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What is Kriya Yoga?

 

This unique yoga comes from many other yoga styles of yoga. However its main roots stem from three other styles of yoga.

1. Karma yoga in its focus for selfless actions and being responsible for our own actions.
2. Jnana Yoga for its focus in study and learning, the idea that enlightenment comes from going beyond what we know and striving for knowledge.
3. Finally Bhakti yoga of the yoga of unconditional love, which teaches a respect for all living things and to love others and the world is a key to spiritual growth.

The physical techniques are simplified and are much easier then with the other more physical forms of yoga. The focus of this style is more towards being aware of what you do and think in your daily life. It teaches that you are responsible for all your actions and should be what is right at all times, in this way it is very close to Karma yoga.

This style is very meditative in the sense that its techniques are focused on a lot of breath control. Its idea is if you can have control of your breath then you have control of yourself. Although this is a very simple view of a complex process it does have some merit. We just have to look at the impact of Meditation, and its effects of stress and anger management to see the impact of breath control and focusing the mind.  

One of the things that make this style very popular is that it markets itself as a quick and easy road to enlightenment. For my opinion there is no such thing as a quick and easy road to enlightenment or we would all have it. However with that being said,  I feel this style of yoga has much to offer people looking for spiritual enlightenment or even just a place to grow in that way.

To sum things up, this style of yoga is very spiritual with a focus on ones actions and control of ones mind. This is gained though simplified yoga postures, lots of study and meditation with a focus on unconditional love and doing the right thing and helping others.

 

 

 

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