r/kriyayoga

After an intense meditation session years ago i activated prana in my forehead.

By that i mean that since then i can feel a living energy (like a poking finger) in my head whenever i focus on god or meditate. It doesn't hurt.

When i meditate, i am able to "buildup" that pressure. Like a pressure cooker. And on extremely rare occasions i was able to make that prana explode. And when it exploded i was able to experience miraculous state of being. By that i mean i was there in my body meditating, then the prana exploded and then immediately i was gone. I became pure consciousness into a nothingness state. I don't know if it was samadhi. But it was a really great experience. It's like being back home. I saw videos of people experimenting near death experiences. And they mention a state really close to what i experienced.

I have been initiated to kriya yoga recently because i had the intuition it could help me.

And it did. The day i was initiated i didn't feel anything during the group sessions. But then when i was alone before sleeping in the drowsy state, i practiced kriya pranayama and oh my god, it was so insane. I literally felt the prana moving from my bottom chakra to the fontanel. And 3 times I was almost gone. But i resisted each time because i was scared.

Now i am on my own, i only practice kriya pranayama because this technique is complete dynamite🧨 lol

What it does is that the pressure builds up x10 more than without the technique when i would meditate naively. Its like your brain being an atom and you compressing it with cosmic hands. The pressure is so intense i feel like being in the presence of infinity.

I feel like building that pressure and being able to make it explode is the KEY to everything. But i feel like i know absolutely nothing about how to control that energy.
There was a qa sessions with the master but i was too shy to ask that question because i was afraid the people around me would think i am insane lol

So how to make it explodes more consistently ? Do you guys know anything about it ?

I have been in that state of nothingness a couple of times and the things you can do from there are pretty insane. Its like being God. But then you would ask me "why didn't you create a bunch of money for yourself if you were God" or anything similar. The things is the identification is gone. What you want as you now is not what you want when you are there. There you want nothing, you can do anything you want but you don't want to do anything lol

Can kriya processes target certain attributes or energy levels we want to reach? I am aware of the Isha Foundation kriya process they teach, they even have some online.

But I felt these are a small part of something bigger obviously. I am aware of the existence of other lineages but not done their practices. Are there kriya methods to say increase power of certain chakras? Like increasing energy for sports for instance.

Let me know your inputs!

Hey everyone! I'm curious if anyone has tried or received instruction on performing the techniques (specifically, the ones that require a straight spine) either lying down or standing. Yes, I'm aware neither are ideal but sitting for long periods isn't really an option right now.

Further clarification: I have a hip and knee problem I've had for over a year. I've tried cushions, chairs, doctors, physio, prayer, manifestation, etc etc. If you're anatomically inclined I can go into more detail, but so far, there is simply no way that I've found that I can keep the knee and hip bent for more than a few minutes without re-aggravating my knee, then I'm in pain and it interferes with work and everything else for the next day or two. As Yogananda suggested, I am doing everything in my power to overcome this obstacle, but currently I have not found a solution and I do not wish to stop meditating in the meantime.

And to preemptively answer, I am aware asking an instructor would be ideal. However, I got initiated when KYI had a special event where I live, so I currently have no way of contacting my instructors.

Thanks in advance!

It's been almost two years since something started. I began meditating to improve my cognitive performance. One day, shortly before dozing off, I opened a YouTube video with strange iconography. It was a Hindu video. And the deity was her. I listened for 15 seconds. I fell asleep. And then, perhaps you can deduce what followed.

Rarely did I see images of Kali in dreams. Most of the time, she was formless. In that first dream, I won't say much. Nothing special happened. I heard the sound of a ship's horn. Like a deep "OM." It seemed like something was approaching. I woke up with my genitals altered, but it wasn't just something carnal. The area from the navel down was... vibrating, alive. But it was crude. Today it's more refined.

Then followed dreams like someone frightening bathing me (but I couldn't see anything). I only felt myself being washed. The "voice" was shapeless. I didn't understand anything. It washed my hair. Its nails were sharp, but they didn't hurt me. Even so, I felt fear.

Until, at one point, she pulled her hands away. And I had an abrupt urge to kiss her hand. She gently squeezed my cheeks.

Well... after the first dream, I started researching Hinduism. In my region, there was a Buddhist community connected to Japanese Soto-Shu. And I started practicing Zen. I continued dreaming about Kali.

Even though my attention wasn't directly focused on her. To be honest, my heart is drawn to her. My whole being.

One day, I had fallen asleep with a very listless mind. The next morning, I was going out for an obligation. But... I just stayed in bed.

Then I woke up on the border between sleep and wakefulness. And something in me ardently desired Kali. I felt a subtle presence in the room. Almost like a curious and silent child. Actually, more discreet than that. When I looked to my right, I saw nothing. I looked to my left, I saw something like a belt of human arms. But there was no blood. And they were the arms of newborns. And they were alive. Then I blinked and it was as if something with the weight of the world had fallen. Kali was everything. I was Kali. My breath was almost death. The ecstasy was infinite and the peace was even greater.

Today, I am initiated into Kriya. I found an ashram after a year. My question is: can I cultivate devotion to Kali? Many things are said about her. That she is fierce. That she can do harm, etc.

I asked the Yogacharya who initiated me. And he told me to entrust this question to the Gurus.

How do you handle this?

I’m noticing more and more how many people are drawn to Kriya Yoga and begin practicing without proper initiation or personal guidance.

A group like this can be beautiful for sharing inspirations and reflecting on experiences gathered through many sitting sessions. And yet, I also see a growing tendency to use forums as a substitute for learning with a teacher, sometimes even with the idea that teachers are “gatekeepers,” and that Kriya should be practiced as “Kriya without secrets,” “debunked,” or “shared with everyone.”

This often creates more harm than good.

Kriya is not an IT exam where we collect “correct answers from Internet or books.” It is not built on generic information, but on living, individual experience. The questions and replies online naturally tend to become general—and in spiritual life, almost nothing truly is general.

Society trains us to standardize: to think similarly, to have similar references, to function with a shared “database” of knowledge. That may be practical for daily life on this planet, but it’s not the highest way to live—and it’s not how authentic inner work unfolds.

Many people, especially younger practitioners, approach Kriya as if it were “New Age yoga”: read a book, do some techniques, add a few postures and breathing exercises, and assume that’s the path.

But most books are not meant to replace initiation or guidance. They are often meant to remind us that Kriya exists, to inspire us, and to help us decide to walk the path sincerely.

A book does not know you and does not answer further questions.

At the same time, we live in an era where techniques are sometimes published for attention, marketing, or sales which is more “clickbait” than care.

And some people try to hijack the Kriya stream by framing secrecy as something automatically suspicious. Ironically, secrecy is often accepted when it belongs to institutions or governments, but questioned when it belongs to spiritual traditions.

Yet many authentic paths like Daoism and Buddhism included but also other traditions like Sufism have always had “inner” teachings, shared over time, through relationship, responsibility, and readiness. For a sincere yogi, nothing remains hidden forever. What is needed is seriousness, practice, and the right guidance at the right time.

In every true yogic tradition, it has always been understood that the teaching must be applied differently for each individual, because each one is unique. Over-generalizing is often a sign of spiritual immaturity...not because people are “bad,” but because the inner world is subtle, and subtlety requires the right perception.

You also can’t really ask deep questions about your sadhana without precision, and without a relationship to someone who can actually see you: not only the story you tell, but your energy, your tendencies, your blind spots, and your real capacity in this moment.

Kriya is not dogma. Still, sometimes lineages (or individual teachers) can turn living teachings into rigid doctrine. That can be dangerous, because every teacher expresses truth in a particular way—one “dot” in a vast cosmic dream. There are many realized beings, and there are many approaches.

But one thing remains consistent: traditionally, Kriya is transmitted through personal guidance, often 1-to-1, honoring the individuality of the student. So when serious questions arise, the best place for answers is your initiator or a qualified teacher and not a subreddit or a Facebook group.

We should understand: learning techniques from a book or online does not automatically mean we are on a safe or complete path. Ideally, the initiator is the guide. Sometimes a teacher leaves the body and another teacher supports the student. Sometimes a student needs a different mentor because the right information isn’t coming through. These things can happen naturally.

But a book or social media group is not a teacher—and usually cannot replace what a real teacher-student relationship provides.

So if you feel called to this path: find a teacher, receive proper initiation, and work with that guidance. If it’s not possible to stay close to your initiator, then at least receive initiation sincerely and continue by finding a qualified mentor or guide.

Whether money is involved or not is not the main point. The main point is to walk with someone who has real knowledge and realization.

Don’t waste your lifetime with peanuts. Make the best out of it.

And yes, maybe there are not many Kriya teachers available to you. In that case, it may be that a self-realized teacher from another authentic tradition can guide you deeply. I’ve met Dao and Buddhist teachers as knowledgeable and realized as Kriya teachers. So don’t chase marketing dreams butchase truth.

Find a way. Find a guide. Practice sincerely. And aim for direct experience of Self-realization rather than endless general questions.

Thank you for reading, and blessings on your path.

Dear friends

I am seeking to be initiated into Kriya Yoga that is closest to what Babaji taught Lahiri Mahasaya

- Which school or ashram teaches kriya yoga that is the closest to how Mahavatar Babaji taught Lahiri Mahasaya?

I would like to attend the school in India if possible.

- Are these kriyas taught to people who are not ascetics/monks?

- Is there a waiting / trial period? Or can anyone sign up?

I would appreciate any info regarding what the process is of signing up and learning the kriyas. 🙏

30-1hr? please guide me!🙏🏻

is sitting in that state longer better?

I have somewhat recently implanted this into my meditation practice, and I find that when I do it I’m not able to keep my eyes fully closed which results in my eyes getting dry and itchy. Any recommendations on what I should do when it comes to this? I’ve found that it enhances my practice and my meditation, but this aspect of it does give me some trouble.