PART II: TECHNIQUES OF LAHIRI MAHASAYA'S KRIYA YOGA

Disclaimer
The techniques described here are shown for study purposes only, to serve as a
comparison with the work of other researchers. From this sharing I hope there
will be intelligent feedback. Comments, criticisms, corrections and additions will
be well received. Before you start asking yourself all the strangest questions
possible and imaginable, read this book in its entirety so that you have a
complete understanding of the subject. You will find that many questions are
answered as you continue reading.
I want to clarify that this book is not a Kriya Yoga manual! Perhaps in the
future I will write one and then I will tackle the problem of how to divide the
whole topic into different lessons trying, for each learning phase, to provide all
the necessary advice. However, certain techniques cannot be learned by reading a
manual. There are delicate techniques such as Maha Mudra, Kriya Pranayama,
Thokar, Yoni Mudra that it is unthinkable to learn without the help of an expert
who controls their execution. Each person is different so it is not possible to
predict what effects an intensive practice might have on a particular individual.
The author assumes no liability in the event of negative results,
particularly in the event that one decides to practice the techniques without
seeking the supervision of an expert. Those who intend to carry on this practice
should do so with the due sense of the sacred and the awareness of the richness it
can bring into their life. While everyone has the right and duty to control their
destiny, securing the advice or guidance of an expert is highly recommended.

N.B. When you go to an expert, it is necessary to communicate the existence of

any physical problems, such as hypertension, lung problems, signs of
hyperventilation ... If you have particular physical problems, an expert can
recommend a delicate form of Kriya Pranayama and Mudra. connected to it -
and, if necessary, he might recommend practicing them only mentally. 1

1
To check if refinements have been added to the description of the techniques, visit
[Link] at least once a year.

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 CHAPTER 6

LAHIRI MAHASAYA'S KRIYA YOGA – FIRST PART

INTRODUCTION
Lahiri Mahasaya's Kriya Yoga techniques are explained in chapters 6, 7, 8
and 9 of this book.

First Kriya level

The purpose of the First Level of Kriya is to overcome the restlessness of
the mind. This is done by making the breath calm, subtle. Breath and mind
are in fact closely related.
This first level is based on the technique of Kriya Pranayama. If you
want to know how this Kriya Pranayama works you can consult my
commentary on a verse of the Bhagavad Gita that you find in the last part
of this chapter.
With the practice of Kriya Pranayama two energies (Prana and
Apana) that come into operation in the spine merge together. Their union
gives rise to a new state of energy in the body called Samana. This Samana
enters the thinnest channel of the spine. A particular state occurs in our
consciousness. Patanjali defines this state as ''Pratyahara'' which means
''withdrawal of the senses''.
In that state the mind is perfectly calm and can remain absorbed in
the meditative state. That state is subtle and can be considered the first step
on the spiritual path.
While trying to master the First Level of Kriya Yoga, a kriyaban may
wish to explore and use other Kriya procedures. What would be important
is obtaining Kechari Mudra. This Mudra (explained in chapter 7) is
undoubtedly of great value as it creates perfection in Kriya Pranayama and
greatly calms the functions of the mind. Other events of a spiritual nature
can happen. The higher stages of Kriya can also manifest spontaneously.

LOCATION OF THE CHAKRAS

The Chakras are subtle astral organs located within the spine – ideal steps
of a mystical ladder that leads the consciousness of the individual to
encounter the highest ecstatic experience. In Kriya Yoga it is not important
to visualize a Chakra with petals, with the Yantra, with the Bija Mantra in
its center ... and with everything you find in the classic books of Hatha
Yoga or New Age orientation; it is important instead to perceive
approximately its location. The practice of Kriya Yoga will refine an initial
approximate localization.

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When certain particular conditions are established – mental silence,
relaxation of the body, intense spiritual aspiration – the practice of Kriya
Pranayama will take, so to speak, the "inner road" and the Spiritual
Reality will manifest as something concrete, independent of visualizations
and whims of the mind. You will then realize the reality of the Chakras in
the astral dimension, you will be able to listen to their astral vibrations as
well as you will perceive particular tones of light emanating from their
locations. The practice of Kechari Mudra will favor this experience
especially at times when the breath becomes extremely subtle.
The nature of each Chakra has two aspects, one internal and one
external. The internal aspect of a Chakra, its essence, is a vibration of
"light" that attracts the awareness upwards, towards the Spirit. The external
aspect of a Chakra, its physical side, is a diffused ''light'' that awakens and
sustains the life of the physical body.

Fig.1 Location of the Chakras

When you go up the spine during Kriya Pranayama, it is natural to feel the
Chakras as small "lights" that illuminate the hollow tube which is the
spinal column. Then when you go down, the Chakras are perceived as
organs that distribute energy in the body. Rays of light depart from the seat
of each Chakra and revive that part of the body that is in front of them.
The first Chakra, Muladhara is located at the base of the spinal
column just above the region of the coccyx; the second Chakra,
Swadhisthana, is located in the sacral region halfway between Muladhara
and the third Chakra; the third Chakra, Manipura, is in the lumbar region

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at the level of the navel.
The fourth Chakra, Anahata, (more simply called the Heart Chakra)
is in the dorsal region; its location can be identified by approaching the
shoulder blades and concentrating on the tense muscles between them. The
fifth Chakra, Vishuddha, is located where the neck joins the shoulders. Its
seat can be identified by swinging the head sideways, keeping the torso
firmly, concentrating on the point where a particular sound is perceived as
of something being ground.
The sixth Chakra is called Ajna. The Medulla and the point between
the eyebrows (Kutastha) are closely related to Ajna and cannot be
considered separate entities. Medulla is considered the physical counterpart
of Ajna Chakra. What matters is that by finding the stability of
concentration in each of the three points, the spiritual eye, a luminous point
in the center of an infinite spherical radiance, appears to the inner vision.
This experience is the royal entrance into the spiritual dimension.
Sometimes the term Bhrumadhya is used in place of Kutastha.
In order to locate Medulla which is at the top of the spine, the chin is
raised and the neck muscles at the base of the occipital bone are stretched;
then we focus on the small cavity under that bone. Medulla is located right
in front of this cavity.
Moving from the Medulla seat towards the point between the
eyebrows it is not difficult to perceive the Ajna Chakra seat: you swing
your head sideways (a few centimeters to the left and then to the right)
trying to perceive something that connects the two temples. The Ajna
Chakra site is identified by focusing attention at the intersection point of
two ideal lines: the one that connects the Medulla site with the point
between the eyebrows and the one that connects the two temples.
The energy flowing through the tip of the tongue during Kechari
Mudra stimulates and stimulates the Pituitary (or Hypophysis) gland. This
is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea. It forms a protrusion on the
floor of the Hypothalamus. It is necessary to clarify this because a famous
Kriya school recommends focusing on this gland to get the experience of
the spiritual eye.
The same school emphasizes the role of the Pineal gland. This is
another small endocrine gland that is shaped like a small pine cone
(symbolically, many spiritual organizations have used the pine cone as an
icon). It is located behind the Pituitary gland in the back of the third
ventricle of the brain. Having full experience of the white spiritual Light
after long concentration on the Pineal gland is considered the last action to
be done in order to perfect the meditation before getting lost in the state of
Samadhi.
Bindu is located in the occipital region and is not considered a
Chakra in and of itself. However it is a very important spiritual center

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because it functions as a door that leads awareness to the Sahasrara – the
seventh Chakra located at the top of the head. Bindu is located where the
hairline forms a kind of vortex. (This is the Sikha point where Hindus, with
shaved heads, keep a lock of hair.)
In order to become aware of the Sahasrara some schools
recommend concentrating on the Fontanel [we refer to the anterior
Fontanel also called ''Bregma''.]
The eighth Chakra is the highest spiritual center that we will deal
with (chapter 14.) It is located about 30 centimeters above the Fontanel.

POSITION SUITABLE FOR MEDITATION

We sit facing the East. According to Patanjali, the position of the Yogi
(Asana) must be stable and comfortable.

Half-lotus: Most kriyabans are comfortable sitting in this position which

has been used for meditation since time immemorial because it provides a
comfortable sitting position that is very easy to achieve. The secret is to
keep an erect spine by sitting on the edge of a thick pillow so that the
buttocks are slightly raised. You can sit cross-legged while your knees are
on the floor.
Lift your left foot and bring it towards your body so that the sole of
the left foot fits snugly on the inside of the right thigh. Pull the heel of the
left foot as far as possible towards the groin. The right leg is bent at the
knee and the right foot is placed comfortably over the left thigh or calf or
both. The right knee is lowered as far as possible towards the floor. When
the legs get tired, reverse them to prolong the position.
The best position for the hands is with interlocked fingers as can be
seen in the famous photo of Lahiri Mahasaya. This creates a good balance
of energies from the right hand to the left and vice versa. The position of
the hands for meditation and for Pranayama is the same as it moves from
Pranayama to meditation seamlessly. Usually we don't even realize it.
When there are health problems or particular physical conditions, it
can be providential to practice half lotus on a chair, as long as it has no
armrests and is large enough. This way, one leg at a time can be lowered
and the knee joint relaxed!

Siddhasana: (Perfect Pose) is of medium difficulty. The sole of the left

foot is placed against the right thigh while 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 Kriya Pranayama easy and profitable. It is explained that this
position helps to become aware of the movements of Prana.

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Padmasana: (Lotus position) is a difficult position, sometimes impossible
to sustain beyond a few minutes. The right foot is placed on the left thigh
and the left foot on the right thigh with the soles of the feet facing upwards.
It is explained that, accompanied by Kechari and Shambhavi Mudra, this
position creates an energetic condition in the body suitable for producing
the experience of the internal light that comes from each Chakra. It helps
to keep the torso erect when, upon reaching deep Pratyahara, it tends to
bend or fall. Sitting in Padmasana is uncomfortable for a beginner, the
knees and ankles are in intense pain. Personally, I do not advise anyone to
perform this difficult position. There are yogis who have had the cartilage
removed from their knees after they had imposed the Padmasana position
on their limbs for years.

KRIYA PRANAYAMA

Preliminary practice before starting Kriya Pranayama

Do not practice on a full stomach. Wait one hour after breakfast and two to
three hours after a normal meal.
Assume the meditation position. Sit facing East. From now on you
can use the trick described above to sit on the edge of a thick pillow so that
your buttocks are slightly raised. The chin is slightly kept inside (the neck
and nape muscles maintain a constant slight tension.) The fingers are
intertwined as Lahiri Mahasaya holds them in the well-known photo.
Mouth and eyes are closed. The center of awareness is located in Medulla
while the inner gaze effortlessly converges on Kutastha.
Breathe normally. Chant Om with your voice or mentally (it would
be better to say "set the Mantra Om") in each of the six Chakras from
Muladhara to Medulla. Then repeat Om a second time in the Medulla and
in each of the remaining Chakras descending down to Muladhara. Do this
without losing the focus of the inner gaze in Kutastha. In short: one Om for
each Chakra going up; one Om for each Chakra going down. A full round
consists of a total of 12 Om. It is recommended to repeat this action 12
times. Proceed slowly: It has been explained that one round should take 44
seconds.

Now begins the great adventure with Kriya Pranayama proper. This
technique is very subtle. It is learned using attention and intuition. It takes
months and months to master it. Let's focus on one point at a time and don't
move on to the next until we feel confident where we are.

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[I] Take a series of deep breaths producing a sound in your throat
Turn your tongue back as far as possible (baby Kechari) by dilating the
throat or assume the position of the real Kechari if you are already able. I
remind you that the center of awareness is located in the Medulla while the
inner gaze converges effortlessly on the Kutastha.
Inhale deeply through your nose producing a hissing sound with
your throat. 2 To make sure the sound is correct, try to increase the friction
of the air passing through the throat. Also during exhalation make sure that
there is a small restriction of the air coming out of the lungs in order to
produce the hissing sound. This way of breathing is called "Ujjayi". Don't
strain. Maintain a slow, deep rhythm to your breathing. If the environment
is perfectly quiet, a person by your side will be able to hear a feeble sound
in your breath, nothing if the person is sitting at a distance.
Breathing should be mainly abdominal. This means that during
inhalation, the upper part of the chest remains immobile or almost
motionless, the shoulders are not raised, while the abdomen expands.
During exhalation, the abdomen returns. During the last part of the
exhalation, there is a clear perception of the navel moving towards the
spine. By refining this experience – becoming more aware of the inward
movement of the navel and the action of the diaphragm muscles – you will
feel a sensation of joy.
Take a deep breath, then another: don't worry about the length of the
inhalation and exhalation. (After a few breaths you will find that your
breath naturally lengthens. It is also observed that the exhalation is slightly
longer than the inhalation.)
Inhalation and exhalation are approximately the same length. A
Kriya breath, inhalation plus exhalation, should take about 30 seconds but
you can also start with 12 seconds. 3
In Kriya Pranayama there is a short breath pause between inhalation
and exhalation as well as between exhalation and inhalation: each of these
pauses lasts at least 1-2 seconds. These two pauses are natural,
spontaneous. When the movement of the air is suspended, the activity of
the mind is also suspended. Our awareness slips into these spaces and
knows a state of Tranquility.
2
For a beginner this sound is similar to the amplified background noise of a
loudspeaker – a quiet schhhh… /ʃ/. There is only a slight hiss during exhalation. The
perfection of the sound will be reached through Kechari Mudra proper. The sound of
inhalation will be very subtle, while the exhaling sound will be flute-like: Sheee
Sheee [ʃiː]. This sound is also called Kundalini Mantra. When it appears it is a sign
that Pranayama has been performed well.
3
Reference literature says that perfect Kriya Pranayama is 80 breaths per hour –
about 45 seconds per breath. A beginner is far away from reaching such rhythm.

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Lahiri Mahasaya compares the procedure of Kriya Pranayama to the
cleaning of a sword. This is rubbed from tail to tip and vice versa and in
this process a sound is emitted. By rubbing, the two breaths make the
Divine Light visible in Kutastha. Soon the Prana begins to withdraw
within Sushumna and the breath flows in a thin stream like a silken thread
but extremely powerful.
Count the number of breaths using a Mala [rosary beads] or the
phalanges of the fingers. To begin practice 12 breaths. Over time you will
increase by 12 in 12: then you will practice 24, 36, 48 ... breaths, up to a
maximum of 144 breaths.

[II] Feel the Prana moving along the spine

For a few days, practice only what we have explained. Once this has
become natural, try to feel the Prana (energy) moving within the spine. A
particular attention to the fifth Chakra (Vishuddha located at the height of
the throat) will help you in this.
In fact, in Kriya it is explained that the point in which you introduce
or expel the breath is not the nose, but the inside of the throat. The
movement of the Prana in the spine is set in motion quite easily by
focusing on the front side of the Throat Chakra.
Precisely: during the inhalation concentrate on the front part of the
fifth Chakra. Feel (become aware) that the Prana is flowing through this
Chakra into your body. Then during the exhalation learn to guide the
vibration of Prana to revive each Chakra from top to bottom.
This particular breathing through the front part of the Vishuddha in
fact produces a kind of vacuum in the throat: with this effect the Prana is
not only moved from the nose to the throat but raised within the spine as if
you had a syringe. In fact, it is advisable to imagine the movement of the
breath as if it happened through a straw. In this way the breath becomes
long and thin and succeeds in opening the Chakras.
As you inhale, you will feel a fresh current rising through your spine.
During exhalation, a current will be felt as a thread of warm energy
descending into the spine.
This experience of a cold and a lukewarm current is an excellent
opportunity to bring attention inward during Kriya breathing. The rising
and falling breath has its own sensations of coolness and warmth built into
it. This is a tool we can use to go from imagining the spinal canal to
actually feeling it.
In Kriya Pranayama as taught by Lahiri Mahasaya the energetic
current moves from Muladhara to Medulla, where the sixth Chakra is
located – so there is no attempt to reach the point between the eyebrows.
The reason for this is that the Medulla is the point where the Prana can

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actually enter the Sushumna.
For a few weeks focus only on this new detail of Kriya Pranayama.
You will control the flow of Prana with the power of the will, always
remaining relaxed. The breath will become thinner and slow down. Don't
be in a hurry to add the next instruction [III] to your practice. Enjoy in
complete tranquility for a long time, or rather a few months, what has been
explained up to now.

[III] Mentally chant Om in each Chakra

It is explained that each Kriya is an Omkar-Kriya or a Kriya involving Om.
It is explained that without Om, Kriya is devoid of substance. Kriya
produces nothing if performed without the mental chanting of Om in each
Chakra. Only by respecting this, the mind will not get distracted by
moving in different directions and will no longer abandon the path of the
Chakras.
Learn to add the following action to the perception of the spinal
current: during the inhalation, chant Om mentally in each of the six
Chakras from Muladhara to the Medulla. During the exhalation, mentally
chant Om in the Medulla and in each of the remaining Chakras going down
towards Muladhara. So during each breath, Om will be mentally chanted
12 times. This is reminiscent of what happens in the preliminary exercise.
It is clear that ascending and descending along the spine producing
sound in the throat, perceiving the sensations of cool and warm and at the
same time placing Om in each Chakra is difficult but Lahiri Mahasaya
invites us to pursue this goal by explaining that without chanting Om in
each Chakra, all kinds of useless thoughts will arise to disturb us. So a
kriyaban tries with patience to achieve this result.

[IV] The best attitude to practice Pranayama

Start each session of Pranayama trying to realize that it is a procedure
which, in a certain sense, goes on by itself, automatically.
Precisely try to visualize the Medulla as a cave where you rest and
limit yourself to observing what happens. The correct attitude is to do
nothing but enjoy the good feeling of cool air rising up the spine and then
warm air flowing down. The feeling of driving the energy up or down with
effort is given up. The breath simply goes in and out of the lungs and from
this arises an energetic movement in the spine. A sense of joy arises from
this event. This way of practicing creates an extraordinarily strong sense of
energy after a while. The practice becomes intoxicating. It is at this point
that a devotional attitude can arise.

Those who by nature already possess this attitude can use it very easily. In
fact, many practitioners report that, over time, they find it easier to let the

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''Inner Guru'' perform the various Kriya breaths in their place. True Kriya
begins when the technique happens automatically through the Inner Power
and the Infinite Intelligence of the Guru that is inside each of us. We can
say that the mind cannot control the movement of energy in the spine, only
the Guru can.

[V] The sound of the breath becomes similar to the sound of a ''flute''
If by chance you have peeked at chapter 7 you will have read how you can
get Kechari Mudra and practice Kriya Pranayama with it.
With this Mudra the exhalation coming out of the nasal pharynx has
a subtle sound like a faint whistle. It is known that after a long period of
practice, the difference between the sound of inhalation and that of
exhalation is no longer distinguishable. Symbolically it is called the
''Krishna flute''. Lahiri Mahasaya described this sound as ''similar to
blowing air through a keyhole''. He explained that this sound has the power
to cut off any external distracting factors including thoughts. Therefore he
says that it is like: ''a razor that cuts off everything that has a relationship
with the mind''.
Sound is produced in the upper part of the nasal pharynx. If you feel
it, you will have only one thing to aim for: making this sound completely
absorb your mind.

[VI] After practicing 48 repetitions of Kriya Pranayama, establish the

center of your awareness in Fontanel
To establish the center of your awareness to the top of the head, practice
Kriya Pranayama with a particular position of the eyes.
The eyelids are closed or half closed. (Lahiri Mahasaya in his well-
known portrait takes this position.) The eyes look upwards as much as
possible, as if to look at the ceiling but without making any movement of
the head. The slight tension that is felt in the muscles attached to the
eyeballs gradually disappears and the position can be maintained quite
easily. The observer can see the sclera (the white of the eye) below the iris
because the lower eyelids almost always relax. By means of this position of
the eyes, the Prana collects at the top of the head.
As you remain stable there, only a fraction of your awareness rises
and falls in the spine. The sound of the flute comes spontaneously. With the
effortless intensification of this shee shee sound the awakening of
Kundalini occurs and the Omkar sound will be heard.
At a certain moment you will have the impression of going through a
state of mind that resembles falling asleep and then suddenly regaining full
awareness, discovering that you are swimming in the spiritual light. It is
like when an airplane emerges from the clouds in the clear transparent sky.
Remember to practice in this way only after having practiced 48

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repetitions of Kriya Pranayama as explained before.

After the practice of Kriya Pranayama

Remain motionless for at least 10 minutes conscious of your breathing
which proceeds naturally with its own rhythm. You can choose to visualize
it as a sweet energy rising and falling down your spine. In this way the
breathing will easily become calmer, almost tending to disappear.

How to use these 6 points

The technique of Kriya Pranayama is contained in the first four points
illustrated. The preliminary practice that precedes these four points remains
optional and is very useful to those starting this path. It is assumed that
after a certain period of learning, a person practices Kriya Pranayama
respecting the four points all together, simultaneously. This is the correct
way to practice.
The fifth point is something special because it depends a lot on
whether a person will be able to practice Kechari Mudra, and it also
depends on the physical conformation. The sixth point is for those who
decide to practice more than 48 Kriya breaths: they practice the first 48
breaths with the gaze focused in Kutastha and then raise the center of their
awareness in the upper part of the head, continuing to always respect the
previous points.

FURTHER CLARIFICATION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO CONVERGE THE

INNER GAZE ON KUTASTHA
Let's clarify this important detail because it will become fundamental
throughout the practice of Kriya Pranayama.
Try to create a gentle movement as if to bring the two eyebrows
slightly closer towards the center of the forehead. This movement is barely
physical, mostly just an intention. Under normal circumstances an outside
observer will not notice such movement even though they may notice it
early on. With practice one also discovers that this internal movement also
appears to draw the center of the brain forward towards the point between
the eyebrows. Don't force the eyes. Just let them naturally gravitate
towards the sensation of forming a vertical furrow between the eyebrows.
It is a habit that you must learn to cultivate.
However, be careful to respect what we explained in the first point,
namely that the center of awareness always remains in the Medulla while
the inner gaze converges effortlessly on Kutastha.

During the practice of Kriya Pranayama one is taught to perceive with

closed eyes, in the point between the eyebrows, any, even if very weak,
form of light or color. We do not visualize anything but simply become

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aware of what is in front of us. One can also realize how the sound of
breathing amplifies this perception of light. If one goes ahead like this,
breath by breath, it is possible to realize how even the faintest sensation of
light transforms into a clear light. Then the various scattered lights gather
into a round circular light known as the Spiritual Eye or "Single Eye".

Well this beautiful experience does not happen to all those who practice.
We discover that to approach this experience it is not correct to force
yourself to move in the direction of our gaze but to move backwards,
towards the back of the spine where the Medulla and the Pineal gland are
located. This is how a great experience of inner light occurs.
If course, bringing attention to the point between the eyebrows with
eyes open during our day is a correct attitude to invite the Divine to
accompany us during all life's experiences. But when we practice Kriya
meditation this attention must not remain ''in front'' but move ''behind'' as
we have explained.

TWO VERY USEFUL PROCEDURES FOR THOSE WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY

TO PRACTICE KRIYA PRANAYAMA FOR THE FIRST TIME
Those who undertake the practice of Kriya Pranayama may find it difficult
to put into practice the instructions that have just been described. I
recommend two practices to them to familiarize with for a few weeks. In
my opinion these techniques are within the reach of any spiritual seeker.

Nadi Sodhana
Before starting the exercise, it is important to clean the nostrils so that the
breath can flow freely. This can be done using water, inhaling eucalyptus
essence and blowing your nose. If one of the nostrils is always blocked,
this is a medical problem that must be taken into due consideration. If the
obstruction is caused by a serious cold, no Pranayama exercises should be
practiced.

The mouth must be closed. Focus on the Muladhara Chakra. Close the
right nostril with your right thumb and inhale through the left nostril
slowly, evenly and deeply for 6-10 seconds. Visualize that you are
attracting the energy contained in the inhaled air and lifting it along the left
side of the spine. Close both nostrils and hold your breath for 3-6 seconds.

During this hold, contract the muscles at the base of the spine. This
contraction is called Mula Bandha. Open your right nostril and exhale
through it, always in the same slow, uniform and deep rhythm.
Keeping the left nostril closed, inhale through the right nostril.
Visualize that you are attracting the energy contained in the inhaled air and

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lifting it along the right side of the spine. Close both nostrils and hold your
breath for 3-6 seconds. During this hold, practice the Mula Bandha
contraction that we explained earlier. Close the right nostril and exhale
through the left nostril slowly, evenly and deeply for 6-10 seconds.
This is a cycle. Six cycles are enough. The fingers can be used in
different ways to open and close the nostrils, everyone does as he pleases.

Ujjayi Pranayama
This exercise is very useful for forming an idea of what happens in Kriya
Pranayama.
Begin by breathing deeply in and out through the nostrils, making a
sound/noise in the throat. Just focus on that sound. After a few breaths, the
duration of each breath stretches effortlessly. Continue until you notice two
sensations: cool on inhalation, warmth on exhalation. Enjoy these
comfortable sensations while remaining immobile and impassive. It is
obvious that you are not practicing the classical technique of Kriya
Pranayama. You are not guiding the energy up on the inhale and down on
the exhale. Furthermore, you are not trying to perceive the location of each
Chakra.
Now perceive the point between the eyebrows (Kutastha) as a cave
where you are sitting with the firm intention of remaining still and enjoying
the good feeling that this way of breathing produces.
Do not impose a precise rhythm on the two phases of the breath.
Both of these phases take place not on the basis of a rhythm but when the
urge to breathe naturally arises. If you don't follow this instruction, the
effects will be minimal.
Gradually discover how the exhalation reveals inherent power. That
is, you realize that each exhalation is accompanied by a certain energy that
is created in your lungs and torso. The more you observe this, the deeper
the awareness of this energy becomes. All of this happens spontaneously,
you don't have to force yourself to intensify any sensation.
At some point, in an extremely natural way, you will have reached
the simplest way of practicing Kriya Pranayama. The wonderful fact is
that this Pranayama leads you into a state of great inner absorption!

SOME CLARIFICATIONS

Explanation of the verse of the Bhagavad Gita quoted in chapter 2

"By offering the inhaling breath in the exhaling breath, and the exhaling
breath in the inhaling breath, the yogi neutralizes both of these breaths
thus releasing the energy from the heart and bringing it under control."
[Bhagavad Gita IV 29]

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During the inhalation (''inhaling breath'') you experience a form of energy
that enters the body along with the air through the nose, descending into
the pharynx, larynx, trachea, lungs ... But you also experience another form
of energy (Apana) which is rising from the base of the spine, moves within
the spine, reaching the high Chakras. These two movements of energy
occur simultaneously.
During the exhalation (''exhaling breath'') the stale/consumed air
leaves the body. During this fact a subtle energy (Prana) moves downward
from Medulla to Muladhara, piercing each Chakra.
Ultimately, during Kriya Pranayama two opposite forms of energy
Apana and Prana continuously approach each other. In normal life Apana
current moves downwards while Prana moves upwards. Instead in Kriya
Pranayama they are made to move in the opposite direction to what is
natural to them. This fact is repeated many times until Prana and Apana
succeed to merge together and become stable in the region of the girdle
(navel). After many inhalations and exhalations these two forms of energy
know the state that Lahiri Mahasaya called ''Tranquility''.

Possibility of listening to the inner sounds while mentally chanting Om in

each Chakra
The teaching is to chant Om mentally in each Chakra by rising (during
inhalation) and descending (during exhalation) along the spine. This mental
chant of Om is an aid in making the described procedure easier. You simply
teach your awareness to be more disciplined, to patiently obey you as you
go up and down the spine.

During Kriya Pranayama it may happen to hear internal sounds that are not
related to the breathing process. They could come from the activity of the
Chakras. The practitioner may hear a continuous ringing similar to that of a
bell in the distance. This experience could change into the sound of ''many
waters''. This is the true sound of Om. Lahiri Mahasaya describes this
sound as "produced by many people who keep hitting the disc of a bell"
and explains that it is "continuous like oil flowing from a container".
Surely when you listen to the sound of flowing waters or waves lashing the
rocks, you will find yourself in an ecstatic state.

A very important fact to understand is that the event of perceiving these

sounds is not produced by the intensity of a single moment of deep
concentration but by the sum of various efforts during the daily sessions of
Kriya (by ''effort'' we mean the meticulous attention to any inner sound, no
matter how faint it is.) What is essential is to carry on an unchangeable will
to chase the echo of the Om mental chant until you get to perceive the

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astral sounds. Your ability to hear inner sounds will improve.

The advanced form of Kriya Pranayama

In the fourth part of this book you will learn two other variants of Kriya
Pranayama. From other sources you will be able to learn more. Now is it
possible that in these variants there is only one that can be called the
''original'' one, while the others would be modifications of little value? Is it
correct to think that the technique of Kriya Pranayama explained in
chapters 6 and 7 is that of Lahiri Mahasaya and therefore the only correct
one?
The truth is that even the version that I have proposed and which
very faithfully embodies the instructions of Lahiri Mahasaya is still only a
PREPARATION for a very, very profound experience of Pranayama. I am
referring to the advanced form of Kriya Pranayama which occurs with an
extremely subtle breath.
Let me explain: at the beginning of the Kriya path the breath is often
unruly, it is difficult to guide it upwards within the spinal canal. This is
because the paths of the nadis are blocked. Gradually, thanks to a
continuous and persistent work of channeling the Prana along the spine,
the Prana is finally internalized.
Then the breath will have a very thin, almost imperceptible sound
without constriction of the throat. As we have seen, the sign of good
Pranayama is that its sound is like that of a flute. But other people
shouldn't hear it. This sound will seem to have a life of its own or will
move without any effort on the part of the practitioner. This phase of
Pranayama has been defined by Lahiri Mahasaya as "Excellent
Pranayama" or Uttam Pranayama, a higher form of Pranayama.
Consciousness and intoxication mix and the mind enters perfect stillness.
But you never have to strive to reach this state, you have to get there
naturally through practice. Ideally, the inhalation lasts 22 seconds
(including the pause) and the exhalation another 22 seconds (including the
pause). This Pranayama must be done in series of 12 Pranayamas to
progressively reach 144 Pranayamas for each session. It takes about a year
to achieve this.

For the present moment, the practice we have described in 6 points in this
chapter is a real gem, it represents the quintessence of beauty; with it, time
flies without noticing and what might seem like an exhausting task turns
out to be as easy as a moment of rest. Now just focus on this way of
practicing. The rest will come in time.

The perfection of Kriya Pranayama

There will come a day in the practice when the real Kriya Pranayama

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finally STARTS. The breathing of the air is reduced to a point or it is
completely interrupted and all the cells of the physical body are nourished
with Divine Prana. I mean that a complete cessation of any respiratory
action is achieved.
This state is experienced after years of Kriya practice. It has nothing
to do with forcibly holding your breath. It does not consist in the fact,
although important, that the breath becomes more and more calm. We are
talking about the state in which the breath is completely absent, with the
consequent dissolution of the mind.
Many kriyabans are unable to conceive of such a state. There is an
aura of mystery surrounding his description; people think it is impossible
and that any claims about its occurrence are false. Nonetheless, it is
possible to experience this state. When it occurs, a kriyaban does not feel
the need to breathe in; or he takes a short inhalation and does not feel the
need to exhale for a very long time. (For longer than science judges
possible.)
Those who experience this state realize, with genuine sincerity, that
they are not breathing at all; realizes that fresh energy supports the body
from within, without the need for oxygen. According to Kriya theory, this
state is the result of having entered with consciousness (and therefore with
Prana) the channel of Sushumna within the spine.

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 CHAPTER 7

LAHIRI MAHASAYA'S KRIYA YOGA – SECOND PART

(Completion of First Kriya)

The practice described in the previous chapter is the central technique of

the path of Kriya Yoga. Its value is inestimable: there is no other similar
procedure in beauty and effectiveness. Now, adding a few more technical
instructions contains within itself a slight chance of disturbing this idyll.
But the traditional First Kriya teaching involves using three other
procedures.
There is Maha Mudra which is the best preparation for the practice
of Kriya Pranayama and there is also Navi Kriya and Yoni Mudra that are
usually practiced after it. To these techniques we will also add the practice
of mental Pranayama and explain what Kechari Mudra consists of.

Study each part of this chapter with great patience and try to practice these
instructions. Don't worry, you will find that these techniques are also very
enjoyable and useful.

MAHA MUDRA
Use a carpet placed on the floor to practice the following procedure. Bend
the left leg under the body so that the left heel is as close to the perineum
as possible; the right leg is extended forward. Inhale deeply, feel the energy
rising in the head along the spine.

Fig.2 Maha Mudra

Hold your breath, lean forward (very relaxed) so that you can grab your
right toes with both hands, gently pull them back a little. In this fully
extended position, the chin is naturally pressed to the chest. Keep holding
your breath and mentally chant Om in the point between the eyebrows 6
times.

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You can contract the anal and abdominal muscles and draw the abdominal
muscles slightly inward so that the navel moves towards the lumbar center.
Still holding the breath, return to the starting position and with a long
exhalation, visualize the warm energy that descends along the spine to
Muladhara Chakra.
Repeat the procedure with the role of the legs reversed and finally
repeat the procedure keeping both legs extended. This is one Maha Mudra;
takes about 60-80 seconds. Maha Mudra is practiced three times.

Variant of Maha Mudra

As you stretch forward, you can relax your breath and you can choose to
repeat the Mantra Om 12 times not in Kutastha but in Muladhara Chakra.

Note 1
This Mudra must succeed easily, one must not get hurt! At first, many kriyabans
cannot keep their leg straight without risking hurting their back or knee. To avoid
this, you can let the extended leg be a little bent at the knee so that the position is
comfortable!

Note 2
The most serious Kriya schools recommend that for every 12 Kriya Pranayama,
one Maha Mudra is performed – it being understood that three is the minimum
number. (Just to understand, those who practice 60 Kriya Pranayama should
practice Maha Mudra five times, while those who practice 12 or 24 should
practice three.) Unfortunately, having listened to various kriyabans, I can say that
it is a miracle to find one that practices the three repetitions expected. There are
people who delude themselves that they are practicing Kriya correctly without
ever practicing even one single Maha Mudra! It is clear that by permanently
depriving oneself of it and living a sedentary life, the spine becomes less elastic.
As the years go by, conditions worsen and it becomes almost impossible to
maintain the correct meditation posture for more than a few minutes – this is why
Maha Mudra is so important for a kriyaban.

Effects
Maha Mudra contains all three Bandhas. Applied simultaneously with the
body bent forward, without using excessive contraction, they help to be
aware of both ends of the Sushumna and produce the sensation of an
energetic current moving up in the spine. In time it is possible to perceive
the whole Sushumna as a radiant channel. There are accounts of yogis who
have achieved fantastic experiences using this technique alone. According
to what they say, the perception of Sushumna has increased enormously.
There are kriyabans who have set aside all the other Kriyas and are
practicing 144 Maha Mudra a day divided into two sessions. They consider

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Maha Mudra to be the most useful technique in all of Kriya Yoga.

Details of little importance

I have noticed that some schools insist on irrelevant details. For example, they
insist that when extending the right leg forward, one should bend the left leg
under the body so that the left heel is as close to the perineum as possible. It is
explained that the left heel is able to exert pressure on the perineum. This
pressure stimulates awareness of the Muladhara Chakra in the coccyx region at
the base of the spine. [Of course, when extending the left leg, the right leg
creates pressure.]
Another example is when some schools teach to bring the knee of the leg that is
about to be stretched (or both knees, before the third movement) closer to the
body so that the upper leg is as close to the chest as possible. The hands, with
intertwined fingers, are placed around the knee and put pressure on it. They say
this helps keep the back straight and causes the inner sound of the Anahata
Chakra to become audible.

NAVI KRIYA
For many people this technique is boring, they don't see the use of it and
they skip it. In fact it is not a strictly necessary practice when one begins to
practice Kriya Pranayama. It will become more and more important when
trying to make the breath subtle before tackling the Higher Kriyas.

Navi Kriya
Forget the breath, let it be natural. Lower the chin to the hollow of the
throat. Om is chanted 100 times – either with the voice, or mentally – in the
navel area. The chin is then raised as far as possible and Om is chanted
about 25 times in the third Manipura Chakra. This is one Navi Kriya.
Practice four Navi Kriyas.
In this exercise, if desired, the hands can also be involved. With the
fingers interlocked, palms down and the tips of the thumbs touching, the
thumbs lightly press the navel along with each Om chant. Then when the
chin is raised, the fingers are intertwined behind with the palms facing
upwards. For each Om, the thumbs apply light pressure on the lumbar
vertebrae.

Note
Some schools recommend practicing a few Kapalabhati breaths before Navi
Kriya. This serves to make the effect of Navi Kriya more intense. The
Kapalabhati breath is explained in the appendix n.6. It is found towards the end
of the book, before the glossary.

Variant of Navi Kriya

Visualize a thin channel coming out of the point between the eyebrows
curves and goes down into the navel.

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It involves chanting the Mantra Om alternately between the point between
the eyebrows and the navel. Precisely, when it comes natural to take an
inhalation, inhale, rise with the consciousness along the visualized channel,
from the navel to the point between the eyebrows, pause for a moment and
chant Om mentally. When it is natural for you to exhale, exhale, go down
with the consciousness along the visualized channel to the navel, pause for
a moment and chant Om mentally. By repeating this, you will feel very
strongly that the breath calms down and tends to disappear.

Fig.3 Simple form of Navi Kriya

When Om is chanted about 100 times, lift your chin. Visualize another
subtle channel that connects (externally to the body) the Bindu with the
third Chakra. Let your breath flow freely up and down that channel. When
Om is chanted about 25 times in all, return to your normal chin position.
This is one Navi Kriya. Repeat this exercise four times.

Note
In the appendices 2 and 3 contained in the fourth part of this book you will find
further insights into this particular technique which is very important but little
loved by kriyabans.

YONI MUDRA
This technique is only practiced in the deep stillness of the night, when
silence is all around and one is totally and perfectly relaxed. Yoni Mudra
generates such a concentration of energy at the point between the eyebrows
that the quality of sleep following changes for the better. In other words,
after passing through the layers of the subconscious, awareness can reach
the so-called state of "Super-consciousness."

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After a deep Kriya inhalation, having guided the energy in the central part
of the head, close the ears with the thumbs, the eyelids with the index
fingers, the nostrils with the middle fingers, the lips with the ring and little
fingers. Hold your breath while mentally repeating Om several times and
observe any light in the point between the eyebrows. Hold your breath as
long as this is comfortable. The elbows are parallel to the ground and point
outward. Don't let them go down with fatigue, support them in some way if
necessary.
During this action aimed at perceiving the light, the index fingers
must not press on the eyes – this would be harmful and of no use! You can
pull the lids down with your index fingers and press on the top of the
cheekbones at the corners of the eyes. When you feel the need, exhale,
moving awareness down the spine. This is Yoni Mudra which is normally
performed only once.

After Yoni Mudra, stay focused as long as possible at the point between the
eyebrows trying to perceive the light of Kutastha.

Fig.4 Yoni Mudra

Some important schools give the following instruction: increase the

number of Om repetitions by one a day (while you are holding your
breath), up to a maximum of 200. You should never force it. But how is it
possible to achieve these results without forcing? We realize that satisfying
this request is of enormous difficulty. I believe that this undertaking can
only be seriously approached after dealing with the Thokar procedure. For
the moment, for those who at least want to start this journey, I share a

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simple remedy that can lessen the discomfort of a long Kumbhaka.
At the end of a moderate inhalation (not the typical Kriya
Pranayama, but a very short one), firmly close all the openings of the head
except the nostrils, let out a small amount of air, then immediately close the
nostrils. Relax the chest muscles as if you want to start a new inhalation:
this gives the sensation that the breath has become calm in the area from
the throat to the point between the eyebrows. In this situation, the
concentration on the point between the eyebrows and the Om repetition can
be carried on long enough.

MENTAL PRANAYAMA
Once the Kriya Yoga techniques are completed, the moment of pure
''Meditation'' occurs.
There are several definitions of ''Meditation'': some consider it a
mental procedure or being absorbed in a particular ecstatic state (mystical
rapture.) Some simply recommend enjoying the effects of Kriya
Pranayama without adding further clarification. In the previous chapter I
advised you to remain motionless for at least 10 minutes while remaining
conscious of your breath that goes on naturally with its rhythm or
visualizing it as an energy that rises and falls along the spine.
We now explain that the last part of the routine is the best time to
move towards the breathless state using a particular concentration on the
Chakras. We define this action: Mental Pranayama.
The Chakras can be compared to psycho-physical ''knots'' that can be
untied if "touched" with our concentration. When we become able to untie
these knots we will feel as vast and free as heaven and we will melt into
pure joy. A Kriya routine that does not end with the enjoyment of such
sweetness is like when a musical group that has gone on stage, has
prepared all the instruments, has tuned them and then abandons everything
without playing!
We then explain how to practice Mental Pranayama. After three
deep breaths, let your breath move naturally and forget about it. Move your
awareness up and down the spine, stopping in each Chakra for 10-15
seconds. Dwell on the first, move on to the second, dwell on it ... and so
on. After the ascent to the Medulla, the descent begins: fifth Chakra, fourth
Chakra and so on ... One complete round takes 2-3 minutes. Enjoy a few
rounds by increasing the state of inner calm.
Try to grasp the sweetness that emanates from each Chakra. Do not
make any particular effort such as exerting mental or physical pressure on
each Chakra, simply relax and enjoy a sweetness that occurs naturally. Do
not complicate this experience by adding various details that could prove
useful in other techniques but not in this one – for example contracting the
muscles near each Chakra, using intense visualizations and bija Mantras ...

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You would risk all the sweetness being dispersed. Even chanting Om
mentally in each Chakra could, at this moment, be disturbing.
Maintain awareness on each Chakra until you feel a sensation of
sweetness, as if the Chakra was "melting". What this means will be
revealed to you by the practice itself.
So remember: Mental Pranayama must be carried on until a
beautiful and ''sweet'' sensation occurs. One day, continuing on the Kriya
path, you will find that this mental Pranayama will eventually become the
supreme form of Kriya Pranayama, what Lahiri Mahasaya called Uttam
Pranayama (Excellent Pranayama.)

Various ways of conceiving a Kriya routine

How can a good Kriya routine be conceived? There are various
possibilities. I bring here only three examples.

Example 1 (the most rational way): Maha Mudra - K. Pranayama - Navi Kriya -
Mental Pranayama - Yoni Mudra at night
Example 2: Maha Mudra - K. Pranayama - Mental Pranayama - Navi Kriya -
Yoni Mudra at night
Example 3: K. Pranayama (12 only) - Maha Mudra - Navi Kriya - complete the
chosen number of K. Pranayama - Mental Pranayama - Yoni Mudra at night

The second example is explained on the possibility of using Navi Kriya to

intensify the effect of mental Pranayama. The third example is based on
the principle of starting with a short practice of Kriya Pranayama and then
using the techniques Maha Mudra and Navi Kriya as a preparation to
discover the possibility of practicing Kriya Pranayama in an extremely
more intense way that at the end it continues with the sweetness of mental
Pranayama.

KECHARI MUDRA
The ancient yogis discovered the importance of connecting the tip of the
tongue with the seat of calm Prana in the brain. Usually the tongue rarely
is able to touch the uvula and almost never gets in the nasal pharynx. It is
explained that this hinders the human being from connecting with the great
reservoir of energy existing in the Sahasrara region.
The practice of Kriya Pranayama with Kechari Mudra is an
enchanting experience, one of the best moments in the life of a kriyaban.
However, a beginner keeps the tongue in the ''baby Kechari'' position. That
is, with the tip of the tongue touches the upper palate at the point where the
hard palate becomes soft. This simple fact makes the mind very quiet.
Kechari Mudra means inserting the tongue into the nasal pharynx

104
cavity. Kriya Pranayama should be practiced with the tongue in this
position. I say ''should'' because not everyone can practice in this way. We
will now illustrate a method (Talabya Kriya) for obtaining Kechari Mudra.

● Talabya Kriya
The tongue is relaxed, the tip touches the inner side of the upper arch of the
teeth. Well, starting from this position, press the entire body of the tongue
against the upper palate to create a suction effect.

DON'T TURN THE TONGUE BACKWARD!

Fig.5 Key part of Talabya Kriya

When you've created the sucker effect, lower your lower jaw (obviously
opening your mouth) distinctly feeling the stretch of the frenulum (the
frenulum is the tissue that joins the tongue to the base of the mouth).
Release your tongue with a snap, then push it out of your mouth so that it
points towards your chin. In the beginning, do not exceed 10 repetitions a
day in order not to strain too much or produce a wound to the frenulum.
You can, after some days, reach 50 reps in about two minutes (110-120
seconds.)
Unfortunately, some do not immediately understand how to make the
tongue adhere to the palate like a sucker before opening the mouth and
stretching the frenulum. Sometimes, even if shown to them in person, they
are unable to do it correctly.
Many practice Talabya Kriya mistakenly by instinctively turning the
tongue back. The main mistake is to focus too much on where to put the tip
of the tongue. The suction effect is obtained with the entire body of the
tongue: the tip of the tongue must be relaxed.

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Note
The Talabya Kriya technique can be enriched by massaging both the muscles of
the tongue and the frenulum with one's fingers. Lahiri Mahasaya was absolutely
opposed to cutting the frenulum for faster and easier results. In Hatha Yoga texts
there are other tips for stretching the frenulum. A well known one is to wrap a
piece of cloth around the tongue and with the help of your hands, gently pull
(relaxing and repeating several times) the cloth both horizontally and up, towards
the tip of the nose.

I hope it is clear that Talabya Kriya and Kechari Mudra are two completely
different practices! If you open your mouth in front of a mirror during the
first part of Talabya Kriya you will be able to see the concave parts that
form on each side of the frenulum – it appears isolated from the body of
the tongue. Instead when you practice Kechari Mudra, it is the uvula that
comes forward and only the root of the tongue is visible!

Talabya Kriya is a technique that, in addition to serving the achievement of

Kechari Mudra, creates a perceptible relaxing effect on the process of
thinking. Therefore Talabya Kriya should not be considered a simple
exercise to stretch (lengthen) the frenulum of the tongue. When the tongue
sticks to the palate and the mouth is open, in that instant the energetic
fracture between our body and the reserve of static Prana located in the
upper part of the head is momentarily healed. This fact easily leads you
into the meditative state. Even after mastering Kechari Mudra, Talabya
Kriya should never be put aside as it creates a distinct calming effect on the
thought forming process. It is not easy to justify why, by acting on the
frenulum, it is possible to calm the process of forming useless thoughts.
The fact is that anyone can observe this effect.
Strange to say, Talabya Kriya does not require concentration on
anything specific, it is just a pure physical action. Just as a simple attempt
to justify this, we can point out how the simple pressure of the tongue
against the upper palate, maintaining the suction effect on the palate for 10-
15 seconds, can, in and of itself, generate particular sensitivity in the area.
of the Medulla, and this happens in a short time. The detail of extending
the tongue also plays an important role. When the tongue is fully extended,
it pulls in some cranial bones and guides the decompression of the whole
area.

● What happens after a few months of practicing Talabya Kriya

After several months of practicing Talabya Kriya daily, it is right to try to
check how close we are to Kechari Mudra. We then check if the tip of the
tongue can touch the uvula, using the fingers to push the base of the tongue
inwards. If the tip of the tongue touches the uvula, then for a few minutes a

106
day, try to push the base of the tongue more inward until the tip is able to
pass the uvula (i.e. go beyond it) and perhaps even touch the pharynx
behind it.

One day the tip of the tongue will enter the nasal pharynx for a short
distance. Probably, as soon as the fingers pressing on the base of the tongue
are removed, it will immediately slide out. But, after more days of exercise,
the tongue will remain as if "trapped" in that position.
This is a turning point. The soft palate (the part from which the uvula
hangs) acts as an elastic band preventing the tongue from sliding out.
Striving every day to practice at least 6-12 Kriya Pranayama with
the tongue in this position – although there are drawbacks such as
increased salivation and therefore occasionally having to swallow – the
practice becomes easy and comfortable.

Fig.6 Position of the tongue when you enter the nasal-pharynx

After about three weeks of practicing this way, you should be able to reach
the same position without using your fingers. The tongue will be able to
enter the nasopharyngeal cavity by itself. There will always be room in this
cavity to inhale and exhale through the nose.
Kriya literature states that the tongue can also be pushed higher. As
any anatomy atlas can show, the tongue, when it fills the nasal pharynx,
cannot extend further. That statement should therefore be understood as a
hint to what a normal person thinks is happening. Indeed, by extending the
tongue to its maximum limit, it is possible to experience a great force of
attraction towards the point between the eyebrows, together with the
sensation of having reached a higher position with the tip of the tongue.

107
Note on the need for Kechari Mudra to practice Higher Kriyas
The reference literature on Kriya states that reaching Kechari Mudra is crucial
for being initiated into the Higher Kriyas. It is not uncommon for a Kriya teacher
to ask to see the actual execution of the Kechari by inviting them to open their
mouths in front of them and checking that the tongue disappears into the nasal
cavity.
However great the effect of Kechari Mudra is, I firmly believe that it is
important but not indispensable. The statement I have often heard – "Until one is
established in Kechari Mudra, one cannot attain the state of Eternal Tranquility"
– is FALSE!

It is inconceivable that the attainment of Kechari creates a clear division between

people. Relegated to a lower class would remain those poor people who will
never have the higher Kriyas just because they cannot achieve something
physical that does not depend on their effort but only on their constitution. They
will never be able to accelerate their spiritual path like those kriyabans that
nature has endowed with a longer frenulum or a nasal pharynx more accessible at
the tip of the tongue .... this idea is absurd!
PY's decision to grant Higher Kriyas initiation to those unable to practice
Kechari Mudra has my full approval. Considering then the attitude of Lahiri
Mahasaya to take part in human suffering, I believe that he too has behaved
similarly.

● First effects of Kechari Mudra

During the first three weeks of using Kechari Mudra proceed very
carefully as you may experience a sense of "daze" where the mental
faculties seem to be dull. Be prepared for this and consider refraining from
driving and any work that involves a significant percentage of risk during
these days.

When you become stable in this Mudra, you will notice three main effects:
[1] During the Kriya routine, often the breath appears almost stopped [2]
Spontaneously the gaze is fixed on infinity without looking at anything in
particular [3] The mind is quiet without useless thoughts.
The chatter of the mind ceases; silence and transparency become the
hallmark of your state of consciousness. The mind works more soberly and
enjoys an indispensable rest; each thought becomes more concrete and
precise.
After a few months of constant practice, the tip of the tongue will be
able to touch the confluence point of the nasal passage within the cavity of
the palate. The soft tissue above the nasal holes on the inside of the nostrils
is described in the Kriya literature as a "uvula over the uvula". The tip of
the tongue touches this small area and remains "attached" to it comfortably.

108
Modesty is always welcome, but when this is achieved, a positive euphoria
is so great (as if one has found Aladdin's magic lamp) that it cannot be held
back. If we want to think of a perfect Kriya Pranayama, what we have
described corresponds to this ideal of perfection.

As for the problems of practical life, you will learn to use the intuition born
of meditation to deal with any difficulties that may arise. Within the perfect
transparency of an interior order, all problems allow themselves to be
resolved.
I believe that one ''is born'' to Kriya (understands the greatness of
what he is doing) when he perceives the effects of this sweet practice: his
beauty overflows and floods life.

"... it's hard to stay mad, when there's so much beauty in the world.
Sometimes I feel like I'm seeing it all at once, and it's too much, my heart
fills up like a balloon that's about to burst... And then I remember to relax,
and stop trying to hold on to it, and then it flows through me like rain and
I can't feel anything but gratitude for every single moment of my stupid
little life. (From the movie American Beauty; 1999) "

Final note: the reason for practicing the Higher Kriyas

Kriya Yoga is a four-step spiritual path that prepares the seeker to
encounter spiritual reality. Its stages are defined as follows:
1. Lift the tongue
2. Pierce the dorsal center knot
3. Pierce the navel knot
4. Pierce the knot in the coccyx center

The main characteristic of Kriya Yoga is that these knots dissolve from top
to bottom, that is, respecting the order just indicated.
From the moment of our conception, Kundalini began a slow descent
journey starting from the cells that form our brain, Medulla and then into
the cells of the spine as it was forming. In this same order the knots are
untied.
Of course, it's not just about removing obstacles. There are so many
subtle processes that must take place during these four stages. The Prana
of the whole body must be pacified, the contact with Omkar reality must be
created and deepened indefinitely. This leads to the experience, which
occurs when the time is ripe, of the state of calm breathing and ultimately
the absence of breath. It is good to keep this in mind now that we are going
to describe what it means to untie the four knots.
Lahiri Mahasaya explained that the whole spiritual path that leads to

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the final realization can be walked only with the techniques of First Kriya.
What is perfectly understandable is that this practice is perfected
over time, both with the help of the Guru, when this encounter can take
place, and with the guidance of the intuition born of the same practice.
We have already seen how much help can come from practicing
Kechari Mudra. Well Lahiri discovered the help that could also come from
another practice: that of Thokar. He then saw how some of his disciples
were able to practice this Thokar in an extremely intense way. To
distinguish these two practices, the two terms were coined: Second and
Third Kriya.
Later he understood how a further practice could be conceived that
would strongly act on dissolving the last obstacle that makes it difficult for
the kriyaban to enter the subtle channel of Sushumna. Then a Fourth Kriya
was conceived which could be considered both the fact of undoing the knot
of Muladhara and that of entering Kutastha, discovering that the two
events are the same reality.

We now come to describe these four knots:

Tongue Knot (Jihuah – or Jihva – Granthi)

The knot of the tongue consists in the physiological fact that our tongue
cannot normally touch the uvula or enter the nasal pharynx. For this reason
we are disconnected from the energy reserve which is based in the
Sahasrara region. It should be explained that loosening the tongue knot is
achieved partially by turning the tongue back and touching the middle part
of the upper palate at the point where the hard palate becomes soft.
When with Kechari Mudra we manage to access this inexhaustible
inner source, many subtle transformations take place in our psycho-
physical system: the most important of all is the quieting of all unwelcome
and useless thoughts continually produced by our mind.

Heart knot (Hridaya Granthi)

After attaining Kechari Mudra, the journey of calm Prana from Sahasrara
to Muladhara has begun. The obstacle that is now being overcome is
Hridaya Granthi (the knot of the heart.) This knot is also called Vishnu
Granthi: Lord Vishnu is the deity of conservation. This knot creates the
desire to preserve ancient knowledge, traditions, institutions ... It produces
"compassion", an acute desire to help suffering humanity. By untying this
knot, we gain liberation from those traditional, powerful but illusory, bonds
that are deeply rooted in our genetic code.
In the Kriya tradition this knot is dissolved by perfecting the Thokar
procedure. A kriyaban becomes one with the element "air" (the fourth of
the five Tattwas) whose seat is the fourth Chakra. Getting in tune with the

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Tattwa of the air means entering a sublime state: the awareness of the
Sound and the Divine Light are enormously intensified.

Navel knot (Nabhi Granthi)

The navel knot is untied by perfecting the procedure of Navi Kriya or by
applying the Tibetan practice of Tummo. The Prana and Apana currents
unite in the navel region and activate the balancing current Samana. The
breath becomes calm and the consciousness tunes into the spiritual channel
of Sushumna in the central part of the spine.

Muladhara Knot (Muladhara Granthi)

This knot is also called Brahma Granthi: it maintains ignorance of our
infinite nature and is the greatest obstacle in the spiritual quest, as it
obstructs the path of Kundalini which would like to move freely within the
spine. Until one unties this knot, one cannot meditate effectively. The
world of names and forms creates restlessness and prevents the mind from
becoming one-pointed. Ambitions and desires trap the mind.
In Lahiri Mahasaya's Kriya Yoga this knot is untied either slowly
through Kriya Pranayama or faster with the Fourth Kriya technique
described in chapter 8 or with the Tribhangamurari Macro and Micro
techniques described in chapter 9.

By untying the Brahma Granti knot, the screen of illusion is broken and
Kundalini is then free to rise in all its power and reach Kutastha. Time-
bound awareness dissolves – the yogi settles in the supreme Atman whose
seat is in the Sahasrara Chakra. Total liberation is achieved.

Conclusion
Higher Kriyas are practiced when there is time to practice them and when
the experience of several months or years of Kriya Pranayama has made
the breath calmer and the mind freer from distractions. The aim is to arrive
more quickly at the state in which, having the mind under control, our
conscience can totally immerse itself in the spiritual dimension.

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 CHAPTER 8

LAHIRI MAHASAYA'S KRIYA YOGA

( Higher Kriyas as explained by the most part of the schools)

There are many variants of the Higher Kriyas; we will try to approach the
tradition handed down by Panchanan Bhattacharya, direct disciple of
Lahiri Mahasaya.
These Kriyas are divided into two groups: the first group (which we
will talk about in this chapter) requires the ability to hold the breath for a
long period of time. This skill develops gradually and always with great
caution.
In the next ninth chapter we will deal with the remaining group in
which it is required to have reached the state of ''calm breath''. What is this
state? Briefly, this breath is manifested when the practice of Kriya
Pranayama succeeds with a long but extremely subtle breath, almost non-
existent, while continuing to perceive clearly the ascending and descending
current. There are no more sounds in the throat. The duration of such a
breath approaches 44 seconds. I realize that it is difficult to put into words
what the ''calm breath'' state is. I think that only the person who
experiences it in his own practice understands this.

In this chapter the following techniques will be described: Omkar, Thokar,

Advanced Thokar and Pratichakra Omkar Kriya [Pratichakra means
Chakra for Chakra.] We attribute the name Second Kriya to Thokar, while
to the form of Advanced Thokar we attribute the name Third Kriya and
finally to Pratichakra Omkar Kriya we attribute the name of Fourth Kriya:
these are the names that most of the schools that refer to Panchanan
Bhattacharya use. In my research I did not clearly understand the name to
be attributed to the simple Omkar technique. I thought to simply call it
''Omkar Technique - preliminary to Thokar'' as for all intents and purposes
this is precisely its function.

Omkar technique - preliminary to Thokar

Tradition explains that this practice takes place in the best way by
employing Kechari Mudra. The reason is that with the help of this
technique which turns the tongue in, the mind is also turned in.
The Omkar procedure essentially consists of a Pranayama whose
basis is the 12-syllable Vasudeva Mantra: "Om Namo Bhagavate
Vasudevaya". 4 By means of this Mantra the Prana and the mind are
4
I received it changing the first ''v'' in ''b'': "Om Namo Bhagabate Vasudevaya" and in

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allowed to ''touch'' the Chakras in a very intense way. The syllables of this
Mantra are mentally placed in the center of each Chakra.

Practical instruction
We have seen that First Kriya requires a strong and long breath. On the
contrary, in the Omkar Technique the absolute necessity of a more subtle
way of breathing is emphasized, otherwise the Prana will remain unevenly
distributed along the spine. If the practice were to be done with too much
force, the Prana could not calm down and this would create an
insurmountable difficulty.
Inhale, in the subtle way we have described, mentally placing the
syllables of the Vasudeva Mantra in the seat of each Chakra, pausing for a
few moments in each. During the inhalation lift the chin following the
inner movement of the Prana; Om is mentally chanted in the first Chakra,
Na in the second, Mo in the third, Bha in the fourth, Ga in the fifth and Ba
in the Medulla. In this way, in each Chakra, the breath creates pressure –
effective without being too strong. The practice is optimal when one feels
that the breath/Mantra is like a scalpel which slightly penetrates each
Chakra.
Once the inhalation is complete, place yourself totally in Kutastha,
hold your breath and gently come down a little with your chin. This is not
Jalandhara Bandha – it is milder. While you're doing this, gently push the
tip of your tongue up. You will have the sensation that it touches the third
eye. This happens especially if you are practicing true Kechari Mudra, i.e.
if the tongue is above the uvula. Also feel that the fourth Chakra and the
third eye are becoming one.
Having this perception, and continuing to hold your breath, rotate
your head counterclockwise. Starting from the chin-down position, move
to the left, then go back and then to the right and then return to the head
position we described earlier. It is as if, as the rotation proceeds, the head
fills with energy. During the rotation of the head, perceive the effect it also
has on the heart Chakra.
Now the exhalation begins. Place the remaining syllables of the
Mantra into each Chakra from top to bottom. Te is mentally chanted in the
Medulla, Va in the fifth Chakra, Su in the fourth, De in the third, Va in the
second and Ya in the first. Repeat at least 12 cycles of this procedure.

Effects of this practice

As you delve deeper into this practice, you will intuit how to go deeper and
deeper through it.
Mind and Prana become stable not only in Ajna Chakra and in
Muladhara, as happens in First Kriya, but also in each Chakra. Thus there
this way I utilize it in my descriptions.

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is a greater chance of attaining stability for Prana. When this skill is
attained, one becomes able to still the breath along the entire spine.
The Om sound emerges naturally and captivates the mind. At first,
the sound seems like bees gone mad, gradually refining into a note that
sounds like a flute, harp, gong or thunder.
In the Omkar technique there is a stage where the sound reaches its
state of maximum subtlety and here the practitioner is immersed in its
stability and is overwhelmed by inexpressible bliss. In the phase following
this practice, the state of tranquility appears in all its power.

To conclude, when you get good results you can decide to experiment the
Second Kriya to experience all the unlimited spiritual grace contained in
the heart Chakra.

Second Kriya: Thokar

The element ''air'' (the fourth of the 5 tattwas) resides in the heart Chakra.
In the Omkar technique we have already learned to pay attention to this
Chakra. Now, after the practice of 12 Omkar Kriyas the mind develops the
ability to focus specifically on the ''air'' element that resides in the heart
Chakra.
The structure of the Second Kriya Pranayama is somewhat similar to
the previous breath technique but is intensified by a strong jerk that is
applied in the seat of the fourth Chakra. This jerk is called Thokar.
With this Second Kriya, the knot of the heart (Hridaya Granti) is
struck; with the practice of the advanced technique (Third Kriya), the knot
of the heart is pierced.
The characteristic of the Second Kriya is that Kumbhaka is practiced
in the fourth Chakra. The Prana is held here in this place.

The kriyaban places his mind in Sushumna, holds his breath and
concentrates in Kutastha. Then, with the tongue in Kechari Mudra, with a
jerk, moves the chin towards the chest and guides all its inner strength into
the Lotus of the heart: the mind becomes as if dead and a state of
Conscious Absorption takes place.
Thokar embodies the perfection of Kriya Pranayama. The ancient
Hatha Yoga texts say that Pranayama without the three Bandhas
(Jalandhara, Mula and Uddiyana) is useless. They also say that the
Bandhas are useless without the Maha Veda. Well, all this is contained in
Thokar.

Practical instruction
Moderately contract the muscles at the base of the spine. Inhale and
simultaneously raise awareness along the spinal column. The hands with

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intertwined fingers are placed above the navel to create mental pressure
over the first three Chakras. This pressure is refined by adding Uddiyana
Bandha. During the inhalation raise the chin following the inner movement
of the Prana; mentally chant the syllables of the Vasudeva Mantra (Om
Namo Bhagabate Vasudevaya.) Om is chanted in the first Chakra, Na in the
second, Mo in the third, Bha in the fourth, Ga in the fifth and Ba in
Medulla.
Once this inhalation is complete, hold your breath, lower your head
forward and touch your chest with your chin. From this position, move
your head to the left while also turning your face to the left and lifting your
chin until it is over your left shoulder and parallel to the ground.
Then keep rotating your head in the same counter-clockwise
direction. When the head is centered between the shoulders and the chin is
raised as much as possible (and the muscles behind the neck are
contracted) chant Te in the heart Chakra.

Relax the contraction and continue the counter-clockwise rotation of the

head until the right ear approaches the right shoulder, without turning the
face to the right and then continue the circular motion until the chin is
again in the center and touches the chest. Do not pause but continue the
rotation by moving the head to the left, turning the face to the left and
lifting the chin until it is above the left shoulder. At this point, contract the
cervical muscles and chant Va in the heart Chakra.
Release the contraction, continue the rotation, but this time, right
after, when you reach the center point between the shoulders (the chin is
not held up as in the previous round) bend your head forward, bring your
chin to your chest, and chant Su into the Heart Chakra and continue to
hold your breath in this position for a few more seconds before lifting your
head.
Apply Mula Bandha and Uddiyana Bandha: you will feel an
intensification of energy in the heart region.
After this pause, lift your chin until it is horizontal again. At this
point, breathe out quietly. Mentally chant De in Manipura, Va in
Swadhisthana, and Ya in Muladhara. The duration of the exhalation should
be longer than the duration of the inhalation. Repeat this powerful
procedure 12 times.

Third Kriya: advanced form of Thokar

The Kriya that we will now describe is an enormous acceleration of the
Second Kriya which unties, with greater force, the knot of the heart.
Mastering this Kriya creates very subtle experiences; perception of "inner
light" and "inner sound" become much easier. The mind and Prana need to
be touched by the quintessence located in the place of the heart.

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In this Kriya the use of a longer Kumbhaka than the one foreseen in the
Second Kriya is prescribed: in fact the instruction is given to apply the
procedure, which we have previously described, several times on the heart
Chakra maintaining a perfect Kumbhaka. There are various ways of
conceiving the way of holdig the breath: here I describe the two most
common.

First way of conceiving how to hold the breath

Start doing the same actions that have been described in the Second Kriya.
Inhale and simultaneously lift your awareness up the spinal column.
During the inhalation lift the chin following the inner movement of the
Prana; Mentally chant the syllables of the Vasudeva Mantra as already
explained. With this inhalation complete, hold your breath, tilt your head
forward and touch your chin to your chest. Then move your head and face
to the left by lifting your chin over your left shoulder and continue to rotate
your head in the same counterclockwise direction. When the head is
centered between the shoulders, sing Te in the heart Chakra. Continue the
counterclockwise rotation of the head as you approach the right shoulder
and then continue the circular motion until the chin is centered again.
Continue the rotation by moving head and face to the left, at this point sing
Va in the heart Chakra. Continue the rotation and when you reach the
central point between the shoulders, bend the head forward, bring the chin
to the chest, and chant Su in the heart Chakra. Continue to hold your
breath and repeat all these head movements 5 times while holding your
breath. Finally lift your chin until it is horizontal again. At this point,
exhale quietly. Mentally chant De in Manipura, Va in Swadhisthana, and
Ya in Muladhara.

Repeat this whole procedure 6 to 12 times.

By means of this form of Thokar the door of the Sushumna is
revealed. Experiences of happiness, pain, peace etc. are perceived . If one
is able to cut the knot here, most material and psychic slavery will be cut
off and the path of yoga further cleared of obstacles.

Second, extremely challenging, way of conceiving how to hold the breath

Let us carefully consider this second possibility. It is taught to continue
holding the breath even after 5 repetitions of the head movements: the
instruction that Lahiri Mahasaya gave was to increase the number of these
repetitions by one a day up to 200 repetitions of the movement! It is
explained that in this way the small shell that hides the state of supreme
tranquility is removed and the practitioner gets very close to the state of
Samadhi, even being able to reach it.

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It is imperative not to feel a state of discomfort! ''Don't force'' is the firm
recommendation! This procedure is practiced only once after Kriya
Pranayama and Navi Kriya.

Some reflections on the difficulty of increasing the repetitions of the head

movements while maintaining perfect Kumbhaka
Let's try to ask ourselves: how is it possible to comfortably reach the goal
of 200 rotations, without interrupting the state of Kumbhaka? Fulfilling this
request appears very difficult – almost impossible, even though using
movements reduced to the essentials. Most kriyabans find themselves stuck
after 20-30 repetitions, panting to resume breathing. Is it correct to proceed
by moving your head much faster? No, this would be silly.

Please consider a possible explanation for what happens to those people

who claim to have achieved that goal.
I think that when one is approaching the limit of the ability to hold
one's breath, keeping the chest expanded and the abdominal muscles and
diaphragm contracted and immobile, it is possible for a small (almost
imperceptible) sip of air to come out when the chin is lowered towards the
chest and an imperceptible sip of air to enter when the chin is raised.
Note, I wrote ''almost imperceptible''! Surely a person does not
perform any specific act of inhaling or exhaling. The kriyaban is relaxed,
unaware of this fact and lets this phenomenon happen automatically and
naturally. It may happen that this kriyaban is convinced to proceed while
maintaining perfect breath holding.

I believe that in this way the goal of 200 rotations can be achieved.
Perhaps, thanks to the effects of this practice that we can consider
''imperfect'', by means of the effects on the nerve ganglia which exert an
influence on the central cardio-respiratory mechanism, the practice could
take place in ever better conditions. Are these conditions the state of
perfect breathlessness? I cannot answer. Surely, the experience of the 200
rotations occurs in a state of consciousness characterized by an increased
sense of freedom from physical laws.

I want to emphasize that Kevala Kumbhaka (automatic cessation of breath

while remaining in a state of immobility) is a whole other reality, an
integral part of the state of Samadhi. This Kevala Kumbhaka is
fundamental in the Kriya path and can be obtained with the prolonged
practice of Kriya Pranayama (First Kriya).

To conclude the explanation of this Third Kriya, I still want to underline a

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concept: to continue in one's spiritual evolution it is obligatory to listen to
the Omkar sound. Om, Aum, Omkar, Nada, Shabda, Pranava... call it what
you want: this experience must take place in the life of a kriyaban!

Fourth Kriya: Pratichakra Omkar Kriya

In the Second and Third level of Kriya, the Prana becomes stable in the
heart. Now, through the Fourth Kriya, the uniformly stable state of Prana
is reached in the totality of Sushumna. With the practice of the Fourth
Kriya, the Muladhara Granti is pierced.
In the methodology of this Kriya, the ascending and descending
movements of the mind and the Prana, and the practice of Kumbhaka play
an important role. The characteristic of this method is that it leads to the
manifold stability which has been only partially achieved up to now.
By raising the Prana in Kutastha by means of a deep inhalation a
particular instruction to practice Japa at that point is given.
One holds one's breath and mentally chants the Vasudeva Mantra
three times. The number of three times is for those who start this practice,
later, as we will see, it will be increased.
This is done with each Chakra by focusing the Prana in each center.
The six Chakras are perceived as six moons. It is explained that one should
be able to hold Prana in Kutastha. If the Prana begins to descend very
slowly and deeply below the throat it should be raised again in Kutastha.
With this excellent stability of mind, if 12 cycles of this procedure
are performed, one goes beyond the realms of ''stability'' hitherto attained
in Dhyana, and the ''shell'' is broken.

Practical instruction
Focus on the Muladhara Chakra. Contract the muscles that are near its
physical location. Through a deep inhalation visualize the Muladhara
Chakra rising to the point between the eyebrows, where you will perceive
it as a full moon. Do not ''touch'' the other Chakras. They don't exist. Hold
your breath and focus on the ''inner space between the eyebrows''. This will
be easy with Kechari Mudra. 5 On the screen between the eyebrows, a
particular color experience takes place – this color is different for each
Chakra. Mentally chant the Vasudeva Mantra (Om Na Mo Bha Ga Ba Te
Va Su De Va Ya) three times, always holding your breath. Slowly place its
syllables in the center of Kutastha.
By means of a long exhalation, ideally lower this Chakra from the

5
"Ke-chari" is literally translated as "the state of those who fly in the sky, in the
ether". A particular "space" is created in the region between the tip of the tongue and
the point between the eyebrows and is perceived as a "vacuum", although it is not a
physical void. By merging into this empty space, it is easier for a kriyaban to
perceive the rhythms of each Chakra and distinguish them one from another.

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point between the eyebrows to its true seat in the spine. Do the same thing
with each Chakra of the spine. In a similar way attract Medulla towards
Kutastha. Always remember to contract the muscles of the spine which are
located near the seat of the Chakra that you are gradually bringing into
Kutastha. Then complete the "cycle" by acting again on the Medulla and
then lifting the Chakras 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, always being aware of a particular
experience of Light in Kutastha. In order to break the knot of Muladhara
one must experience the different Chakras and dissolve the five Tattwas.
The technique is complete if the whole procedure is repeated 12 times.

In the Kriya tradition, the Chakras are related to the five Tattwas: earth,
water, fire, air, ether. 6 Offering each Tattwa individually to the light of the
spiritual eye, gathering it and intensifying it in the region between the
eyebrows is the highest action ever conceived to dissolve the last shell of
illusion.
By means of the experience of the different Chakras, you will be
able to break the knot of Muladhara. The sleeping Kundalini moves and
rises upward. This is the mystery of how the Muladhara knot is broken.

Now we come to consider the delicate topic of increasing the number of

repetitions of the Vasudeva Mantra in the center of Kutastha for each
Chakra. The number of repetitions is gradually increased. One should
reach thirty-six times for each Chakra, always holding the breath. This is
what the tradition says.

Here we are in a situation similar to the one we encountered with the Third
Kriya. At that moment if we chant this Mantra slowly, then this
achievement becomes practically impossible, a real torture. I respect and
write what tradition has handed down to us, nevertheless I continue to
believe that the concept of ''perfect breath holding'' should be replaced by
that of ''calm breathing'' which means a very subtle, practically non-
existent breath.

I think it would be absurd to strain and then hurt our body by trying to
achieve an unnatural condition. So I am of the idea of increasing by a few
numbers, be satisfied with these and not create feelings of inferiority. I
think it is best to pay attention to the intensity of concentration and the joy
and well-being gained from the practice.

6
It has been explained that everything that exists in the universe is made of a
combination of these five forms of energy. To a kriyaban the theory of the Tattwas is
not a theme of useless speculation. They are conceived as a concrete series of states
of consciousness, whose intimate essence is experienced in the last part of the
devotee's journey toward the Absolute Consciousness.

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After completing the required number of Kriyas, the practitioner should sit
quietly in silence contemplating the results. The mind must gradually
detach itself from all the various thoughts by plunging deeply into the
vastness of stillness and perfect balance. There is no other Sadhana. The
Sahasrara Chakra opens more and more as this silent meditation takes
place.

Conclusion
As we have explained there are mainly two ways of teaching the Higher
Kriyas. In this chapter we have described the first way. Now you are
wondering what to do with these instructions. I think that you want to
experiment with these techniques and decide which ones will be part of
your conclusive routine. Usually many people choose to continue
practicing the Second Kriya.
However, life is yours. I want to hope that you find the time to learn
and practice with enthusiasm also the second way in which the Higher
Kriyas were taught. This will be a challenging but incomparable
experience. We will talk about this in the next chapter.

[Here I want to explain how I got the information I shared in this chapter.
Even before the publication of this book I knew that the original Second
Kriya was made up of the Thokar technique, I knew that the same procedure
repeated several times was called Third Kriya. I knew this from a friend who for
several years had gone to the center linked to the organization of P.Y. in the
vicinity of Calcutta. This center was sometimes frequented by Brahmin who had
been initiated into Kriya Yoga many years ago. With this Brahmin my friend had
spoken many times and discussed the dynamics of Kriya. So then I had no idea
of the existence of an Omkar technique to be practiced before Thokar.
Many years later some French friends told me about it, they sent me a
detailed instruction which I copied in my archives. It was still a few years before
I received other documents from India which clearly stated the importance of this
Omkar technique. They called it Second Kriya, while everything related to
Thokar they called Third Kriya. I decided to practice this technique and realized
its importance. This is why I describe it precisely in this chapter.
The movements of the Thokar were instead described to me with great
accuracy by two friends who wrote to me from the USA: they had received it
from an Indian master who for many years, before leaving his body, had lived in
the United States. This teacher was initiated by Sri Dubey who drew on the
teachings of Panchanan Bhattacharya. ]

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 CHAPTER 9

LAHIRI MAHASAYA'S KRIYA YOGA

( Higher Kriyas as taught by Satya Charan Lahiri)

In this chapter we will describe the two Higher Kriyas that are missing to
complete the explanation of these techniques. The main characteristic of
these procedures is that they are practiced in the condition of ''calm
breathing.''
I learned these techniques from the school that comes from Tincouri
Lahiri who received this instruction from his father Lahiri Mahasaya.
[This lineage was continued mainly by his son Satya Charan Lahiri and his
disciple, Dr. Ashoke Kumar Chatterjee.]
The fact is that this school believes that the two techniques we are
about to describe are enough to walk the totality of the spiritual path
without recognizing the need to practice the techniques described in the
previous chapter. Therefore they call these techniques Second and Third
Kriya.
To avoid confusion I will put in brackets the name that was given to
them by Panchanan Bhattacharya that is Fifth and Sixth Kriya. The ideal
study of all the Higher Kriyas as they were taught by Panchanan
Bhattacharya should begin with what is explained in the eighth chapter and
then continue with the two techniques explained here, overcoming the
problem of names.

We will start with the Second Kriya which will be presented in three steps:
Amantrak, Samantrak and Thokar. While the Thokar explained in the
previous chapter hits the Anahata Chakra directly, this Thokar hits the
Muladhara Chakra. It has been explained that when this Chakra is hit, the
Kundalini energy rises to the heart Chakra. Hence the latter Thokar serves
to complete the action of the former.

In the vision of Kriya as explained by Satya Charan Lahiri preparation is

required before starting the practice of Amantrak. Specifically, it is asked to
practice 200 Kriya Pranayama every day (once a day) for three months.
Then, to begin the practice of Samantrak it is asked to practice 300 Kriya
Pranayama every day for three months. The purpose of this preparation is
to have reached the state of ''calm breath'' that we have talked about. I
think, but of course I could be wrong, that such preparation is superfluous
for those who have seriously practiced the techniques explained in the
previous chapter.

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The introduction to these Higher Kriyas begins with describing the
Tribhangamurari form which is the symbol of Sri Krishna. (see fig. 7)

Tribhanga is a standing body position used in traditional Indian art and

dance, where the body bends in one direction for the knees, the other
direction for the hips and then the other again regarding the shoulders and
neck. Krishna playing his flute is most often depicted in a position with the
lower leg crossing with the other.
We will learn to perceive this form by engraving it into our body first
by simply moving the awareness along a prescribed path, then this
perception will be accompanied by the Vasudeva Mantra. Finally this
perception will be strengthened by the help of particular movements of the
head. By repeating this procedure many times, ascending from Muladhara
to the head and descending, following the path with three curves, each
Chakra will be strongly stimulated and a great transformation will take
place in us.
Some say that the Tribhangamurari movement is a universal event
that appears spontaneously when a person practices Kriya Pranayama for
very long sessions (for example 200 or 300 repetitions during a single
session.) I think that this movement rarely appears spontaneously: it is
perceived after many attempts, acting patiently.
What happens when this current is perceived is difficult to express
because we have no words to describe a reality that is beyond the mind.
The Tribhangamurari current seems to belong to another world.

The 3 procedures Amantrak, Samantrak and Thokar are not to be practiced

at the same time. If, to be able to go faster, one does this, the only effect is
to imprint in one's mind a wrong way of conceiving the practice.

SECOND KRIYA: TRIBHANGAMURARI MACRO MOVEMENT

[Correct name according to tradition : Fifth Kriya]

First stage of practice: Amantrak

Exceptionally, just to experience this Tribhangamurari movement, start
with a long and deep inhalation. The tongue is in Kechari Mudra or in
baby Kechari. Very slowly, raise your awareness along the spinal canal,
from Muladhara to Bindu (Bindu, the Sikha point, is located at the back of
the head below the Sahasrara Chakra where the hairline forms a kind of
vortex).
Then start a deep exhalation. Prana and awareness move slowly
along the Tribhangamurari path. The Tribhangamurari path starts from
Bindu rises very slightly towards the left part of the brain then descends

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towards the right part of the body. Once it reaches a particular point in the
back (which is about 5-6 centimeters higher than the height of the right
nipple) it curves and moves to the left crossing the heart node. After
reaching a point in the back (which is 5-6 centimeters lower than the height
of the left nipple) it changes direction again and points towards Muladhara.
This whole procedure, going up and down takes about a minute.
The correct practice, however, is to be able to perceive this path only
mentally, forgetting the breath that will be free and very calm. Try several
times to feel this inner movement.

We call this technique ''Amantrak'' which means ''without the use of a

Mantra''. We have said that it is possible to perceive a complete movement
of Amantrak in one minute. Whoever completes a lap in a shorter time, say
40 seconds, must not think that the practice is wrong.

Fig7 Tribhangamurari path as seen from the back

We come to underline the most important aspect of this practice. Its

essence consists in a constant intensification of mental pressure along the
entire circuit. Consider the physical action of squeezing a nearly empty
tube of toothpaste with a pencil to squeeze out whatever remains. Well, this
image gives you a good idea of the amount of mental pressure you need to
apply during this procedure. When you use great strength of concentration
and will, there is no limit to the increase in energy flow along the
Tribhangamurari path.

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As for the routine, this advice is given: ''For two weeks repeat this
technique 25 times, once a day. Then for another two weeks repeat it 50
times, once a day; then for another two weeks 75 times .... and so on up to
200 times a day for two weeks. Only at this point are you supposed to be
ready to practice the following Samantrak instruction.''

Second stage of practice: Samantrak

Samantrak means: ''with the use of a Mantra.'' Also in this procedure the
breath is free, totally forgotten. [This is the usual teaching – but you are
free to use an almost invisible form of breathing as long as this option
proves useful and does not push you to proceed too quickly.]
The syllables Om, Na, Mo, Bha, Ga are vibrated respectively in the
first five Chakras, Ba in Bindu. Teee (with eee… prolonged) is chanted in
the upper center which is located in the left side of the brain. The syllables
Va, Su, De and Va are placed in the four new centers outside the spine;
Yaaa is vibrated in Muladhara.
These five new centers are to be considered five "vortexes" in the
main flow of the current – therefore they are not a new set of Chakras.
Each syllable, when vibrated, acts like a mental Thokar, like a tap that
occurs in stillness. As the technique is performed slowly, there is plenty of
time to make this stimulation very effective.

Fig.8 Tribhangamurari path, enriched with the syllables of the Mantra

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The Samantrak route also takes about one minute. However, 40/45 seconds
is an excellent time.
The essence of this procedure is to do what we have done in
Amantrak and also to strengthen the mental pressure on the entire path by
mentally vibrating the 12 syllables of the Mantra.
The number of daily practice repetitions that we have recommended
for Amantrak practice now remain the same. [''For two weeks 25 times,
once a day. Then 50 times once a day .... and so on up to 200'']

Don't be in a hurry
Amantrak and Samantrak create the perception of a particular inner
movement in your body. The Thokar procedure should only be applied
when this energy flow is well imprinted in your consciousness.
These techniques, correctly applied, have the power to create a
permanent transformation in your attitude towards Kriya.
The syllables of the Mantra (Om Namo Bhagabate Vasudevaya) are
placed with great care as seeds in each center, they will change your mood.
It's like turning on various lights along the three-curve path. It is as if the
rays of a sun in a clear sky are finally entering your practice. You will
make acquaintance with a hitherto unknown state of ecstasy while fully
experiencing the beauty of life.

Some students try to immediately savor the power of Thokar

Tribhangamurari and they do so through a sporadic, disordered
experimentation of Amantrak and Samantrak far from respecting the said
rules. What could be the true impact of the Thokar Tribhangamurari
technique remains so unknown and not even remotely foreshadowed.

Third stage of practice: Thokar

[Remember that this Thokar is different from the one described in chapter
8]

Forget the breath. The hands (with intertwined fingers) are placed on the
navel area so as to push up the abdominal region, thus creating a mental
pressure on the first three Chakras. Place your chin on your chest and
move your energy and awareness very slowly along the spinal column from
Muladhara to Bindu.
The chin rises slowly as you ''touch'' each Chakra internally with the
syllables of the Mantra (Om is placed in the first Chakra, Na in the
second ...). When energy and awareness are in the Bindu, the chin is
parallel to the ground.

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Now the descent of the energy starts. The movement of the head will
follow the energy flow along the Tribhangamurari path millimeter by
millimeter. Everything will happen smoothly, in the space of thirty seconds
or less. The description of the head movements that I am about to describe
will, at first glance, seem complicated. With a minimum of patience, the
right movement of the head will be learned: it is enough to understand that
it has been conceived in the most logical and effective way to intensify the
particular sinuous flow of energy and awareness. So we come to describe
the movements of the head.
Without turning your face, move your head to the left, a couple of
centimeters, then return to the middle by lifting your chin. During this
movement the inner flow of energy moves from the Bindu to a higher point
on the left side of the brain, as shown in the drawing. Stay in this position
for just a moment while mentally saying the syllable Teee.

Fig.9 Thokar Tribhangamurari as seen from the front

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Slowly turn your face to the right. Only the face moves, not the trunk.
During this SLOW movement the internal flow of energy moves from the
brain to the point of the back on the right side of the back. Everything
happens as in Amantrak, as in Samantrak but now these simple movements
of the head perfectly accompany the descent of the energy. Here the first of
the five psycho-physical blows occurs: the chin touches the right shoulder
for a moment and the syllable Va is vibrated in the eighth center. The
shoulder also makes a small upward movement to make contact with the
chin easier. But beware: if you feel you are forcing it, don't! If you cannot
touch the right shoulder with the chin, be content to get as close to the
shoulder as possible and stimulate the eighth center with pure mental
strength and the vibration of the syllable Va.
Then the face slowly turns to the left accompanying, millimeter by
millimeter, the internal flow of energy from the eighth to the ninth center,
crossing the fourth Chakra. Now, if possible, the chin should reach over
the left shoulder. The second blow occurs when the syllable Su is vibrated
in the ninth center as the chin briefly touches the left shoulder – the
shoulder makes a small upward movement to make contact with the chin
easier.

Fig.10 The same movements (only the descent) as seen from the back

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Two more hits occur when the syllables De and Va are placed in the tenth
and eleventh center. The modality is the following: the chin moves slowly
towards the center of the chest, touching the left collarbone. During this
movement, two light strokes are given to the left collarbone in intermediate
positions. The blows, of course, are given when the syllables of the Mantra
are vibrated. Finally, a blow is given to the chest (central position) when
the syllable Ya is vibrated in Muladhara.
I hope it is clear that the essence of this particular procedure is to use
the movements of the head (with the five strokes) to encourage a further
intensification of mental pressure along the entire circuit.

Repeat the procedure 36 times. After completing the programmed number

of rounds, calm the system by means of a minimal practice of Samantrak,
then relax by practicing a simple mental Pranayama.
Expert supervision helps to avoid problems – I mean physical
problems of overexertion and pain in the cervical vertebrae and neck
muscles. Abrupt movements should be avoided; in their place a great
mental intensity of concentration is used. For a couple of weeks it is good
to avoid practicing this Thokar every day. Better every two or three days.

Remark
During this procedure the Tribhangamurari flow is intensified by the
movements of the head. The problem is that many kriyabans focus all
attention on delivering the blows and do not understand the value of
creating mental pressure along every millimeter of the path.
We began by perceiving the sensation of movement that rises along
the spine and descends along the three-curve path. Then with the
Samantrak procedure we strengthened the perception of the 12 centers.
Now we must feel that the movements of the head perfectly accompany,
millimeter after millimeter, the flow of the internal current. We can try to
intensify the perception of the internal flow by creating a mental pressure
along each part of it. The movements of the head therefore serve to "touch
with pressure" every millimeter of the path, up and down. The chin should
be moved slowly as if we were trying to overcome a strong resistance. We
suggested the idea: "like squeezing a nearly empty tube of toothpaste with
a pencil to get the last little bit out."

Incremental routine of the Tribhangamurari macro movement

As soon as possible, aim to complete the incremental routine of this
procedure. This will be a momentous time in your life.
The prescribed doses are as follows: 36x1, 36x2, 36x3,… .. 36x35,
36x36. Attention: between one stage and the next stage, at least a week

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always elapses! This routine is very important. The effects are strong and
involve a great inner transformation. A minimum of 8-10 months is
required to complete it.
Therefore, while Amantrak and Samantrak were practiced every day,
the incremental sessions of Thokar Tribhangamurari will be practiced once
a week: the time needed to metabolize the subconscious material that the
strong action exerted on Muladhara and the heart Chakra brings to the
surface.
It starts with 36 rounds; a week later you practice 36x2, then 36x3 ...
and, by increasing, you finally get to 36x36 repetitions. This means 1296
full rounds!

Can you imagine the powerful effects of this action? 1296 means that you
start in the morning and finish at night, repeating the same action many
times over. There is no doubt that you will be able to open the door of the
Sushumna! Of course you have prepared this experience by practicing
36x35, and before 36x34 .... And let's not forget that you have practiced
Amantrak and Samantrak for several months!

A personal tip on this Incremental Routine

What I am explaining to you here is not part of the original teaching, so
make the use that your intuition suggests. This is just an observation made
by me and by some researchers, my friends, who have shared these
experiences with me.
I am simply referring that you may find that Thokar works very
effectively if you practice it from a certain moment onward by whispering
the syllables of the Mantra.
During the initial part of the incremental session of Thokar
Tribhangamurari, keep your mouth closed and tongue in Kechari Mudra.
But after half of the session, forget Kechari, and begin to whisper each of
the twelve syllables, mentally directing them towards the seat of the
respective center. You will feel that each slight pronunciation creates a
sensation of warmth in each center; you will perceive a particular joy.
Proceed slowly ''exhaling'' each syllable on each center from your lips. This
light touch accompanied by a mental intention has a particular power that
creates joy. Remarkable is what happens during the downward movement,
that is with the last six syllables, in particular in Muladhara where you can
stop: in those moments create the desire to increase the sense of joy and
you will succeed!

A second personal tip

After completing this long process (Amantrak, Samantrak and Thokar) you
can experience the following procedure. This is also not part of the original

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teaching.

Thokar Tribhangamurari using the breath

We have described the Tribhangamurari techniques explaining that they
must be practiced with free, uncontrolled breathing. Now let's try to
describe the Thokar procedure involving the breath. It is a variant adopted
by some: I find it fantastic!

Inhale by mentally placing the syllables Om Na Mo Bha Ga Ba in the

relevant Chakras. The chin is raised by accompanying the current within
the spine. At this point hold your breath and, in this state of Kumbhaka,
mentally descend along the Tribhangamurari three-curve path, doing the
typical movements of Thokar Tribhangamurari, placing the five mental
syllables Tee Va Su De Va in the centers that are outside the spine dorsal.
The syllable Yaaa is placed in Muladhara.
Usually the final three blows (De Va Yaaa) produce a sense of
ecstasy. The last movement, that is the blow on Muladhara, is pleasant in a
special way: the energy is intensified in this Chakra. Take a few seconds to
feel this sensation of energy.
Now begin a slow exhalation creating with the breath a clear sound
eeeee .... Feel that the Om vibration comes down from the Medulla and
penetrates the heart Chakra. It is important to feel it strongly in the heart.
The practice is so beautiful that you will often go into an ecstatic
state during the practice itself. You will feel drunk with joy. Repeat this
procedure 36 times. Then you can close this practice by resuming the
Samantrak technique – with a free breath while maintaining stillness.

Digression on the Effects of Intensive Thokar Practice

We are often governed by superficial emotions that come from our fears,
our weaknesses, our pessimism. Very important is the ability to keep these
emotions at bay, continuing on one's own path even when we suffer from
an excruciating conflict. It is the incremental Thokar routine we have just
described that helps us control those emotions.
I tried to trace the topic ''emotions'' in some oriental books but I
encountered so much rhetoric, so many words that do not touch the essence
of the problem. These texts distinguish between positive emotions
(affection, happiness, fulfillment ...) and negative (envy, aggression and
illusion ...) After boring and useless rankings, we still cannot grasp the
essential fact: superficial emotions that are not controlled can create
disasters in our life.
We all know how violent, frantic and hysterical emotions often
suddenly arise in our being and soon disappear. In fact, they express a
private reality of authentic depth, but they possess a driving force that ends

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in hasty actions, experienced in a kind of cerebral fever nourished by a
petty visceral pleasure. When passion inflames the whole being, it is not
possible to listen to the guidance of common sense.
Just as in summer the hail grains are created, condensed and
thickened in the air before falling to the earth producing all possible
disasters, fatal decisions begin to take shape in our imaginations. During
frequent daydreams, the prospect of giving up something positive but
demanding a lot of effort casts a false light on our immediate future, so that
what in the past would have made us ashamed of cowardice now seems to
shine on the horizon of our existence as a dull, shapeless, gloomy sky that
suddenly becomes serene and lights up with a bright blue.
When we are drawn into action by such seductive emotions we pave
the way for catastrophe. A wrong decision will be our crucifixion, a solid
and definitive pact with a state of disappointment that will last a lifetime.

Sometimes it almost seems as if a person wants to stubbornly assert their

"right to pain and suffering" [this is an expression of The Mother, Sri
Aurobindo's chief disciple and companion.] An indomitable force is
capable of creating misfortunes in our life. For example, sudden emotions
push one to interrupt a course of study and throw away a profession that he
has dreamed of for years, for which he has fought, suffered. It does the
same with a loved one, with friends, with the family itself. Nothing can
stop this person: the wise words of true friends no longer have any power.
We often break important ties with people because we think some of
our choices have received unwarranted criticism. A breakup of a friendship
relationship is a great loss, especially if it is the product of pride. Many
people are bothered by sincere and constructive criticism as if it were a
useless display of cruelty. The stronger a keen observation has, the more
they feel as if they are swallowing a piece of black, sharp-edged stone.
A kriyaban who believes he is listening to the voice of his heart but
who is actually driven by humiliating frustrations can reject any argument
and harm himself in various ways with actions that astound those around
him. A few days or months pass and a sense of heaviness appears; the
subtle deception of the mind, however, creates the firm conviction that
every person endowed with dignity could not have acted differently. The
person loves to repeat to himself that underneath his actions there is a
sacred motive linked to destiny and karma.
If the risk of retracing one's steps appears, pride prevails. Wisdom
has no chance of prevailing. A strange frenzy fills the mind, ensuring that
every action is enjoyed with an uninterrupted voluptuousness, surrounded
by flashes of blue. Yet in the heart will remain a pain that will never end.
Much of one's spiritual aspiration will remain trapped in a past that can no
longer be reached due to the fear of having to bear the full impact of a true

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and honest memory.

Well, an intense work with the Thokar, protracted, if necessary, for years is
the only thing that can affect the perverse mechanism we have described.
By working hard with this procedure we can change our attitude to act in
the way we have tried to describe. Understanding Lahiri Mahasaya's Kriya
also means understanding this!

THIRD KRIYA: TRIBHANGAMURARI MICRO MOVEMENT

[Correct name according to tradition : Sixth Kriya]

Introducing a person to this procedure means explaining that the

Tribhangamurari movement also exists within each Chakra in small
dimensions, for this reason we speak of the Tribhangamurari micro
movement.

Fig.11 Tribhangamurari micro movement in each of the 12 centers

The work in the spine now takes place in a more subtle way, in each of the
twelve centers that are found along the Tribhangamurari path. The time

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required to repeat this work in each center up and down becomes very
large. Usually one faces this practice in the last years of his life. Then,
when the work in the Chakras is completed, one repeats this practice only
in Kutastha preparing for the Mahasamadhi: the final conscious exit from
the body at the moment of death.

This Kriya is taught in two steps: Amantrak and Samantrak. This practice is
globally called Muladhara Granti Ved (unfastening the knot of
Muladhara.) I do not want to indulge in rhetorical quotations, I can only
say that by means of this procedure one becomes able to leave the
dimension of time and space and reach the highest state of Asamprajnata
Samadhi which leads to the Kaivalya state.

Practical instruction: how to perceive the Micro movement

We first learn to experience the Tribhangamurari movement in small
dimensions within each of the 12 centers of the Tribhangamurari path.
Keep the shape of this movement in your mind.
Do this experiment: through a short inhalation, lift the Prana from
Muladhara to the spiritual eye between the eyebrows. Lower your chin
slightly, hold your breath and look "down" at the Muladhara Chakra.
Visualize it as a horizontal disk with a diameter of about 2-3 centimeters.
Slowly try to perceive the Tribhangamurari movement in reduced
dimensions on that disc.
Don't worry about the time it takes – it can be short, it can be long ...
it doesn't matter. Apply moderate but continuous pressure on the disc as if
you were holding a pen and making a clear and precise mark.

From this moment on forget the breath. Repeat this practice only mentally
in the first Chakra. Move to the second Chakra and repeat the same
procedure. Continue trying to perceive the micro-movement in Chakras 3,
4 and 5, then in Bindu, then in the center that is above Bindu, then in the
four centers that are located outside the spine and finish this your first
round in Muladhara.
Practice three ''rounds'' of this technique (Amantrak micro) every day
for at least three months before beginning to increase the mental pressure
on each center using the syllables of the Vasudeva Mantra (Samantrak
micro.)

Tribhangamurari micro movement utilizing the Mantra

Practice Kechari Mudra. Lift the Prana from the Muladhara Chakra into
the spiritual eye. From this position look "down" and visualize the
Muladhara Chakra. Your breath is free. Mentally repeat the syllables "Om-
Na-Mo-Bha-Ga-Ba-Te-Va-Su-De-Va-Ya". Do this Japa without haste. Try

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to feel the Tribhangamurari micro-movement and realize how the 12
syllable mental chanting adds more ''pressure'' to it.
Remain motionless without making any movement of the spinal
column or head. Here all the power of pressure must be obtained by the
pure repetition of the syllables of the Mantra. Each syllable is like a small
"pulse." What we explained to help the perception of the macro movement,
that is, whispering the syllables instead of simply thinking them, still
applies here. So make several attempts at what is most useful to you and
decide for yourself.
The duration of a micro movement depends on the speed with which
you repeat the Mantra. For many people it lasts approximately 10-12
seconds. Remember Lahiri Mahasaya's recommendation: "Don't be in a
hurry!" Try to feel the difference between going slow and going fast. If you
go slowly you will feel enormous power.
Repeat the Vasudeva Mantra three times. The Prana remains totally
in the head. After three perceptions of the micro movement, repeat the
same procedure for Chakras 2, 3, 4 and 5, then Bindu, then the point above
Bindu on the left, then the four centers outside the spine and finally
Muladhara. This is one ''round'': the practice of three rounds is excellent
for concluding any Kriya Yoga routine. At the end of this practice, remain
with the awareness centered in the light that you will perceive in the upper
part of the head. If you proceed without haste, you will get a state that can
be defined as ''beyond time.''
If, after the practice, you find the time to lie down on your back
(Savasana) you will get a particular state of physical and mental stillness
where the Kundalini energy can rise up to the heart Chakra while the
Kutastha will reveal itself.
If you find time for an incremental routine you can increase by one
round per session up to 20 rounds.

This technique has a mystery of Unearthly Beauty. Among the ruins of past
illusions, it opens the doors of spiritual realization. This inner movement
embodies the deeper aspect of the Omkar reality. Perceiving it means
annihilating any form of duality present in the Chakras and therefore, in
one's awareness. It is as if the center between the eyebrows becomes one
with each Chakra, merging them into a single reality. The state of
''absorption'' created by having this particular perception in each Chakra is
unmatched. A burning love for the Divine is born. Only a few Kriya
schools have revealed the nature of this micro movement and revealed its
importance. Unfortunately, many people are frantically searching for
impossible surrogates for it!

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Special incremental routine of the Tribhangamurari micro movement
to be performed in the last part of life
When I received this instruction I was told that, similarly to Yoni Mudra
which is practiced every night as a kriyaban sets out to take awareness out
of the body and the physical world and prepares for sleep – which is a
"little death" – thus the incremental routine of the Tribhangamurari Micro
Movement is a peaceful return to the origin: a preparation to "die forever" –
in the sense of becoming free forever, free in the Spirit. It has been
explained that this last incremental routine, in addition to being the best
preparation for the conscious exit out of the body at the time of death
(Mahasamadhi), burns forever the need to reincarnate.

As for what happens during the Mahasamadhi process, we have heard

many stories about possible ''Kriya ways'' of leaving the physical shell, but
obviously we cannot guarantee their authenticity. Some claim that the
typical way is Thokar, others hint at procedures which take place
completely in Kutastha. We can reasonably assume that it is not always
possible to perform the physical movement of Thokar. Focusing your
awareness in the spine or the point between the eyebrows may be the only
possible action.

Now let's clarify how this last routine is accomplished.

In this incremental routine (Amantrak: without using the Mantra) we have
36 practice sessions. What's new is that most of these sessions take more
than a day.

On the first day, 36 Micro movements are perceived in each of the 12

centers. The second session requires to perceive 36x2 Micro movements in
each center. [72 Micro movements are experienced in the first Chakra
without interruption, then 72 in the second Chakra and so on ....] After a
few days, the third session is practiced which includes 36x3 Micro
movements in each center. Then other days pass. Then we have the 36x4
whose practice can take up a whole day.

The next steps: 36x5, 36x6, 36x7 36x8 usually take a full day and even part
of the following day. Here what is normally not done happens: sleeping a
whole night between the two parts of what is considered a single session.
What is important is that in the morning of the following day you recover
more or less immediately after waking up. So it is not allowed to go to
work and it is also recommended to remain silent, avoiding any
opportunities for conversation. (The use of common sense should always
prevail, however; if someone speaks to us, a polite response is always a

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duty.)
It can now be understood that if the following sessions take several
days; the last session takes about 12 days!
Just to be sure that one understands, let's try to describe what
happens during the last session: one perceives 36x36 micro movements in
each center! This means: 1296 micro movements in Muladhara, 1296 in
Swadhisthana .... and so on, ending again after several days in Muladhara
with 1296 perceptions.
I must emphasize that it is not allowed to skip any stages. Don't
think, "During my next summer vacation I will easily find a dozen days to
practice 36x36." No! It doesn't work that way. Before you can feel the
Micro movement 36x36 times in each center, you must have felt it 36x35
times. And first of this, 36x34 times, and so on ....
Completing this incremental routine without using the Mantra and
then repeating it using the 12-syllable Mantra is truly a gigantic
achievement. Many wonderful experiences will happen and the last internal
obstacles will be dissolved one after the other. When the practice is
completed, one finds that one cannot describe one's experience as the bliss
experienced has partially erased from memory what happened.
A kriyaban should make every effort to create the opportunity to
indulge (as old age approaches) the joy, the privilege of completing the
recommended number of repetitions without ever giving in to the
temptation to practice hastily.

FOURTH KRIYA: TRIB. MICRO MOVEMENT IN KUTASTHA

[Correct name according to tradition : Seventh Kriya]

As we said in the introduction to the Tribhangamurari micro movement, in

the last moments of life, when this work in the Chakras is completed, one
concentrates only in Kutastha. The main purpose of this instruction is to
penetrate the star of Kutastha.

Instruction
Mentally repeat the syllables of the Mantra you have used so far in the
space between the eyebrows until you really see the Tribhangamurari
form. It is clear that it does not originate from the visualization process.
This experience is a spontaneous experience that occurs at the right time.

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