Kriya Yoga
In Ashtanga yoga, there are eight steps and
it is the most comprehensive and fruitful yoga practice to this date.
According to Sage Patanjali yoga is explained in Chapter 1st second
verse as “yogas Chitta vritti nirodhah” which means cessation of the
modifications of the mind. For this you have to cross the biggest hurdles, the
eight steps of practices called Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara,
Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. Whatever is elucidated in the 1st chapter
of Yoga Sutra in Samadhi Pada is sufficient for those who have greater
intensity and propensity towards the goal and to achieve the state of
absorption (Samadhi). But the only condition here is you have to go through regular practice (Abhyasa) and Detachment of the mind (Vairagya). For this, you
need consistency, grit and perseverance. If you are inconsistent and dull and
not following these paths and your mind is oscillating it is a very difficult
task. If you think otherward, that I cannot disown or dispassionate about these
worldly pleasures and not ready to run away from the desires, then Sage
Patanjali provides an alternative method called “Kriya Yoga”. He affirmed that
“may your life be endowed with Kriya Yoga".
In the 2nd Chapter of Samadhi
Pada, verse 1 says,
tapahsvadhyayeshvarapranidhanani
kriyayogah
They are Tapas (Penance, Austerity),
Svadhyaya (Study about “Self” or “oneness”) and Ishvara Pranidhana (Abiding in
the “divine”) and these three are constituting the process of Kriya Yoga.
Tapas (Penance)
Tapas is the word that comes from the
Sanskrit root word “Tap” which means ‘to be hot. Tapas is heat, especially
heat generated by certain yoga practices or a particular approach to yoga
practice. It is in Upanishads, that shaped most of the yoga practised today,
tapas refer to the burning of impurities of the mind. Tapas also can be equated
as penance and in the broader sense as austerity. Austerities are described as
restraints willingly imposed upon the body and mind. When we go through
difficulties in our life the mind gets heated up. Endurance and perseverance in
life are essential tools to cope with hardships. Tapas is also an exertion
till the mind and body are get purified. When difficulties are arising in
our life we complain and pinpoint each other for the problems. Bhagavad
Gita says these are the gifts given to us to purify the impure thoughts in our
minds. Moreover, take all the challenges in a positive mindset and fight them
back. Purification of the mind is a spiritual activity that involves a high degree
of discipline. Whenever we are in contact with some human being they create
anger and dismay in us with disgust and derogatory words. We have to distance
ourselves from such people and try to achieve an Equanimeous mind by purifying
our emotions and impurities. Try to bring changes in our minds rather
than the circumstances and events.
Tapas also boosts our Pranic energies and
willpower. It is not a one-time activity and it is a very regular and everyday
activity without break. It is an arduous everyday practice, you are trying to
purify your mind and body, trying to control your sensory organs and get rid of
your unhealthy habits. Procrastination will result in the inconsistency of the
Higher Mind (Chitta). Try to bring good behavioural habits into public and
family life. Avoid unhealthy diets in your personal life. Good habits cannot
inculcate easily and for this you need willpower. For this willpower, you need
Pranic energy and you can create this energy through pranayama and asana. It is
a consistent and devoted practice by waking up in the early morning every day
and doing pranayama and asana. These all come under Tapas. Simply put,
tapas are heat, especially heat generated by certain yoga practices or a
particular approach to yoga practice. In the early texts that shaped most of
the Yoga practised today, tapas refer to the burning of waste.
Svadhyaya (Self Study)
It is the study of “Self” and is the
knowledge of who we are and what our identity is. Moreover, the mind becomes
more resilient through Svadhyaya (Self Study). If you go through the scriptures of Upanishads and Vedas we will get the ultimate knowledge.
According to Samkhya Philosophy, we are constituted by two principles of
Puruá¹£ha (pure consciousness) and Praká¹›ithi (matter). Here Purusha is the
primordial consciousness and Prakriti is the Primordial matter principle. It is
the “Purusha'' that enlivens and brings awareness to individual human beings.
If we take out the element “Pure consciousness” (Purusha) away, then we are
left with an inert body that does not have any consciousness. The goal is
Samadhi, the discernment of Purusha (consciousness), separating it from
Prakrithi (matter), and disentanglement of Purusha from its original form.
Ishvara Pranidhana
Iswara is the “Ultimate Consciousness” or
“Ultimate Reality” and is the controller of the universe, the consciousness
that rules over, the consciousness that manages the entire cosmological order.
Pranidhana means “to establish yourself in ''or "to take shelter in".
So Ishvara Pranidhana is the practice or the “sadhana” of establishing in the
“Supreme Entity”. We have so many shelters and it is safe and protected and it
provides pleasure. It provides happiness and we take shelter in so many objects
in the external world. But all these are temporary in nature. At any time,
something may happen in our life. When we get attached to something and lose
the object of attachment then we suffer inner emptiness and suffering. So
either in life from time to time, take something away from us and we will have
to adjust and find different ways to motivate ourselves. The only conscious way
to get rid of all these dependencies is through the practice of meditation. To
achieve this stability of mind. Something unshakable, immutable and
indestructible in nature within us is “Pure Consciousness”. This is a
perennial source of joy and you will feel sheltered and safe. Not only you will
feel absolutely safe but also there is a flow that carries you through so many
troubles and tribulations. It will carry and protect you all the time if you
establish a strong connection with that flow, then nothing can ever threaten
you anymore. You can manifest the divinity already within us.