Any motion carried out throughout Kundalini Yoga observe may be known as a kriya.
Kundalini kriyas contain respiratory methods, chants, and bodily actions that assist awaken the kundalini shakti from its dormant state.
In Kundalini Yoga, launched to the West by Yogi Bhajan within the Seventies, kriyas comply with particular directions and are practised to attain a particular end result.
When practised diligently, Kundalini kriyas unblock and activate the chakras, subtly or straight reworking the physique and thoughts of the practitioner. In addition they goal organs such because the liver, backbone, abdomen, intestines, and eyes.
These kriyas are practised in the identical approach Yogi Bhajan taught them, following the steering of Kundalini academics. A typical Kundalini Yoga class begins with a gap mantra, adopted by a warm-up, performing a kriya, and concluding with meditation.
You could typically see Kundalini Yoga practitioners sporting white clothes and a white turban, however this isn’t necessary. Carrying white is recommended as a result of it’s believed to thrust back destructive vitality and strengthen the aura.
White can also be a logo of peace, which can assist promote a peaceful and centered thoughts when practising kriyas.
By practising kundalini yoga kriyas, one can awaken the dormant kundalini vitality that lies on the base of the backbone in root chakra. In its woke up state, the vitality travels by means of the backbone to the crown of the top, activating the seven chakras.
This course of enhances self-awareness and encourages the free circulate of prana vitality.
Within the following part, now we have talked about 10 widespread kriyas which might be typically carried out by practitioners. It is very important focus in your breath, gaze and sounds you make throughout the kriya as they assist in unblocking energies and rising focus.
1. Breath of fireplace
The Breath of Hearth is a necessary and integral a part of Kundalini Yoga kriyas.
This kriya is a respiratory approach that generates interior warmth, aiding in cleansing and energizing the thoughts and physique. In Breath of Hearth, you inhale passively and exhale forcefully with out pauses. The tempo and size of every breath needs to be equal.
Breath of fireplace kriya works on stimulating the Photo voltaic Plexus chakra which is the seat of willpower, dedication, and interior power.
Comply with the steps beneath to carry out Breath of fireplace kriya;
- Sit in a cross-legged yoga pose, prefeabbly; lotus pose or straightforward pose or thunderbolt pose. Sit tall along with your again upright.
- Place your palms on the knees, both in Gyan Mudra or just palms opens dealing with upwards.
- Have interaction your stomach and inhale by means of your nostril. You need to really feel your stomach and diaphragm increasing.
- With none pause, exhale forcefully. Your stomach and diaphragm ought to snap again into the backbone.
- Be sure the size of inhaling and exhaling are equal. Set up a rhythm and repeat the method for not less than 30 seconds.
- Progressively improve the time restrict to 5-10 minutes.
After getting completed practising BOF, come again to secure respiratory.
This respiratory kriya is mostly carried out initially of the kundalini yoga class to heat up internally.
2. Sat kriya
Sat Kriya is likely one of the basic kriyas of Kundalini Yoga. In line with Yogi Bhajan, practising Sat Kriya for simply three minutes a day can present the advantages of a whole yoga class.
The kriya is known as Sat Kriya as a result of it includes chanting Sat Nam in sync with the breath. Sat (pronounced sut, as in “reduce”) means fact, honesty, or righteousness, whereas Nam (pronounced naam, as in “calm”) means title. Chanting Sat Nam is a approach of invoking the divine and aligning with the reality inside your self.
Sat Kriya straight stimulates the awakening of Kundalini Shakti. It gently massages the inner organs, regulates blood stress, and strengthens the center. Moreover, it fosters the awakening of sexual vitality and promotes deep leisure.
The three decrease chakras Root, Sacral, and Photo voltaic Plexus—are stimulated concurrently, serving to to calm the thoughts and enhance focus.
Comply with the steps beneath to carry out Sat kriya.
- Sit in a Vajrasana or Rock Pose. Your again needs to be straight, knees collectively and the highest of your toes needs to be on the bottom.
- Stretch each your fingers overhead and be part of your palms. Your higher arms needs to be touching your ears and your elbows mustn’t bend.
- Interlock all of your finger besides the index fingers of each fingers. Ideally, females ought to cross the left thumb over the suitable and males ought to cross the suitable thumb over the left. This hand place is known as kali mudra.
- Begin chanting Sat Nam in a relentless rhythmic method 8 instances in 10 seconds.
- On inhalation, pull your navel in and up in the direction of the backbone, chant Sat. Whereas exhaling, chant Nam and chill out the stomach.
- You don’t want to interact any locks or bandhas as root and the diaphragm locks are robotically engaged whenever you breath. All through the method of chanting, your backbone stays straight.
- Focus your gaze on the center of the brows along with your eyes closed.
In case you are a newbie, do sat kriya for not less than 3 minutes. Progressively improve the time to 31 minutes.
On the finish of three minutes, inhale deeply and squeeze the muscular tissues from the buttocks previous the shoulder blades. Maintain your breath for a couple of seconds whereas specializing in the Crown Chakra after which exhale utterly.
As quickly as you finish the Sat Kriya, you need to comply with it up with a protracted deep leisure. The everyday time for leisure is twice the size of time the kriya was practiced. This leisure time is a should as it’ll give time to your physique to assimilate with itself.
Word: Sat kriya of kundalini yoga shouldn’t be misunderstood with Shat kriyas of Hatha Yoga. In kundalini yoga, sat kriya is a chant synch with respiratory motion whereas in hatha yoga shat kriya (shat means 6) is known as to the gathering of 6 yogic kriyas used for inside physique cleaning.
3. Ego eradicator
Because the title reveals, Ego Eradicator kundalini kriya is practised to deliver that openness within the coronary heart which removes the sense of I-ness and calms the thoughts.
Ego Eradicator kriya is carried out by opening the arms up & sideways. Then with this arms place Breath of Hearth is carried out. This can be a extremely popular kriya amongst kundalini yoga practitioners.
Training the ego eradicator will open your coronary heart and stability the 2 hemispheres of the mind. It should cleanse and strengthen the lungs and enhance spinal power as properly.
Furthermore, this kriya can even stability your chakras, guaranteeing a smoother circulate of prana vitality. It will promote psychological readability, consciousness, alertness, and quietness.
Comply with the steps beneath to do that kriya.
- Sit in an Straightforward Pose (Sukhasana).
- Stretch your arms overhead at an angle of 60-degrees. Curl your fingers in order that the fingertips contact the bottom of the fingers. Maintain the thumb prolonged and pointed in the direction of the sky.
- Shut your eyes and give attention to the Third Eye Chakra.
- Start Breath of Hearth and proceed for 1-3 minutes.
- On the finish of the kriya, be part of the thumbs on the tips about an inhale and apply the foundation lock on exhale. Take one other inhale and chill out your physique on exhale.
4. Spinal stretch
This kriya is just like the Cat-Cow pose in Hatha Yoga. The one distinction is that you’ll be practising the spinal stretch in a seated place. By means of the spinal flex kriya, you may scale back the tightness and stiffness within the backbone.
Doing spinal stretch will be certain that, bodily, there’s an uninterrupted circulate of the spinal fluid from the mind to the backbone. Spiritually, all of the chakras shall be stimulated and promote a free circulate of prana.
- Sit in an Straightforward Pose (Sukhasana) with eyes closed.
- Maintain each your shins or knees.
- Inhale and flex your backbone ahead and open your chest. Exhale and flex the backbone backward.
- At any time, the shoulders mustn’t contact your ears and be relaxed. Additionally, concentrate on maintaining your head straight.
Repeat the train for 3 minutes.
5. Spinal twist
The spinal twist train successfully loosens your backbone, particularly decrease and mid-spine. It releases any stiffness or stress within the backbone and again muscular tissues, strengthens the lungs and cleanses your aura.
- Sit in an Straightforward Pose (Sukhasana).
- Place your fingers in your shoulder, fingers within the entrance and thumb on the again. Your higher arms needs to be parallel to the bottom and elbows needs to be according to the shoulders.
- Twist to the suitable as you inhale after which on the left as you exhale. Whereas twisting, your head and backbone will stay straight. Chant Sat on inhale and Nam on exhale.
- Don’t be stiff. Permit your again and head to simply twist with the circulate.
Repeat the train for 1-3 minutes.
6. Stretch pose
The stretch pose is a difficult and superior train that usually causes issues to the practitioners. However if you’re conscious of your breath and give attention to drawing your power from the navel heart, it is possible for you to to simply conquer this pose.
This pose works on the whole physique. It resets the nervous system, strengthens the stomach organs, purifies and rejuvenates the blood. The stretch pose additionally focuses on the third eye chakra which calms your thoughts and enhances your shallowness.
Ladies can particularly profit from this pose because it strengthens the reproductive organs.
In case you are a newbie, don’t drive your physique to carry the pose for 3 minutes. Should you can not maintain the pose for greater than 10 seconds, it’s advantageous to let go of the place and chill out for a couple of seconds. Begin once more after enjoyable. You possibly can regularly improve the time whereas alternating between holding the pose and enjoyable for a couple of seconds.
- Lie down in your again.
- Lengthen the again of your neck and carry your head and higher chest collectively. Draw your chin in to maintain the top straight and lengthened.
- Raise your decrease leg, maintaining the decrease again on the bottom, roughly 6 inches from the bottom. Repair your gaze within the suggestions of your toes.
- Maintain your hand stretched out in entrance of you with palms down however not touching your physique. You may as well place them beside you, with palms dealing with inwards and never touching the bottom or your physique.
- Should you really feel any discomfort in your decrease again, place your fingers beneath your buttocks for assist or evenly relaxation the heel on the bottom.
- Apply Breath of Hearth on this pose.
7. Entrance life nerve stretch
The Life Nerve Stretch in Kundalini Yoga is identical because the Seated Ahead Bend (Paschimottanasana) in Hatha Yoga. This train strengthens the legs and pelvis whereas stimulating the sciatic nerves. The ahead fold additionally promotes spinal lengthening and strengthening.
- Sit along with your legs stretched out in entrance of you.
- Seize your huge toes along with your finger. Wrap the index and center finger across the toe and press the toenail with the pads of your thumb.
- With an elongated backbone, interact your navel and bend ahead whereas exhaling. On the subsequent inhale, push up with the power of your legs and the navel. In each instances, the top follows final.
- Proceed this train for 1-3 minutes whereas respiratory deeply.
8. Cobra pose
The observe of this pose is just like Hatha yoga however the intention to carry out is barely completely different. In Kundalini Yoga, the cobra pose is practised to stability the apana. It additionally will increase the prana vitality circulate in order that the vitality circulates in the direction of the upper centres.
By specializing in the Apana, it additionally stimulates and balances sexual vitality.
- Lie down in your abdomen and place your forearms beside your ribs. Maintain your legs joined collectively.
- Carry your fingers beneath your shoulders and unfold your fingers to create a agency assist and unfold the load evenly.
- Inhale and carry your head, chest and backbone upwards whereas maintaining your pelvis and legs on the mat. Maintain your shoulder away out of your ears and shoulders blades pressed in the direction of the again.
- Keep on this pose for 1-3 minutes whereas working towards Breath of Hearth.
- On the subsequent inhale, stretch your backbone to the utmost. Maintain your breath within the subsequent exhale and apply the foundation lock. Inhale and exhale whereas slowly coming right down to lie down on the mat utterly.
9. Archer pose
Bodily talking, the archer pose will strengthen your quads, legs, knees, shoulders, and arms. Internally, it’ll stimulate the third eye chakra and promote emotions of fearlessness, willpower, and dedication.
- Begin by standing within the Tadasana (Mountain Pose).
- Step your left foot to the again by approx. 3 toes. Place your left heel on the ground and switch the toes to a 45-degree angle. Your left leg needs to be straight.
- Bend the suitable knee in order that your thighs are parallel to the ground and your knee is according to the ankle. Be sure your proper foot heel is according to the arch of the left foot.
- Curl the fingers of each fingers into your palm besides the thumb. Put your arms in entrance of your with this hand formation.
- Pull your left hand again in order that the fist is close to the left shoulder as for those who had been pulling the arrow from the bow. Your proper arm needs to be parallel to the bottom and each the shoulders needs to be in line.
- Focus your gaze on the tip of your right-hand thumb.
Apply this pose for 3 minutes on every leg.
10. Deep Rest
Simply as a Hatha Yoga session ends with Savasana (Corpse Pose), Kundalini Yoga additionally incorporates a deep leisure approach. The aim is just like permit the physique to soak up and benefit from the modifications caused by the kriyas. You possibly can bask within the rejuvenating vitality of your aura and let your physique absolutely chill out.
Merely lie in your again along with your arms by your sides, palms dealing with up. Shut your eyes and chill out for 11 to fifteen minutes..
Conclusion
The kriyas talked about above are only a few among the many many Kundalini Yoga kriyas taught by Yogi Bhajan. By stimulating and activating the chakras and prana vitality circulate, you permit the Kundalini vitality to align and rise upward.
By combining breath, gaze, and sound, you additionally activate the third eye and crown chakras, fostering a connection to divine consciousness the last word objective of any yoga observe.
