experience into an awakening that blessed him to the end of his life. He

discovered that the esoteric teachings contained a number of simple practices that

might help bring the energy back into balance after it had been awakened

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incorrectly. What he practiced as a remedy reminds a lot the practice ofKriya

Pranayama.

".... a fearful idea struck me. Could it be that I had aroused Kundalini throughpingala

or the solar nerve which regulates the flow of heat in the body and is located on the

right side ofSushumna'? If so, I was doomed, I thought desperately and as if by divine

dispensation the idea flashed across my brain to make a last-minute attempt to rouseIda, or the lunar nerve on the left side, to activity, thus neutralizing the dreadful burning

effect of the devouring fire within. With my mind reeling and senses deadened with

pain, but with all the will-power left at my command, I brought my attention to bear on

the left side of the seat ofKundalini, and tried to force an imaginary cold current

upward through the middle of the spinal cord. In that extraordinarily extended,

agonized, and exhausted state of consciousness, I distinctly felt the location of the nerve

and strained hard mentally to divert its flow into the central channel. Then, as if waiting

for the destined moment, a miracle happened. There was a sound like a nerve thread

snapping and instantaneously a silvery streak passed zigzag through the spinal cord,

exactly like the sinuous movement of a white serpent in rapid flight, pouring an

effulgent, cascading shower of brilliant vital energy into my brain, filling my head with

a blissful lustre in place of the flame that had been tormenting me for the last three

hours. Completely taken by surprise at this sudden transformation of the fiery current,

darting across the entire network of my nerves only a moment before, and overjoyed at

the cessation of pain, I remained absolutely quiet and motionless for some time, tasting

the bliss of relief with a mind flooded with emotion, unable to believe I was really free

of the horror. Tortured and exhausted almost to the point of collapse by the agony I had

suffered during the terrible interval. I immediately fell asleep, bathed in light and for the

first time after weeks of anguish felt the sweet embrace of restful sleep."

From then onwards, Gopi Krishna believed that this experience began a processin himself in which his whole nervous system would slowly be reorganized and it

would be transformed, wrote about the mystical experience and the evolution of

consciousness from a scientific point of view. He theorized that there existed a

biological mechanism in the human body, known from ancient times in India as

Kundalini, which was responsible for creativity, genius, psychic ability, religious

and mystical experience. In his opinion, Kundalini was the true cause of

evolution.

B. S. Goel

Another interesting testimony is that of B. S. Goel's (1935- 1998) described in

his: Psycho-Analysis and Meditation. He was a very rare individual. His

experience ofKundalini awakening happened when he was 28 and was quite

dramatic.Kundalini got awakened on its own. During this long process, his

friends thought he was "losing his mind". He went up and down India looking

for someone who could explain what was happening to him. He found many

people that had theories. However they did not know. His uniqueness lies in his

experience of classical psychoanalysis along with meditation, which he

advocated. When he was 35, his Guru appeared in his dream, and told him that

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Psycho-analysis and Marxism, both of which he had embraced, were false ways

to happiness. He told him the only path to inner peace and joy was through

God. In 1982, he opened an ashram in the Himalayas to help and guide other

aspirants who hadKundalini experiences.

What is interesting for us is that Dr. Goel talks about the different degreesof suffering he went through as his ego was destroyed and rebuild. He was the

first, apart late Swami Satyananda Saraswati who studied the role ofBindu point,

in the occipital region. He explained that "when the consciousness marches

toward Bindu (which he calls Brahma-randhra) the ego-formations will get

exposed before the consciousness in free-associations, in free writings, in

dreams, and above all, in meditation itself.

In the last part of the book, while discussing "signals toward the final

goal", among a lot of signals he had the courage to quote one in particular whom

is not usually treated in book but in those book who want of mimic all the

gurudom matter. He quotes "the great desire for being pierced and penetrated."

About "pierced", he exemplifies it with the "desire of putting a nail at the mid-

point between the two eyebrows. About "penetrated", he clarifies that the desire

of penetration atBindu may, out of ego-ignorance "turn into the desire of passive

anal-penetration." He clarifies that an ordinary sexual act cannot satisfy the

person who need really penetrated at the Bindu to get final spiritual bliss. He

adds that: "as long as he does not reach that stage, he may often indulge in

compulsive homo-sexuality. It is very probable that many saints of all ages might

have remained great homosexuals if they had stopped their spiritual efforet in

their pre-sainthood period."

A Down-to-Earth Approach

The real problem is the fear caused by the first signs ofKundalini awakening.

This is what happens to many kriyabans, especially during the first months of

their commitment. Usually this fear (which can be real anguish) is absorbed in a

short time, without problems, even if for a couple of days they feel they are

walking in equilibrium on a rope between mental health and alienation. This

phenomenon has happened to all saints and it is only a fleeting experience. There

is nothing to fear! All may cease by itself but, if you do nothing, you can also

live a couple of days in a state of emotional instability. Here you will find someurgent actions to do.

1. When you feel uncontrolled movement of energy in your spine accompanied

by a warm (or hot) sensation and you feel fear, sit with erected spine and

concentrate all your mental strength in the point between the eyebrows. Use all

your imagination to raise a fresh current up the spine. This can be done by

inhaling through the mouth or through the left nostril -- having closed somehow

the right nostril. Repeat this until you feel something changing. This is exactly

what Gopi Krishna did to get out of his awful situation.

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2. Sit quietly and practice slowly, but intensely, 108 Mula Bandha. Contract all

the muscles at the base of the spine, maintain the contraction for a couple of

seconds and relax. Repeat. Forget the breath, try to attune to calmness in the

point between the eyebrows. Don't be in a hurry: each hold and relax should last

at least four seconds. You can have more than one session in order to complete108 repetitions. Beside this, try to have plenty of physical activity. Utilize this

practice in those days when you feel yourself too much nervous, depressed or

having any panic attack.

3. When, after some days or weeks, the crisis is overcome, you take backKriya

Pranayama, remember that it was conceived to be the foundation of an

intrinsically healthy method. It can help one to cover all the spiritual journey in a

safe way. InKriya Pranayama you are taught to feel the coolness and the warmth

of the breath to balance Ida and Pingala. If this is respected, if it is combined

with Maha Mudra, NaviKriya and Yoni Mudra, this action can never cause

problems. The signal that will point out that everything has started over normally

working is to feel a particular joy, the feeling of having found again the state of

mind of the best times.

4. When you practice Higher Kriyas, if you concentrate for some time on

Muladhara, give the same concentration to all otherChakras and always end by

concentrating on the point between the eyebrows. In one commentary by Lahiri

Mahasaya to the sacred writings, it is written: "Being tranquil at the coccygeal

center, do not stay longer. If you stay longer at the coccygeal center, then

negative Samadhi will take place. So after getting up again, you should start

practicing Kriya." If you use Thokar and hit the Muladhara Chakra and you

don't integrate this with other practices, the result is mainly a state of greyish

mind that appears in the day following the practice. It is difficult to sustain that

gloomy mood - it is as if your soul is scratched. The action ofThokar is very

strong and it is difficult to assimilate its psychological effects. Therefore, after a

Thokaron Muladhara, follow the given instructions to push the energy up. You

can also resume the most simple form ofKriya Pranayama and create a very

deep relaxed mood: afterKriya Pranayama, if you have not the time to practice

Navi Kriya, use at least a mild form ofUddiyanaBandha to raise the energy up.

5. A routine which is totally based on a strong concentration on the Sahasrara isnot appropriate for beginner or medium level students. Building a strong magnet

in Sahasrara is the most powerful way to stimulate the rising ofKundalini. This

is of course the goal ofKriya Yoga, but you might be non prepared for that.

Kriya is a path in which one tries to awaken Kundalini by preparing the ground

for its awakening in a sure way. The final concentration on Sahasrara should be

prepared by a long concentration on the point between the eyebrows.

6. After studying the theory of knots (Granthis), do not focus too insistently upon

eliminating them, either by adapting to your purpose some Higher Kriya

techniques or by extrapolating other procedures from the classic Hatha Yoga.

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You risk to enforce those very knots you want to eliminate. Don't be like a

surgeon who wants to remove a gallstone embedded in a organ, without taking

all the care not to destroy the organ and kill the patient.

Don't cultivate stupid theories according to which all your problems

originate from the blockage of this or that Chakra. Don't utilize techniques thatwork on a single Chakra with the hope of unlocking it. Our internal knots are not

as we usually visualize them, namely like ordinary rope-knots. They have a kind

of mutual dependence, they are subtly inter-twined, one inside the other.

Remember that the balanced techniques ofKriya Pranayama and of Omkar

Kriya patiently but safely work upon all the knots simultaneously. Increasing

gradually the repetition of these basic procedures is always the best choice!

7. Be always cautious with Kumbhaka (holding your breath). The famous author

J.K. Taimni in his The science of Yoga (The theosophical publishing house

Adyar, Chennai, India Wheaton, Il, USA) writes: "Kumbhaka affects the flow

of pranic currents in a very marked and fundamental manner and enables the

Yogi to gain increasing control over these currents. [...] Not only is Kumbhaka

the essential element of realPranayama but it is also the source of danger in the

practice ofPranayama. The moment one starts retaining the breath, especially

after inhalation, in any abnormal manner the danger begins and one can never

know what it will lead to. [...] Kumbhaka unlocks the doors of unexpected

experiences and powers. If it is taken up without the necessary preparation and

guidance it is sure to lead to disaster." Kumbhaka is very powerful and in Kriya

Yoga it is adopted with special procedures: Yoni Mudra, Thokar... Between the

two extreme eventualities: to never hold your breath or to overuse Kumbhaka,

chose an intermediary percentage of seconds ofKumbhaka. Regulate thispercentage according to your ability to bear the originated power.

8. Keep your path always clean. A clean path reaches the core ofKriya as fast as

an arrow. Unclean is a path polluted by new age, esoteric, magic, occult rituals,

channeling, spiritualistic practices... To be entangled in this activity is an

amazingly easy way of destroying, in a short time, years of genuine spiritual

effort. If from a certain school you have received visualization techniques with

the suggestion that sooner or later your visualization will become reality, polish

up your path and life forever from such a trash. Be realistic and notice how in

that ambient you have met persons who went around pretending to be spiritual,

whereas they were human wrecks.

There are many pseudo spiritual/occult activities that won't lead you

anywhere. The worst of certain schools is that after having destroyed the

attraction toward real life, they teach you to create a virtual reality with the

strength of your imagination. The visualization procedure brought to the extreme

limit is useless and treacherous. Unfortunately, it is the basis of a boundless

series of New Age methods. You believe you are very spiritual but you are

entering the kingdom of alienation. Always remember that when you do a purely

mental work that doesn't envisage verification, the danger is certain.

I remind Jung's words: "The deliberately induced psychotic state, which in

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How should one behave when the experience of a substantial and spontaneous

rising of energy through the spine happens?

This state usually lasts from few instants to a couple of minutes. It many appear

as a series of bliss waves rising through the spine and entering the brain.

Sometimes it is an electric wind on the surface of the body, propagating from feet

up to head, that announces the experience. It is like having a volcano erupting

inside, a ''rocket'' shooting up through the spine! Other times, it may appear like

an intense bliss in the chest region -- suddenly you are inside an immense joy

and wake up with tears in your eyes.

The deepest experience is when the point (Bindu) in the center of

Kutastha emerges and expands into a tunnel. The awareness is pulled through it.

It is like a plunge into Eternity, burning with endless joy for several seconds --

you are filled with the euphoria obtained by this short but unforgettable glimpse

of your eternal nature. Some call this experience "Kundalini awakening".

I would like to point at the similarity with a near death experience -- NDE.

Since I think the consideration of this parallelism very useful for a kriyaban, I

counsel Kriya students to read Life beyond Life by Raymond Moody. In the

stories of those who had a NDE experience, we find some details in common

with the afore hinted experience. We find the feeling of moving upward, through

a tunnel or a narrow corridor, of floating above one's own body and seeing the

surrounding area. The whole experience is lived within a feeling of endless love

and peace. Some accounts include meetings with deceased relatives, and with

spiritual figures (beings of light). Each individual interprets such meetings

according to their own culture and expectations. Then the feeling of having

arrived at a threshold and being sent back to one's body -- often with deep

reluctance to return there -- seems to conclude the experience.

If you have had a similar experience, as a result of a serious accident, you know

how this event brought you to the edge of Eternity, offering a unique opportunity

to glimpse it. For you it remained the most real experience, paradoxically the

most "alive" of your existence.

If you are having this experience as a result ofKriya practice, you won't

feel disoriented. You have the means to be your own "doctor" and let the effectsof the blissful experience grow and mix with your life. If not refused or

repressed, the repetition of such experience gives you an unshakable certainty of

the value of spiritual techniques. No one can come to you claiming that Self-

realization is something happening in the realm of your thoughts -- like an

awakening of wisdom obtained by keen sophistication. You have had this

experience first in your body and then your way of thinking has received a

shock. But this flash of intuition is impossible without the body experiences a

very particular state. Some spiritual seekers crown their laziness by indulging in

the thought that it is our very idea of not having achieved Enlightenment that

prevents us from getting it. You know that this is nonsense.

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If one who has had this experience asks me what to do, I invite him to go ahead

with the Kriya practice and avoid going to "traveling gurus" to tell what has

happened. They have no time to take care of anyone. They repeat hastily some

general guidance and go away. They may even don't recognize the authenticity ofthe experience. Their lack of spiritual realization is, in some cases, really

remarkable.

Those who had this experience are like one who, dead in appearance, had

visited the afterworld and then had returned to walk again amongst human

beings. But this has no importance; interesting is the fact that their Ego is intact,

it hasn't turned into a "divine Ego". Therefore the path to enlightenment should

begin now and there is no step that can be disregarded. In order to become an

Emancipated Soul, one should never forget that experience, continually working

for retrieving and deepening. But this is not enough, Enlightenment is to be

achieved giving all oneself to draw that experience down into the earthly

dimension of life. Sometimes it is a hard work, but nothing in life can be

obtained without hard work.

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CHAPTER 10

BUILDING THE BEST FOUNDATION FOR THE KRIYA YOGA PATH

In the present chapter and in following 11 and 12, I am going to share in my

didactic opinions about how a student should be guided from the first steps of

Kriya Yoga to the last attempts at reaching the lofty state of Samadhi. I will

summarize the practical difficulties that can appear if you don't want to

communicate a recipe to be followed always in the same way throughout life but

disclose a challenging but very engrossing way to realize one after another, the

four phases ofKriya Yoga.

We shall begin by introducing the most important tool to obtain a real

transformation of one's personality: the "incremental routine". This work has

nothing to do with the soft, sleepy daily routines we all know. In chapter 11, we

shall focus about how to guide a student to experience the breathless state. In

chapter 12, we shall discuss a particular way of perfecting Kriya Pranayama,

which is not discussed in Kriya literature. We add also an appendix explaining

how a person who has receivedKriya from an organization, can tread completely

the highest path without including in his routine other practices that those already

learned from the organization.

How to test a student's predisposition for Kriya

In my opinion a teacher should always test a student's predisposition forKriya. If

one has already practiced Pranayama for months (either classic Pranayama or

Kriya Pranayama alike) there is no need of tests. But for those whom you deem

won't be able to carry on the discipline ofKriya, you can counsel an alternate

routine - I usually counsel the one I have myself practiced at the beginning of my

path and hinted at in chapter 1. It goes without saying that there is no point in

introducing students toKriya if they do not succeed in this routine regularly for

at least 3 to 6 weeks. The routine consists of: Nadi Sodhana (with the three

Bandhas after inhalation while holding the breath); Ujjayi with or withoutAswini

Mudra and a deep concentration on the point between the eyebrows.

I have chosen Nadi Sodhana because after years of research and

experimentation, I came to the conclusion that Nadi Sodhana Pranayama is far

more important then it is currently thought. Actually, a beginner receives a

dramatic transformation from it; many important patterns of energy imbalancedisappear. Besides, if one practices it for about 20-30 minutes of practice, one

discovers to have entered a natural meditation state. I actually think that there

have been a mistake not to include Nadi Sadhana among the basic technique of

First Kriya. It is very important to balance Ida and Pingala currents. Ida

(feminine in nature, tied to introversion and to the state of rest) flows vertically

along the left side of the spinal column, whilePingala (masculine in nature, tied

to extroversion and to the state of physical activity) flows parallel to Ida on the

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right side. Sushumna flows in the middle and represents the experience halfway

between the two: the ideal state to be achieved right before the practice ofKriya.

Unbalance between Ida and Pingala is be blamed for the lack of

introversion-extroversion harmony in many people. Over functioning of theIda

channel results in introversion, while predominance of the Pingala leads to astate of extroversion. We know that there are moments of the day when we feel

more externalized; others when we are more internalized. In a healthy person,

this alternation is characterized by a balance between a life of positive

relationships and a serene contact with one's own depths. On the contrary, the

excessively introverted persons tend to lose contact with the external reality. The

consequence is that the ups and downs of life seem to gang up against them in

order to undermine their peaceful composure. The excessively extroverted

person betrays frailty in dealing with what comes up from their unconscious and

might face unexpected distressing moments.

Unbalance between Ida and Pingala is a serious problem for those who

try to internalize their consciousness. They cannot achieve a watchful but

peaceful alertness which is the base itself of the meditative state. Using a

suggestive image, a Kriya teacher said that Ida and Pingala are so tangled up

around the base of the spine that our awareness cannot enter the innermost

channel of the spine duringKriya Pranayama practice.

I don't like quoting scientific research invigorating the good of a technique. But in the

case of Nadi Sodhana is obligatory. As you know, there are four types of brain waves.

During deep sleep delta waves are predominant (1-4 oscillations per second), and in a

dozy the theta waves (4-8 oscillations per sec.) dominate. The brain waves that interest

us the most are the alpha waves (8-13 oscillations per sec.). They are mostly to be

found when the person has closed eyes, is mentally relaxed, but still awake and able toexperience. When the eyes are opened, or the person is distracted in some other way,

the alpha waves are weakened, and there is an increase of the fasterbeta waves (13-40

oscillations per sec.). The amount ofalpha waves therefore shows to what degree the

brain is in a state of relaxed awareness. EEG measurements have shown that the

amount of alpha waves increases during meditation. But this is well-known. We are

interested that a greater balance of alpha waves between the brain halves after Nadi

Sodhana is proved. We can measure separately the amount ofalpha waves in each part

of the brain and discover that the more we practice Nadi Sodhana, the more they tend to

become equal. In a normal brain, a spontaneous shift in balance occurs between left and

right, depending on what one is doing. Nadi Sodhana creates that perfect balance which

is the best condition to begin the practice of Kriya Yoga.

I have chosen Ujjayi because it is the best preparation to Kriya Pranayama.Those who practice it and pay due attention to the natural throat sounds will

begin to perceive the energy that flows up and down the spine.

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Nadi Sodhana Pranayama. It is important to clean the nostrils before

beginning the exercise, so that the breath can flow smoothly. This can be

commonly done using water or inhaling eucalyptus essence and blowing thenose. In some cases, there are complaints that one of the nostrils is permanently

obstructed; that is a problem of medical solution. If the obstruction is caused by a

severe cold, noPranayama exercise should be practiced.

To begin this exercise, the mouth must be closed; the right nostril must be

kept closed by the right thumb and air is slowly, uniformly and deeply inhaled

through the left nostril. The inhalation lasts from six to ten seconds. It is

important not to overdo it to the point of discomfort. After having inhaled

through the left nostril, theyogi closes the left nostril with the right little finger

and the ring finger - of the same hand. A short pause, amounting to a mental

count of three, happens after each inhalation. The one exhales through the right

nostril with the same slow, uniform and deep rhythm. At this point, the nostrils

exchange their role. Keeping the left nostril closed, air is slowly, uniformly and

deeply inhaled through the right nostril. The short pause follows. Then, closing

the right nostril with the thumb, the exhalation is made through the left nostril,

once again slowly, uniformly and deeply.

This corresponds to one cycle. In the beginning, six cycles can be made;

later, twelve of them. Ayogi can use a mental count to make sure the time is the

same for both the inhalation and the exhalation. The nostrils can be closed with

the fingers in different ways; the choice depends on the preference of the

practitioner only. The easy but extremely effective technique of the "forward

bendings" we are going to discuss in this chapter (see: "A valuable variation of

Maha Mudra in three parts") can be coupled with Nadi Sodhana bringing

immediately visible benefits. A famous Kriya school emphasize the utility of

Viparita Karani either before of afterNadi Sodhana.

Variation. Let us remind the definition ofBandhas: when the neck and the throat are

slightly contracted, and the chin tilts down toward the breast, this is Jalandhara

Bandha. Uddiyana Bandha (in a simplified form useful for this exercise) consists in

slightly contracting the abdominal muscles in order to intensify the perception of

energy inside the spinal column. During Mula Bandha, the perineum muscles -

between the anus and the genital organs - are contracted in an attempt to lift the

abdominal muscles in a vertical way, while pressing back the inferior part of theabdomen.

In this variation, the exhalation should last twice the time necessary for the

inhalation and the pause after the inhalation should be four times as long. The ratio of

inhalation, retention and exhalation is denoted as 1:4:2. During the pause, the three

Bandhas are applied simultaneously to produce an internal awakening of the Prana. In

time, you'll feel a sensation of energetic current sliding up along the spinal column - an

almost ecstatic internal shiver.

Time can be measured through mental chanting ofOm. Close the right nostril

with your right thumb. Inhale through the left nostril till you count, slowly, 3 Om.

Imagine that you are drawingPrana with the inhaled air. Close the left nostril. Practice

the three Bandhas intensively. Hold the breath for a count of six Om. Release the

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Bandhas and slowly exhale through the right nostril counting 6 Om. Repeat the process

from the right nostril. Do the whole cycle at least 3 times. Gradually you can increase

the count ofOm while holding the breath up to 12 counts.

The exercise can be further improved by strong concentration on Dantian

duringKumbhaka. Feel thatPrana is intensifying in that region. With your breath held

pull your abdominal muscles in synchronizing these movements with mental chanting

of Om or with the syllables of your favorite Mantra. All this helps awaken Kundalini.Great Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh counseled to send the current down to the

Muladhara Chakra, instead to Dantian, during Kumbhaka. The current is perceived

striking against the Muladhara Chakra and awakening Kundalini. The ratio of

inhalation, retention and exhalation is always 1:4:2.

Ujjayi Pranayama. The technique consists of breathing in and out deeply

through both the nostrils, producing a sound/noise in the throat. During the

exhalation, the noise is not as loud as during the inhalation. After a few days

practice, the respiratory action is lengthened without effort. This exercise is

normally practiced twelve times. A mental count makes sure that the inhalation

and the exhalation have the same duration. It does good to focus not only on the

process itself, but on the comfort and the induced calmness as well; this allows

the concentration to become deeper. Now forget the breath, for at least five

minutes, with an attitude of deep relaxation, the attention is intensely focused on

the point between the eyebrows.

How to introduce a student to Kriya Yoga

I would avoid the particular frenzy that accompanies a traditional Kriya initiation

where all the practical instructions are transmitted hastily in one single lesson! 2

I have found that it is more natural and logical to teach theKriya techniques a bit

at a time and let one experience each without any tension. Even when it's

necessary to demonstrate all the techniques in First Kriya for reasons of

expediency, I do not recommend starting out with a complete practice. Of course,

I don't advise waiting for a "perfect" situation before starting to practice,

otherwise the decision risks being postponed indefinitely! In the first lesson I

would not teach Navi Kriya, whose "moment" will come in time, and Yoni

Mudra, that could appear unpleasant and source of disturbance, and limitKriyaPranayama to first part only.

2 Within a few days, almost all details are forgotten and one goes through a crisis. This

is what usually happens with mass initiations. Things may of course go differently!

Some rare people will always remember the few words of their teacher with the samevoice inflection, and after a lifelong work, their full meaning is finally realized.

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After a couple of weeks, the second lesson should be devote to emphasize the

details that really matter.

1. The importance of Talabya Kriya and Om Japa.

A kriyaban should never override them. You can ask that some meditation

sessions are composed only of Talabya Kriya and Om Japa followed by ten

seconds of enjoying the induce calmness. When this happens, one can taste the

power that is born from a practice which is limited just to those two techniques.

The calmness they induce in a couple of minutes is stunning.

Some organizations, in their didactic effort to bring Kriya Yoga to people,

picked out some easy techniques as a preparation. P. Y. choose to give Hong So

and Om techniques for six months. The first technique calms the breath and the

psychophysical system. The second technique concerns the listening to the

internal (astral) sounds, and the Om sound. These are wonderful techniques but

in Lahiri Mahasaya'sKriya, the preliminary techniques are Talabya Kriya and the

chanting ofOm in the Chakras. They lead a kriyaban to a state that is considered

a "benediction."

Oddly enough, Talabya Kriya doesn't require concentrating on anything, it

is purely physical. Furthermore, we can remark that merely pressing the tongue

against the upper palate, maintaining the suction effect on the palate for 10-15

seconds, can, in and of itself, generate sensitivity in the Ajna Chakra area in a

very short time. The detail of extending the tongue plays an important part too.

When the tongue is fully extended, it pulls on some cranial bones and leads to

decompression in theRudra Granthi area.

2. The importance ofMaha Mudra.

An important point is to make one feel the difference between Kriya Pranayama

with and without Maha Mudra. It is very wise that a kriyaban practice Maha

Mudra both beforeKriya Pranayama and after it. A good teaching is to practice

one Maha Mudra every 12 Kriya Pranayamas until one begins to feel the

currents in the spine.

There are reports ofyogis having achieved fantastic experiences usingonly this technique. According to their accounts, the perception of the Sushumna

Nadi has increased tremendously. There are kriyabans who have set all the otherKriya aside and have been practicing 144 Maha Mudra in two sessions daily.

They considerMaha Mudra the most useful technique of allKriya Yoga.

3. The importance of mental Pranayama at the end of a routine.

At the end of a routine a kriyaban must enjoy mentalPranayama for at least ten

minutes.Mental Pranayama has a divine beauty, without it I can bet that (unless

one is sustained for years by the excitement of the illusions created in him by a

process of indoctrination) one abandonsKriya Yoga unfailingly. Without mental

Pranayama,Kriya Yoga becomes a self imposed torture, a nightmare, a life

sentence.

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4. The importance of listening to internal sounds.

Almost each Kriya student has difficulty in understanding the object ofKriya

meditation. "Meditation upon what?" is the common question. Often, at the

beginning of their efforts, "meditation" consist in the elaboration of loftythoughts supported by fervid imagination. In time, thoughts calm down and

won't disturb. Later, a sweet comfort, internal joy, inexplicable elation appears. Is

perhapsKriya meditation the awareness of inner bliss?Kriya meditation is surely

this but is also the meeting with the Ineffable, with the Reality that is beyond

mind, which it is not emptiness but fullness. This happens by listening to the

internal sounds. Remaining absorbed in them until they become the Om sound, is

the first duty of a kriyaban -- is the highest way of living the experience ofKriya

meditation.

The right attitude of the teacher and of the student

A teacher should get over the fact that at the onset of the Yoga path, there is

always a clear split between a kriyaban's new spiritual interest and other well-

rooted social, intellectual and artistic habits. The signs of progress are very subtle

and instable. A teacher should avoid censorial attitudes and pretend he does not

notice some problematic delusive student's behavior. Yoga principles, like

Patanjali's rules of conduct, are not easy to put into practice. Paradoxically, it is

easier for most to give up a harmful habit because of a new ecological vogue

rather than being able to grasp and analyze in depth the enslaving mechanism of

any bad habits. AKriya teacher lays his confidence in the transforming Kriya

effect.

The main quality ofKriya students is to handle Kriya Pranayama as a joyous

discovery, a source of wellbeing and mirth and rely on the sheer "naturalness" of

the procedure. Although they look at this technique with caution, they practice it

comfortably, adopting an attitude like that of a serious maid who, armed with

patience and circumspection, prepares a meal taking care of all the details, from

the tedious task of peeling potatoes to the final art of putting the finishing

touches. Students should have the quality of a self teacher and be able to usetheir common sense to slightly adapt the instructions to the contingencies of their

own life. They don't call their teacher every other day with questions that areoverly intellectual; they are not too insistent, and at times obsessive, in wanting

to have all the possible and imaginable details ofKriya Pranayama clarified.

For them it is not a tragedy to not see the spiritual eye. But for them it is a great

satisfaction to discover that all the best in them comes out amplified. Their

perceptions change and they discover the many beautiful aspects of life. Some

rediscover an almost forgotten potentiality of aesthetic enjoyment, especially in

nature, looking what is around; others discover the wonder of their work, while

are deeply moved by the significance of their family. They are overcome with a

feeling of love they thought themselves incapable of. It is as if they had eyes and

heart for the first time.

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In the first part of the book I have hinted at the Incremental Routines. Since they

have a unique, irreplaceable effect on one's personality, I strongly recommend

that a student focus on fundamental Kriya techniques like Navi Kriya, Kriya

Pranayama and Thokar and practice them intensively with progressive

increments of the number of repetitions. I have witnessed unbelievable results inthose who have completed Incremental Routines, results that are inconceivable

for those who follow a traditional practice. These routines are the best foundation

for a lifelong enjoyment ofKriya. The results obtained prove that anIncremental

Routine is one of the most worthwhile activities a kriyaban can engage in. For

these reason, when I trust the earnestness of the student, I always encourage

them to begin at least one Incremental Routine. I give this counsel without

lingering or investigating too much.

What happens in athletics gives us much rich material upon which to

reflect. Athletes who wish to achieve world class performance must somehow

increase the intensity and the quality of their practice. Only through short

intensive interval training sessions where they push their physical and mental

endurance beyond their normal levels, will they succeed in accomplishing

otherwise unachievable levels of performance.

Do not be offended by the comparison between Kriya and sports. Kriya is

not a sport but in the beginning stages ofKriya, while applying its different

psycho-physical techniques, it has many points in common with the essence of

athletics. Both shun the employment of brutal force, both require goals and the

diligent channeling of one's strength toward achieving them. Both require self

analysis: to analyze and evaluate one's performance and to learn from the

experience, and both require a coach.

I understand, naturally, that this process is an authentic challenge and beginning

it is an act of courage, a mature act of trust in Kriya and in oneself, a decision

that should only be inspired by one's intuition. I take all the care to explain that it

is important to be aware of our unconscious resistance to undergo change, and to

understand the causes of the alternating moods that appear when a Kriya

technique is practiced intensely.

The Kriya techniques arouse specific effects (especially perceived in the

day following the practice) in many ways: moods, fancies, memories and

suddenly-arising desires. All of this is beneficial. To vividly live long forgotten

parts of our life through our stimulated memory is a cleansing process. Thisprocess has within itself an equilibrating mechanism which will prevent one

from being overwhelmed by sudden storms of grey moods. Accept however to

have humors full of ups and downs. You have to be intelligent, familiar with the

basic laws of human psyche. You have to be acquainted with the principle of

unconscious resistance to change: they should understand the deep reasons of the

alternating moods that appear when we practice intensely the Kriya techniques.

The experiences of inner awakening bring buried psychological problems to the

surface. This is a cleansing effect and does not damage you. However, one

should sense if it is necessary to stop the practice for a few weeks or whether a

technique should be done less intensely. After a beneficial pause of a couple of

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or years after this incremental routine, you will be able to draw interesting

connections or deductions, and meaningfully alter your point of view.

Let us avoid bowing to the authority of itinerant Gurus: life is too

precious to entrust it to another. At the very beginning of our path, we are right to

put a certain amount of trust in a school or in a teacher, but subsequently, wehave to trust our own experiences and experiments. We neither have nor need

any other tools to verify the value of a technique. When several Incremental

Routines have been completed, one will have developed the quality of a self-

teacher. A kriyaban will create a simple defensible vision ofKriya such that they

do not feel the necessity of discussing their routine with otherKriya experts.

Before closing, let me say that one definite result is that you will learn to

meditate anywhere and not be disturbed by anything. WhileKriya beginners are

maniacal in preparing the proper meditation environment and become nervous

and worried about the slightest thing, one who has completed a couple of

Incremental Routines is able to meditate in unusual places and impossible

situations e.g. traveling by train or watching a play or an uninteresting movie.

Strangely enough, such occasions may establish, by contrast, a particular state of

awareness, radically eliminating the danger of falling asleep and yielding

unhoped-for results.

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CHAPTER 11

A TURNING POINT: THE BREATHLESS STATE

The breathless state is a decisive result that marks a turn in one's life: it is a

stupendous revelation, it is the true Initiation. I would want to console those

people that feel they are orphans of a Guru, that discover they are proceedingalong the spiritual path without a guide. I would like to tell them that in the

breathless state they will find all the "blessings" they have not received beforeduring a formal initiation.

In my opinion, full mastery of the breathless state requires on the average

two to three years of regularKriya practice. When the time is ripe, this state

appears during mental Pranayama naturally and spontaneously. After the

practice of the Incremental Routines, after the transformation described in the

previous chapter, the breathless state is possible. There are, as we are going to

discuss, some procedures conceived for the express purpose of fostering this

state. The mindful and devoted commitment we are describing in this chapterwill provide kriyabans with the fundamental spiritual experience which will

mark the most beautiful and deeply satisfying period of their life.

The greatest help -- I'm sure this is true, at least for the vast majority of people --

is extending one's spiritual commitment to the whole day. You cannot live in a

chaotic way and then sit to practiceKriya and then pretend that in an instant the

mind becomes like a laser. There is one single action that heals and calms the

mind: to repeat constantly a prayer, aMantra. I mean that practice that in certain

mystical traditions is called Continuous Prayer. Let us connected to the teaching,

to the atmosphere of the bookThe Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim ContinuesHis Way (Anonymous)because it is of that teaching that I want to speak now.

Some kriyabans think that their discipline has nothing to do with prayer --

"...Kriya Yoga is the best form ofPranayama for the awakening ofKundalini, for

changing the atomic constitution of the cells of the spinal cord As forJapa,they claim: "Neither my Guru, nor Lahiri Mahasaya taught it. I don't need it."

On the contrary, not only you need it, but it is essential. I think that Kriya

Yoga is the perfection of the spiritual path, while Japa (Continuous Prayer)is its

foundation. I saw the eyes shining of joy and of boundless bliss of the few

kriyabans who had aJapa-basedapproach. Keeping the mind always attuned to

a state of calmness, which blooms by repeating our favoriteMantra, is the mosteffective action we can do to obtain undreamed of results during the practice of

ourKriya routine. You will cross moments in which onlyJapa will remain, even

when the vicissitudes of life attempt to destroy the very idea of the mystical

dimension. It will remain when yourSadhana seems to break down in different

clumsy attempts, each one frail and vulnerable.

How to Practice Japa

If you want to test what I am here describing, choose a Mantra (prayer). You

should not feel obliged to use Lahiri Mahasaya's favored Vasudeva Mantra ("Om

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Resolve to daily complete aloud at least oneMala (a rosary of 108 beads) of this

Mantra (prayer), and then let it resonate automatically in your mind. But when

you chant it concentrate upon it with absolute fervor. Take this aloud practice

back whenever possible. There is no doubt that this requires additional time. It is

for this reason that one must be wise and choose the simplest life appropriate toone's temperament. For this reason I set as essential condition that life has not

been very nice toward you. If life is too good with men they respond by filling

their life with nonsenses. Otherwise they clean their life if unnecessary

necessities and through Japa, although they through suffering unavoidable

setbacks, they are always able to regain their composure and will be able to pass

through life with a smile.

You will learn how to make the sound of the Mantra (prayer) resound in

our head and you will feel its vibration extending to all parts of our body. What is

required is the resolute will to continue with this action so we can touch the

dimension ofMental Silence. When this happens, you will be surrounded by a

protective shell of tangible peace - this is not a visualization but a real

experience.

One of my friends who mastered this teaching, uttered one day a word:

"EXHAUSTION". He practicedKriya without getting any result. I talked to him about

Japabut nothing changed. I had the impression that he took this activity as cerebral act.

His thoughts were repeating it, its vibration was not connected in any way to his body. I

observed him carefully while he was practicing: I was witness of a lifeless practice, a

tired plea for God's mercy. It was not for nothing he had put aside his initial beautiful

IndianMantra and chosen an expression in his mother tongue - which was nothing else

than a sigh of self-pity. There was nothing to be surprised at when, after some time, he

entirely abandoned the practice. He did not realize he was about to become the greatestsupporter ofJapa. The turning point came when he took part in a group pilgrimage.

Someone began to recite the so-called rosary (a set number of repetitions of the same

prayer), to which all the pilgrims united. Even if tired and almost gasping for breath, he

did not withdraw himself from this pious activity. While walking and praying softly,

murmuring under his breath, he began to taste a state of unknown calmness. He looked

with different eyes at the show of continuously changing landscape and had the

impression of living in a paradisiac situation. He went on repeating the Prayer

unremittingly for the entire path, completely forgetting he was tired and sleepy. When

the group paused to rest, he had the grace to be left alone undisturbed; he slipped into

an introspective state and was pervaded by something vibrating in his own heart, which

he definitely identified with the Spiritual Reality. The ecstatic state assumed theconsistency of reality, became almost unbearable, overwhelming him. This experience

taught him the correct way of practicing Japa. He said that the secret was not only to

reach, but also to go beyond the state of "exhaustion."After some experiments he chose

to repeat the Indian Mantra: Sri Ram Jay Ram Jay Jay Ram Om and, thanks to it, he

reached the breathless state not only one time, but each time he practiced this Mantra

during the day andKriya Yoga in the evening.

The temptation to leave Japa aside is tremendous. If there happen problems of

hardheartedness, give yourself some inspiring literature. Wonderful books are:In

Quest of Godby Swami Ramdas and the The Way of a Pilgrim. They are simple

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Other Valuable Technical Details

My conviction is that this is enough. But it is correct to consider also other

people's experiences. To some kriyabans, practicing Kriya Pranayama with

Aswini Mudra is the valuable detail that breaks a stalemate.The last part of chapter 7, giving further details to deepen each one of the

four phases ofKriya Yoga, can provide good cues to increase the intensity of

one'sKriya routine. Certain technical details can be the decisive turning point to

those kriyabans whom the previous instructions seem not to work -- their breath

subsides markedly but the real breathless state always eludes them.

Facing any possible resistance, add during each Kriya Pranayama, a

continuous, strongAswini Mudra -- while intensifying the concentration on the

point between the eyebrows. AfterThokar, intensify the presence of energy in

the heart Chakra by practicing Bhastrika Pranayama. Deepen mental

Pranayama in the following way:

1.Engraving in each Chakra the Devoted Practice of Prayer.

Some deep breaths (3 or 6) are sufficient to regain a good starting calmness.

Repeat the whole Mantra in each Chakra, while going up and down the spine.

Letting your breath subside completely. Focus on one Chakra at a time. The

order is always: Chakra 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and occipital region; medulla, Chakra 5, 4,

3, 2, 1. You can remain in each Chakra long enough to mentally repeat the

prayer once slowly (it is possible to repeat it two, three times). It is like sowing

with utmost care each of its letters in the sod of each Chakra. We continue it

more and more subtly, while our consciousness settles in a vast space extending

behind and over the Bindu. Our intention is not to stimulate the Chakras but to

surrender to the overpowering process of interiorization. Remember that you

should be completely isolated so you cannot be disturbed. Regrettably, if this

happens, you will need not minutes but perhaps hours to restore the peaceful and

relaxed mood that was lost.

2.Perfect Immobility of Body and Mind.

You have the perception of having calmed down the inner movements of the

body, even at a molecular level. After the first round, you feel intuitively the

power to do without breath. You distinctly perceive a fresh energy sustaining

your body from inside. Of course, this is only a sensation -- however when youhave it, the breathless state is waiting for the appropriate moment to spill an

unparalleled experience of divine bliss into your being.

3. Sweet Absorption.

A feeling of comfort and being enveloped in sweet absorption is the first

experience. Your eyes, if open or half shut, will close by themselves. If they were

kept open - for instance to avoid drowsiness - you wouldn't see anything. Life is

momentarily extraneous. This is the signal that the heart ganglia which regulate

the pulse and the breathing rhythm are appeased.

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Practical Instructions in Four Steps

I. Exhaling Shee sound guides energy into the body.During inhalation, make a loud sound and visualize a powerful vibration

departing from the sexual zone, absorbing the energy there and bringing it into

the heart Chakra, and then into the head where it blends with a luminous

substance. Then, during exhalation retain full awareness of your body and

perceive not just the downward flow of energy in the spine but its permeation

into all parts of the body. Observe how it spreads out to the internal organs and to

the skin. While maintaining a slow, deep rhythm of breathing, you begin to

increase the intensity of the sound of the exhaling air in the throat. The Sheee

sound of exhalation helps to inject energy into the cells of your body as if it were

a micro hypodermic needle. It will transform your breath into a pure flow of

energy. After each inhalation, during the instants you don't breathe, strengthen

the intention of finding (or opening) an internal way to reach the cells of your

body. Not one iota of vitality in the air leaves your nose, all of the vitality

remains in the body. The Shee sound should be like "the cry that breaks the

hardest rock" -- thus Sri Aurobindo was referring to the power ofBija Mantra,

the "sacred sound of theRishi".

By targeting your will to obtain an unlimited internal pressure of your awareness

over the whole body, you will discover and release:

the treasure of heaven

hidden in the secret cavern

like the young of a bird,

within the infinite rock

(Rig-Veda, I.130.3)

II. Concentration on the navel and lengthening the exhalation.

At the beginning of inhalation, expand the abdomen by pushing out the navel

which pushes down the diaphragm. During exhalation, the reverse takes place:

concentrate intensely on the navel as it moves toward the spine. You have

already learned doing this during basic Kriya Pranayama; focus your attention

on the internal gathering of energy and on a peculiar ecstatic sensation thatbegins to spread into the abdominal and chest region.

After about 24 breaths, it comes spontaneously making exhalation last a

lot more than inhalation: the sound of the breath comes out more acute and it

seems easier to guide the energy into the cells. The inhalation is limited to six

seconds but the exhalation can be lengthened indefinitely. Through a short

inhalation, Prana ascends from the navel and accumulates in the brain. Then

again a very long exhalation increases the internal pressure all over the skin. The

experience is similar to a Navi Kriya diffused throughout the body. Maybe that

you will find yourself becoming crazy with joy -- sometimes with the chin

slightly lowered, directed toward the navel as if it were a magnet and unaware of

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no longer sitting upright. The pleasurable sensation becomes orgasmic and only a

faint signal of the need of oxygen appeases its progressive growth.

III. Fragmented exhalation.

Now only a frail shell separates you from the coveted state where all effortceases: it is possible to cross it by means of a subtly fragmented exhalation. It is

in itself pleasurable, especially when each fragment tends to become

microscopic.

You can "cheat" a little but only if necessary and provided it is done

with a good measure of delicacy. "To cheat" means to interrupt the exhalation,

when necessary, and inhale briefly and then take back the exhalation and the

downward movement of the energy. To be able to do this without disturbing the

delicacy of the phenomenon is an art.

IV. Internal breathing.

The process ofKriya Pranayama is leading us toward something stunningly

new: a rotation of energy independent from the act of breathing.

The exhalation seems to become endless and the fragments of breath seem

to have practically dissolved! There is also a faint but clear component of rising

energy in the spine. Your feel you could lengthen this process infinitely, without

ever exhausting its marvel. You have crossed a barrier and reached a seemingly

breathless state where there is no air coming out your nose -- even if this cannot

be affirmed with scientific certainty. There is an inner source of fresh energy

making you lighter and filling you with strength. The sensation is reminiscent of

a brisk walk in the wind. This can not merely be called a joyous state: it is a

feeling of infinite safety surrounded by a crystalline state of an immobile mind.

Usually, this experience is enriched by hearing a loud and continuous Om.

This comforting sound is the confirmation that you are heading in the right

direction.

An entire life is not enough to explore the wonders contained in thisKriya of the

cells. This tranquil way of changing the way of breathing makes us feel the

beauty of living in a surprisingly new way. It is as if we had vainly hoped for

years on end that the Divine would be part of our daily life and suddenly we

discover that the Divine has always been there. It's as if an impressionist painter

had finally succeeded in actualizing their visionary conception conveying theidea that the painted inert substance of matter is composed of multicolored

particles of light, like innumerable suns radiating in a brilliant transparency.

Heaven's fire is lit in the breast of the earth

and the undying suns here burn.

(Sri Aurobindo,A God's labor.)

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evidence of a phenomenon of tuning into another person's consciousness, cannot

be denied. What one is and what others are, mixes.

Now, to affirm that Kriya Pranayama leads us to perceive reality in a

different way is obvious, but to assume that it makes things happen that would

not otherwise happen (or that would have happened anyway, but in a differentway) is quite another thing. This hypothesis has all the appearance of a figment

of our imagination. The principle of cause-effect implies that the world ignores

what happens inside your consciousness while you sit immobile in your secluded

retreat. How is it possible to conceive that what happens within you can have an

effect on the surrounding world? Even after months, you cannot know whether

this is simply an impression or real.

The image of an anthill that's been disturbed comes to mind: scores of ants

immediately appear to begin repairing it. Similarly your environment appears to

you as more agitated, at times frenetically active and partly aggressive toward

you. It is as if everything (especially in the field of human relationships) is

conspiring to reveal "your sins." Surprised, you observe that many long lost

acquaintances appear and call on you with demanding challenges that require

radical changes of attitude on your part. You feel the unavoidable duty of facing

intricate, unsolved issues that in the past you smartly succeeded in avoiding.

Being utterly sincere with yourself is unavoidable.

How many times I wondered: how is it possible that, through guiding breath and

awareness into the cells of our body, we obtain such an important result, which

has so tangible effects on the material, emotive and psychological planes?

I believe that Jung's discoveries are precious for the understanding of the

mystic path - perhaps more than many other concepts formulated during the 20 th

century. Jung discovered that human psyche is made up of layers or strata, part of

it shared by humanity and called Collective Unconscious. Even though his

statements never lacked the necessary prudence, the scientific community never

forgave him for dealing with matters that were not considered a part of

Psychiatry - such as Alchemy (deemed an absurdity), the realm of myths

(considered the result of a senseless imagination) and, more than any other thing,

the great value he attributed to the religious dimension; which he considered

something universal and fundamentally sane, instead of a pathology. Nowadays,

the enthusiasm for his writings remains, especially among those who study topics

of a spiritual and esoteric nature. Jung introduced a terminology which permitsone to probe an aspect of the mystical path which would otherwise risk being

totally extraneous, not only to our capability of expression but also to our

comprehension.

Since we have hinted at particular facts that in their manifestation seem to

ignore the principle of cause-effect, it is important to remember that Jung put a

rational basis for the study of this subject in his Synchronicity: An Acausal

Connecting Principle. The more we consider how intelligent, fascinating and

stimulating his thought; the emptier the nonsense appear to us when they deal

with the Siddhis in the many books on Yoga.

In the esoteric literature there is the vast chapter of miracles and Siddhis

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(powers), namely the subtle laws that work in the life of a mystic. Those who

write books on Yoga are not able to resist the temptation of copying some lines

from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. It's typical to find the ridiculous warning of the

danger coming from the abuse of the Siddhis. Quoting Patanjali (IV:1), they

recount that Siddhis are the spiritual powers (psychic abilities) that may occurthrough rigorous austerities; they explain that they vary from relatively simple

forms of clairvoyance, telepathy, to being able to levitate, to be present at various

places at once, to become as small as an atom, to materialize objects and more.

They recommend to their readers not to ever indulge in these powers since "they

are a great hindrance to spiritual progress". Indulge: what a beautiful word! If

you did see someone practicing Pranayama and indulging in a little bilocation

for fun, would you tell?! Perhaps they don't think enough about what they are

writing because they let themselves be seduced by the dream of possessing those

powers .... perhaps they already visualize all the fuss which will come out:

interviews, taking part in talk shows etc.

The Final Phase of the Spiritual Path

If we just try to forget the world in order to focus on our own conception of the

Ultimate Reality because we want to live peacefully attuned to the higher

Chakras and occult centers of our brain, something will force our attention

toward the body. If we don't consider the commitment of filling our body with

awareness and energy as an integral part of the Kriya path, we are bound to

receive various sharp tugs downward -- including mental and physical disorders.7

Fortunately, the necessity of entering this downward phase, happens only

after going a long way and when we have sincerely surrendered our ego to the

spiritual dimension. Pure love for humanity is born. Joining your consciousness

with someone else's means involving yourself with their problems. A lasting

transformation in another's consciousness happens only when the opacity in them

is purged bit by bit. This cannot be obtained by any other way other than sharing

part of their suffering, a feat which implies a momentary loss of your spiritual

realization. Magic rituals, New Age remedies, and esoteric way-outs are

poignantly vain.

Like other mystics, Lahiri Mahasaya went out of the shell of his

individual consciousness and put his being into that of his disciples and also intothat of many other people whom he never physically met. Lahiri Baba is a mirror

for all kriyabans.

We can send good vibrations to the world if we want -- and surely this is a

positive action -- but the real work happens in our body. In order to cooperate

with the collective evolution we must descend in the matter, using Kriya

Pranayama to guide the energy down in the organs of the body, in its cells.

7 We have experienced many times in our life how a malady is a signal sent by the body

to implore our attention and to oblige us to initiate the necessary treatments, to awake its

self healing powers, which have always been there but needed the active share of ourmindful awareness in order to work.

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Our goal is not only to fly out of the body toward the rarefied dimensions

of the Spirit, but to infuse the Divine into our body, and then if possible, into our

surrounding environment. The Kriya of the cells with its sweet pressure on the

body, has effects that we cannot even imagine. Day after day, with an

indomitable serenity, patches of darkness are dispelled and light emerges.It is true that we are going to contact somehow the quagmires of the

Collective

part iii: learning of kriya yoga -- practical aspects author: ennio nimis

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