Footsteps by Kenzo Okada*
I. K. Taimni in The Science of Yoga defines Kriya Yoga as the last three of the five elements of Niyama (Tapas, Svadhyaya and Isvara-pranidhana) and states the purpose is “to eliminate or master all mental emotional disturbances that characterize the lives of ordinary human beings before entering the deeper aspects of the yogic path.”This sounds like hard work and it is, but when described in a contemporary tone the process can feel more achievable. In The Secret Heart of Yoga Nichala Joy Devi offers a softer, heart-centered view:
“Kriya Yoga, or yoga in action, seamlessly weaves the teachings of yoga into our everyday world, becoming a template for our hands, heads and hearts to follow. When mixed in the correct proportions, action, thought and feelings harmonize completely, allowing our inner spirit and outer worlds to unite.”
This contemporary view is not so much a change in purpose but more a shift in tone towards encouragement to practice. As someone with both feet firmly planted in terra firma, the contemporary view feels do-able. After all, who among us doesn’t have responsibilities for partners, parents, children, pets, jobs, or our personal home environment? Embracing the contemporary view of Kriya Yoga provides a solid structure on which to build a lifelong practice in the midst of our lives as householders.
How can we do that? First, we get clear on the meaning and purpose of Kriya Yoga, and then we practice in ways that move us toward self-awareness, integrity, balance, moderation, and responsibility. We understand that these Niyama work in conjunction with each other at all levels all the time, but we can look at them one by one to better our understanding of the purpose of each.
Tapas
Taimni provides us with a traditional definition of Tapas as, “a class of various practices the object of which is to purify and discipline the lower nature under the control of an iron will.” I know that my “lower nature” does not respond well towards what it perceives as authoritarian dictates. To me they sound more like “you should nots,” as in you should not eat chocolate, watch television, or sleep in on the weekends. And quite frankly, I am pretty tired of “should-ing” on myself.
In The Heart of Yoga, Desikachar says, “Tapas does not mean penance or castigation, but is something we do to keep us physically and mentally healthy.” I do respond wholly to suggestions that are encouraging, empowering, and inspiring in tone. For me, Tapas means being regular and steady about my yoga practice, hitting the gym twice a week, and finding time to write. With regards to chocolate, television and sleeping in, the key is to understand how, when, and why I do these things, and then do them in moderation. Chocolate needs to be at least 72% cacao, and television choices are carefully selected comedies, food and travel shows. As for sleeping in on the weekends, I’ve chosen Sundays.
Here is a key question to contemplate: what would you need to change in order to apply self-discipline and self-care to your healing journey?
Here are a few specifics:
- Do you make New Year’s resolutions?
- If so, do you keep them or not?
- Do you exercise regularly?
- If so, what do you do and why? If not, what keeps you from doing so?
Svadhyaya
According to Taimni Svadhyaya refers to the study of yogic scriptures followed by a deep process of reflection and contemplation of their meaning to prepare the mind for knowledge from within. While I appreciate that view, I am more drawn to Desikachar who describes Svadhyaya as “the process of gradually finding out, where we are, who we are, what we are and so forth.” That I can take in down to my cellular level!
Some questions for contemplating Svadhyaya might be:
- How do you know what you know about yourself?
- What are your main methods for understanding your current stage of life and how you are moving through it?
- Where are you in the process of gradually finding out, where you are, who you are and what you are?
Suggestions for practicing svadhyaya are Savasana and Yoga Nidra. Both practices encourage and expand a deep state of relaxation, which can lead to knowledge of the self on all levels: physical, breath/energetic, mind/emotions, bliss, and beyond. (See Working with the Witness.)
Isvara-Pranidhana
Taimni says Isvara-pranidhana is achieved when “the Reality within us is free from the fundamental illusion which is responsible for the limitations and miseries of our lives.” Desikachar offers us a contemporary view:
“The meaning of isvara pranidhana in the context of kriya yoga relates much more to a kind of attention to action: we place a value on the quality of action, not on the fruits that can develop out of it.”
We are encouraged to put our focus on actions done well and thoughtfully with self-awareness, integrity, balance, moderation, and responsibility, and then release from the outcome. This reminds me of the wonderful words I heard directly from the mouth of Sri Swami Pratyagbodhananda who said that any action we take has only four outcomes:
- What you expected
- Less than you expected
- More than you expected
- The unexpected
A recommended practice is meditation. I’ve tried several meditation techniques but I always come back to Ajapa japa stage 1, part 1, which I found in the book A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Technique of Yoga and Kriya by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Here are simplified instructions:
- Sit with your spine comfortably aligned.
- Soften your chest and shoulders.
- Close your eyes or keep them slightly open with your gaze toward the floor.
- Start deep, rhythmic breathing with full awareness of the ingoing and outgoing breath.
- Begin visualizing your incoming breath moving downward from the throat to the navel and the outgoing breath moving upward from the navel to the throat.
- When the mind wanders bring it back to awareness of the breath and your visualization.
- Practice for as long as you are comfortable.
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