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GLOSSARY (This glossary is not a parroting of what can be found in books dealing with Kriya Yoga or simply Yoga; it is not a collage of someone else’s writings, put together with a bit of imagination. It had been added for those who already know the meaning of the most common terms used in Kriya but do not wish to retain uncertainties about the way they are utilized in this book.)

Alchemy [internal - Nei Dan]            The Internal Alchemy is the mystical tradition of ancient China. It reminds us of the techniques of First Kriya with such precision that we have all the reasons to assume that it consists in the same universal process. The airy-fairy hypothesis that the techniques of the Internal Alchemy had been brought from India to China during the ancient times, reveals the tendency to consider India as the only possible land where men guessed - or received - the secrets of the mystical path. The consideration of an independent development of the two paths leads to a very fruitful idea of the universality of the mystical tools. Lahiri Mahasaya expressed his certainty that if, for whichever reason, the Kriya techniques  disappeared from the tradition, they would, in any case be rediscovered by those mystics who had a pure heart and therefore a discerning vision. To study Kriya in the light of other mystical traditions can yield an unexpected deepening of its essence and foster a respect for each of its original techniques – even if they do not seem properly Indian or yogic. The tendency to remove from the Kriya praxis anything which may seem non Yogic is dangerous. Just to make an example, there are some teachers who have twisted Navi Kriya - either eliminating it entirely or erasing the concentration on the navel, thus reducing the technique to a pure concentration on the third Chakra. Lahiri Mahasaya wrote unambiguously about the deep, irreplaceable action of unfastening the knot of the navel – not of the Manipur! On the other hand, with a similar attitude toward destroying the wealth of a tradition—without being  in a position of complete understanding—there are teachers of Inner Alchemy who have spoiled their discipline by removing from it anything relating to the breath; they have thus subtracted from the treasure of their art  the very factor giving it the main reason to be considered a real alchemy - namely a chemical transformation of the breath into a more refined substance. About Internal Alchemy we observe that: a…The micro cosmic orbit technique resembles the Kriya Pranayama. The difference is that the energy goes down in the body touching not the Chakras but the points on the surface of the body which are connected with the Chakras: Adam's apple, the central region of the sternum, the navel, the pubic region and the perineum. By going ahead with the practice, the difference fades away, as the result produced upon the body’s energy is just the same. b…The subsequent phase of descent into the Dan Tien resembles Navi Kriya to such an extent that it isn’t even worth noting the differences. c…The procedure of lifting the Dan Tien into the heart’s region (middle Dan Tien) by focusing on the vibration produced in the first one recalls Lahiri Mahasaya’s instruction to reach the knot of the heart by tuning first with the Equilibrium state in the Samana region in the abdomen. d…The final raising of the middle Dan Tien into the superior Dan Tien resembles Yoni Mudra. e…The concept of the macro cosmic orbit (macro cosmic orbit is different from micro cosmic orbit) resembles that of the Pranayama with internal breath. Apana           Apana is one of the five forms of energy in the body (called collectively Prana). Associated with the lower abdomenal region, it is responsible for all the bodily functions (elimination for example) that take place there. Kriya Pranayama, in its initial phase, is essentially the movement of Prana (not in the global sense, but as the particular form or energy present in the upper part of the trunk – lungs and heart) into Apana and the movement of Apana into Prana. When we inhale, the Prana from outside the body is brought within and meets Apana in the lower abdomen; during exhalation, the Apana moves from its seat up and mingles with Prana. During the deep Pranayama practice this event generates an increase of heat in the navel region: this calms the breath in a way which is impossible to do otherwise. It is this heat (Agni) that kindles the light of the spiritual eye. Asana           Physical postures fit for meditation. According to Patanjali, the Yogi’s posture must be steady and pleasant. The most part of the kriyabans are comfortable with the so-called Half-lotus [see]: this, indeed, avoids some physical problems. For the average kriyaban, Siddhasana [see] is considered superior to any other Asana. If we take finally into account those kriyabans who are expert of Hatha-Yoga, who have become very flexible, the perfect position is undoubtedly Padmasana [see]. Aswini (Ashwini) Mudra           "Ashwa" means "horse"; "Aswini Mudra" means "Mudra of the female horse" because the anal contraction resembles the movement a horse makes with its sphincter immediately after evacuation of the bowels. There may be slightly different definitions of it and, sometimes, it is confused with Mula Bandha [see]. The basic definition is to repeatedly contract the muscles at the base of the spine (sphincter) with the rhythm of about two contractions per second. This Mudra is a direct way of getting in touch with the locked and stagnant energy at the base of the spine and to pump it up. While learning the technique, a yogi contracts the buttock muscles, perineum or even the entire pelvic region also; with time, the contraction involves only the sphincter muscles, thus stimulating the energy at its correct location. The purpose of this Mudra is accomplished when the yogi feels waves of energy in the lower region of the spine or a strong presence of energy on the surface of the entire body. This technique is not a standard Kriya one, nevertheless some teachers counsel it especially to those who are unable to practice Kechari Mudra; they recommend to practice it during the first 12-24 Pranayama breaths - during inhalation and exhalation. Subsequently, the physical movement decreases naturally in intensity, while the awareness is strongly brought into the spine. When this technique is done separately it produces good effects but nothing in comparison with those obtained when it is practiced during Kriya Pranayama. Bandha            In Yoga no practice of Pranayama is considered complete without the Bandhas. They are energy valves as much as locks, not simple muscle contractions, which prevent the energy from being dissipated and redirect it inside the spine. In Jalandhara Bandha the neck and the throat are slightly contracted, while the chin is pressed against the breast. In Uddiyana Bandha the abdominal muscles are slightly contracted to intensify the perception of energy in the spinal column. In Mula Bandha the perinea muscles - between the anus and the genital organs - are slightly contracted while a mental pressure is exerted on the lower part of the spine. (Differently from Aswini Mudra, one does not simply tighten the sphincter muscles; in Mula Bandha the perineum seems to fold upward as the pelvic diaphragm is drawn upward through the motion of the pubic bone.) The three Bandhas, applied simultaneously, create an almost ecstatic inner shiver, a feeling of energy current moving up the spine. In the very beginning of the Kriya path, a yogi has only an approximate understanding of the Bandhas, later one will come to a complete command and will be able to use them, with slight adaptations, in most of the Kriya techniques. Bindu           A spiritual center located in the occipital region where the hairline twists into a kind of vortex. Until the energy, scattered in the body, reaches the Bindu, a sort of shroud prevents the soul from contemplating the Spiritual Eye. Bringing all one’s force there, in that tiny place, is not an easy task because the deeper roots of the Ego are to be found right there; they must be faced and eradicated. Breathless state           There is a halo of mystery that surrounds the description of this state; some authors openly affirm that it is impossible and that any affirmation about its occurrence is false. Actually, it is possible, even if it is experienced only after years of Kriya practice. Breathlessness has nothing to do with holding the breath forcefully. It does not simply mean that the breath becomes more and more quiet. It is the state where the breath is entirely non-existent, with the subsequent dissolution of the mind. When it manifests, a kriyaban does not feel the need to take in any breath at all or one takes in a very short breath but doesn't feel the need to exhale for a very long time. (Longer than the time which medicine considers as possible.) The breath becomes so calm that the practitioner has the factual perception that one is not breathing at all; one feels a fresh energy in the body, sustaining its life from inside, without the necessity of oxygen. It is fantastic! Without any feeling of uneasiness, this condition lasts various minutes. There is not the least quiver of surprise, or the thought: «Finally I have it!». This does not mean that the person is unaware: he or she is perfectly aware, but in a calm, very detached way. One is as carried away, far away from any known territory and is aware enough to understand that this is the key experience of their life; an elation, which nothing in life can give, is experienced. According to Kriya theory, this state is the result of having completed the work of cutting of the heart knot. It embodies the characteristics of the authentic "religious" life. In order to obtain it, it is necessary to live in an active but also introverted way. By maintaining, during the activities of the day, the after effects of Kriya, the Prana in the body loses any restlessness; deep calmness pervades each part of the psychophysical constitution. Then, cessation of the breath, during Kriya sessions, begin to happen. Chakra             During centuries men developed tools aiming at travelling, while in perfect immobility, with one’s awareness in the depths of their soul: at a certain point they discovered the reality of the Chakras. By tuning with them, they reached the highest possible level while residing in a human body, the full activation of the Sahasrara Chakra. During this journey various spiritual experiences, described in the specialized literature, would occur. Today, almost any student of Yoga has been enchanted by the beautiful image of the Divine Mother Kali, which is Kundalini, who finds union with her beloved husband, the supreme Shiva, who resides in eternal bliss at the top of the skull. This is a symbol of the supreme adventure that a soul can experience. The word Chakra comes from the Sanskrit cakra meaning "wheel" or "circle". The Chakras are the "wheels" of our spiritual life; they are described in the tantric texts as emanations from the Spirit, whose essence gradually have expanded in more and more gross levels of manifestation, reaching eventually the dimension of the base Chakra, the Muladhara, embodying the physical world. The descended energy-consciousness, lies coiled and sleeping at the base of the spine and is called, Kundalini - she who is coiled. The soul comes from the womb of eternity: Kundalini awakens it to the full memory of its origin. No author has ever "proven" the existence of the Chakras – as no man has ever proven the existence of the soul. It is difficult to describe them: we cannot bring them on a table of a laboratory. In any Yoga book we find descriptions which lean over a translation of two Indian texts, the Sat-Cakra-Nirupana, and the Padaka-Pancaka, by Sir John Woodroffe, alias Arthur Avalon, in a book entitled The Serpent Power. The matter depicted there seems to be unnaturally complicated, almost impossible to be utilized. These concepts had been further polluted by theosophy and similar high-level esoteric literature. The controversial C. W. Leadbeater’s book The Chakras, is in large part the result of the mental elaboration of his own experiences. Through the practice of Kriya, we can have an experience of the Chakras. Starting from Muladhar, the root Chakra, located over the anus at the very base of the spinal column, in the lower part of the coccyx, we encounter a centre which distributes energy to the legs, to the lowest part of the pelvis, irradiating especially the Gonads (testes in men, ovaries in women). Attributing some psychological effects to the stimulation of this or of that Chakra is a difficult task.  I don’t want to parrot some New Age rubbish but just provide a general idea of what a kriyaban may experience. The Kriya techniques arouse specific effects, especially perceived in the day following the practice, in many ways: moods, fancies, memories and suddenly-arising desires. All this is beneficial. To vividly live long forgotten parts of our life through our excited memory is a cleansing process. This process has within itself an equilibrating mechanism which will prevent one from being overwhelmed by sudden storms of grey moods. With this in mind, we read that Muladhar symbolizes the objective consciousness, the awareness of the physical universe. It is related to instinct, security, from our ability to ground ourselves in the physical world, to the desire for material goods and also the building of  a good self-image. If this Chakra is in a harmonious state, we are centred and have a strong will to live. The second (sacral) Chakra Swadhisthan, is placed inside the spine between the last lumbar vertebrae and the beginning of the sacrum. It is said that its area of energetic projection is the area of the sexual organs - in part it intersects the region of Muladhar’s influence. Since it is related to base emotion, sexuality vitality, creativity, and to the deepest part of the subconscious realms, a deep stimulus of it produces deep involving dreams; its action may be perceived as a feeling of living a fable, whose nature is sweet and alluring. The Manipur, navel or solar plexus, is placed in the spine at the same level of the Navel, near the end of the dorsal vertebrae and the beginning of the lumbar ones. It is said to influence pancreas and the adrenal glands on top of the kidneys. This connection gives fuel to the idea of a Chakra whose influence is said to correspond to the roles played by those glands: higher emotion and energy - just like the role played by adrenalin. It is said that it fosters a sense of personal power, secure feeling of "I Am.". Grounded and comfortable with our place in the universe, we are able to affirm with determination the purpose of our life. The Anahat, heart Chakra, located in the spine at the height of the middle part of the dorsal vertebrae, is said to influence the thymus, which is part of the immune system, as well as part of the endocrine system. There is a universal agreement that it is related to higher emotion, compassion, love, and intuitiveness. When a person concentrates on it, feelings of profound tenderness and compassion will start to develop. A healthy and fully open heart Chakra means to be able to see the inner beauty in others—in spite of their apparent faults. One is able to love everyone, even the strangers we meet on the street. There is a progression from the instinctual "gut emotions" of the lower Chakras to the higher emotions and feelings of the heart Chakra. What is of great interest for us, is that opening this center means to see life in a more neutral manner and see what others cannot see. It ends the predisposition to being influenced by other people, by churches and by organizations in general. Vishuddha, throat Chakra, exactly amid the last cervical vertebrae and the first dorsal vertebrae, is said to influence Thyroid and Parathyroid. Since it controls the activity of the vocal cords as well, it is said that it has something to do with the capacity to express our ideas in the world. It seems to be related with the capacity for communication and with taking personal responsibility for our actions. The person is no longer blaming others for his or her problems and can carry on with life with full responsibility. Many authors state it awakens artistic inspiration, the ability to develop superior aesthetic perception. Ajna, third eye Chakra, located in the central part of the brain, influences the pituitary gland [hypophysis] and the small brain. The hypophysis has a vital role in organism, in the sense that together with the hypothalamus it acts as a command system of all other endocrine glands. In Sanskrit, "Ajna" translates to "command," which means it has the command or control of our lives: through controlled action, it brings to reality the fruit of our desires. Consequently, it is said that Ajna Chakra has a vital role in the spiritual awakening of a person. It is the seat of the intuition. The supreme Chakra is the Sahasrara, crown Chakra, right above the top of the head. It is said that it influences, or is bound with, the pineal gland. It allows detachment from illusion and is related to one's overall expansion of awareness and degree of tuning with the Divine Reality. It is a superior reality and we can experience it only in the state of breathlessness. It is possible to "tune" into it by utilizing the Bindu as a doorway. A kriyaban does not need to use the power of visualization in order to perceive the reality of the Chakras. In Yoga it is counselled to visualize their specific colour (red, orange, yellow…like the sequence of the rainbow’s colours). They may be visualized as lotuses, each one of which has a particular number of petals with a letter of the Sanskrit alphabet on each petal. In Kriya, while calming the storm of the breath by letting the energy flow through them, one chants Om or other harmonious Mantras at their location. When the awareness, coming up from Muladhar to Sahasrara and vice versa, stays for at least half minute upon each one of them, the perception of a pleasurable sweet sensation is almost immediate. Some inner sounds as well as hues of light pouring forth from their locations deepens the contact with the Omkar dimension.  In time a kriyaban gains ability to single out the different rates of vibration of each Chakra, which is crucial to reach the final liberation from all the suffering and limitations mixed up with our life. Let us consider a question: can we receive negative results from Kriya because one or more Chakras are blocked? The answer cannot but be no. Surely we can experience particular emotions. It is said that any feeling of insecurity, of being out of touch with daily life is due to blockages in Muladhar. The same is when we desire to avoid any physical activity. In a similar way all the mood swings originated by blocks in Chakra Swadhisthana are going to disappear, also thanks to the great help by mental clarity coming from Manipura. Manipura’s blocks may result in irritation and manifestations of anger. By working with Navi Kriya, they are going to disappear. By working with Thokar, some problems in Anahat may become visible (feelings of unworthiness, self-pity, fear of rejection, or being afraid to let new things manifest). They are the result of possible traumas in childhood and adolescence. It is said that any disharmony situated in Vishuddha is tied with problems of communication, the inability to find one’s place in the society and to let one’s potentialities turn into concrete action. At the end let us hint to the "frontal Chakras". There are various models of Chakras in other traditions, teachings pertaining to the "frontal Chakra" are to be found by some kriyabans coming from Sri Yukteswar’s disciple lineage. The perineum is the first one, the genitals region is the second one, the navel is the third, the central part of the sternum region is the fourth, the Adam’s apple is the fifth and the Kutastha may be considered as the sixth. The core of the Kriya teaching regarding them, is that when these points are touched with concentration, the energy around the correspondent Chakra in the spine is revived. Dan Tien             Although pertaining to the ancient Chinese Internal Alchemical framework, by keeping clear in one’s mind its location, a kriyaban can deepen the mechanism of Pranayama and of Navi Kriya. According to Taoistic philosophy, we have three Dan Tien, one in the lower abdomen (lower Dan Tien), one in the heart (middle Dan Tien) and one in the third eye (upper Dan Tien). Well, pacifying Prana at these precise locations is the very nucleus of the action of Kriya – hence our interest in this subject matter. The lower Dan Tien or "The field of cinnabar" is also called the "Cauldron" because it is the place where the practitioner "gathers, blends and cooks" his sexual, love, and spiritual energies. In order to localize its position, one has to concentrate on the belly button, then come about one and a half inches behind and below to the same extent: it can be visualized as a rubber ball about two and one-half inches in diameter. It is believed it contains our peculiar vibration, the "note" which embodies our will to live in the physical body. It is the force which clears the way to the experience of the breathless state. Dharana             According to Patanjali, Dharana is the concentration on a physical or abstract object. In Kriya, Dharana consist in directing the focus of our attention towards the revelation of Spirit: Omkar’s inner sound, light and movement sensation.   This happens just after having calmed the breath. Dhyana            According to Patanjali, Dhyana ensues from contemplating the essential nature of the chosen object as a steady, uninterrupted flow of consciousness. In Kriya, the awareness, dwelling upon the Omkar reality, is soon lost in Samadhi. Flute sound  (during Pranayama)            During Pranayama, a slight hiss is produced in the throat; when a kriyaban succeeds in assuming the position of Kechari Mudra, then the frequency of the sound of exhalation increases. It has been likened to the "flute of Krishna". Lahiri Mahasaya describes it: «as if someone blew through a keyhole». This highly enjoyable sound cuts to pieces any distraction, enables the mind to grow in calmness and transparency and helps to prolong effortlessly the practice of Pranayama. This is the basis for achieving the highest Kriya stage: that of Samadhi. One day the flute sound will be transformed into the Om sound. In other words, it will give rise to the Om sound, whose vibration is so strong as to overwhelm the flute sound. During this event, a strong movement of energy climbs up the spine. Granti [see knot] Guru             The importance of finding a Guru (teacher) who supervises the spiritual training of the disciple is one of the tenets of many spiritual paths. One of the main Hindu texts, the Bhagavad Gita, is a dialogue between God in the form of Krishna and the warrior prince Arjuna. Their dialogue summarizes many of the ideals of Hinduism; the discussion and the relationship between the two is considered to be an expression of the ideal Guru - disciple relationship. A Guru is a teacher, a guide and much more. The scriptures declare that the Guru is God and God is the Guru. There is a saying that if the devotee were presented to the Guru and God, first he would pay respect to the Guru, since the Guru had been instrumental in leading him to God. We are accustomed to explaining the term "Guru" on a metaphorical interplay between darkness and light, in which the Guru is seen as the dispeller of darkness: "Gu" stands for darkness and "Ru" for one who removes it. Some scholars dismiss that etymology; according to them "Gu" stands for "beyond the qualities" and "Ru" for "devoid of form". In order to gain all the benefits from the contact with the Guru, a disciple has to be humble, sincere, pure in body and mind and ready to surrender to his Guru’s will and instructions. The criteria for choosing a Guru are complex: if he or she is not married they should be chaste, they should exhibit lack of interest in money, ability to sit in meditation for hours without any movement or disturbance. The lineage of the Guru is also sometimes given great importance. Is he initiated and by whom? Is there evidence that he was actually given initiation by the person he claims has initiated him? It is commonly believed that such a chain of Gurus conveys the essential ingredient for the working of the Diksha - bestowing the esoteric knowledge upon the disciple, through which he will progresses along the path to Self realization. At times, it is accompanied by Shaktipat: the procedure of awakening the dormant spiritual knowledge within the disciple. A formal recognition of this relationship, which usually assumes the form of a somewhat structured initiation ceremony, includes the Gurudakshina: the disciple bestows a valuable sign of gratitude to his Guru. This is what the literature says. Now, let us face up the facts. During the 1960s and 1970s, as an alternative to established religions, some people in Europe and in the USA looked up to spiritual guides from India, eager to receive from them the answers to the meaning of life. Many people turned to Gurus because they wanted to get high without the drugs that had opened for them the existence of the world beyond grasp. Many Gurus (not only from India) travelled mainly to the USA where they got groups of young followers. The word "Guru" was widely accepted to indicate not only a spiritual teacher but also someone who knows a lot about a particular subject. Regretfully it acquired also very negative connotations to indicate a sort of charlatan or businessman pretending to be a saint. The revelations by ex-followers played an important part in recognizing that some Gurus had actually abused their status. Within some Kriya organizations, the word Guru took on a weird meaning because it was attributed to a person whom the disciples had not known directly. They were required to swear their everlasting devotion not only to one person but also to a chain of Masters, even if only one of them was to be regarded as the Guru-preceptor. Having been initiated into a spiritual discipline by the legitimate channels (authorized disciples), the departed Guru was said to be real and present in their life. They were taught that their Guru would burn somehow a part of their Karma and protect them evermore; he was a special aid chosen by God Himself even before they began to seek the spiritual path. Looking for a different spiritual teaching amounted to «a hateful rejection of the Divine’s hand, stretched out to offer benediction». The spiritual researchers with a balanced rational-devotional approach had some good reasons to be perplexed. Lahiri Mahasaya once said: «I am not the Guru, I don't maintain a barrier between the true Guru (the Divine) and the disciple». He added that he wanted to be considered a "mirror". In other words, each kriyaban should look at him not as an unreachable ideal, but as the personification of all the wisdom and spiritual realization which, in due time, the Kriya practice will be able to produce. Now the question is: do the Kriya techniques work outside the Guru-disciple relationship? There is of course no scientifically proven answer. In this matter we can use either faith or reason. Many kriyabans realize that the Divine resides in their heart and are confident they are able to transform the no-matter-how-received instruction into "gold". They think: "Beyond either reasonable or improbable expectations of finding a Kriya expert at my disposal, let me roll my sleeves up and move on"! Half-lotus             This asana [position] has been used for meditation since time immemorial because it provides a comfortable, very easily obtained, sitting position. The left leg is bent at the knee, brought toward the body and the sole of the left foot is made rests against the inside of the right thigh. The heel of the left foot should is drawn in as far as possible. The right leg is bent at the knee and the right foot is placed over the fold of the left leg. The right knee is dropped as far as possible toward the floor. The hands rest on the knees. The secret is to maintain an erect spine: this can be obtained only by sitting on a cushion, thick enough, with the buttocks towards the front half of the cushion. In this way the buttocks are slightly raised, while the knees are resting on the floor. When the legs grow tired, the position is prolonged by reversing the legs. In certain delicate situations, it may be providential to do it on a chair, provided it has no arms and is large enough. In this way, one leg at a time can be lowered and the knee articulation relaxed! Note. The pressure of a tennis ball (or of a folded towel) on the Perineum can give the benefits of the Siddhasana’s position. Hesychasm            Many western seekers look to the  East for learning some thoroughly experience-oriented techniques of meditation. Often they ignore the fact that a Christian tradition, methodical and precise, exists and is available in the Hesychast tradition. As far as Kriya is concerned, in the fascinating world of Hesychasm we might have the opportunity to meet souls who know more than us about Pranayama and Thokar - although they have never heard the word Kriya! The word Hesychasm derives from the Greek word "hesychia" meaning inner quietness, tranquillity and stillness: outside this condition, meditation is not possible. It is a discipline integrating the continual repetition of the Jesus Prayer (already used by the early Church Fathers in the 4th and 5th centuries) with the practice of asceticism. There were hermits dwelling in the desert, seeking inner peace and spiritual insight, while practicing contemplation and self-discipline; they had no doubts about the fact that knowledge of God could be obtained only by purity of soul and prayer and not by study or mental amusements in the field of philosophy. Later, their method of asceticism came to the fore as a concrete set of psychophysical techniques: this is properly the core of Hesychasm. It was Simeon, "the new theologian" (1025-1092), who developed the quietist theory which such detail that he may be called the father of this movement. The practice, which involved specific body postures and deliberate breathing patterns, was intended to perceive the Uncreated Light of God. The monks of Athos might have kept on contemplating peacefully this Uncreated Light (they considered it to be the highest goal of earthy life) had not their methods been denounced as superstitious and absurd. The objection was mainly based on a vigorous denial of the possibility that this Uncreated Light was God's essence. In approximately the year 1337, Hesychasm attracted the attention of a learned member of the Orthodox Church, Barlaam of Seminara, a Calabrian monk (later Petrarch's Greek teacher) who held the office of abbot in a Monastery of Constantinople and who visited Mount Athos. There he encountered the hesychasts and heard the descriptions of their practices. Barlaam, trained in Western Scholastic theology, was scandalized by Hesychasm and began to combat it both orally and in his writings. He called the hesychasts "omphalopsychoi" - people having their souls in their navels (owing to the long time they spent concentrating on the navel region). Barlaam propounded a more intellectual approach to the knowledge of God than the one taught by the hesychast: he asserted that the spiritual knowledge could be only a work of inquiry, brought ahead by one’s mind and translated in discrimination between truth and untruth. He held that no part of God, whatsoever, could be viewed by humans. The practice of the hesychasts was defended by St. Gregory Palamas. He was well educated in Greek philosophy and defended Hesychasm in the 1340 at three different synods in Constantinople, and he also wrote a number of works in its defence. He used a distinction, already articulated in the 4th Century in the works of the Cappadocian Fathers, between the energies or operations of God and the essence of God: while the essence of God can never be known by his creatures, His energies or operations can be known both in this life and in the next; they convey to the hesychast the truest spiritual knowledge of God. In Palamite theology, it is the uncreated energies of God that illuminate the hesychast who has been vouchsafed an experience of the Uncreated Light. In 1341 the dispute was settled: Barlaam was condemned and returned to Calabria, afterwards becoming bishop in the Roman Catholic Church. Later, hesychast doctrine was established as the doctrine of the Orthodox Church. Up to this day, the Roman Catholic Church has never fully accepted Hesychasm: the essence of God can be known, but only in the next life; there can be no distinction between the energies and the essence of God. Today Mount Athos is the well-known centre of the practice of Hesychasm. Books used by the hesychast include the Philokalia, a collection of texts on prayer and asceticism written from the 4th to the 15th Centuries [first published in the Greek language in 1782]. (This is a tedious text showing the attitude of the mind, obsessed by sin and temptations, to complicate the simplest things. Much more captivating is the book "The Way of a Pilgrim"which is one of the most widely read examples of Russian spiritual literature [first published in English language in 1954]. The author, who is a devotee of the Jesus Prayer, has been identified on the basis of other witnesses as Russian Orthodox monk Archimandrite Mikhail Kozlov. The main reason for the work's attraction is the presentation of a wandering hermit's life as the model existence for those who would truly lead a spiritual life. «By the grace of God I am a Christian man, by my actions a great sinner, and by calling a homeless wanderer of the humblest birth who roams from place to place. My worldly goods are a knapsack with some dried bread in it on my back, and in my breast pocket a Bible. And that is all.» It is a simple, edifying book, of universal spiritual appeal. It is imminently practical in its advice to not dither in starting the Jesus Prayer.) Now let us consider the technical aspects of the hesychasts’ practice: the teaching for finding quietness and perceiving the Uncreated Light. The first characteristic is that they restrict their external activities, striving to the best of their abilities to ignore the physical senses. They interpret Christ's injunction in the Gospel of Matthew which says to "go into your closet to pray", to mean that their first duty is to withdraw inward. They affirm that the first step is that their body is to be held immovable for a long time. Then they engage in mental asceticism, namely the rejection of tempting thoughts. Much of their literature is occupied with the psychological analysis of such tempting thoughts. They watch those thoughts and courageously fight them. The hesychast is to pay extreme attention to the consciousness of his inner world while repeating the words of the Jesus Prayer: thus he will not let his mind wander in any way. The Jesus Prayer is: "Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!" Its formulas may be different: from "Jesus Christ have mercy on me!" to the most simple and perfect version: "Jesus! Jesus!…" simply an appeal-entreaty to beloved Jesus, through humble repetition of His name. They say it "with the heart" - with meaning, with intent. Such Prayer involves the entire human being - soul, mind and body. (Some tourists at Mount Athos received a refusal when asked information upon the Jesus Prayer; this was probably due to their superficial and hasty attitude.) The method of breath control is considered even more sacred. The chanting of the Prayer was synchronized with one's breathing.  Hesychast tradition wrote: «Let the remembrance of Jesus be present with each breath, and then you will know the value of the Hesychia.» The method is akin to our Kriya Pranayama. St. Symeon writes: «Then sit down in a quiet cell, in a corner by yourself, and do what I tell you: Close the door, and withdraw your intellect from everything worthless and transient. Rest your beard on your chest, and focus your physical gaze, together with the whole of your intellect, upon the centre of your belly or your navel. Restrain the drawing-in of breath through your nostrils, so as not to breathe easily, and search inside yourself with your intellect so as to find the place of the heart, where all the powers of the soul reside. To start with, you will find there a darkness and an impenetrable density. Later, when you persist and practice this task day and night, you will find, as though miraculously, an unceasing joy. For as soon as the intellect attains the place of the heart, at once it sees things of which it previously knew nothing. It sees the open space within the heart and it beholds itself entirely luminous and full of discrimination.» ---Pseudo-Simeon, "The Three Methods of Prayer," in: The Philokalia (5 vols.; tr. G.E.H. Palmer, P. Sherrard, and K. Ware; London: Faber and Faber, 1995) 4.72-3.--- (The comparison with the Navi Kriya technique is impressive.) Of course, while counselling these practices, the authors place great emphasis on humility: disaster will befall if one proceeds with pride, arrogance or conceit. The most secret part is what happens in the space within the heart. The person is led through darkness and "an impenetrable density" to the depth of his heart. This descent is quite literally taken and is not at all considered to be a metaphorical expression. This is an advanced stage of the spiritual practice and attempting to accomplish it prematurely can cause very serious emotional harm. The instruction is to feel one’s head moving and dwelling into the chest, then to "open" his eyes there and look at the world from his chest. The world is perceived in a totally different way: not as rough and hostile, but as delicate, warm and responsive to the emotions of love! The heart is filled with the most loving and subtle Bliss! In this state one becomes "entirely" luminous. The illumination comes from inside, proceeding from the open space within the heart. (This instruction may help a kriyaban to reconsider the technique of Thokar from a new perspective.) The hesychast, when he has been granted such an experience, returns wholly transformed to normal life. The "inner dialog", which prevents the meditation, is under control: one can live permanently in a state called "the guard of the mind". It is the most sound and natural state of the mind. One’s consciousness is no longer encumbered by the spontaneous inception of images - this is the main attribute of a religious life. To draw some conclusions, we understand that in order to settle ourselves in a continuous tuning with the Omkar Reality, the surest way is to establish ourselves in a vigorous practice of a fervent Japa. The Mantra we use in Kriya should be lived as a bright, dazzling Prayer: in this way it is possible to fall in love with it.  Its Divine Magic will spread in each facet of our life, it will be like walking out of a dark room into the fresh air, into the sunlight. There will be no more problems of aridity, lack of motivation and difficulty in concentration. As when we are in the fresh air we don’t concentrate upon it but we breathe it, in the same way our path will be an experience of pure enjoyment. Ida [see Nadi] Japa  [See Prayer] Kechari Mudra             This Mudra is carried in one of the two following ways: a… by placing the tongue in contact with the uvula at the back of the soft palate; b… by slipping the tongue into the nasal pharynx touching, if possible, the nasal septum. According to Lahiri Mahasaya a kriyaban should achieve it not by cutting the tongue fraenulum but by means of Talabya Kriya [see]. Kechari is literally translated as "the state of those who fly in the sky", in the "inner space". Kechari is compared to an electrical bypass of the mind’s energetic system. It changes the path of Prana flow causing the life force to be withdrawn from the thinking process. Instead of allowing the thoughts to jump like frogs here and there, it causes the mind to be quiet and allows to focus it on the goal of meditation. Coupled with Kriya  it is a consistent aid in clarify any desire and in cleansing many subconscious stuff. It is thanks to these very easily verifiable effects that it is quite appropriate to consider it the king of all yogic Mudras. A more elusive claim is the experience of the elixir of life, "Amrita", the "Nectar". This is a fluid with sweet taste perceived by the kriyaban when the tip of his tongue touches either the uvula or the bone protrusion in the roof of the palate under the hypophysis. There is a Nadi going through the center of the tongue.  Energy radiates through its tip and when it touches that bone protrusion, its radiation reaches and stimulates the Ajna Chakra in the center of the brain. It is explained that there is a gap between the spinal channel and the medulla oblongata. As a consequence there is a gap with the spine and the whole brain. (Of course from the energetic point of view.) This circumstance is created at our birth and sustained by our common way of life. Now, by attracting magnetically different forces to unite in the central region of the brain, Kechari bridges this gap; a wonderful condition of union and recollection of our origin is restored in our being. We do not realize the quantity of energy we squander away when we get lost in our thoughts, in our plans. Kechari turns this pernicious way of exhausting all of our vitality into its opposite. The mind begins to lose its despotic role: the "inner activity" happens no more by the thinking process but by the effortless development of the intuition. While some other effects of Kechari, outlined in the literature, seem to be an exaggeration, this achievement is effective and really important! Kevala Kumbhaka [see Breathless state] Knot              The traditional definition of the Grantis identifies three knots: the Brahma Granti at the Muladhara Chakra; the Vishnu Granti at the heart Chakra and the Rudra Granti at the Kutastha. Those are the places where Ida, Pingala and Sushumna Nadi meet. The knots are the root cause of our miseries because they cut us off from the infinite reservoir of energy all around us and nourish the exhausting world of superficial emotions and thoughts. Lahiri Mahasaya’s definition of the knots is different from the traditional one. He writes: «Any religious path, consists of four stages characterized by the untying of four internal knots: tongue, navel, heart and Muladhar». Brahma Granti (located in Muladhar) is the first knot. It is related to our physical body: it preserves the ignorance of our infinite nature and is the first obstacle in the spiritual search, since it obstructs the Kundalini's path as she begins to move toward the higher centres. The world of names and forms creates restlessness and prevents the mind from becoming one pointed. Ambitions and desires trap the mind. Until one unties this knot, one cannot meditate effectively. Vishnu Granti is located in the area of the heart Chakra, Anahat, and is related to the astral body and to the world of emotions. Lord Vishnu is the lord of preservation. This knot creates the desire to preserve ancient knowledge, traditions, institutions, and religious orders. It produces "compassion", a keen desire to help suffering humanity. Discriminating knowledge combined with Yoga effort can unfasten the Knot of Vishnu and obtain deliverance from the traditional bonds, deep deeply rooted in our genetic code. Rudra Granti is related to the causal body and to the world of ideas, visions, and intuitions. In the eyebrows spot, the Ida and Pingala Nadis cross over and then come down in the left and right nostrils, respectively. Ida and Pingala are time bound; after crossing the Rudra knot, the time bound consciousness dissolves - the yogi establishes himself in the Kutastha, beyond the Tattwas (elements: earth, water, fire, air and akasha). With a further effort, Kundalini unites with the supreme Atman in the Sahasrara Chakra and the yogi achieves perfect emancipation. In Lahiri Mahasaya’s definition of the Grantis, the first knot is that of the tongue. It cuts us off from the reservoir of energy in the Sahasrara region. It is pierced by way of Kechari Mudra [see]. The mind loses its despotic role! The consciousness is filled by unbelievable moments of pure calmness and mental silence. The second knot is that of the navel. It originates from the trauma of cutting the umbilical cord. The third knot is that of the heart. Its definition matches perfectly the classic one. The definition of the fourth knot is that of Muladhar and Kutastha knots considered as one and the same reality. The reason is that the action of the two unbalanced lateral currents of Ida and Pingala create a powerful obstruction at the base of the spine blocking our efforts to enter the subtle channel of Sushumna; but if we cross it, we perceive the Spiritual eye in the Kutastha and have the experience of entering it. Kriya Yoga             If we want to understand the essence of Kriya Yoga it is necessary to put aside some definitions found on the web.    "Kriya Yoga is the science of controlling life energy [Prana]." "…a technique that activates the astral cerebrospinal centres." "…. hastens the practitioner's spiritual development and helps to bring about a profound state of tranquillity and God-communion." "….creates the stillness of the sensory input. " I don’t want to contest them, but I think that Kriya is broader than what is implied. There are definitions which say nothing: they make a misleading synthesis of its methods and list its effects in the same way one would describe the Hatha or Raja Yoga practice. Patanjali refers once to Kriya Yoga: "Kriya consists of body discipline, mental control, and meditating on Iswara." [Yoga sutras II:1] This is definitely correct, but by following the further evolution of his thought, we are led astray. Although he states that by remembering that Sound we can achieve the removal of all the obstacles that block our spiritual evolution, he does not develop this method. He is far from describing the same spiritual discipline taught by Lahiri Mahasaya. Kriya is a "mystic path" utilizing the best tools used by the mystics of all religions. It consists of control of breath [Pranayama], Prayer [Japa, Mantra] and pure effort of tuning with the Omkar reality. The soothing process of Pranayama, followed by the Thokar procedure, guides the bodily energy into the heart Chakra, holding thus, as in a grip of calmness, the unceasing reflex originating the breath. When a perfect stillness is established, when all the inner and outer movements cease, the kriyaban perceives a radiation of fresh energy sustaining each cell from inside; then the breathless state settles in. When the physical breath is totally transcended and a circulation of energy happens in the body – the breath is said to have become "Internal" – a feeling of infinite safety, solidity and reliance originates. It is like having crossed a barrier and move into a measureless space: Kriya yoga is a miracle of beauty.   Kumbhaka            Kumbhaka means holding the breath. It is such an important phase in Pranayama that some Yoga teachers doubt whether a modified way of breathing which does not include any Kumbhaka can be called Pranayama at all. It is observed that when we are about to do something which requires our total attention, our breath is automatically held. We are not deliberately doing Pranayama, but our breath is suspended of its own accord; this demonstrates how natural this fact is. In Pranayama the inhalation is called Puraka, which literally means "the act of filling"; the exhalation is called Rechaka, meaning "the act of emptying". Retention of breath is called Kumbhaka, meaning "holding". Kumbha is a pot: just as a water pot holds water when it is filled with it, so in Kumbhaka the breath and the Prana is held in the body. In the classic Yoga literature there are described four types of Kumbhaka. I… We breathe out deeply and hold the breath for a few seconds. This is known as "Bahya Kumbhaka" (External Kumbhaka). II….The second, "Abhyantar Kumbhaka" (Internal Kumbhaka), is holding the breath after a deep inhalation. Usually this kind of Kumbhaka is accompanied by the use of the three Bandhas. III….The third type is that practised by alternate breathing - breathing in deeply through the left nostril, then holding the breath and then exhaling through the right… It is considered the easiest form of Kumbhaka. IV…The fourth one is the most important of all, the peak of Pranayama. It is called Kevala Kumbhaka or automatic suspension of breath: it is the breathless state where there is no inhalation or exhalation, the slightest desire to breathe. In the Kriya praxis, the underlying principle of [I] is present in the advanced form of Navi Kriya - this consists in fact in a series of  very long and calm exhalations which seem to end in a sweet nothing, where the breath process finds its quietness. Internal Kumbhaka [II] happens in different Kriya techniques; particularly in Yoni Mudra.  Maha Mudra, with its balancing action on the right and on the left side of the spine, contains – in a broader sense - the principles of [III] alternating breathing. Kundalini            The concept of Kundalini and, particularly, of its awakening, provides a framework which is convenient to express what is happening along the spiritual path. Most of the spiritual traditions have some awareness of Kundalini; not all are equally open in exposing the practical details of the process. Kundalini is Sanskrit for "coiled": it is conceived as a particular energy coiled like a serpent in the root Chakra Muladhar. The representation of being coiled like a spring conveys the idea of untapped potential energy. It sleeps in our body and underneath the layers of our consciousness, waiting to be aroused either by spiritual discipline or by other means - like particular experiences of life. It is depicted as rising from the Muladhar up through the Sushumna, activating each Chakra; when it arrives at the crown Chakra (Sahasrara), it bestows infinite bliss, mystical illumination etc. It is only through repeatedly raising of the Kundalini, that the yogi succeeds in obtaining Self realization. Its rising is not a mild sense of energy flowing inside the spine. Its movement is like having a ''volcano erupting'' inside, a ''rocket missile'' shot  through the spine! Its nature is beneficial; there is an evident resistance in trusting the reports of Kundalini awakening accompanied by troubles such as patently disturbed breathing patterns, distortion of thought processes, unusual or extremes strengthening of emotions… We are rather inclined in thinking that a dormant malady, brought to open manifestation by thoughtless practice of violent exercises or drugs is the cause of those phenomena. Insomnia, hypersensitivity to environment may indeed follow the authentic experience. In a ''true awakening'' the force of Kundalini eclipses the ego altogether and the individual feels disoriented for some time. All is absorbed in a short time, without problems. Alas, after a certain time, the ego is found intact and the reminiscence of the occurrence may be even interpreted no more than a pleasurable sensation. The search for a repetition of the episode may lead to disorderly and careless practice of strange techniques, without ever establishing a minimal foundation of  mental silence. Kundalini  may be sought also for its vague supernatural implications, for the unlimited powers it is presumed to bestow. Each book warns against the risk of a premature awakening of Kundalini and asserts that the body must be prepared for the event. Almost any yogi thinks he or she  is capable of sustaining this premature awakening and the warning excites them more than ever: the problem is that many do not have (or have lost) a genuine spiritual approach and nourish a fairly egotistical one. In the Kriya theoretical framework we consider Kundalini to be the same energy existing in the body and not specifically residing in the Muladhar Chakra. Kundalini is the harmonious junction of Prana and Apana. When there is an absolute calmness and immobility in the body, these two currents, united as one, can open the door of Sushumna. This happens after Pranayama and Navi Kriya through a further strong concentration in Kutastha. We seldom use the term "Kundalini awakening" and try to avoid what could give the impression that such an experience has an alien nature: Kundalini is our own energy; it is the purest layer of our consciousness. Let us conclude with hinting at a very fascinating theory. It affirms that Kundalini resides in each cell. This particular viewpoint goes hand in hand with the belief that our body isn’t simply the involucre of the soul - a machine designed for going here and there in this physical world. By tuning with the pure energy present in its cells, man discovers the tool to contact the consciousness of the whole of mankind.   Kutastha            Kutastha, the "third eye" or "spiritual eye" is the organ of inner vision (the unified astral counterpart of the two physical eyes), the place in our body where the spiritual Light manifests. By concentrating between the eyebrows, a formless darkness is first perceived, then a small crepuscular light, then other lights; eventually we have the experience of a golden ring surrounding a dark stain with a blazing tiny white point inside. There is a connection between Kutastha and Muladhar: what we are observing in the space between the eyebrows is nothing but the opening of the spinal door, which is located at the root Chakra. Some Kriya teachers affirm that the condition for entering the last and the highest Kriya stage is that the vision of the spiritual eye has become constant; others identify it with the condition in which the energy is perfectly calm at the base of the spine. Therefore both affirmations are one and the same thing. Maha Mudra             Maha Mudra is a particular stretching position of the body. The importance of this technique becomes clear as soon as we observe how it incorporates the three main Bandhas of Hatha Yoga. There are indeed thousand and one reasons to practice Maha Mudra with firmness. There is a ratio between the number of its repetitions and the number of the breaths: it is recommended that for each 12 Pranayama, one should perform one Maha Mudra. Mahasamadhi [see Second Kriya] Mantra [See Prayer] Nada Yoga             According to the esoteric teaching, the Divine essence sustains this universe through the Om vibration. God is not the universe but the universe is part of Him. Whatever is manifest in the physical, astral or causal world, animate or inanimate, it is made and sustained by God’s vibration. This vibration is referred to as "Om", "Omkar", "Pranava", "Shabda", "Nada Brahman". A great Sufi teacher said: "Creation is the music of God". Sound plays a vital role in all the mystical traditions, since it is the bridge between the physical and the astral world, the unconscious and the conscious, the form and the formless. Om sound is the "unstruck" sound (Anahat) - not made as a result of two or more objects striking one another. It is, in fact, a sound not coming to the human ear from outside of the body but, rather, from within. "Seek the Sound that never ceases, seek the sun that never sets."  (Rumi). "The universe was manifested out of the Divine Sound; from It came into being the Light."  (Shamas-i-Tabriz). "Who is there playing upon a flute in the middle of the sky? The flute is being played in trikuti (eyebrows centre), the confluence of the Ganga and Jamuna. The sound emanates from the north! Cowherd girl, hear the sound of the flute and lo, they are all hypnotized by the nada." "It is a music without strings which plays in the body. It penetrates the inner and the outer and leads you away from illusion." (Kabir). "The Sound is inside us. It is invisible. Wherever I look I find it." (Guru Nanak). "In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God" (St. John’s Gospel); "And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters" (Revelation 1:15). Saint John of the cross gave a splendid description of his meeting with the "resounding rivers", the "silent music", the "sounding solitude". There is no doubt he heard the typical rushing waters sound of the Om vibration. Teresa of Avila in her book "The Interior Castle" wrote: "It roars like many big rivers with waterfalls, there are flutes, and a host of little birds seem to be whistling, not in the ears, but in the upper part of the head, where the soul is said to have its special seat." Nada Yoga is the path of union with the Divine through listening to inner sounds. Surat-Shabda-Yoga is another name for Nada Yoga. It is a highly enjoyable form of meditation; anyone can be involved in this even without having fully understood it. One’s listening skills will improve and one will become more sensitive. Nada Yoga is not just an intellectual pursuit but rather an experiential one. It has its basis in the fact that once we can quiet the mind and reach a condition of great stillness and silence deep within our hearts, we can hear the astral sounds that lay beneath the outer sounds. Its first step is simply to sit quietly and focus all one’s attention on subtle sounds that come from within, rather than the audible sounds from outside. One may use a particular position of the body— a squatting position with the elbows resting on the knees, just to give an example—to plug both the ears. It is recommended to repeat mentally, unremittingly, one’s favourite Mantra. Awareness of inner sound must happen, sooner or later. There are different levels of development in the experience of inner sounds: one will hear a bumblebee, the drum, the lute, the flute, the harp, the clapping of thunder or a hum like an electrical transformer. Some of these sounds are actually just the sounds of one’s own body, especially the blood pumping. Other sounds are actually the "sounds behind the audible sound". It is into this deeper realm that, while over time gently easing the mind into relaxed concentration, one’s awareness is drawn. After some weeks of dedicated practice one will tune in with a sound deeper than all the above-quoted astral sounds. This is the cosmic sound of Om. Yogic tradition connects this inner sound with Kundalini itself. When it reaches its maximum height and speed, it becomes still. It reveals its nature as a movement within a perfect stillness – which is impossible to be intellectually grasped. This experience is the surest way towards the realization of the Self. Unfortunately, many seek frantically impossible surrogates of it! Nadi             Subtle channels through which the energy flows throughout the body. The most important are Ida, which flows vertically along the left side of the spinal column (it is said to be of female nature), and Pingala (of masculine nature) which flows parallel to the former one on the right side; Sushumna flows in the middle and represents the experience that is beyond duality. Nadi Sodhana            Alternate nostril breathing exercise,  it is not properly part of Kriya Yoga. Yet, because of its effect of appeasing and cheering up the mind (especially if it is practiced in the morning) are unmatched, some kriyabans make it a regular part of their routine. Navi Kriya            The essence of this technique is to dissolve inhalation and exhalation at the state of equilibrium in the navel, the seat of the Samana current. It is coupled in various ways (before or after) with the practice of Pranayama. Some schools which do not specifically teach it, provide some substitutes of it – a particularly remarkable instruction, brought forward by one Kriya institution, is to draw very intensely the navel inside (creating a hollow in the abdomen as in the Uddiyana Bandha) during the Pranayama exhalation. Nirvikalpa Samadhi [see Paravastha] Omkar              Omkar is Om, the Divine Reality sustaining the universe, whose nature is vibration with specific aspects of sound, light and inner movement. One who follows the mystical path infallibly meets this manifestation of Spirit - whatever may be their preparation and their convictions. The sound is perceived in different variations; Lahiri Mahasaya describes it as «produced by a lot of people who keep on striking the disk of a bell». It is continuous «as the oil that flows out of a container». From the very beginning of the Kriya path, as soon as the mind is sufficiently calm, the inner sweet sound of Om grabs the kriyaban’s awareness and leads it in depth without any danger of it getting lost. As for the movement sensation, only few schools disclose its importance and mystery. A particular swinging sensation is easily perceived in the heart Chakra during the physical movements of the Thokar technique. In the beginning it seems to be stirred from the movements of the head, projected from outside to inside. Concentrating on it at length, has a tremendous impact on the Kriyaban’s capability of melting his little individuality into the greater Self. To realize that this movement is without cause, autonomous, emanating from the Eternity itself, is an incommensurably important event. After a committed practice of the so-called Kriyas of the calm breath, when the awareness of the Kutastha is turned on, it can manifest. This marks the last part of the Kriya path.    Padmasana             In this asana the right foot is placed on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh with the soles of the feet turned up. The name means the "position in which the lotuses (the Chakras) are seen"; it is explained that, combined with Kechari and Shambhavi Mudra, this Asana creates an energetic condition in the body, suitable to producing the experience of the internal light coming from each Chakra. Personally, I do not counsel anyone to perform this difficult posture. There are yogis who had to have their cartilage removed from their knees after years of forcing themselves into lotus. In Kriya Yoga, at least for those living in the west and not used to assuming it since infancy, it is much wiser, healthier and comfortable to practice either the Half lotus or the Siddhasana position. Paravastha              This concept is linked with that of "Sthir Tattwa (Tranquillity)". Coined by Lahiri Mahasaya, it designates the state that comes by holding onto the after-effect of Kriya. It is not just joy and peace but something deeper, vital for us as a healing. From our initial efforts directed at mastering the techniques, we perceive moments of deep peace and harmony with the rest of the world, which extend during the day. Paravastha comes after years of discipline, when the familiarity with the breathless state destroys any restricting anthropomorphic concept of the Divine: the tranquillity state lasts forever, it is no longer to be sought with care. Flashes of the ending state of freedom comfort the mind while coping with life’s battles. Pingala [see Nadi] Prana             The energy inside our psychophysical system. The Prana is divided in Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana and Vijana, which have their location respectively in the chest, in the low abdomen, in the region of the belt, in the head and in the remaining part of the body - arms and legs. That the term Prana is interpreted in two ways should not create confusion – provided that one considers the context in which the word is used. In the initial phases of Pranayama we are mainly interested in Prana, Apana and Samana. When we use Shambhavi Mudra and during mental Pranayama we contact Udana. Through many techniques (like Maha Mudra) and by the experience of Pranayama with Internal Breath we experience the fresh vitalizing nature of Vijana. Pranayama [Kriya Pranayama]              This term is comprised of two roots: Prana is the first; Ayama (expansion) or Yama (control) is the second. Thus, the word Pranayama can be understood either as the "Expansion of Prana" or as the "Control of Prana". I would prefer the first but I think that the correct one is the second. In other words, Pranayama is the control of the energy in the whole psychophysical system by using the breathing process with the purpose to receive a beneficial effect or spiritual realization. The common Pranayama exercises - although if they do not involve the perception of any energetic current - can create a remarkable experience of energy spontaneous rising in the spine. This is not negligible since this experience causes the sceptical practitioner the discovery of the spiritual dimension and pushes him or her to seek something deeper. In Kriya Pranayama the breathing process is coordinated with the attention of the mind up and down along the spinal column. While the breathing is deep and slow, with the tongue either flat or turned back, the awareness accompanies the movement of the energy around the six Chakras. The three energies of sex, love and spirit are thus mixed together. By achieving Kechari Mudra, the sound of a flute [see] appears in the throat during exhalation. Such a penetrating sound absorbs the concentration, cuts off external disturbances and, leading beyond the mind, dissolves many illusions at their root. A sense of levitation, as if flying, is born and the process of breathing is refined. Then the current flows in the deepest channel in the spine: Sushumna. The energy, like a bright golden substance, goes up and down inside the Chakras (no longer around them). When by a long practice a subtle form of energy circulates (in a clearly perceivable way) inside the body and the physical breath is totally settled down, the kriyaban has an experience of unthinkable beauty. Pranayama, mental             In mental Pranayama a kriyaban controls the energy in his body by forgetting the breathing process and focusing only upon Prana in the Chakras and in the body. His awareness dwells on both the inner and the external component of each Chakra until he feels a radiation of fresh energy vitalizing each part of the body and sustaining it from inside. This action is marked by the end of all the physical movements, by a perfect physical and mental stillness. At times, the breath becomes so calm that the practitioner has the absolute perception they are not breathing at all. Prayer [Japa, Mantra]             Prayer is an act of communion with the Higher Reality that allows a person to make a reverent plead, to seek guidance, to offer praise or simply to express their thoughts and emotions. The sequence of words used in a Prayer may either be a set formula or a spontaneous expression in the praying person's own words. Whatever be the appeal to God, this act presupposes a belief in the Divine Will to interfere in our life. "Ask, and ye shall receive" (Matt. 7:7, 8; 21:22) Prayer is a subject of wide range and scope; here I will restrict it to the repetitive Prayer. In India, the repetition of the Name of the Divine is known as Japa. Some Catholic and Eastern Orthodox pious devotional practices involve repetition of prayers. It is also widespread in the Sufi mystic path. The Sanskrit word Japa is derived from the root Jap - meaning: "to utter in a low voice, repeat internally". Japa is a spiritual discipline involving both a thoughtful contemplative and an automatic mechanical repetition. Japa is also the repetition of whatever Mantra, which is a broader term than Prayer. Mantra can be a name of the Divine but also a pure sound without a meaning. A certain number of sounds were chosen by ancient yogis who sensed their power and used them greatly. (Some believe that the repetition of a Mantra has the mysterious power of bringing about the manifestation of the Divinity "just as the splitting of an atom manifests the tremendous forces latent in it"). Let us confine to those sounds who create a soft vibration in the physical body, astral body and mind and ignore those sounds which are used in other practices like magic. Regarding the Mantras utilized in devotional disciplines, the explanation that the term Mantra derives from the words "Manas" (mind) and "Tra" (protection) is appropriate: we protect our mind by repeating unrelentingly the same healthy vibration. In most forms of Japa, the repetitions are counted using a string of beads known as a Japa Mala. The number of beads in it is generally 108 or 100. The Mala is used so that a devotee is free of enjoying the practice and doesn’t mind about counting the repetitions. Usually a Mantra is repeated verbally for sometime, then in a whisper and mentally for sometime. It may be performed whilst sitting in a meditation posture or while performing other activities, preferably walking. It is essential to add to our Japa a feeling of reverence, but it is not necessary to dissect its meaning and try to keep it in mind all the time. By repeating it, a devotee draws closer to their ideal form of Divinity and the mind is set for enjoying a higher contemplative state. While practicing Japa during their daily chores and concerns, the devotee’s life becomes a constant flow of Divine recollection. This creates a permanent mental silence which is the condition for the miracle of Kriya to blossom. In Omkar Pranayama the twelve letter Mantra Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya plays an important role. Lahiri Mahasaya wrote: "Many do not do Japa in each center. When this does not happen the results are negative. Therefore, during Pranayama, one must put attention in each center and practice Japa in each of them". Each of its syllables strengthens the concentration on the relative Chakra. Coupled with the movements of the head during Thokar, the mental uttering of the syllables helps to direct the flow of energy inside each Chakra. The repetition of the Mantra is very effective in inducing the tuning with the internal sounds, like that of the tolling of a bell. Preliminary techniques to Kriya Yoga            Some organizations, in their didactic effort to bring Kriya Yoga to people, picked out some easy techniques as a preparation. The first - called Hong-So - calms the breath and the psychophysical system. The second one concerns the listening to the internal (astral) sounds, and Om sound. In Lahiri Mahasaya’s Kriya, the preliminary techniques are Talabya Kriya [see] and chanting of Om in the Chakras. Sahasrara            The seventh Chakra extends from the crown of the head up to the Fontanelle and over it. It cannot be considered of the same nature of the others but a superior reality, which can be experienced only in the breathless state. It is not easy therefore to concentrate upon it as we do with the others. Only after a deep practice of Pranayama, when the breath is very calm, the "tuning " with it is possible; a particular pressure over the head may be felt. Samadhi              According to Patanjali’s Ashtanga (eight steps) Yoga, Samadhi is the state of deep contemplation in which the object of meditation becomes inseparable from the meditator himself: it results naturally from Dharana and Dhyana. In Kriya literature there is no a definite agreement about its definition. Since Samadhi represents something we cannot rationally understand, most kriyabans envisage its nature as the apex of bliss and do not speculate about its essence. Our language is strongly hampered: some magniloquent words risk meaning nothing. What does it mean for example union with God? To become one and the same thing or to awaken to the realization we are just a part of That One? Words deceive our comprehension and kindle egoist expectations. One is thrilled by words such as: absolute, eternal, infinite, supreme, everlasting, celestial, divine…. I have half a mind to suggest a sober definition of Samadhi, which may foster an action of mental cleanness and stimulate a reflection upon the meaning of the spiritual path. Let me therefore define Samadhi as independent from any accident, beatific, near death experience (NDE). The descriptions of Samadhi and of NDE follow the same pattern: actually the nature of the phenomenon which takes place in the body is almost the same. This opinion may disappoint those who smell a restrictive and limiting shade of meaning in it; however I prefer to think in this way and …. discover much more during the actual Samadhi experience than to thrive in rhetoric. Even if the Samadhi were no more than a NDE experience, however it would have a superlative value. In both the experiences, the awareness can shed a glimpse to the Eternity beyond mind; then (this happens to the trained yogi) that lofty awareness blends, integrates with the customary life, which is totally transformed for the better. To those who wonder if it is fair to diminish the worth of the Kriya ecstatic state reducing it to a process of contacting for some time the after life dimension, we could reply that this genuine experience is unmatched in fostering in a clean way the Kriya Yoga ideals of a balanced spiritual life. Shambhavi Mudra            A Mudra in which the ocular bulbs and the eyebrows are upturned as much as possible; often the inferior eyelids relax and a bystander can observe the white of the cornea under the iris. All the visual force of the ocular nerves is gathered on the top of the head. Lahiri Mahasaya in his well known portrait is showing this Mudra. Second Kriya             It seems that by using the Second Kriya technique, Swami Pranabananda, an eminent disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya, left his body consciously (this feat is called Mahasamadhi - the conscious exit out of the body, at death). There was no violence to the body; the feat happened only in the most proper moment, according to a Karmic point of view when the moment was right. Now the debate is: what procedure did he make use of? a… Many claim it was Thokar. It is possible that he arrested the movement of the heart and therefore left his body. He might have done one single Thokar and stopped his heart; this means he put so much mental strength in this act as to block the energy which kept his heart throbbing. The same Thokar technique he had applied for years, was applied during this final moment of his life. b… Some believe that this supreme calming of the heart was achieved only by a mental action of immersion in the Kutastha. They say that those who were around him did not notice any head movement. Similarly when other great ones left their body there was no movement. c… In my opinion, Mahasamadhi is not a "shrewd esoteric trick" to master the mechanics of a painless suicide, surely each great master relies upon his already built ability to enter Samadhi. By creating a total peace in his being, the soul’s natural desire to regain union with the Infinite Source puts in action a natural mechanism of appeasing the cardiac plexus. Siddhasana           The Sanskrit name means "Perfect Pose". In this Asana, the sole of the left foot is placed against the right thigh so that the heel presses on the Perineum. The right heel is placed against the pubic bone. This position of the legs, combined with Kechari Mudra, closes the pranic circuit and makes Pranayama easy and profitable. Sushumna [see Nadi] Talabya Kriya          It is a stretching exercise of the muscles of the tongue, and particularly of the Fraenulum, whose purpose is to attain Kechari Mudra [see]. This practice creates a distinct calming effect on the thoughts and, for this reason, it is never put aside, even after Kechari Mudra is achieved.   Thokar             A Kriya technique based on directing the calm Prana - collected in the head through Pranayama - towards the location of one (usually the 4th) or more Chakras, by a particular movement of the head (jerk). In Lahiri Mahasaya’s Kriya, the "Thokar" (to strike, blow, stroke) procedure is usually called Second Kriya – the following other Higher Kriyas are seen as a development of this one. The practice of Thokar is to be deepened throughout the years in order to get the ability to enter the state of Samadhi with just one stroke. Studying the practices of the Sufis, (see the studies conducted by Gardet and M. M. Anawati, esp. Gardet in Revue Thomiste (1952-3)), we discover that Thokar is a variant of the Sufi’s Dhikr. Dhikr is the practice of the "memory" of the Divine, which is brought about by repeating a particular short prayer during the day and by guiding it, during moments of seclusion or group devotional practice, into particular centers of the body through specific head movements. (While some details may vary from one Sufi brotherhood to another, the essence does not change. Sufis teach to stick the tongue to the roof of the mouth and hold the breath. The prayer is Lâ Ilâha Illâ Allâh; it means: there is no God but Allâh. This prayer is lifted from under the navel up to the brain. After reaching the brain, it moves from the brain to the right shoulder, then to left shoulder, then it hits the heart. Its energy and heat spreads to all the parts of the body. According to the  meaning of this Prayer, the seeker who has denied all that exists in this world is annihilated in the Divine Presence. The formula which Lahiri Mahasaya chose was Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya, but he gave the Islamic Mantra Lâ Ilâha Illâ Allâh to his Muslim disciples.) It might have happened that Lahiri knew this technique since youth; it was His genius to develop it to the utmost perfection. Some teachers give nothing past the Second Kriya and affirm that one who practices it, divines out the others. It is self-evident that, while doing the Second Kriya, if a kriyaban tries to intensify the experience of bliss perceived in the heart, he guesses inevitably the secret detail of the Third (repeating, inebriated, the hitting on the heart Chakra). While doing it, he listens to the inner astral sounds, especially that of the tolling of a distant bell; by thus guiding Prana into the Anahat Chakra, a light grows in Kutastha. This fosters the breathless state. By increasing the concentration on the spiritual light, the lights of all the other Chakras are revealed, thereby opening the road to the perceptions which characterize the Fourth Kriya. Trivangamurari [Tribhangamurari]            Trivangamurari is the highest manifestation of the Omkar reality. In the last part of His life, Lahiri Mahasaya drew with extreme precision the three-bends form [Tri-vanga-murari = three-bend-form] which is perceived by deepening the after-Pranayama meditation. Trivangamurari may be experienced in one’s own physical body either in great or in micro dimensions. Yama – Niyama             Yama is Self-control: non-violence, avoiding lies, avoiding stealing, avoiding being lustful and non-attachment. Niyama is religious observances: cleanliness, contentment, discipline, study of the Self and surrender to the Supreme God. While in most Kriya schools these rules are put as premises to be respected in order to receive initiation, a discriminating researcher understands that they are to be considered really as the consequences of a correct Yoga practice. A beginner cannot even understand what "Study of the Self" means. Some teacher repeats, parrot fashion, the necessity of observing those rules and, after having given absurd clarifications of some of the above points (in particular which mental trick to utilize in order to … avoid being lustful), passes on to explain the techniques. Why utter empty words? Whom is he trying to fool? The mystic path, when followed honestly, cannot compromise itself with any rhetoric. When an affirmation is made, it is that. Yama and Niyama are a good topic to study, an ideal to bear in mind but not a vow. Only through practice it is possible to understand their real meaning and, consequently, see them flourish in one’s life. Yoga Sutra (by Patanjali)            The Yoga Sutras are an extremely influential text on Yoga philosophy and practice: over fifty different English translations are the testimony of its importance. Although we are not sure of the exact time when their author Patanjali lived, we can set it between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. The Yoga Sutras are made up by a collection of 195 aphorisms dealing with the philosophical aspects of mind and awareness, thus establishing a sound theoretical basis of Raja Yoga - the Yoga of self discipline and meditation. Yoga is described as an eight stage (Ashtanga) path which are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. The first five steps build the psycho physical foundation for having a true spiritual experience; the last three are concerned with disciplining the mind up to its dissolution in the ecstatic experience. They define also some esoteric concepts, common to all the traditions of the Indian thought, such as Karma. Although, at times, Patanjali is called "the father of Yoga", his work is actually a compendium of pre-existing oral Yoga traditions, an unhomogeneous whole of practices betraying an indistinct and contradictory theoretical background. However its importance is beyond discussion: he clarified what others had taught; what was abstract he made practical! He was a genial thinker, not just a compiler of rules. His equilibrium between theism and atheism is  very appreciable. We do not find the least suggestion of worshipping idols, deities, gurus, or sacred books - at the same time we do not find any atheistic doctrine either. We know that "Yoga" besides being a rigorous system of meditation practice implies devotion to the Eternal Intelligence or Self. Patanjali affirms the importance of directing our heart’s aspiration toward Om. This is really inspiring for a kriyaban, however the last phases of the Kriya praxis do not follow the pattern of Patanjali’s explanations. Yoni Mudra           The potential of this technique includes, in all effects, the final realization of the Kriya path. Kutastha - between the eyebrows - is the place where the individual soul had its origin: the delusory Ego needs to be dissolved there. Its core component is to bring all the energy into the Kutastha center and hinder its scattering by closing the head openings – the breath is quieted in the region from throat to Kutastha. If a deep relaxation state is established in the body, this practice succeeds in generating a very intense ecstatic state, which spreads throughout one’s being. About it practical implementation, there are minor differences among the schools: some give a greater importance to the vision of the Light and less to the dissolution of breath and mind. Among the first, there are those who teach, while keeping more or less the same position of the fingers, to focus upon each Chakra and to perceive their different colours. One satisfactory remark, found in the traditional Yoga literature, is that this technique gets its name "Yoni", meaning "uterus", because like the baby in the uterus, the practitioner has no contact with the external world, and therefore, no externalisation of consciousness. Vertical routine            When we think of the Kriya practice we imagine the classic horizontal scheme which consists in a daily practice of the same set of techniques, changing neither their order of practice nor the number of their repetitions. A vertical routine is a particular feature of Lahiri Mahasaya's Kriya. It consists, once in a week, for a certain number of weeks (20 – 24 – 36 …), in putting the usual routine aside and using only one technique, whose number of repetitions is gradually increased  up to a certain amount that the tradition has handed down as optimal. This is the most remunerative Kriya praxis because leads to the mastery (unimaginable with any other scheme of practice) of the techniques which are utilized for such procedure; it has also a positive effect on one’s personality, releasing it from many inner obstacles. Akin to this procedure is the plan of completing a certain amount (usually a multiple of 12, such as 1728 or 20736) of repetitions of a particular technique, employing of course a specified number of days.

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