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| Kriya yoga is divided into three steps or stages. The aim of these stages is to release the granthis, or psychic knots in the body. These so-called knots prevent the steadying of the chakras and rising of the kundalini, since they prevent prana from flowing along the Sushumna channel. They are known in ascending order as Brahma granthi, Vishnu granthi and Rudra granthi. Brahma granthi is associated with the throat chakra. The second knot, Vishnu granthi with the root chakra.
The first step involves untying the knot
of the tongue (practicing Khechari mudra and achieving it),
and releasing the knot of the navel (untying the silver cord
which binds the astral body to the physical body through the
navel):
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In the process of opening the tongue knot, and in order to achieve Khechari mudra, seven special techniques are taught which are practiced in proportion to each other. Furthermore, some special pranayamas are taught in this first stage of Kriya yoga. After long and dedicated practice, the Kriya practitioner achieves Khechari mudra, and, by mastering the mystic pranayama, his consciousness expands beyond the physical limits. Next, the practitioners qualify to unite the navel knot, which allows him to achieve a certain degree of control over the silver cord. |
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The
second step involves opening the knot
of the heart (going higher and gaining control over
the life force; in the language of the mystics, seeing
Lord Krishna (kutasha) face to face). By the power of
the first pranayama in this practice, the practitioner
is able to concentrate and bring his life force from
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the forehead to the heart, and subsequently
becomes qualified to receive the second pranayama. Here, he
can maintain and concentrate his life force inside the heart,
and enjoy periods of the yogic breathless state.
The third step involves untying the knot
in muladhara (root) chakra (realizing the force behind the
life force and, again in the language of the mystics, seeing
Lord Shiva face to face).
The yogi who has succeeded in opening the heart knot now receives
the final teaching from his Guru, enabling him to know the
essential universal from, the essence of time and the light
of all lights referred to in the Bhagavad Gita. There are
two sub-steps in this last technique. By the practice of the
pranayama, the yogi becomes liberated and at one with time. |
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