Yoga

The earliest references to yogic ideas appear in the Vedas, especially the Rig Veda and Atharva Veda passed down through memorization 3000 years ago, until Patanjali recorded them in the Yoga Sutras. Here, “yoga” (from yuj, “to yoke or unite”) referred to discipline, focus, and the union of human consciousness with the divine. The practice offers a universal path toward inner freedom.

Blending personal experience and traditional wisdom, this article offers both an intimate glimpse into this seeker’s path and a structured overview of Yoga and Kriya Yoga. Kriya Yoga is a powerful, time-tested (and self-tested) technique for accelerating spiritual evolution through disciplined meditation and devotion, and we will delve into it during this article. Whether you are just beginning with breath and stillness or feeling called toward deeper initiation, this journey is open to all, regardless of religion, class, or gender.

One Seeker’s Path

My name is Emmy. I was born into a scientifically-minded, academic-oriented, skeptical, anti-religious household. I was the youngest, blessed with regular home-cooked meals, a stable home, music lessons, and the privilege of world travel. From a young age, however, I stood apart from my family. I was contemplative and intuitive, quietly witnessing the joyful, connected churchgoers on the island of Barbados where we lived for a few years. My family did not value church, because of the historic atrocities that dogma had engendered, so we never went. Our family spent recreational time playing in the ocean, practicing piano and tennis, and developing individual hobbies. Without being encouraged to do so, I was drawn to the teachings of Jesus and Buddha, and I adopted compassion and love as guiding values, but without a formal spiritual practice.

Raised in a secular environment that often mocked religious groups, I learned to suppress my spiritual curiosity. But with the rise of the internet around 2000, I began exploring world religions, seeking common ground and crafting my own spiritual philosophy. I had no fixed religious identity, which gave me freedom to synthesize ideas… but I still did not meditate.

Years later, as a Hatha Yoga teacher, I taught classes infused with positive psychology and mindful movement. I experienced the transformative power of yoga asana… but again, I did not meditate. Life was full, but beneath the surface, I was restless and lacking the stillness through which divine wisdom could pour through.

Eventually, my self-directed spiritual compass led me into suffering, illness, and disconnection. At my lowest point, my partner handed me Autobiography of a Yogi and the Bhagavad Gita—two sacred texts that would change my life. I began studying Paramahansa Yogananda’s lessons through the Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF), and in the summer of 2023, I started meditating daily.

My early experiences with meditation were both peaceful and cathartic. Sitting quietly, energies surfaced that had been long buried. It wasn’t always easy, but I felt unmistakably that I was finally on the right path. Two years later, prayer and chanting (both once foreign and awkward) have become deep sources of joy and transcendence. I can now lift my gaze upwards, settle my mind, and if I am aligned inside with the principles of Yoga, then I can enter into a place of bliss beyond space-time that I previously could not even imagine. This is why I started Kriya House, and why I tell you this story.

The Essence of Yoga

Yoga is far more than the physical exercise that mainstream yogis ascribe to. It is an ancient, systematic path of self-realization refined over thousands of years. The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning “to yoke” or “to unite.” Yoga unites body, mind, and spirit with the Divine essence within. In an attempt to secularize Yoga in gyms and schools in the West, the elements of devotion and prayer have been stripped from American Yoga practice.

Its foundations can be traced to the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita, which all describe yoga as a path toward union with the ultimate reality, Brahman. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras later articulated this path into eight limbs, providing a practical map for spiritual growth:

Yamas – Ethical restraints (nonviolence, truth, non-stealing, moderation, non-greed)
Niyamas – Personal observances (purity, contentment, discipline, self-study, surrender to the Divine)
Asana – Steady, comfortable postures for health and meditation
Pranayama – Breath & life-force control
Pratyahara – Withdrawal of the senses inward
Dharana – Concentration
Dhyana – Meditation
Samadhi – Superconscious union with the Divine

These limbs work together to cultivate ethical living, embodied presence, concentrated awareness, and ultimately, spiritual realization. I love this image that BoYoga has created, which illustrates how they are not separate branches or gradual steps, but elements of Yoga that synthesize together and become stronger and deeper with practice.

Paramahansa Yogananda and the Modern Bridge

In the early 20th century, Paramahansa Yogananda, following in the wake of Swami Vivekananda, brought the spiritual science of Yoga to the West. How opportune and necessary of a contribution, during the dawning of the hectic and disconnected lifestyle of the industrial revolution! Through his book Autobiography of a Yogi, lectures, and the establishment of the Self-Realization Fellowship, Yogananda introduced millions to meditation and universal spiritual principles. You can read his book* and watch the documentary “Awake” to learn about his personal journey and the growth of his organization, Self-Realization Fellowship.

He described God as beyond intellectual grasp but directly accessible through inner experiences of peace, love, calm, sound, light, vibration, wisdom, and joy. His teachings are practical, universal, and deeply experiential: “Experiment on yourself,” he urged, “and you will find God.”

Introduction to Kriya Yoga

Lahiri Mahasaya said, “Kriya Yoga is the quickest way to reach God,” while Yogananda called it “the most effective method of attaining union with God; it is the science of the soul.” If you have issues with religion, Yogananda’s first lecture in Boston is now a published booklet called “The Science of Religion.” He defines religion there as the science of finding lasting happiness — the inner quest common to all souls, and the path to which is laid out in religious scripture, though often hijacked by dogma. And in Lesson 3 of the SRF lessons, he describes how we can experience God directly, though the entirety of God is ineffable, our experience of God comes as light, sound, vibration, love, peace, joy, calm, and wisdom. Defining it as such, you may proceed without the healthy skepticism that’s kept you grounded in the 21st century!

Originating in ancient India and revived in the 19th century by Mahavatar Babaji through Lahiri Mahasaya, Kriya Yoga combines breath control (pranayama), meditation, mudras, chanting, visualization, and devotional practices. It focuses on the subtle energy in the spine, offering a “spinal highway” to higher consciousness.

“For one who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, the mind will be the greatest enemy.”
— Bhagavad Gita, 6:6

Kriya Yoga is not for everyone at the outset. It requires daily devotion, inner stillness, and sincere preparation. But preliminary meditation, breathwork, and asana are accessible to all, and they form the fertile soil in which the powerful seed of Kriya can take root. This preliminary meditation is something that we at Kriya House often guided our friends and visitors through. Sometimes these preliminaries are so simple, yet the results are so profound.

Preparation for Kriya

Before initiation, sincere aspirants are encouraged to develop:

Regular meditation and preliminary pranayama practice
Familiarity with yogic ethical principles (yamas and niyamas)
Emotional stability through self-reflection or therapy
A clear intention to practice consistently
Connection to a supportive spiritual community or satsang

The Self-Realization Fellowship’s 18-lesson correspondence course gradually prepares students for Kriya initiation, introducing theory, lifestyle, and meditation techniques step by step. I already referenced lesson 3, which had a profound impact on my experience of “God.” After completing the lessons, students meet with monastics to assess readiness and make a pledge to meditate daily—morning and evening—before receiving the sacred Kriya initiation and further lessons.

Kriya Practice and the Effects of Burning Karma

Kriya Yoga accelerates spiritual evolution by intensifying the purifying effects of meditation. Practitioners often experience heightened awareness and a deepening sense of inner peace as karmic patterns—habitual mental, emotional, and energetic cycles—begin to dissolve.

Difficult emotions or physical sensations may arise as energy clears. These are natural and temporary, best met with patience, grounding practices like walking or gentle asana, and guidance from teachers or spiritual friends. Over time, the practice cultivates equanimity, intuitive clarity, and devotion.

Receiving Initiation and Lineage

Initiation (diksha) is a sacred transmission between teacher and disciple, marking a deeper commitment to the path. Alongside it, dakshina—an offering of gratitude—supports the lineage and honors the spiritual bond.

Two primary lineages are accessible in Colorado:

Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) — emphasizes gradual preparation through lessons and formal initiation. Volunteer-led temples exist all around the world, and you can likely find one near you.
Temple of Peace (one of the temples for Kriya International) — offers weekend initiations with ongoing satsang and community support. They have ashrams in Florida, Texas, Illinois, and centers around the country where Swami’s visit to give workshops.

Both are rooted in Lahiri Mahasaya’s lineage, through Sri Yukteswar and his disciples. Each has its unique approach—SRF more structured, Temple of Peace more experiential—but both are authentic. Practitioners are encouraged to follow the inner guidance of their own soul when choosing their path. There are other ways to learn Kriya Yoga, too, such as Ryan Kurczak via Roy Eugene Davis, the Ananda organization, or the organization led by Lahiri’s great-grandson, or independent renegade yogi acharya’s who roam the streets offering workshops! All paths lead to the goal of realizing the Self. Some are more direct than others. Find what resonates, and you shall know the sincere ones by their fruits, as Jesus said!

Kriya Lineage and Diversity

After Lahiri Mahasaya’s passing, his disciples carried forward the teachings in various ways. Some emphasized strict orthodoxy; others adapted practices to modern contexts. Some focused on public dissemination, others on quiet personal transmission. This diversity reflects the Divine Mother’s love for her many children: different souls resonate with different flavors of the same essential truth.

Rather than debate lineages, practitioners are encouraged to honor all authentic paths, recognizing that the essence is one.

Invitation to Practice

Yoga and Kriya Yoga are not merely philosophies to study. They are disciplines to live and experience. Begin where you are: with breath, stillness, and sincere intention. If you feel called to go deeper, the path of Kriya offers a structured, luminous way to accelerate your growth and communion with the Divine.

Kriya House joyfully endorses both Self-Realization Fellowship and the Temple of Peace in Lakewood, Colorado, as authentic avenues for initiation and practice. We started Kriya House to dissolve any tensions between organizations and promote cross-pollination of various communities. You are warmly invited to join our community meditations, deepen your practice, and prepare for initiation at your own pace. We do not personally initiate anyone, as we are still babies on the journey! You can access the initiation programs through our community-events calendar linked below.

“In meditation, the soul begins to understand its unity with all beings, leading to the realization of God.” — Paramahansa Yogananda

Om. Shanti. Peace. Amen. 🌿