- KRIYA YOGA -
The Daily Practice
The Daily Practice
Prayer
Energization Exercises
Hong-Sau Breathing
AUM Technique
Cleaning the Nadis and the Mudras
Kriya Pranayama Yoga
Great Lock Bandha clean karma ritis
Meditation . Chant . Prayer
- The Daily Practice -
Cleaning The Nadis and Mudras
- T H E N A D I S -
Nadi Shodhana
Ujjayi - Ocean Breath or "The Victorious Breath"
Locking the Bandhas - Jalandhara, Uddiyana, and Mula
Surya Namaskar - Sun Salutation
Hong Sau
- K R I Y A C H A K R A M U D R A S -
Kechari Mudra
Maha Mudra
Yoni Mudra
- The Daily Practice -
Kriya Pranayama
OM Japa
Mental Pranayama
Kriya with short breaths
Navi Kriya
Kriya Pranayama 1, 2, &3
Kriya Yoga Knots
Cleaning the Nadis and Mudras
Nadi Shodhana
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Sit in a comfortable meditative position with straight back and relaxed shoulders.
Make a fist with your right hand, then partially re-extend your ring and little fingers. Lightly place the pad of the thumb on your nose just to the right and below the bridge; lightly place the pads of your ring and little fingers on the corresponding flesh of the left side of your nose.
Gently pressing with the ring and little fingers to close the left nostril, exhale fully through the right. Then inhale fully through the right, close it with the thumb, release the left nostril, and exhale through it. Inhale through the left nostril, close it with the fingers, release the right nostril, and exhale through it.
This represents one full round of Nadi Shodhana that cleans both the Ida and Pingala.
You can also do half rounds and focus for 12 half rounds for cleaning Ida and 12 half rounds for cleaning Pingala.
"Offering inhaling breath into the outgoing breath, and offering the outgoing breath into the inhaling breath,
the yogi neutralizes both these breaths;
thus he releases the life force from the heart
and brings it under his control."
Bhagavad-Gita, IV:29
KRIYA YOGA BREATH
Curl the tongue back and relax the neck fully. Now relax the tongue.
Inhale deep breath, long and slow
'AAAAAHHHHH.' Hold 3 seconds.
Slowly exhale, 'EEEEEEHHHH'
Immediately begin again.
Initially begin with 14 Kriya breaths. Continue to add up to 108 rounds.
Use a mala or fingers.
Place attention at the third eye.
Ujjayi - "The Ocean breath"
Sit in a comfortable meditative position with straight back and relaxed shoulders.
Inhale deeply while you are making a sound in the throat; you must contact the back of the throat to support lengthening each breath cycle.
Exhale deeply making a sound in the throat; when you exhale, the sound is not so loud as during the inhalation.
Each inhalation and exhalation is long, full, deep, and controlled.
Usually after a week of daily practice, the inhale and exhale action is considerably lengthened.
Ujjayi - "The Ocean breath"
USEFUL TIPS
Begin to inhale and exhale through your mouth.
Start with a long exhale where you begin to tone the back of your throat (your glottis or soft palate) slightly constricting the passage of air. You should hear a soft hissing sound.
Once you are comfortable with the exhale method, begin to apply the same contraction of the throat to the inhalines. You should once again, hear a soft hissing sound. This is where the name of the breath comes from, as it sounds like the ocean.
When you are able to control the throat on both the inhale and the exhale, close the mouth and begin breathing through the nose. Continue applying the same toning to the throat that you did when the mouth was open. The breath will still make a noise coming in and out of the nose.
Locking The Bandhas
Mula, Uddiyana, Jalandhara
Bandha means lock or bond in Sanskrit.
There are three bandha spots in the body that correspond to three chakras, or energy centers.
From the ground up they are:
Mula Bandha (Root Lock) - base chakra
Uddiyana Bandha (Naval Lock) - naval chakra
Jalandhara Bandha (Chin Lock) - throat chakra
Mula Bandha
Contract the perineum, the spot between the anus and the genitals (men) / pelvic floor (women) (initially your anus will lift into the body, but over time, with refinement, it will stay neutral).
Uddiyana Bandha
Inhale deeply and fully exhale deeply, holding the breath out; pulling the belly in toward the spinal column without releasing the breath. Hold it for 10 - 15 seconds and then release slowly by softening the abdomen and taking an inhalation.
Jalandhara Bandha
The neck and the throat are slightly contracted while the chin tilts down toward the chest.
MAHA BANDHA
The Great Lock
Simply described as the "great lock," the Maha Bandha is a combination of all the bandhas or locks at the same time. One of the ultimate benefits of this pose is the way it quiets the mind.
How to practice Maha Bandhas:
Take a final inhalation, and then slowly and completely exhale the air.
At the bottom of the exhalation, lift the Mula Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha and finally the Jalandhara Bandha.
Remain there a few short moments (longer over time) and then release the locks and take an inhalation.
- HATHA YOGA MOVEMENT -
Surya Namaskar
Sun Salutation
Hong Sau Breath
With Hong Sau breathwork, energy is pulled up through the right side of the spine prana tube to the Ajna / third eye chakra, and then back down the left side of the prana tube to the root chakra.
I am Spirit
The Hong-Sau Technique of Paramhansa Yogananda is the perfect tool for developing the concentration needed for practicing meditation. Its purpose is to help still the mind by calming the breath and focusing on the mantra Hong (rhymes with song) -Sau (rhymes with saw), which means “I am Spirit”.
Benefits of Meditation
Psychology Today lists many scientifically verified benefits to meditation, benefits you will likely also gain.
- Improved immune function, resulting in decreased cellular inflammation and pain.
- Increased positive emotion through reduced anxiety, depression, and stress.
- Improved ability to introspect by providing a more holistic, grounded life perspective.
- Improved social life from a boost in emotional intelligence and compassion with a reduction in feelings of insecurity.
- Increased brain matter in areas related to paying attention, positive emotions, emotional regulation, and self-control.
- Reduction in emotional reactivity.
- Improved memory, creativity, and abstract thinking.
These amazing benefits require a little cultivation to reach. Some become apparent quickly, while others take time to manifest with discipline and training.
Recognize that our bodies evolve with these practices, and help our bodies to be vibrantly aware and healthy.
By strengthening our bodies, minds, and immune systems we develop a relationship with the body and become stronger, healthier, experience less stress and better sleep, neuroplasticity, better brain function in the neural network, both immediate and long-term benefits, clarity, spontaneous insights, blissful relaxed moments of time, heightened awareness, and calm, youthful, mindful, radiant energy and confidence.
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