Kriya Pranayama (Kriya Proper)

Kriya Proper, is the first of three Kriya practices, as handed down by Paramahansa Yogananda, and his lineage of Yogis, beginning with Babaji Nagaraj. 

The Kriya practice, in particular, Kriya Proper, may seem simple, yet it is an extremely advanced vehicle of super realisation, especially for those that truly desire to achieve complete self realisation, and are disciplined in their practice. 

The complete three Kriya practice requires initiation, and should always be practiced with proper guidance from an awakened Guru in the Kriya Yoga lineage. 

However, It is standard practice for someone on the initiation path, to spend many months to years of dedicated practice, to even reach the level where an awakened Guru will accept them into the lineage and provide guidance. 

So, what does the uninitiated practice? 

The answer is Kriya Pranayama, also known as Kriya Proper – the first of the three. 

This practice involves mentally and physically feeling the spinal column as a hollow tube, through which, life force can be circulated. The first leg involves life force flowing from the coccyx to the third eye, and the second leg, with the life force flowing out of the centre of the forehead, flowing above and around the physical head, down the practitioners back to their coccyx. 

These two legs constitute one cycle. Once this practice is perfected, a practice of 14 cycles will amount to a full years worth of evolution of the mind, body and soul, in just a few short minutes.

The full year represents a full physical cycle of the Earth, around the Sun. 

It has been stated by Babaji Nagaraj and also Yogananda, that it takes a soul at least 1 million revolutions around the Sun, and many incarnations, to reach the highest level of realisation. 

Through the practice of Kriya Yoga, one can achieve this in a single lifetime. 

This protocol has been created to help the spiritual seeker to perfect the practice of Kriya Proper.

As you follow through the Kriya Proper steps, the protocol will facilitate the flow of life force through the spinal column, from the coccyx, up to the third eye, through the forehead, then around the back, down to the coccyx. 

You will need to ensure that you follow all the rules to this practice. As you follow through, this energy will align with your practice. 

Things you will need:

1) You will need a comfortable chair, preferably one without arm rests. 

2) A teaspoon of olive oil, coconut oil, clarified butter, etc. Some sort of oil that you can use to lubricate the throat. 

You will need to drop a teaspoon of the oil deep into your mouth, allowing the oil to subtly flow down the throat, lubricating it. You will be breathing through the mouth for this practice, so this step is absolutely essential.

3) A comfortable blanket or bedsheet to drape over the chair, in a way, that when you’re sitting on the chair, your feet are on top of the blanket or sheet. 

Yogananda recommends a woollen blanket, however, I’ve used different types of blankets and bedsheets. 

Note. #3 is not a hard and fast rule. You will understand the necessity for this after a few months of dedicated practice, as the process generates a tremendous amount of energy. The blanket acts as a barrier between you and the chair / floor. 

I personally use a thin woollen blanket like the ones we get on an airplane. 

Kriya Proper Instructions:

Before we begin, take a teaspoon of oil and place it in your mouth. Allow the oil to slowly move down your throat, greasing it as it flows down. 

Place your chair, so when you sit, you will be facing east. It is where the Sun rises from.

Sit towards the edge of the chair, with your back straight, and hands on your thighs with palms facing upwards. Keep your feet firmly on the ground. Don’t wear shoes or socks.

Close your eyes and spend a few moments relaxing the mind, and all of your limbs and muscles. 

The next step will be a little tricky for someone new to meditation. You’ll need to softly close your eyes, with your gaze fixed at the point between the eyebrows. You’ll want to hold your gaze here for the duration of the practice. 

What makes this part tricky, is that, whilst you’re holding your gaze between the eyebrows, you’ll need to shift your attention onto your spinal column. 

Feel it as an empty, hollow tube like structure, through which, you’re going to cause the flow of life force. 

Don’t rush this process. Spend some time practicing this part. With your gaze focused at the centre of your eyebrows, practice shifting your focus onto your spine. Visualise it. Feel it. 

When ready, begin the inhalation and exhalation process, as follows. 

You’ll be breathing in and out through the mouth. 

When you inhale, you’ll be doing three things at the same time. 

1) Your gaze will remain fixed at the centre of your eyebrows. 

2) You will imagine life-force (breath) flowing from the base of your spine, upwards, through your head, to the middle of your eyebrows where you’re holding your gaze. 

3) You’ll be slowly inhaling for 10 – 15 seconds, with your mouth slightly opened. The sound you will make as you inhale will be ‘Hau’. Practice this now. The Hau sound is automatically made when you draw breath in through the mouth. This keeps the throat expanded. 

For advanced practitioners, roll your tongue back slightly during the inhalation process. For new practitioners, you can skip this part. 

For those of you not able to breathe in for a count of at least 10, spend some time practising. 

4) At the end of the 10 – 15 seconds, you would have taken a deep slow breath, through the mouth, making the ‘hau’ sound, whilst imagining breath flowing upwards, inside your spinal column, all the way up to the point between your eyebrows. 

Hold your breath here for a couple of seconds.

5) As you exhale, you’ll imagine life force flowing out of the centre of your forehead, moving up and around your head, then down your back, down to the base of your spine.  

As you breathe out, you’ll be making the sound of ‘E’. Try and do this for at least 6 seconds. 

You’ve just completed one round. You’ll need to repeat the inhalation and exhalation process a total of 14 times, which will result in the mind, body and soul’s evolution equivalent to 1 year.

Sounds a little complicated, right? Once you get the hang of it, it’s really fairly simple. The entire process should take you less than 10 minutes to complete. 

Plus, you’re not on your own. This protocol will facilitate the process of life force flowing up your spine, as you practice the process yourself. 

Simply, play the file right before you begin your first inhalation. You only need to play this file once, for it to run the entire energy program that will support you through the 14 breaths you take.

This protocol will help cut down many months of practice to get the process right.  

We do have an advanced file, which will initiate you into the practice of Kriya Proper. This initiation happens energetically through the lineage of Yogis that I belong to. I want to make it clear that this is not an initiation from Yogananda’s lineage. 

The advanced file also helps to clear blockages in your spinal column, as well as, feeding life force energy into the chakras.

When practising Kriya, it is recommended to increase your consumption of fresh water. 

A file note:

Please do not use this file passively, or take the use of this protocol lightly. Only use it if you are truly serious about practising Kriya Yoga. It will help fast track your success with this practice, as well as fast track your spiritual evolution. 

Since the advanced file provides initiation for the practice of Kriya Proper, the file can only be used by the person who purchases it. You cannot share it with family, nor can it be used in group settings. 

Congratulations to all of you that are about to walk this path in fast tracking your spiritual evolution.