
The Bhagvat Gita and Kriya Yoga
- "Babaji: The Lightning Standing Still, Chapter 16" by Yogiraj SiddhanathThe Bhagvat Gita mentions this science of Kriya Yoga in chapter 4, verse 29. The Kriya Yoga Pranayama called the prana-apanic fire rite by the yogis, teaches man to untie the cord of breath that binds our soul to the bodily cage. This is then released to fly and expand into the super-conscious skies of omnipresent spirit and come back at will into the little body cage. No flight of fancy is this, but a true experiencing of divine bliss
There are two main life-currents in the body. One is that of Prana which flows from the coccyx (Muladhara Chakra) to the point between the eyebrows(Ajna Chakra). The nature of this life current is soothing. It introverts the devotee's attention during sleep and wakeful state, and in meditation unites the soul with the spirit in the third ventricle of the brain, in yogic parlance called the Shivanetra or third eye.
The Other main current is that of Apana which flows from the third eye to the coccyx. This downward flowing, extroverted current distributes itself through the coccygeal Centre to the motor-sensory nerves. It keeps man's consciousness delusively tied to the body. The Apana current is restless and engrosses man i sensory experiences.
In the Bhagvat Gita, Lord Krishna extols the yogi in glowing terms:
Greater is the Yogi than body disciplining ascetics, greater even
than the followers of wisdom's path. Greater than the path of action.
Be though Arjuna a Yogi!
- Bhagavat Gita, Chapter 6, verse 46
Kriya Yoga pranayama arrests bodily decay connected with Apana, manifesting in the exhaling breath, by fresh inhalations of life-force(Prana) distilled from the inhaling breath. This Prana enables the devotee to do away with the illusion of decay and mutation. He then realizes that his body is mad of 'lifetrons' of congealed light. The body of Kriya Yogi is recharged with extra energy distilled from the breath and energized by the tremendous dynamo of energy generated in the Spine. The decay of body tissues decreases. This ultimately lessens the work of the heart by assisting blood cleansing functions. The heart pump becomes quiet, owing to the non-pumping of venous blood and exhalation and inhalation of breath are evened out. This is an avasta(state) of Kevali Kumbaka.
When one gets to the advanced state of Shiva Shakti Kriya, the breath ceases, Duly, the cool ascending pranic current and warm descending apanic current are felt flowing the sushumna nadi(Spinal cord)
The Gita advises us to practice Pranayama (life-force control) to enable us to realize that we are not made of flesh, but of life-force condensed from the thought of God!