r/kriyayoga

I usually hesitate to write any promotional posts on behalf of RYKYM in this group, because Gurudev Dr. Sudhin Ray has forbidden self-promotion, and Lahiri Mahasaya was also not in favor of turning Kriya Yoga into an institution. However, whatever the case may be, today I could not stop myself from making this post.

It is a matter from two years ago. An Indian lady from the UK, who was a disciple of Forrest Knutson, called me and said that Forrest had requested a copy of the book Kriyā Yoga Rahasya. She mentioned she was visiting India and asked if I could send it to her. I felt happy because Forrest, being a disciple of Ashok Singh, is also a guru-brother to me, given that both Ashok Singh and our Gurudev Dr. Sudhin Ray are disciples of Dubey Ji. I gladly sent the hard copies to the lady's Delhi address, and after that, I never followed up or asked for any feedback. Just recently, through Reddit, I came to know that Forrest, with the help of his guru-brother, launched a new english and spanish version of Kriyā Yoga Rahasya on Amazon just in March 2026, which I only found out about yesterday.

I do not know how this book was translated because the original Hindi manuscript, which Dubey Baba had given to Gurudev, was the one I used to translate it. I never wanted to reveal that I was the one who translated this book. Before the book was released, Gurudev had asked me, "Why are you getting your name removed? Let it stay." But my heart did not agree, because the person who wrote the book is the true author; a translator does not add anything new to it.

It goes back to 2014-15 when the Bengali version of the book used to sit on my bookshelf, and the smiling face of Dubey Ji on the cover image seemed to tell me, "Translate this into English." I couldn't gather the courage then. Then in 2020, I hesitantly told Gurudev that there is a huge demand for Kriyā Yoga Rahasya in English and that we should get it translated. Gurudev said, "Why don't you do it yourself?" So, I took up the task, but it took me 2 years. One of my guru-brothers, Dipanjan, also helped me in this, but editing, proofreading, etc., took time. It was only due to the time available during the COVID lockdown that this translation became possible, and finally, the book - "Kriyā Yoga Rahasya – (The Secret of Kriyāyoga)- Volume I & II" was launched on Guru Purnima in 2022.

Many people from India and abroad bought the book, and countless people expressed their desire to translate it into Indian and other foreign languages, but Gurudev did not agree. His belief is that anyone can do a translation, and in the era of AI, it can be done in minutes. However, can the translator truly understand the emotions of the author in the original language? Until that happens, a translation is just a word-to-word conversion into another language, not the true essence of the original author. I believe that the Ashram never had any desire to make a profit, and because of this, the Kindle version was never launched either.

But now that this book is available, people will surely read it. This post has not been made to blame anyone, but my purpose is to make you aware of the story behind the translation of this book. I cannot say whether RYKYM will take any legal action on this or not, but I do not want a situation to arise in the future where we have to prove the authenticity of this book, much like what happened between YSS's Autobiography of a Yogi and Kriyananda's Autobiography of a Yogi...

This Rahasaya book was advertised here right now so I quickly read it and it said Ida is Tamo guna and Pingala is Rajo guna. But Pranab Gita says the exact opposite. What do you think? I think Rajas being ida and Tamas being pingala is correct.

I just found out through a Forrest Knutson video that there's a new translation of Maheshwari Prasad Dubey's book, available (link in comments).

This is great news because although an English version, translated by RYKYM, already existed, it was very hard acquire a copy (possibly by design, since the book addresses aspects of kriya sadhana and is aimed at kriyabans).

On the other hand, I have questions about how the translation was produced. The translator is Janzel Martinez (Nandikesha), a direct disciple of Ashok Singh. I don't doubt that he's more than qualified to interpret Kriya Yoga texts. But how much Hindi does he actually know? These days it's extremely easy to translate books using generative AI. Was that the primary method he used for this translation?

Even if this is a mostly AI translation I'm sure it has much to offer, and in some areas it may even be more useful than the original RYKYM translation. But only texts made by those who are proficient in the source language should be considered true translations imo. If anybody knows about Nandikesha's qualifications as a translator and his translation method, please share.

Asking because my routine doesn't allow much travelling.

I’ve been finding Nadi Shodhana really helpful lately as a way to get centered before other pranayama practices, especially Kriya Pranayama.

For me, even a few minutes of alternate nostril breathing seems to make a noticeable difference. It helps slow everything down, smooth out the breath, and bring the mind into a more balanced place before getting into deeper practice. If I go straight into Kriya Pranayama without taking time to settle first, I sometimes feel like my attention is still catching up with the practice. But when I do Nadi Shodhana beforehand, there’s more steadiness and inward focus.

I find it just as helpful as Navi Kriya and practiced before that even better.

It also feels like a good transition between normal daily activity and actual sadhana. The body relaxes, the breath becomes more refined, and the mind is less scattered. By the time I begin Kriya Pranayama, I feel more engaged with the practice instead of just going through the technique.

I know Nadi Shodhana is often recommended as a balancing practice on its own, but I’m curious if others here have found it especially useful as preparation for Kriya or other pranayamas.

Do you notice a difference when you do it first? And if so, how long do you usually practice it before moving into the rest of your routine?

Hello, I did an a first initiation through Kriya.org about 18 months ago. I also read Ryan's book which has some practice suggestions in it. But at this point, I am now seeking private instruction via 1:1 Zoom sessions for additional support via a qualified teacher. They don't necessarily have to be part of this specific lineage. I pulled some names from a Google AI search for 1:1 study, but none of them have websites or contact information I can find. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Hello! I am from Kyiv, Ukraine. The first time I heard about Kriya, of course, was from Yogananda's book, so I started to investigate. I found Kundalini from Yogi Bhajan, then a video and a book about the 18 poses of relaxation in Kriya Hatha Yoga of Babaji. I have been practicing that for a year and a half, and now I can sit in a lotus pose, which was unimaginable then, so I am glad of that.

But an interesting thing happened. Parallel to doing asanas, I was reading Joe Dispenza's book about emotions and the power to create emotion, so it evolved into breathing. When I inhale, I feel joy, and I feel where this joy sits—like in the region of my heart, in the center of my chest, that energy bubble. On the exhale, I look from inside of that spot, feeling from inside of my heart. On the exhale, I concentrate on whatever joy or bliss I want to feel, so combined with Kriya Hatha Yoga, after each asana, that feeling increases. It helps me to unveil some feelings and the power of the heart and love, especially after the fish pose.

So, what does your community think about that? Of course, now my country is at war, and I can't find a master of true Kriya. Someday, while meditating on the third eye, I saw Babaji's image. I liked greeting him; maybe it's just a visual thing in my mind. I just want to hear something from you because all that experience was only with myself, and I am glad I can hear you back and be heard. Thank you.

For example Yogananda teaches cosmic consciousness is attained at sahasrara point, yet ramana teaches the hridayam is seat of self located to the right of the physical heart. Ramana states when kubdalini reaches sahasrara it should ultimately come down again finalize and complete in the spiritual heart. How are these teachings reconciled?

What do you guys think of Pranab Gita ch 4:7 yuga explanation? I think it's amazing. So it flows in this sequence: Satya, Treta, Dvapara, Kali.

How does this fit in with Sri Yukteshwar's explanation?

I have seen his videos for two years and he seems genuine but there are a lot of people in the reddit who call him a scammer, which side is true?

Hello everyone. A while back I heard that brother Anandamoy had written his memoirs and that SRF had intentions of publishing it as Sri Days Mata supposedly said she wanted it published. But SRF has not published it thus far. I also read somewhere that there was a copy of his memoirs going around the net person to person via email. Does anyone have any information on this? Does anyone have a copy of this memoir they would care to share? I'd be happy if SRF published it. If not, I'll go for the shared copy. Thanks for any help.

I wanted to be at the June Kriya Yoga Solstice retreat with Ryan Kurczak. I couldn't get away. Did anyone here make it? How was it? Did he mention doin it again?

"The breath is life," said my guru, Yogi Deenbandhu.

And so it is. Life reveals itself through motion. It is action and vibration, that signal the presence of life in the organic and the inorganic alike. Yet one who walks the path of yoga knows that the distinction between alive and dead is a concept of the mind, not a truth of existence. Everything is alive.

Souls move through forms continuously and unconscious, being at the core one within cosmic consciousness, until the moment they remember what they are.

That remembering is called Yoga. While Yoga means union, I would even say, there is no a real union, while the "I" is more related to the body and mind, and was always, an identification tool which at the core it does not exist as we imagine.

So there is a remebering of what we are beyond the "I" being the Ego and beyond the mind.

But because we use language and personas, we have to give names and terms to objects of perception in this manifestation.

Why Souls Take Form

To know the whole manifestation, not as an idea, but as a lived truth, the soul must, for a time, forget itself. It must enter form. It must take on a body, a shape or form of life, whether on this earth or elsewhere, and through the senses of that body, it must feel, perceive, and experience. That human body needs to breathe on this planet.

As a human, the soul also carries a mind, which is a refined instrument for translating und understanding experience, memory, learning, and energy from the perspective of an apparently separate being.

This is not a limitation. It is a design.

At the level of cosmic consciousness, there is no separation to be experienced. One simply knows and feels oneself as all that is. But the soul that has not yet realized itself, veiled by fear, karmic patterns, belief, past experience, or the movements of the mind, takes all of this to be utterly real.

And that, too, is not a mistake. These experiences are not distractions from the path. They are part of the path. They bring genuine, felt knowledge to the cosmic mind, not as philosophy or mental impression, but as living reality.

Experience is the Teaching

The experience itself is the teaching. Not the goal. Not the concept. Not the comparison with others.

A human being can be made, logically and convincingly, to understand the unity of all life. The words can be arranged perfectly. The argument can be flawless. But until that unity is felt in the body, in the breath, in silence, nothing truly changes.

Perception does not shift. Behaviour does not really change. And this, we observe in moments of tension.

The one who has realized the self moves through life differently and that not because they have learned more, but because they are no longer entangled in reactions.

The Role of Breath

The breath is the carrier of prana. When the breath becomes refined, the mind becomes still. When the mind becomes still, the soul recognizes itself.

This you know already.

Now, the breath without prana does not exist. It is prana that has the power of transformation. This is why, for us as Kriya Yogis, what the modern world calls "Breathwork" remains a surface concept, a marketing concept, meant to atract people entangled in the physical world.

The breath, who carries the prana, can move a practitioner outward, toward fear, reactivity, and entanglement..... or inward, toward stillness, freedom, and knowing. The direction depends entirely on how it is guided, and by whom.

When the outward breath ceases to be driven by external effort, something shifts inward.

The practitioner begins to identify not with the body, not with the mind, but with the witness within. And when the breath is transcended entirely into Kevali Kumbhak, one touches the remembrance of what one has always been.

The breath is the key to realization. But it is a key with two sides, the outward breath and the inward breath. By one we experience the world,as being separated from us, and by the other one, we remeber what we are...

What is the Inward Breath?

The inward breath is not something that can be taught in a workshop or explained in a book. It arises, after years of sincere, dedicated practice, on its own. It is not a physical in-and-out movement.

It is closer to breathlessness. In that absence of outward motion, the astral breath is born. This is inner movement. Subtle. Profound. Unmistakable to the one who has touched it.

How does one arrive there? Through practice. Through patience. And through guidance that is genuinely wise.

Wise, not as a compliment, but as experience. A guide who truly knows the breath understands the boundaries and capacity of each student. Without that understanding, the breath cannot be led safely beyond the physical.

It must first be refined, through Maha Mudras, through Kriyas, through Omkar. The 144 Kriyas and beyond are not the destination. They are the preparation. They cleanse the astral body and make the vessel ready for what is to come.

Many years of sincere practice lead eventually to the subtle breath. The subtle breath, in time, opens the door to the astral breath.

One great help to trancend to inner breath is the higher Kriyas.

Progression on the Path

In our lineage, the transmission of a higher Kriya is not a reward for effort or a randome step on a fixed timeline. It is a matter of subtle breath and inner maturity.... is capacity and consistence. The conditions under which such way of breath is taught and practiced, are to be discussed between the guru and the student and not for open discussion.

There are, however, souls of unusual advancement who may receive a higher Kriya before the full capacity has been built. This is rare, and it does not happen by request. It happens by the grace and responsibility of the guru, who in giving the transmission, takes the student's development fully upon himself or herself.

Some lineages offer higher Kriyas within months or after a single year. This is their way, and it may suit certain individuals, particularly those who have already practiced deeply in another lineage or other traditions over many years.

But in general, without the foundation of built capacity, such transmission tends to produce nervousness, disorientation, and a quiet, persistent sense of hopelessness. The practitioner feels the power but lacks the ground to carry it. Anger and frustration may show up.

The path cannot be rushed. It can only be walked in it`s own tempo.

The breath, therefore, is the key to realization together with deep devotion, not as mechanic taught separated, but as a living, complex mechanism that gradually transforms the mind, purifies the prana, and dissolves the veil between the soul and its own nature.