Dr. M. Janardhan Reddy

(Some aspirants ask about the details of Other Systems of Yoga. Dr. M. Janardhan Reddy, who practised Kriya Yoga for 13 years and later practising Sri Ramchandra's Raja Yoga system and making steady progress, has presented this article giving the details of it and the aspirants are requested to note the efficacy of simple system of Sri Ramchandra's Raja Yoga for Realisation of the Ultimate in contrast to Kriya Yoga. -- Editor.)

I have practised Kriya Yoga as the Yogada Satsangha Society from 1975 to 1988. It gave me lot of stamina and physical well being. I was able to work continuously for 12-14 hours a day with small lunch break. Probably it helped me to maintain my health that was quite good from childhood. By birth I was a hardworking, duty conscious, quiet, not easily getting angry and not over indulging in basic urges. I did not find any perceptible changes in them. I had a feeling that I am not progressing spiritually as desired by me. Regarding spiritual experiences in this system, by practicing `Hong Sau', I used to feel relaxed. While practising 'OM' technique, I used to hear sound of roar of Ocean. After practicing Kriya proper, I used to feel calmness. I was practising only (14) Kriyas a day. I did not get permission to do more from Sanyasis who visit Hyderabad once a year from Ranchi.

The method of practice in this system of Kriya Yoga is as follows:

Basic techniques of Kriya Yoga as per the Yogada Satsangha Society of India, Ranchi, Bihar.

          I. Physical exercises of 60 muscular contraction and retraction of various body parts which are called energisation exercises for about 1/2 hour morning and evening.
         II. Hong Sau Technique (hum-So): The literal meaning of Hong Sau is "I am He". It is practised for about 1/2 hour morning and evening. A) Sit erect with spine straight and the body relaxed, close the eyes and focus their gaze upon the point between eyebrows. Then with greatest calmness watch the breath coming in and going out naturally. As the breath comes in chant 'Hong' mentally and wait for the breath to go out naturally and chant 'Sau' mentally. This technique enables the body cells to brim over with life force, stops decay in organs, slows heart rate, calms the heart and help in switching off the energy from five sense organs, reduces breath rate.
        III. Om Technique: This is done with the help of a 'T' board or stick. Sit with hands (elbows) resting on the horizontal pad of 'T' board and with little fingers close the eyes both sides and fixing the gaze at the point between the eyebrows, chant mentally 'OM' and try to hear the sounds in right ear and any light in the point between eyebrows. This is to be done for a period of 10-15 minutes in the morning and for a longer time in the night.
         IV. Kriya: Kriya Yoga is a method of Pranayama or life force control, that energise the sensitive Spiritual centres and renders them receptive to Spiritual currents. It is a technique of revolving the life force in an elliptical path upwards and downwards around six spinal centres thus directly quickening the evolution of the spine and brain centres. By revolving the life force once around the spine, man can effect a change in the brain and body that is ordinarily possible only by one year of diseaseless existence. So any time the life current revolves around the spine, human evolution is advanced by one Solar year.

Sit erect, close eyes and visualise the spinal column as a hollow tube extending upward from Coccyx to medulla oblongata to Cerebrum to the point between eyebrows. Inhale slowly (to a count of 10 to 15) making the sound "AW" deep in the expanded throat from Coccyx to the point between the eyebrows.

Pause for a count of three then exhale slowly (to a count of 10 to 15) making the barely audible continuous sound of "EEEE". This is one Kriya. It is equal to one year of natural spiritual progress. Daily 14 Kriyas has to be practiced and increase should be 14*1, 14*2, 14*3 .... with permission.

          V. Maha Mudra: This is performed three times in the morning and three times in
the evening before the practice of regular Kriya. It consists of practice Kriya with body movements.

Maha Mudra

                  Part-I: Sit erect. Bend the left leg back under the body so that the sole of the left foot supports the left hip. Draw the right leg up against the body, so that the upper part of the leg is as close to the body as possible, and sole of the foot is flat on the floor. Place hands with fingers interlocked around the right knee. Inhale making-the sound 'AAWW' as in Kriya proper bringing current from coccyx to point between the eyebrows. Hold up the breath, bend until the chin touches the chest; at the same time unclasp the hands and stretch the right leg forward until it lies straight on the floor. Continuing to hold the breath, grasp with both hands the toes of the right foot and pull them gently towards you mentally chanting one to six, then sit up straightening the spine and lifting the right knee upward until the leg is again in the first position. Exhale making the sound EEE and send the current down to the coccyx.
                  Part II: Repeat the foregoing, with leg position reversed.
                  Part III: Sit with both legs drawn up against the body and clasp the hands around the knees. Inhale making the sound 'AAWW' as in Kriya proper bringing the current upto point between the eye brows. Holding the breath bend the head until the chin touches the chest; at the same time unclasp the hands and stretch both legs forward until they are straight out in front of you. Still holding the breath, grasp the toes of the left foot with the left hand, and the toes of the right foot with the right hand and pull them gently towards you counting one to six as you do so. Resume upright position, with spine straight both legs drawn up close to the body and hands clasped around the knees - exhale making the sound 'EEE'.

This completes one Mahamudra. Repeat three times morning and evening before doing kriya proper. The purpose of Mahamudra is straightening of spine and for
encouraging the right distribution of prana along the spine.
The purpose of Yoti Mudra is to visualise the spiritual eye.

         VI. Yoti Mudra: Kriya is done in sitting posture with closing the eyes, ears, nose, mouth with fingers of both hands. It shall be practiced three times in the morning and evening after practising the Kriya proper. At the end of inspiration hold the breath for a count of 12 visualising the spiritual eye at the point between eyebrows.

In 1989 I visited Varanasi to see the place where Sri Lahari Mahasay lived and practised Kriya Yoga. I met the great grandson of Sri Lahari Mahasay. He taught me the original Kriya Yoga as practiced by Sri Lahari Mahasay. It does not contain the Physical exercises and Hong Sau and Om techniques. I was practising it till 1993. Though it does not contain any physical exercises, I was perfectly maintaining my health. There was permission to do more pranayams. We have to increase more to be eligible for introduction to the second stage. I found this to be better than the method of YSS. It consumed lot of my time, so I reduced my working hours. I used to feel lot of calmness. I was feeling very light. I was introduced to II, III and the IV stages of Kriya on 5-5-91 when i was able to do continuous pranayam for 10 hours and 144 Navi Kriyas at a time and able to touch the tip of the Uvula with the top of the tip of the tongue by practicing Talabya Kriya.

But after some time there was tremendous increase in sensuality. Every night I used to get sensuous dreams and two or three wet dreams every night. I was greatly disturbed and I approached my guide and told him about the problem. He could not give any reason for it and nothing was done to get relief from them. He told me that when great men like Sri Lahari Mahasay has written in his diary that he suffered from it, there is nothing wrong in it. In spite of my difficulty I was continuing my practice for sometime. I left it off in 1993 when I joined the Sri Ramchandra's Raja Yoga system, where my son was already introduced, and making steady progress.

Kriya Yoga as taught by the great grand son of Sri Lahari Mahasay at Varanasi.

          I. Talabya Kriya: (50 times morning and evening). It is the practice to enable the tip of the tongue to touch the Uvula.
         II. Pranayam: Pranayam is inspiration and expiration for 22 seconds each with mentally chanting 'OM' at six spiritual centres from Muladhara to Ajna. It is to be done 12 times morning and evening. It should be increased by 12*1, 12*2, 12*3 ... 12*12. At 12*12 it is called Dharana. At 12*12*12 it is called Samadhi.
When one is able to touch the Uvula with the tip of the tongue by practicing the Talabya Kriya and one is able to perform Pranayam continuously for 10 hours, one is eligible for initiation into 2"d step.
        III. Navi Kriya (14 to 18 times each for 3 1/2 minutes) mental Pranayama inspiration upto Kutasthya chanting 'OM' at Navi for 100 times and then to Muladhara with expiration and count 'OM' at Manipura 25 times.
         IV. Yoni Mudra: Once in the night.
          V. Maha Mudra: Once morning and evening.

Second Stage of Initiation:
II. Kriya
When one is able to touch Uvula with tip of tongue and able to do Pranayama continuously for 10 hours and 144 Navi Kriyas at a time one is eligible for II stage of Kriya.
a) Amantrak (Without Mantra). It is Pranayama with visualisation of 12 Chakras mentally.

III. Kriya
b) Samantrak: It is Pranayama with mentally chanting

'om na mo bha ga va te vaa su de vaa ya'
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
at each chakra.

The should be practised as:

IV. Thokar Kriya

It is a Pranayam visualising seven chakras along the spine and 5 chakras over the chest. Pranayam is done by chanting

om na mo bha ga va te vaa su de vaa ya
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
at each chakra along the spine and over the chest. The head has to strike the chest at five places starting from right shoulder then to the left shoulder and then to middle of chest. It has to be practised as follows: