Anyone with experience of Kriya Yoga?

Been reading Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi", a really great book on the virtues of an indian spiritual journy, but have yet to come into terms what the branch of yoga that the author so dearly wrote about, what does this kriya yoga practically mean?

Anyone care to enlighten us on the board about this topic?

[BlueSky]

Originally Posted by Sleepygrass

Been reading Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi", a really great book on the virtues of an indian spiritual journy, but have yet to come into terms what the branch of yoga that the author so dearly wrote about, what does this kriya yoga practically mean?

Anyone care to enlighten us on the board about this topic?

It has to do with Kundalini and it is related to Yogananda thru a specific line of gurus back to Babaji, who is like Christ.
I think i requires intiation.
James

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriya_Yoga

Dear Sleepygrass... I feel terrible now ... please read the posts I put out there this morning on the topic of "yoga" and "shiva" and I completely forgot to put Kriya Yoga in my list of describing the different forms and what makes it even worse is I am in fact a satyananda girl as was my stepmother and my son... sorry swamiji shame on me shame on me...! and to think I was even saying one of the posts how and why satyananda was my main man because like me he was a yoga rebel... so having said all that read the above link read my posts and pm me if you have any thoughts questions or just want to connect...!

This isn't something which is described/scribbled with words alone nor a lecture like thing as in college, one requires a proper guru and need practice, but I must say anything and everything is possible with this.

Kriya yoga is called the householder's yoga as a monastic lifestyle is not needed to practice it. However a teacher/guru is required to learn the kriya meditation techniques, as these are given oraly. The techniques will either balance or move the Kundilini, the Kriya is the practice within the meditation technique. Kriya means action.
Yogananda founded the Self Realization Fellowship, but there are two other places that trace thier liniages to Yogananda from diciples that did not belong to SRF, both are Kryanandas, one from Chicago and another in California i think. There are two Kriyanandas supposedly because of a prophacy made by Yogananda.

I never got up to the point of initiation but as I understand it it is basically a special combination of position, breath, sound, focus done in a particular way to affect the kundalini in a certain way. For example here http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/ you can find some various kriyas, but that's not exactly the same as Yogananda's version.

[Spiritlite]

Interesting thanks guys.
Spiritlite.

Yoganada is very famous and his book "Autobiography of a Yogi" is a classic. Not only does he describe the close relationship he enjoys with his Master, there are also detailed travel stories of all the mystic Saints he had visited in India.

As for the method of priactice, I had heard it is rather difficult to do, the breathing and the timing had to be perfect, not one second out of sync and it won't work !

The lineage is probably ending there with the passing of Yogananda. Another living Master may appear some where else.

Hi! I live at Ananda village (which Paramhansa Yogananda started)
This village is his gurukula,
though I haven't taken Kriya I have met many people who have and they glow. I have seen tears in their eyes after they became Kriyabans. But I do believe that Kriya yoga goes well with people who are at the Ananda path. I personally am not and don't wish to take it...but who knows!
I know that it is very beautiful

[Spiritlite]

Wow all these different terminology's with yoga I'm so unfamiliar with it's good to learn.
Spiritlite.