Kriya Vinyasa Series
SALUTATIONS FOR A LIFETIME
Vinyasa yoga is hugely popular in the Western World. Other than the Sun Salutations that are incorporated into a class, there are a few schools that are known for a complete series beyond Sun Salutations. In my time, I have practiced them all and enjoyed them to some degree, but felt that I wanted to build a practice that fosters the principles of Kriya Yoga, which is the type of yoga Patanjali references in Sadhana Pada, or Book 2 of the Yoga Sutras.
It is based upon 3 basic principles:
* That the practitioner needs to practice Self-Study and reflection in order to improve.
* That the practitioner needs to exercise some Self-Discipline which generates heat or movement of Prana to bring about greater balance of the koshas.(sheaths)
and,
* Finding your own way to truth through experience of the above, along with discernment and wisdom.
Nearly 13 years ago, I began exploring a series based upon the Sun and Moon Salutations as instructed by my Paramguru, Goswami Kriyananda in his book, "The Spiritual Science of Kriya Yoga." It was to transform my life and my practice, and develop into a series of asanas and a rotational breathing technique that "cosmolizes our being." - Goswami Kriyananda
This means that we are balancing our chakras which are really a system of masculine and feminine polar opposites that are linked to psychological states of consciousness and are like demanding children, vying for share of our mind. These chakric hemispheres are 12 in number and are linked to mystical 12 traditions such as 12 Disciples of Christ, the 12 Labors of Hercules, the 12 tribes of Israel and the 12 Knights of the Round Table.
In esoteric yoga, we are really trying to step beyond our mind however, and become the 13th factor: Christ, Hercules, Moses or King Arthur.
In other words, to step beyond the mechanism of our unbridled mind and become; The anointed one, and start to use free will.
Imagine, master of our own Universe!
I get so excited at the opportunity we have with every conscious breath to become that. We can see with non-emotionality what is out of balance in our lives, and bring that segment back into balance and continue to ascend on our spiritual journey.
In the Kriya Sun Salutations (which are built upon a series of vinyasas that open primary joints, cultivate smooth breathing, especially in transition from one pose to another), honor our inner Guru and generate heat, the breath becomes part of the tapestry we weave through yantra and tantra of visualizing energy moving around the 12 chakric hemispheres of our being linked to zodiacal signs. This in turn can have a profound effect upon softening our natal chart and, of course, karma.
The bottom line is; with a Kriya or conscious, engaged, volitional spiritual action, we can become the OM Kara (maker) of our own Universe, and not only soften the rough edges of our personality in this lifetime, but build a more harmonious karmic "bank" for future incarnations. Now that is practicing Kriya Yoga for lifetimes!
This year, I am delighted to be sharing this powerful sequence at the Sedona Yoga Festival with like-minded travellers on the path of Self-Realization. Along with that, I get to check out some of the other teachers' classes and become a student once again, which I think makes teachers more well-rounded and appreciative of the wisdom and skills shared by others.
Registration is open to schedule your classes, so I hope to be seeing some of you on the mat with an open mind, and of course Self-Awareness.
http://sched.co/24K7
Camella has written a guideboook for this series and will be training teachers in March for additional CEU's. Students who want to learn this sequence for their own personal practice are also invited to attend.
Details are at http://www.camellanair.com under events
