Yoga and Kriya: A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques: 1 Hardcover – 30 Jan. 2007

I developed an interest in Yoga after atending free yoga classes at the gym, which were well taught, i thought, by a woman who was deeply interested in the ancient practices of yoga. I explained to my teacher that I was interested in Yoga and wanted to learn more about the philosophy behind the asanas; I told the teacher I was looking for a book that would help me greatly in developing my yoga practice at home. This was the book that was recommended to me.The book was being sold at over 50 pounds, but I managed to buy it for a little over 20 from an independent seller.The book gives the reader an understanding of all the aspects of yoga, such as purifying your karma in day to day living; working with your breath; devoitional practice; hand gestures; yoga postures; meditational practices and detoxification and purification practices. The subjects combine in monthly lessons, so that your practice develops from begginner to master in a comprehensive way.I have been studying from the book for about three months now, and this is what I have found...I experiences some degree of aversion to some of the practices, such as Jala Neti - which involved pouring salt water in one nostril and letting it trickle out of the other; or Kunjal Krya, which involves drinking sal water to bursting point before vomiting it out. I have had a nosy at later lessons, that seem to suggest swallowing a rag to clean the slomach and gullet. I personally think that some of these practices are a little dated, and perhaps unnecessary for the average aspirant - especially in a world where less invasive alternatives have been made available by modern science - and can be dropped from one's practice without any real loss. Haiving said that, I have incorporated Jala Neti into my daily routines; not only do I find it straight forward and easy, but I have noticed that my sense of smell greatly improves and I feel much clearer headed and at one with my body and it's surroundings: there is a lot to learn from these ancients!Another aspect that has developed my understanding and practice of yoga is the practice of Pranayama - which is controlling the energy of the body through breath control.My breathing is deeper, more relaxed and I feel I am really taking more pleasure and nutrition from the air. Not only this, but my posture is improving to accomodate the increased lung capacity. I am also sleeping much beter at night.The only downside to this book, in my opinion, is the crudeness of some of the drawings. The descriptions usually suffice, but there have been a couple of poses that I have been unsure about. I have found clips on YOUTUBE that have helped me to see others do these poses, however. I must emphasis that, on the whole, the book is very well written; modern science and ancient philosophy is brought together to make for a fascinating read.I look forward to reading the later lessons on diet, vegetarianism and the chakras. This book is simply a goldmine of information!A brilliant and attractive book, on offer at reasonable prices!NAMASTE! :)

This book is just what I have been craving for years never knew it existed. It is your very own yogic course, straight from the gurus, step by step. I have been doing yoga on and off for years. I join classes but end up leaving as for me yoga is a personal matter and I would rather practice at home with my music and in comfort. The book is broken down into mini monthly (or longer if you wish) sessions that cover every aspect of yoga, from the cleaning rituals, asanas, mudras and bandas, relaxation and pranayama (breath work). Each month covers one or more practices for each part of yoga and walks you through it in a simple and thorough manner. Each month builds upon the last creating a wholesome yoga home practice. Absolutely in love with this book. Wish I could give it 10 stars **********

I hope this becomes the most important book in your life! I am a bookish type and consider this opus much more important than for instance Tomkins’ Affect Imagery Consciousness or Proust’ À la recherche du temps perdu for that matter, for Yoga and Kris may really change your life; mere reading is not likely to achieve that.In this review I will first permit myself to give some advice (although La Rochefoucauld observed something about giving advices...). Then I will address some reservations and finally some superstitions.This book is especially important if you have no access to a good ashram or a qualified yoga teacher. I was so lucky that my school engaged a yoga teacher when I was 19 years old. Then 25 years old I went to a three month course under ashram conditions led by Swami Janakananda, disciple of Swami Satyananda. We learned most of the techniques described in Yoga and Kriya, so if I were a better yogi, I would have no use of this opus. (I purchased it because I was in doubt of some details.)It is very difficult to learn yoga and meditation from a book, but Satyananda knows that and does his best to make it possible. He underscores that you need to build a fundament in order to succeed with the more advanced techniques, especially Kriya Yoga. The preparations should take long time with persistent yoga practice. Time is an important factor here. As the Romans said, festina lente, hurry slowly! (So take your time and hurry up is not that ridiculous after all.) My three month course as a 25 years old wannabe yogi had one weakness: It lasted only three months. To perform the full Kriya Yoga takes about three hours. The problem is not sleep, as it reduces your need for sleep with three hours or more. The problem is patience. You need time to develop your patience. Meditation should be a craving before you start learning Kriya Yoga.Satyananda writes that the preparations for Kriya Yoga should take at least two years, i.e. two years of dedicated practices of the fundamental techniques.A big obstacle is snobbishness. One tends to believe that the more advanced the techniques, the more profound the results. Alas, it is the advancement of the practioner that counts. (Besides, Kriya Yoga was designed because most of us are not that advanced.) As a beginner you will benefit most from the less advanced asanas, pranayamas and meditations; you should spend much time practicing your pick from each lesson. Slow and steady brings you forward. Don’t hurry. Never force yourself to anything in yoga. Warm up with Surya Namaskar and never push yourself in pranayamas and relax in the meditations. Each actions gives a reaction – too much ambition will be punished! Be patient! Let progress come almost by itself.So curb your ambition to learn the advanced stuff. You need to be advanced yourself before you learn it.The next obstacle is the expectation that your yoga-practise will put you in a state of bliss. That is the goal, yes, and your expectation will be confirmed now and then. But permit me an allegory: The value of Bitcoin has risen enormously in ten years. But there has been many setbacks along the route to the high value… Like that you should be prepared for setbacks in course of your sadhana. That goes even if you don’t force yourself; every action may provoke a reaction. Never believe that you have reached a certain level and for this reason have to stay there. If you have to practice on a lower level for a while, let it be so.You have to remove lots of mental problems. That is not always pleasant. Are you used to strong, negative emotions? Are you able to let emotions arise, just witnessing them, without acting on them? «You have to pass through hell before you can reach heaven.» (Satyananda p. 304)Modern emotion-focused therapy is close to tantra at this point: «One has to feel a feeling in order to change it.» (Leslie Greenberg Emotion-Focused Therapy (2017) p. 10) But as you are going to experience, the tantric methods work a little more subtle than conversation therapy, and if you don’t give up, much more efficiently.Then we have the obstacle of laziness. Some people doesn’t realise that to gain something from yoga and meditation, they have to work with something else. The energy will be released when you use it. You have to be an active human being, solving practical problems and work, preferably physically. You should do it by the attitude of karma yoga.There are many schools of yoga. I believe that the tantric is the best.There are many gurus. I believe that more than 90 percent are frauds.This work however is excellent. Though I have some reservations:Satyananda addresses many topics that are not strictly necessary to learn yoga. But he does that in a modest way. «I suggest», he writes, underscoring our freedom to chose.One topic, amaroli in Lesson 15, I find outright repulsive and I guess you will too. This practice is certainly not required to achieve results with yoga and I wonder why he included it at all. To damage his own ethos?Satyananda likes the term scientific. That term is very misunderstood even in the West and especially in our times ("trust the science", as if science were a matter of trust). Satyananda means something like "proved by experience". He explains that on page 385 first column: «We want you to consider tantra with an open mind. Do not blindly accept its ideas. […] It is a ’test and see’ system.»Satyananda underscores that the tantric yoga is compatible with all religions. That‘s all good and dandy and very Hindu, but are all religious systems compatible with tantric yoga? I have a Christian fundamentalist friend who believe that Kundalini Yoga is some kind of Satanism. For my part I am grown up in a strictly atheist home, still I have not escaped Christian superstition, perhaps because as a child I had a school teacher who was a Christian fundamentalist influencing me; I really don‘t know. Many Christians have issues with tantric yoga, so I will address two superstitions. 1) Kriya Yoga uses the snake as a symbol for energy. For many Christians, the snake/the serpent is a metaphor for Satan. The serpent in Genesis 3 seduces Eva after all. More: 2) Some Christians may suspect that the use of mantras invokes pagan deities. Satyananda does‘t make it better when he explains that the meaning of the mantra So-Ham is "I am Shiva". (Shiva means consciousness but happens also to be the main Hindu deity.)I don‘t think you can invoke a deity if you do not intend to do so, but you may disagree. When the French says amour they don’t invoke the pagan deity Cupid (Amor), but speak about love. I think the same goes with the snake as symbol for energy. Your intention is what matters.