While you transfer past asana, you rapidly understand that the world of yoga is far greater than you first thought. There are lots of completely different yogic methods past poses and meditation.
One you will have come throughout is the Kriyas. Kriya yoga refers to historical Yogic and Ayurvedic cleaning methods, which have been utilized by Indians for hundreds of years. Whereas Kriya yoga stays largely unknown within the western world, Indian yogis swear by this every day observe.
So what are Kriyas in Yoga, and what do they do? Let’s discover out.
What Does Kriya Yoga Imply?
Kriyas are cleaning methods used to cleanse the physique or unlock/open vitality channels or chakras. They may also help awaken Kundalini Shakti and direct vitality as much as the backbone. Some can even assist to enhance the functioning of bodily methods like digestion and scale back widespread diseases.
The Sanskrit phrase Kriya interprets to “accomplished motion,” and they’re practiced in conventional Hatha and Kundalini yoga.
In Kundalini yoga, they contain a mixture of particular workout routines (asana), respiration methods (pranayama), sacred sounds (mantras), and hand gestures (mudras). In Hatha yoga, Kriyas are a selected method centered on cleaning one physique half, such because the nasal passage or inside organs.
Kriyas have been initially supposed to be taught on a person foundation. A guru would share them together with his college students when he believed they have been prepared, they usually must endure an initiation to turn into a Kriya yogi.
The place Does The Kriya Yoga Custom Come From?
Historical yogis found the powers of kriyas hundreds of years in the past, they usually have been first talked about in The Yoga Sutras by Patanjali, the oldest recognized yogic textual content. Kriyas additionally appeared within the Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita, two different historical Hindu texts.
Yoga sutra 2.1 outlines the three pillars of Kriya yoga – Tapas (self-discipline), Svadhyaya (Self-study), and Ishvara Pranidhana (self-surrender). It additionally states following these pillars will neutralize the causes of human struggling and result in self and god realization.
Kriyas weren’t recognized within the west till the Twenties once they have been launched by Indian monk Paramahansa Yogananda. In his e book, “Autobiography of a Yogi,” he outlined kriya yoga as “union with the infinite by a sure motion or ceremony.”
Kriya yoga is usually referred to as the “Yoga of Motion or Consciousness” and comes from the Raja yoga lineage. Raja is without doubt one of the 4 paths of yoga, along with Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga.
What Is The Objective Of Kriya Observe?
It’s possible you’ll marvel what goal this historical method has in modern-day life. Whereas the unique intention of Kriya yoga is to realize a religious awakening, there are a lot of different advantages to be gained from training these methods.
In brief, Kriya yoga helps to detoxify and rejuvenate the physique, thoughts, and soul by
- Stimulating the thoughts, which will increase psychological readability and focus
- Enhancing the circulation of life pressure, which in flip, boosts vitality ranges
- Releasing toxins and stagnant vitality from the physique
- Clearing and opening the chakras.
- Strengthening the immune system and defending in opposition to widespread diseases and illnesses
- Gaining management of unfavourable feelings and thought patterns
- Aiding religious progress and serving to to achieve inside peace
The 6 Hatha Kriya Yoga Methods
There are six sorts of Shat Kriyas practiced in Hatha yoga. Day by day observe is believed to deliver final purification and self-realization, however every has distinctive advantages.
- Kapalabhati (Purifying the mind by stimulating the mind cells)
- Jala Neti (Cleaning of the nasal passages)
- Trataka (purification of the eyes by eye workout routines)
- Nauli (Strengthening the belly muscle groups)
- Dhauti (Cleaning the digestive observe)
- Basti (Cleaning the colon and enormous gut)
Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at every kriya method.
Kapalabhati
Kapalabhati is a yogic respiration method and one of the fashionable kriyas practiced within the west. Kapal means cranium, and Bhati means “to shine,” so it interprets to skull-shining breath. It’s each a purifying and energizing respiration method, so it may be used to organize you for asana observe or meditation.
In Kriya yoga, the first goal of Kapalabhati is to purify the thoughts and stimulate digestion. It entails taking brief, forceful exhales by the nostril whereas contracting the belly muscle groups. The tempo is speedy, and the inhales happen naturally between every exhale.
Kapalabhati can also be nice for lung well being and breath mastery. It will increase lung effectivity, so the extra you observe, the extra reps you are able to do in a spherical. Check out this video to see this Kriya method in motion.
Jala Neti
Neti is a nasal cleaning train carried out with a selected instrument generally known as a Neti pot. The Neti Kriya has many well being advantages, resembling:
- Clearing the sinuses and eradicating mucus and pollution from the nasal passage
- Stopping respiratory ailments
- Serving to issues of the eyes, nostril, and throat, resembling tonsillitis and irritation of the mucus membrane
- Selling deep nasal respiration
First, it’s best to fill the Neti pot with a saltwater resolution. Then, tilt your head sideways (over the sink) and place the spout within the higher nostril. Subsequent, breathe by an open mouth as you gently pour the answer into your nostril, permitting it to empty by the decrease nostril. Here’s a visible demonstration of this Kriya method.
Trataka
Trataka is a cleaning meditation method the place you fixate your gaze on a single object, often a lit candle. In Kriya yoga, this system is finished to strengthen the attention muscle groups and enhance imaginative and prescient. Nevertheless, it additionally has many different advantages, resembling boosting focus and reminiscence, reducing coronary heart price, and decreasing stress and anxiousness ranges.
Trataka is probably the most easy method in Kriya yoga. Sit in entrance of a lit candle (about an arm’s size away and at eye stage), then take a look at the flame with out blinking for 10 to fifteen seconds. Consider the higher a part of the flame the place it shines the brightest.
Shut your eyes and see if the picture reappears in your thoughts’s eye. Then, repeat the method 3 instances, growing the period to as much as 1 minute every time.
Nauli
Nauli is an belly train, often known as ‘stomach-churning.’ It internally massages the belly muscle groups, cleansing the digestive organs and small gut and enhancing digestion. There are a number of variations of Nauli, however in case you’re new to Kriya yoga, I like to recommend beginning with this one.
Stand with the toes hip-width distance aside. Bend barely ahead out of your hips and take a deep inhale to organize. Pull your navel into the backbone on the exhale to have interaction Uddiyana Bandha (belly vitality lock). Maintain for so long as you’ll be able to, then gently launch and breathe in. Repeat a couple of extra instances.
Dhauti
Dhauti is probably the most invasive Kriya because it induces vomiting. It entails quickly ingesting a considerable amount of salted water, which evokes the urge to vomit. The aim of Dhauti in Kriya yoga is to scrub all the digestive tract. Nevertheless, it additionally helps enhance the respiratory tract, ears, and eyes.
Basti
Basti, often known as Vasti Kriya, tones the muscle groups within the decrease stomach, however its particular goal is to cleanse the colon and enormous gut. For this system, you employ an enema to flush the colon with water (and generally herbs). You then maintain the liquid in for 5-Half-hour earlier than releasing it out.
Is Kriya Yoga Harmful?
When practiced appropriately below the steerage of an skilled Kriya instructor, the entire Kriya methods are protected. Thus, search a trusted and educated guru or instructor if you wish to study them.
Many yoga instructor coaching programs train you methods to observe these methods safely. Should you’re concerned about studying extra about yoga basically, this may very well be a superb option to study kriya yoga, as you’ll be guided by them for all the course period (sometimes 20 to 40 days). Nevertheless, affirm that kriya yoga is roofed in your course, as not all TTCs train it.
Last Ideas: What Are Kriyas In Yoga?
For hundreds of years, yogis within the east have believed kriyas to be an integral a part of every day yoga observe. Whereas they may also help you obtain inside peace and union with cosmic consciousness, in addition they have many invaluable well being advantages related to fashionable life.
Have you ever tried Kriya yoga earlier than? What did you consider it?