A Total Experience

Delivered by Swami Satyananda Saraswati

at the Convention of the European Union of National Federations of Yoga in Zinal,
Switzerland, 1977.

In the science of tantra, kriya yoga is one of the ways used for awakening the spiritual
consciousness in man. Traditionally, this system was transmitted only from guru to
disciple, but now the time has come for it to be more widely known. Actually, in many
ancient traditions throughout the world, there were mystic practices which were similar
to kriya yoga and they were communicated in the same way.
The word 'kriya' means movement. In this sense it represents the internal movement
of consciousness, and its goal is the evolution of this consciousness. The individual
consciousness is inherent in every living being. It is the soul and the spirit of every
speck of existence, and within every speck of this existence there is unseen motion
going on. Everything is evolving, progressing, and changing every second. The whole
of existence is inexorably moving towards one fulfilment and this movement is called
evolution. The word 'kriya' symbolises this movement and so kriya is inherent in every
speck of creation.
Evolution is the law of nature and we are all evolving unconsciously, automatically, but
this natural movement of evolution for us will take millions of years. In order to
accelerate this inner motion of evolution in us, tantra has formulated many practices,
one of which is the cosmic motion of kriya yoga.
What is this evolution? The first process of evolution is the production of energy from
matter. During the course of millions of years that we human beings have existed on
this planet, we have liberated our consciousness considerably (not completely) from
the gross existence of instinct, and we have become more aware of existence in
relation to time and space. During the previous period when we were still living on the
instinctive plane, we were responsive to sensory stimuli, we were able to enjoy, and we
were able to express suffering, as we see in the animal kingdom now. However, we
have definitely passed through that phase of existence - not completely, perhaps half
or a little more of our existence is still on the instinctive plane. To some extent we still
think and act instinctively through the mind and senses, not because we know how to
do it, but just because it happens. However, with the advent of humanity we have
developed a higher consciousness, a realisation of the self. We are not just conscious of
our environment, we are aware of ourselves. Thus we have greater knowledge and
greater control over our awareness. I know that I am, but also I know that I know I
am. This is self awareness and this is evolution.
In the course of evolution we have now come to the point at which we are aware of our
existence, but this evolution has taken millions of years. If we allow nature to take its
own course it may take many more millions of years for us to evolve fully and maybe
before that this planet will come to an end. Therefore the purpose of kriya yoga is to
accelerate this evolution. Then we not only become aware of the knowledge of our own
existence, but we also become aware of the real nature of this whole existence.
Who am I ? This is the question, and of course there is an answer, but that answer is
not very clear. The answer is not clear because it can only be derived from self
experience and most people do not have that experience. Fortunately, to help us evolve
the mind to that height where we can experience our real nature effectively the
practices of kriya yoga have come to the rescue. As I have told you, kriya yoga is a
self-contained system of practices from tantra, but unless you have first mastered
perfectly the practices of hatha yoga you will not be able to practice kriya yoga
successfully. Therefore, you must practice the six techniques of hatha yoga to purify
the whole physical structure. Then kriya yoga becomes easy. Kriya yoga itself is a
combination of mudras, bandhas, pranayamas, asanas and awareness which will lead
to an awakening of the kundalini in mooladhara chakra; but this will only take place
according to the purification of the body. If the nadis are purified then the awakening of
kundalini becomes a divine experience.
The practices themselves

The first practice of kriya yoga is 'vipareeta karani mudra'. The position itself is the

same as it is in hatha yoga, but in addition to this the consciousness changes the flow
of shakti. It starts from manipura chakra - the centre in the spinal column behind the
navel - and with the help of pranayama, and of willpower, the shakti is made to change
its downward course and move upward to vishuddhi chakra which is located in the
spinal column behind the throat. This is practiced eleven times with the eyes open and
the body still.
The second kriya is the discovery of the chakras and is known as 'chakra
anusandhana'. In this, we are trying to discover and learn the right location of the
chakras in our body. Mooladhara chakra is situated at the perineum in the male while in
the female it is behind the mouth of the uterus (cervix). Swadhisthana chakra is at the
bottom of the spinal cord.
Manipura chakra is in the spine behind the navel. Anahata chakra is in the spine just
behind the sternum or the heart. Vishuddhi chakra is in the spine behind the throat,
and ajna chakra is at the top of the spinal column, behind the eyebrow centre. Bindu or
'bindu visarga' is at the top back of the head where Hindus have their tuft of hair, and
sahasrara chakra is just underneath the upper frontal region of the skull, within the
brain.
Most of the chakras also have contact centres at the front of the body. Mooladhara
actually has no contact centre, but swadhisthana has its contact centre in the lower
abdominal region, the pubic area, at the upper root of the urinary organs. The contact
centre for manipura chakra is the navel, for anahata the heart, for vishuddhi the
throat, and for ajna the eyebrow centre or brumadhya. Sahasrara has its contact
centre down in mooladhara chakra. Mooladhara is the switch for sahasrara and bindu
visarga has no contact centre.
It is important that we practice and get enough knowledge of the chakras so that when
we meditate later on we don't have any difficulty in finding them. This can be done in
any easy sitting posture, not necessarily padmasana or siddhasana. You may keep your
eyes open or closed. This is a mental practice, but do not try to concentrate. Rotate
your awareness up the contact centres and down along the chakras. First think of
mooladhara chakra, then swadhisthana contact centre, then manipura contact centre,
then anahata contact centre, then vishuddhi contact centre, and straight back to bindu.
The descent through the spinal passage begins from bindu. From bindu go to ajna,
from ajna to vishuddhi, from vishuddhi to anahata and then manipura, swadhisthana,
mooladhara. This is one round. You have to practice nine rounds, ascending the frontal
passage and descending through the spinal passage. This technique is the basis of all
the practices in kriya yoga.
The third practice is where the real kriya yoga begins. It is known as 'nada sanchalana'
that is, conducting the sound vibration. Sitting in any comfortable posture place both
hands on the knees, eyes open, and don't try to concentrate. In this practice you first
have to raise your awareness through the frontal passage up to bindu. Retain the
consciousness in bindu for three seconds and then release the sound vibration down
the sushumna. This is practiced thirteen times. Sit in the easy posture with the hands
on the knees, eyes open. Now practice simple jalandhara bandha. Concentrate on
mooladhara chakra. Mentally repeat three times, 'mooladhara, mooladhara,
mooladhara'. Then draw the breath up with ujjayi through the frontal passage, moving
the head upwards as you pass vishuddhi until you are concentrating on bindu in akashi
mudra. Then say, 'bindu, bindu, bindu' while you hold the prana there. Then release a
long AUM and imagine that the sound is being conducted slowly down to mooladhara.
Retain the prana in mooladhara saying 'mooladhara, mooladhara, mooladhara'. Practice
jalandhara. Again draw the breath with ujjayi through the frontal passage up to bindu
in akashi mudra.
I shall now give you the fourth kriya yoga practice, 'pawan sanchalana'. Do not change
your posture or close your eyes, just follow my instructions. At the bottom, in the
perineum or the cervix, is mooladhara - just say mentally 'mooladhara'. Then come up
the front to the root of the urinary organs - mentally say 'swadhisthana'. Don't try to
concentrate. Now bring your mind to the navel - just say mentally 'manipura'. Then
bring your awareness to the centre of the heart and say 'anahata'. Do not make the
eyes tense, be at ease. Then bring your mind to the throat- say mentally 'vishuddhi'.
Then go to bindu and say mentally 'bindu'. Now from bindu the descent. Just behind
the eyebrow centre think for a while and say mentally 'ajna'. Then bring your mind
down the spinal passage to the neck and say 'vishuddhi'. Now pass down the spine to

the heart level, concentrate and say mentally 'anahata'. Behind the navel in the spine
say mentally 'manipura'. At the root of the spinal cord mentally say 'swadhisthana',
then go back to mooladhara. This is one round. You should perform nine rounds. Don't
close your eyes, don't tense your eyes and body. Just move your awareness.
Of all the kriya practices tantra says that 'maha mudra' and 'maha bheda mudra' are
the two most important. Many of you must have read the books by Sir John Woodroffe
and also the translations of 'Satchakra Nirupana'. In these you will have seen the
physical postures of maha mudra and maha bheda mudra. The maha mudra of kriya
yoga is a little more advanced than the maha mudra of hatha yoga. It incorporates
'shambhavi mudra', gazing at the eyebrow centre, and 'moola bandha', contraction of
the perineum. Moola bandha is a short name for 'mooladhara bandha'. This contraction
is usually difficult to perfect because most people have poor control over their muscles.
Thus they not only contract mooladhara but also the anus, swadhisthana and half a
dozen other muscles at the same time. Therefore, we must practice it over and over
again until we master it. Maha mudra itself can be practiced in siddhasana or in pada
uttanasana.
There are many subsidiary practices which are considered very important in kriya yoga.
One of them is vajroli mudra, contraction of the vajra nadi which controls almost all of
the urinary and sexual complex. You must also perfect nasikagra drishti, nose tip
gazing. Those who concentrate on the tip of the nose for a particular time develop the
ability to smell psychic fragrances. Shambhavi mudra (bhrumadhya drishti) is gazing at
the eyebrow centre. Then there is akashi mudra, consciousness of inner space, and
unmani mudra, the meditative attitude. You also have to know jalandhara bandha,
uddiyana bandha, khechari mudra and naumukhi mudra. In naumukhi you seal all the
nine gates: the two eyes, two ears, mouth, nose and urinary and excretory outlets.
Through vajroli you close the urinary gate, with moola bandha you close the excretory
gate, with yoni mudra you close the rest. Then you awaken the trident of Shiva in
sushumna. This trident is not made from copper. It is made from the most subtle,
divine and heavenly elements, and its sharp prongs pierce bindu at the top back of the
head.
There are twenty seven practices in kriya yoga, but fourteen are enough. After the
seventh practice we stop external pranayama and do internal pranayama. Kumbhaka,
rechaka and pooraka - retention, inhalation and exhalation- are done on a different
plane altogether. After the tenth practice, the eyes are closed, the body is made
immobile, only the individual self becomes the subject matter of our awareness. The
mind is brought down to a point, awareness of shiva linga is awakened and the astral
body is brought in front of our mind. When you are able to handle the mind, then you
are able to handle anything in life.
Those who take up kriya yoga, but cannot practice all the fourteen kriyas, must at least
do maha mudra and maha bheda mudra. However, those who are really keen to
develop the inner process must take up the full practice of kriya yoga. I have written a
complete manual on kriya yoga and it is my personal opinion that in this age, when
minds are so restless, these practices must be freely available to the aspirant.
Kriya yoga is one of the most effective methods for coming closer to inner awareness.
According to the philosophy of tantra, everybody has a right to higher unfoldment.
Therefore, your personal status in life, whether you are male or female, brahmacharya,
householder or sannyasin matters little. Kriya yoga is open to all.
In kriya yoga the aspirant does not enter into meditation, he experiences meditation.
The self is already tranquil. The self is always in eternal equipoise. Samadhi is not an
achievement; it is the awareness already existing in us. Through the practice of kriya
yoga an awakening takes place in mooladhara, then the mind suddenly enters the state
of samadhi, I do not use the word 'trance' - samadhi is absolute equilibrium. I have
never considered meditation to be absolute equilibrium. I have never considered
meditation to be absolutely internal awareness. The state of meditation, the state of
samadhi includes all dimensions of awareness, external awareness as well as internal
awareness, and these should be experienced simultaneously. During the practice of
meditation you are transcending the external experience, but finally you have to
stretch your mind to the external consciousness. In samadhi, the mind, the self, the
spirit becomes homogeneous, and for that spirit, for that consciousness which is
samadhi, both internal and external awareness are the same. Kriya yoga meditation is
a total experience and when we use the words 'total experience' we mean the

experience of the inner life and the outer life at the same time. The self, the spirit or
the consciousness becomes a witness of all the states of the mind and all the states of
awareness.
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