Any motion carried out throughout Kundalini Yoga observe will be known as a kriya.
Kundalini kriyas contain respiration 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 realize 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. Additionally they goal organs such because the liver, backbone, abdomen, intestines, and eyes.
These kriyas are practised in the identical method Yogi Bhajan taught them, following the steerage 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.
Chances are you’ll typically see Kundalini Yoga practitioners carrying white clothes and a white turban, however this isn’t obligatory. Carrying white is usually recommended as a result of it’s believed to beat back unfavourable vitality and strengthen the aura.
White can be a logo of peace, which can assist promote a relaxed 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 via the backbone to the crown of the top, activating the seven chakras.
This course of enhances self-awareness and encourages the free move of prana vitality.
Within the following part, we’ve got talked about 10 frequent kriyas which can be typically carried out by practitioners. It is very important focus in your breath, gaze and sounds you make in the course of the kriya as they assist in unblocking energies and growing focus.
1. Breath of fireplace
The Breath of Hearth is an important and integral a part of Kundalini Yoga kriyas.
This kriya is a respiration method that generates inside 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 must be equal.
Breath of fireplace kriya works on stimulating the Photo voltaic Plexus chakra which is the seat of willpower, dedication, and inside energy.
Comply with the steps under 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 going through upwards.
- Interact your stomach and inhale via your nostril. It’s best to really feel your stomach and diaphragm increasing.
- With none pause, exhale forcefully. Your stomach and diaphragm ought to snap again into the backbone.
- Ensure the size of inhaling and exhaling are equal. Set up a rhythm and repeat the method for no less than 30 seconds.
- Step by step improve the time restrict to 5-10 minutes.
After getting completed practising BOF, come again to steady respiration.
This respiration kriya is mostly carried out at first of the kundalini yoga class to heat up internally.
2. Sat kriya
Sat Kriya is among the elementary kriyas of Kundalini Yoga. Based on Yogi Bhajan, practising Sat Kriya for simply three minutes a day can present the advantages of a complete 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 “minimize”) means reality, honesty, or righteousness, whereas Nam (pronounced naam, as in “calm”) means identify. Chanting Sat Nam is a method 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 interior organs, regulates blood stress, and strengthens the center. Moreover, it fosters the awakening of sexual vitality and promotes deep rest.
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 under to carry out Sat kriya.
- Sit in a Vajrasana or Rock Pose. Your again must be straight, knees collectively and the highest of your toes must be on the bottom.
- Stretch each your palms overhead and be part of your palms. Your higher arms must be touching your ears and your elbows shouldn’t bend.
- Interlock all of your finger besides the index fingers of each palms. Ideally, females ought to cross the left thumb over the proper and males ought to cross the proper thumb over the left. This hand place is named kali mudra.
- Begin chanting Sat Nam in a continuing rhythmic method 8 instances in 10 seconds.
- On inhalation, pull your navel in and up in direction of the backbone, chant Sat. Whereas exhaling, chant Nam and loosen up the stomach.
- You don’t want to have interaction any locks or bandhas as root and the diaphragm locks are robotically engaged once 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.
If you’re a newbie, do sat kriya for no less than 3 minutes. Step by step improve the time to 31 minutes.
On the finish of three minutes, inhale deeply and squeeze the muscle groups from the buttocks previous the shoulder blades. Maintain your breath for a couple of seconds whereas specializing in the Crown Chakra after which exhale fully.
As quickly as you finish the Sat Kriya, you need to comply with it up with an extended deep rest. The everyday time for rest is twice the size of time the kriya was practiced. This rest time is a should as it’s going to give time in your physique to assimilate with itself.
Observe: 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 respiration motion whereas in hatha yoga shat kriya (shat means 6) is named to the gathering of 6 yogic kriyas used for inside physique cleaning.
3. Ego eradicator
Because the identify exhibits, Ego Eradicator kundalini kriya is practised to convey 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.
Working towards the ego eradicator will open your coronary heart and stability the 2 hemispheres of the mind. It can cleanse and strengthen the lungs and enhance spinal energy as properly.
Furthermore, this kriya may also stability your chakras, making certain a smoother move of prana vitality. This can promote psychological readability, consciousness, alertness, and quietness.
Comply with the steps under to do that kriya.
- Sit in an Simple 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 direction of the sky.
- Shut your eyes and deal with 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 recommendations on an inhale and apply the basis lock on exhale. Take one other inhale and loosen up your physique on exhale.
4. Spinal stretch
This kriya is much like the Cat-Cow pose in Hatha Yoga. The one distinction is that you can be practising the spinal stretch in a seated place. By the spinal flex kriya, you possibly can cut back the tightness and stiffness within the backbone.
Doing spinal stretch will make sure that, bodily, there’s an uninterrupted move of the spinal fluid from the mind to the backbone. Spiritually, all of the chakras shall be stimulated and promote a free move of prana.
- Sit in an Simple 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 shouldn’t contact your ears and be relaxed. Additionally, pay attention to conserving 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 muscle groups, strengthens the lungs and cleanses your aura.
- Sit in an Simple Pose (Sukhasana).
- Place your palms in your shoulder, fingers within the entrance and thumb on the again. Your higher arms must be parallel to the bottom and elbows must be according to the shoulders.
- Twist to the proper 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 move.
Repeat the train for 1-3 minutes.
6. Stretch pose
The stretch pose is a difficult and superior train that always causes issues to the practitioners. However if you’re conscious of your breath and deal with drawing your energy from the navel heart, it is possible for you to to simply conquer this pose.
This pose works on the complete physique. It resets the nervous system, strengthens the belly organs, purifies and rejuvenates the blood. The stretch pose additionally focuses on the third eye chakra which calms your thoughts and enhances your vanity.
Girls can particularly profit from this pose because it strengthens the reproductive organs.
If you’re a newbie, don’t pressure your physique to carry the pose for 3 minutes. In the event you can’t maintain the pose for greater than 10 seconds, it’s fantastic to let go of the place and loosen up for a couple of seconds. Begin once more after stress-free. You’ll be able to step by step improve the time whereas alternating between holding the pose and stress-free for a couple of seconds.
- Lie down in your again.
- Lengthen the again of your neck and raise your head and higher chest collectively. Draw your chin in to maintain the top straight and lengthened.
- Carry your decrease leg, conserving the decrease again on the bottom, roughly 6 inches from the bottom. Repair your gaze within the ideas of your toes.
- Maintain your hand stretched out in entrance of you with palms down however not touching your physique. You can even place them beside you, with palms going through inwards and never touching the bottom or your physique.
- In the event you really feel any discomfort in your decrease again, place your palms underneath your buttocks for help or calmly 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 similar 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 massive 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, have interaction your navel and bend ahead whereas exhaling. On the subsequent inhale, push up with the energy of your legs and the navel. In each instances, the top follows final.
- Proceed this train for 1-3 minutes whereas respiration deeply.
8. Cobra pose
The observe of this pose is much like Hatha yoga however the intention to carry out is barely totally different. In Kundalini Yoga, the cobra pose is practised to stability the apana. It additionally will increase the prana vitality move in order that the vitality circulates in 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.
- Deliver your palms under your shoulders and unfold your fingers to create a agency help and unfold the load evenly.
- Inhale and raise your head, chest and backbone upwards whereas conserving your pelvis and legs on the mat. Maintain your shoulder away out of your ears and shoulders blades pressed in direction of the again.
- Keep on this pose for 1-3 minutes whereas practising Breath of Hearth.
- On the subsequent inhale, stretch your backbone to the utmost. Maintain your breath within the subsequent exhale and apply the basis lock. Inhale and exhale whereas slowly coming right down to lie down on the mat fully.
9. Archer pose
Bodily talking, the archer pose will strengthen your quads, legs, knees, shoulders, and arms. Internally, it’s going to 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 must be straight.
- Bend the proper knee in order that your thighs are parallel to the ground and your knee is according to the ankle. Ensure your proper foot heel is according to the arch of the left foot.
- Curl the fingers of each palms 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 must be parallel to the bottom and each the shoulders must 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 rest method. The aim is much like permit the physique to soak up and benefit from the adjustments led to by the kriyas. You’ll be able to bask within the rejuvenating vitality of your aura and let your physique totally loosen up.
Merely lie in your again along with your arms by your sides, palms going through up. Shut your eyes and loosen up 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 move, 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 final word purpose of any yoga observe.