Kriya: Yoga Sets, Meditations & Classic Kriyas from the early years of Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan

By Kundalini Research Institute

This wonderful manual comprises many of the early yoga sets and meditations taught by Yogi Bhajan back in the 1970s and 1980s. A time when Kundalini Yoga was still very new to the West and when students flocked from near and far to hear the revolutionary teachings and participate in the life-changing classes.

Yogi Bhajan's firs

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kundalini Research Institute
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781940837680

Book preview

An Introduction to Kundalini Yoga

I have recognized, with the blessing of my Master, that it is possible to be healthy, to be happy, and to be holy while living in this society; but you must have energy so that your dead computer may live and pass on the signal to you and compute all that you want to do in this society. We call this energy, in the old science, the kundalini, which has been blocked in the Mooladhara, the lowest of all chakras or lotuses.

These are all imaginary things. Great big books have been written on them and these books also misled me for many years. Still I learned about it, and all these chakras (or circles as we call them in English), have put us in so many circles that we do not come out of it and we reach nowhere. There is a way we should set our computer to be in direct contact with Him, the Biggest Computer, and all things must then work automatically. That cannot work until the Kundalini, the spiritual nerve, breaks through the blockage at the Mooladhara, and thus, travels up and reaches the stage so that you may have Superconsciousness in Consciousness.

You must generate the pressure of the praana and mix it with the apaana, and thus, when the two join together, you generate heat in the praanic center. With this heat of the praana, you put a pressure or charge on the Kundalini, the soul nerve, which is coiled in three and a half circles (kundal means the curl of the hair of the beloved, it does not mean snake or serpent) in the Mooladhara. This will awaken it so that it may pierce through the imaginary chakras and pass ultimately through Jalandhara Bandha (neck lock—the final blockage in the spine before the energy reaches the head).

Now, let me define a few terms. Praana is the life force of the atom. Apaana is elimination or the eliminating force. These are two forces, positive and negative, in us which are governed by pingala and ida; that is, right and left. When we join these two energies under the power and the science of Kundalini Yoga, we mix the praana with the apaana and, under that pressure, bring the Kundalini up. When it passes through the central nerve or shushmuna, it reaches the higher chakras or lotuses, and thus man can easily look into the future. His psychic power becomes activated. He can know his total surroundings and he is a blessed being.

After one inhales the praana deep (down to the Navel Point) and pulls the apaana with the root lock (up to the Navel Point), praana and apaana mix at the Navel Center. This is known as Nabhi Chakra at the fourth vertebra. Heat is felt during the Kundalini awakening and that heat is the filament of the shushmuna or central spinal channel being lit by the joining of praana and apaana. Below the Nabhi Chakra, the energy leaves the navel and goes to the rectum (or lower center) and then it rises. This is called Reserve Channels. It relates to your Astral Body.

Then, there are six more chakras through which the Kundalini must rise—and it will happen all at once. Once you have raised it, that's it. The hardest job is to keep it up, to keep the channels clean and clear.

From the rectum to the vocal cord is known as the silver cord. From the neck to the top of the head is the passage. From the third eye to the pineal gland is the gold cord. To make the energy rise in these cords and passages, you must apply hydraulic locks. You must put a pressure. You live in California? You know how we take the oil out of the ground? Put a pressure and the oil will come out. Your spine is a staircase of energy. 1) Mool Bandh brings apaana, eliminating force, to the navel at the fourth vertebra, the central seat of the Kundalini. 2) Diaphragm Lock takes it to the neck. 3) Neck Lock takes it up all the rest of the way.

The pineal gland or seat of the soul, does not work when the tenth gate (top of the head) is sealed, but if the pineal will secrete (when the Kundalini heat comes), your pituitary will act as radar, keeping the mind from negativity. Yes, Kundalini is known as the nerve of the soul. This is to be awakened. Your soul is to be awakened. When soul gets awakened, there remains nothing. What else?

In the practical reality, these chakras are imaginary and nothing else. This Kundalini is just a Kundalini and nothing else. It is not very important. These praanas and apaanas are just there. Everything is set in us. We lack nothing. We use these terms simply to make the process clear so we can get on with it. It is very simple. After getting myself into the darkness for years together, I found that if I would have known on the first day that it was so easy, I could have saved myself a lot of hassle. When I found out that the Kundalini really can come up like this, I was astonished. It was a surprise to me. I said. That's all there is to the Kundalini? and my Master said, Yes.

All it is, is creating the praana in the cavity and mixing it with apaana and taking it down (as we give pressure to the oil) and bringing the oil up. This is Kundalini. That's it. That is the greatest truth. Truth is bitter I know, so I cannot speak all the truth; but I speak indirectly and directly about the truth because I cannot speak something beyond truth.

I have realized the truth, and the fact is that you cannot breathe by your will. It is the God within you which breathes. Without that, you don't breathe. Now what is this breath business? I'll tell you. It is good information for the medical people. Under the eighth vertebra, there is a cavity. We call it the praana center. Good? In that praana center, with the breathing up to the tip of the tongue and on to the ida and pingala which adjusts the temperature of the body, we breathe praanic energy. Praanic energy is the life force of the atom. If fifty years ago I would have come and talked to you about atomic energy, you would have said, Go away, we don't understand you. When I talk praanic energy, don't feel that I am talking something mystic. It is practical. This praanic energy is the life of the atom. We store it here (eighth vertebra down). We know certain actions through which we inhale this praanic energy and our praanic center is awakened. The praanic center supplies the praanic energy to the praanic nerve. The praanic nerve supplies the praanic energy to the muscles which are responsible for the beat of the heart and that of the diaphragm. We call it the U-muscle because it is shaped like the letter U. This U-muscle is responsible for all this life current in you which is automatic and beyond your control. You know what yogis do? They create praanic energy reservoirs in that cavity and thus live on that reserve. They make that cavity active with certain exercises and thus they know how to control the praanic energy or praana vayu, the life current. That's one part of it. The second one is apaana which eliminates everything. It has a connection with the Mooladhara Chakra. That is where that Kundalini power lies. Now, when the praanic energy is in you, then the second part is that you can circulate it through your body. You can feel it and make people feel it. We teach people how to do it. It is a scientific thing which has nothing to do with mystics or something which I can't explain. It is so simple, it is practical. Thus, we circulate it.

In the circulation, we time it to go with the spinal cord. Then we make it hit the Mooladhara. Thus, pierce through that bind or blockage before the Kundalini power. The moment we do it, she has no option but to come up. The moment she comes up, you stand blessed. Then you will see; the computer will work. That's all.

Is it difficult? There is no secret about it. In twenty, thirty days, if you honestly practice it about one hour, two hours each day, you can be through with it. This is what I did.

Two cautions: You must practice Neck Lock. Pull the neck straight in, keeping the spine and neck absolutely straight with no bend of the neck. If you do not apply this lock, the higher flood of circulation will cause the cells of the brain to expand and people will get upset and crazy.

When you do yoga, please, for God's sake, remember you are playing with the energy which is the life force of the atom. You can well understand what you are doing. I'm giving you a word of warning. The praana has been described in the Shastras (Yogic Scriptures) as that which makes the atom live. The voltage here in the wall socket is 110? And do you touch it without insulation? No! Then how can you play with the praanic energy? Proper technique and preparation is the insulation you need.

The fact remains that without having your Kundalini awakened, your soul is not awakened. If your soul is awakened, what else do you need? If you will get into the actions that awaken the Kundalini, the nerve of the soul, then this car of yours will be driven or chauffeured by the soul and not by the negative ego, and then you will have found the God in you. I shall be the greatest man on Earth if I shall be privileged to touch the dust of your feet if you have that state. Otherwise, you are a nut, and nothing else.

from Lectures and Conversations with

Yogi Bhajan, 1969

YOGA SETS & CLASSIC KRIYAS

The Navel Center and Elimination

July 2, 1969

Lie on the back. Lift both legs 12-18 inches off the ground with the toes pressed forward. Alternately bend the knees to the chest with long deep breaths. Keep the legs parallel to the ground. Continue for 1–2 minutes.

Still on the back, inhale and lift the legs up 90-degrees, exhale and lower the legs. Continue at a fairly rapid pace for 1 minute. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat for 1 minute. Rest and repeat again.

Cobra Pose (Modified). Come onto the stomach. Put the hands under the shoulders and lift up into Cobra Pose. Kick the buttocks with alternate heels. Exhale each time the heels strike the buttocks. Continue for 2 minutes.

Bow Pose. Lie on the stomach. Reach back for the ankles and stretch up into Bow Pose. Look toward the sky. Roll back and forth on the stomach. Inhale back, exhale forward. Continue for 2 minutes.

Spinal Rolls. Lie on the back. Clasp the knees to the chest. Roll forward and back on the spine. Continue 2 minutes.

Baby Pose. Sit on the heels. Bring your forehead to the floor and hold on to the heels. Breathe normally. 1–2 minutes.

Stretch Pose. Lift the heels six inches, raise the head and shoulders six inches, look at the toes. Begin Breath of Fire. Continue for 2–3 minutes. Inhale, relax down.

Locust Pose. Lie on the stomach with the arms stretched forward. Put the hands in Venus Lock. Lift the legs and arms off the ground; the arms hug the ears. Begin Breath of Fire. Continue for 1–2 minutes.

Stand up with the heels together. Let the arms hang relaxed along the sides and begin to swing like a pendulum from side to side, bending to the left with the inhale and to the right with the exhale. Continue gracefully for 2 minutes.

Standing Twist. Still standing, begin twisting from side to side. As you twist left, extend the left arm parallel to the ground and place the right hand on the left chest; as you twist right, extend the right arm parallel to the ground and place the left hand on the right chest. It's a continuous motion, from side to side, with deep breaths. 2 minutes.

Standing Forward Bend. Bend forward with the knees straight. Touch the palms flat on the ground. Straighten up with the arms together, thumbs crossed, and lean back as far as possible while keeping balanced. Hold the position for 10 seconds. As you lean back, the breath will automatically come in; as you bend forward, the breath will automatically release. Repeat 10–20 times.

Lie on the back and repeat exercise 1.

Alternate Leg Lifts. Stay on the back and place the hands in Venus Lock on the back of the neck under any hair. At a fairly fast pace, raise one leg to 90-degrees with the inhale, and lower it with the exhale. Repeat on the other side and continue for 2 minutes.

Sit on the heels with Venus Lock in your lap. Concentrate on the breath and the mantra: Inhale Sat, exhale Naam. Continue for 5 minutes.

Sat Kriya: Sit on the heels. Raise the hands overhead with the palms together and the thumbs crossed. Chant Sat verbally and pull Mool Bandh; chant Naam and relax. Continue rhythmically for 2 minutes and then inhale, exhale, and apply Mool Bandh.

Sit up with the legs out straight. Raise the arms parallel to the ground. Begin Breath of Fire powerfully for 2 minutes.

Immediately sit in Easy Pose. Raise the arms overhead with palms together, arms hugging the ears. Close the eyes and meditate at the Third Eye Point. Chant Ek Ong Kaar Sat Naam Siree Whaa-Hay Guroo for 3 to 5 minutes. Relax deeply.

COMMENTS:

In our modern life style, we seldom walk or exercise the body enough to promote good elimination through the bowels. The buildup of wastes in the digestive tract prevents good absorption of nutrients and provides a breeding ground for bacteria and illness. If the elimination is blocked in the main channels, your body will try to expel the toxins via the skin in pimples, rashes, boils, etc. This kriya works out the entire eliminative system. Then the sexual energy and breath energy are stimulated and circulated. Finally exercises 15, 16 and 17 raise the energy to the higher centers.

Kriya for Inner and Outer Vision

February 1, 1970

Stretch the legs out straight in front and place the hands behind the hips; lean back into a 60-degree angle. With the head in a neutral position, roll the eyes up and back looking through the top of the head. Meditate for 8 to 11 minutes.

TO END:

Practice long deep breathing for 30 seconds then inhale deeply, suspend the breath up to 1 minute, and exhale.

Sit in Easy Pose. Apply Bear Grip in front of the chest, with the left palm facing out and the right palm facing in; hook the fingers together. Press your eyes up slightly and meditate through the Brow Point for 3 minutes. Then begin to mentally project a beam of light from the brow out to infinity for 8 minutes. Then inhale and exhale deeply a few times.

TO END:

Inhale and suspend the breath up to 1 minute and exhale.

Sit in Rock Pose, on the heels, with a straight spine. Focus the attention at the point on the back of the skull opposite the Brow Point. Meditate for 3 minutes. Inhale deeply, exhale completely and apply Root Lock (Mool Bhand). Hold as long as comfortable and relax the breath.

In Easy Pose, roll the eyes up and begin to circle the eyes around to see all four corners of the inside of the skull. Continue for 2 minutes. Then inhale deeply while circling the eyes and hold up to 1 minute. Exhale and completely relax on the back.

COMMENTS:

The eyes are keys to entering the vision of the inner world as well as the outer world. This series of exercises uses the eyes and eye pressure to create different states of consciousness. Each eye position alters the brain frequencies and the way thoughts are transformed in the mind. This kriya brings deep relaxation and calmness. It causes the tension in all the eye muscles to relax so that abnormal vision can decrease.

Personality, Nerves and Perception

February 2, 1970

Sit on the heels with

Reviews for Kriya

[Ryan Gary Edmonds · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A valuable resource for any teacher. Waheguru. Detailed and excellent pictures