About Kriya Yoga

In previous posts, I wrote about Kriya Yoga more lengthy and shared some quotes about it. Here I add some more comments on this important subject.

Chapter 2 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras begins with Kriya Yoga:

2.1 tapah svadhyaya ishvara-pranidhana kriya-yogah

This is translated by B.K.S. Iyengar as:

“Burning zeal in practice, self–study of scriptures, and surrender to God are the acts of yoga”.

What are Tapas, Svadhyaya and Ishvara Pranidhana?

Swami Hariharananda Aranya’s commentary is interesting:

• Tapas – Renunciation of sensuous pleasures, i.e., attempt to desist from actions that might bring momentary pleasures and putting up with the resulting hardship.

In: Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali

B.K.S. Iyengar clarifies his understanding of Tapas:

• Tapas is usually translated as austerities, but its meaning is better expressed as a burning desire. It is a burning desire to clean every cell of our body and every cell of our senses, so that the senses and the body may be permanently pure and healthy and leave no room for impurities to enter into our system.

In: The Tree of Yoga, The Trunk

Vyasa’s commentary on Svadhyaya and Ishvara-Pranidhana:

• Svadhyaya – Repetition of a sacred Mantra, e.g., the sacred syllable OM, or study of scriptures relating to Moksha or freedom from bondage.
• Ishvara-Pranidhana – Surrender of all actions to the great Master God, i.e., abandonment of all hankering after the fruits of actions.

• Kriya Yoga is said to “reduce afflictions and to lead to samadhi” – this is another, more positive, definition of yoga.
• Patanjali doesn’t give detailed instructions about how to practice Kriya Yoga. In fact, any practice that includes the three mentioned components is Kriya Yoga.

  Dukkha and the Kleshas

• Dukkha which translates often to ‘suffering’, is a much wider term that includes any kind of unpleasant experience: frustration, disappointment, anger, dissatisfaction, insult, sadness, grief, physical pain, and so on.
• Living in the world is bound with Dukkha, even only because of the existential suffering that stems from knowing that we will get old, become weak, probably be sick, and die.
• Samsara is the infinite cycle of birth and death which is considered by Eastern traditions to be like a prison that man is doomed to be in.

Why do we experience Dukkha? According to Patanjali, it is because of five basic afflictions – Kleshas.

 The Five Kleshas (Afflictions) are listed in Sutra II.3:

II.3 avidya asmita raga dvesha abhinivesha klesha

This is translated by B.K.S. Iyengar as:

“The five afflictions which disturb the equilibrium of consciousness are: ignorance or lack of wisdom, ego, pride of the ego or the sense of ‘I’, attachment to pleasure, aversion to pain, fear of death and clinging to life”.

1. Avidya is usually translated as ‘ignorance’; but it refers to spiritual ignorance or delusion; not knowing what we really are; what our real essence (which is according to yoga pure awareness, or Purusha). Delusion because we think we know, while in reality, we don’t.
2. Asmita is the narrative of our life; the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and the world; our views, opinions, thought patterns, habits, and so on. We identify with the story about ourselves and don’t see our true Self
3. Raga is clinging to pleasant experiences
4. Dvesha is an aversion to unpleasant experiences. Both of these are born from Asmita.
5. Abhinivesha is the fear of the ego from its extinction; inertia – wanting to continue the status quo (which is impossible).

Iyengar divides the Kleshas into three groups: the first two are intellectual; Raga and Dvesha are emotional and Abhinivesha is instinctive.

Observing the Kleshas

In our practice, we can observe our likes and dislikes (Raga and Dvesha). Sometimes we are attached to suffering more than to pleasures. Moments of humiliation or situations in which we were ridiculed or made to feel small come back to us much more frequently and with more emotional force, than when we were admired or looked up to.

These gravitations and attachments limit our freedom. Yoga calls us to go beyond our likes and dislikes. In fact, according to Patanjali, the effect of asana practice is to be immune to dualities and to clinging and aversions.

The Third Zen Patriarch said in his Verses on the Faith Mind:

The Great Way is not difficult

For those who have no preferences

When love and hate are both absent

Everything becomes clear and undisguised.

Make the smallest distinction, however,

And heaven and earth are set infinitely apart.

Here are the first 9 Sutras of Sadhana Pada (from Chapter 2 of the Yoga Sutras):

The above quote is connected with the Yoga and Aging this year’s theme: “Unveiling Wisdom.”

The program launched on February 2^nd with an opening panel, where we shared insights and ideas around the above theme.

“Unveiling” reminds us that wisdom already exists within us. However, it is often hidden beneath layers—ego, self-centeredness, and distractions—that prevent its full expression. Through dedicated practice, we can learn to peel back these layers, reconnect with our heart and spirit, and access our inner wisdom.

Finding the Middle Way

Yoga is about balance—finding the path between overdoing and underdoing, a path often referred to as The Middle Way.

In The Tree of Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar writes:

“When you are practising a pose in yoga, can you find the delicate balance between taking the pose to its maximum extent and going beyond that point, where too much effort creates wrong tension in the body?”

On the other hand, we may sometimes stay within our comfort zone out of laziness or inattention, doing less than we are capable of.

It is only when we reach the front line of our capacity that the practice becomes truly alive, refreshing, and energizing.

Iyengar further explains:

“When you are overstretching somewhere to get the optimum movement, have you ever noticed that you are giving too little attention to other parts of the body? That disturbs the body and makes it shake.”

This Middle Way is not fixed; it is unique to each person and constantly evolving. We find it through observation and by developing sensitivity in our practice.

In the beginning, we may not yet know our capabilities or be sufficiently attuned to our bodies, leading to overstretching and potential injury. However, if we are cautious and quick to adjust, we can heal and learn from these initial mistakes.

With experience and maturity, we become more sensitive to ourselves. Understanding both our strengths and limitations enables us to practice with awareness and mindfulness—without overdoing or underdoing.

“Analysis in action is the only guide. You proceed by trial and error. As the trials increase, the errors become less. Then doubts become less, and when doubts lessen, the effort also becomes less.” (ibid)

Adapting to Change as We Age

Finding the Middle Way is essential at any age, but as we grow older, it becomes even more critical. With aging, the body changes more rapidly—it may weaken and lose flexibility and agility. These changes in our capacity require us to continually adapt our practice.

From age 20 to 50 or 55, you may continue to improve, but at some point, you will begin to experience physical changes. If you do not adjust your practice in sync with the aging process, you risk injury.

Some people resist the reality of aging and try to practice as they always have. This is overdoing—the mind refuses to acknowledge the changes in the body.

Others experience the opposite: their minds age faster than their bodies. They become afraid and limit their practice even though their bodies are still capable of doing more. This fear holds them back and may even accelerate the aging process.

Only when the mind and body age in sync, at the same pace, can we find harmony, peace, and joy in our practice and our life, at any age.

When we learn to navigate this ever-changing Middle Way, wisdom shines within us. Or, as Iyengar writes:

“When wise action comes, you no longer feel the effort as effort – you feel the effort as joy. In perfection, your experience and expression find balance and concord.” (ibid)

My Workshop: “Using Props – An Elixir of Practice“

We will explore poses at varying levels of challenge, using props to support our practice. For example, we will practice Utthita Trikoṇāsana four times:

1. With a chair for support
2. With our backs against a wall
3. With a block supporting one hand
4. Independently, without props

We will experiment similarly with additional poses, some of them more challenging than others. Each participant will be encouraged to find the variation that offers the greatest sense of balance and harmony. Through this process, we will refine our self-awareness, develop sensitivity, and learn to trust our inner sense of when to push forward and when to ease back.

For these explorations, please have at home the following props:

• Yoga mat
• 2 blocks
• 2 belts
• 4–5 blankets
• Bolster
• Yoga chair
• Free wall space

I invite you to join me on March 2nd!

From The Tree of Yoga

From the chapter Effort, awareness, and joy

When you are practising a pose in yoga, can you find the delicate balance between taking the pose to its maximum extent, and taking it beyond that point so that there is too much effort creating wrong tension in the body? p. 37

When wise action comes, you no longer feel the effort as effort – you feel the effort as joy. In perfection, your experience and expression find balance and concord. p.40

From Light on Life

And when we are free from physical disabilities, emotional disturbances, and mental distractions, we open the gates to our souls (atma). p. 22-23

Physical health is not a commodity to be bargained. Nor can it be swallowed in the form of drugs or pills. It has to be earned through sweat… You have to create within yourself the experience of beauty, liberation, and infinity. This is health. p. 24

If extension is from the intelligence of the brain, expansion is from the intelligence of the heart. While doing an asan, both the intellectual intelligence and the emotional intelligence have to meet and work together. Extension is attention, and expansion is awareness., I often say. It is the bringing of attention and awareness to the tips of your body and activating the skin. p 33

By learning to appreciate breath, we learn to appreciate life itself. The gift of breath is the gift of life. When we receive a gift, we feel gratitude. Through pranayama we learn gratitude for life and gratitude toward the unknown divine source of life. p. 72

Hence pranayama is more than a physiological breathing exercise. Because breath is life, the art of judicious, thoughtful, ungreedy breathing is a prayer we offer to life itself. p. 72-3

From Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

The practice of yoga integrates a person through the journey of intelligence and consciousness from the external to the internal. It unifies him from the intelligence of the skin to the intelligence of the self, so that his self merges with the cosmic Self. [p. 87]

The path of knowledge (jnana-marga) is the study of the self (svadhyaya) from the skin to the core and back again.  [p. 163]

 From Light on Life: The Yoga Journey to Wholeness, Inner Peace, and Ultimate Freedom

While working in asana, if the action is “done” solely from the front brain, it blocks the reflective action of the back brain. The form of each asana needs to be reflected to the wisdom body (vijnanamaya kosa) for readjustment and realignment. Whenever asana is done mechanically from the front brain, the action is felt only on the peripheral body, and there is no inner sensation, there is no luminous inner light. If the asana is done with continual reference to the back of the brain, there is a reaction to each action, and there is sensitivity. Then life is not only dynamic, but it is also electrified with life force. [p. 39]

From Sparks of Divinity (compiled by Noelle Perez-Christianes)

10.83 You have to work through the gross body to the subtle body (the spine), and then go through the spine to the mind. [p.93]

11.9 Detail and precision of the body lead to mastering the art of relaxation. [p. 96]

11.15 First you start with physical action; then you have to forget about action on that plane only. You have to discipline the mind through the action. [p.97]

14.7 Yoga is self-realization through understanding of the body. [p. 109]

10.61 The whole body, far from being ignored, is taken up in this spiritual alertness, till the whole man becomes pure flame. [p. 99]

An alert, erect spine creates a spiritual intensity of concentration that burns out distracting thoughts and the brooding over past and future, and leaves one in the virginal, fresh present.

14.48 Yoga is harmony of the body, of the senses, of the spirit, and of the intellect. This is why there is no difference between physical yoga and spiritual yoga. [p.118]

14.50 Spiritual knowledge begins when the mind extends a little further than where it is at present. [p.118]

18.7 Yoga becomes spiritual when the mind sees what is taking place. If the mind is not seeing, it is physical yoga. [p.158]

13.23 When the concrete is silent, then only can you go to the abstract. But many people want to go to the abstract without knowing the concrete. [p.105]

From: Light on Pranayama

“7. The practice of pranayama should not be mechanical. The brain and the mind should be kept alert, to correct and adjust the body position and the flow of breath from moment to moment. One cannot practice pranayama by force of will; hence, there should be no regimentation. Complete receptivity of the mind and intellect is essential.

8. In pranayama relationship between chitta (mind, intellect, and ego) and breath is like that between a mother and her child. Chitta is the mother and Prana is the child. As the mother cherishes her child, care and chitta should cherish prana.”

In the chapter “The Art of Preparing the Mind for Pranayama”

“1. Inhalation (puraka) is the intake of cosmic energy by the individual for his growth and progress. It is the path of action (pravrtti marga). It is the Infinite uniting with the finite. It draws in the breath of life as carefully and gently as the fragrance of a flower might be indrawn and distributes it evenly throughout the body.”

In the chapter “The Art of Inhalation (Puraka) and Exhalation (Rechaka)”

14. An erect spine can be compared to a cobra which has lifted its hood. The brain is the hood and the organs of perception are the fangs, while bad thoughts and desires are the poison glands. Practice of pranayama quietens the upsurge of the senses and desires. Thus the mind becomes sacrosanct or free of thoughts. The Sadhaka’s words, thoughts and deeds, become clean and pure. He maintains firmness in his body (achalata) and steadiness (sthirata) in his intellect.

In the chapter “The Effects of Pranayama”

From: Sparks of Divinity: The Teachings of B. K. S. Iyengar

1.19. When we are aware of the fact that without breathing there is no life, we feel very grateful to God, who gives life through breathing. We surrender our life to God during exhalation, and we receive our life from God during inhalation. As long as we do pranayama, we surrender ourselves to this meditation. Where is the difference between physical and spiritual yoga? [p. 51]

1.39. Never consider pranayama as an exercise, but as a prayer. Breathing is life. [p. 54]

From Astadala Yoga Mala (AYM)

About Pranayama

“The techniques of asana and Pranayama are the vehicles of meditation and prayer. Inhalation (puraka) is acceptance of the Lord, its retention (kumbhaka) is savoring the Lord in the full deep stillness of the self. Exhalation (recaka) is not simply the exhalation of breath, but it is the emptying of ‘I’ or the ego. Exhalation makes one impersonal and hence it is not only a fit instrument for the sadhaka, but the highest form of surrender to the Lord.” (Vol II, p. 122)

About Patajali’s definition of Asana

“Now about asana. The sthirata or stability in asana is not possible without non-violence and abhyasa. Sukhata or steadiness of intelligence in asana is not for the sake of pleasure but to develop desire-lessness through vairagya. Prayatna Saithilya is effortless that comes only with aparigraha. Attachment to the body, love towards the body and undue protection, does not transform effortful into effortlessness. Effortlessness leads to ananta samapatti. Ananta samapatti means reaching the infinite and this is nothing but Isvara pranidhana. When one attains the state of ananta samapatti there comes the freedom from the shackles of dualities or dvandva (Y.S. II.46-48)” (Vol VI, p.68)

“I think many have taken the meaning of Sukhata to the Sukha that leads toward attachments. Many of you are attached to the body and therefore you don’t like the body to suffer from pain, hence you dislike the asana and jump to something else. If asana is pleasurable (Sukha) you enjoy it, but Sukha id not the same as steadiness.

Patanjali uses three terms Sukha, Duhkha and Ananda… You should know that there is a vast difference between the word Sukha and Ananda. Sukha means comfort and pleasing, while Ananda means delight, joy and bliss. Normally we mix these words and treat Sukha and Ananda as happiness. Sukha is felt at the level of the senses while Ananda is a spiritual quality. While performing an asana Sukha conveys the feeling of pleasing sensation, as Raga or attachment. Ananda is unbiased happiness or delight in the self. In asana Sthira and Sukha both stand for Ananda on the spiritual level.

No doubt many of us take to yoga as you have attachment to the body. You dislike pain in the Sadhana. Many of you are satisfied with the practice as long as you feel comfortable. This is considered a fulfilment of desires. You continue to practice as long as this comfort remains, but the moment the comfort fades out you give up.” (Vol VIII, p. 153-154)

About the Spine

“An alert, erect spine creates a spiritual; intensity of concentration that burns out distracting thoughts and the brooding over past and future, and leaves one in a virginal, pristine present.”

About Dhyana

…”the savour of the fruit is only granted to those who “taste and see the Lord is sweet”. So, one can savour dhyana, but one can’t explain it.”

About Hatha Yoga

“Hatha yoga is a forceful discipline for transforming the inert (tamasic) body to the level of the vibrant (rajasic) mind. When body and mind are equally vibrant, both are trained together to reach the serenity of the Self (atma)”

“The unity of prana and prajna with atma is the aim of hatha yoga”

In Israel, we are currently struggling against a government that is attempting to undermine our democracy. One of the ways we resist this is through occasional civilian strikes. I decided that the yoga center I direct would participate in these strikes and shared this decision with my students and fellow teachers.

One response I received was from a teacher who argued that yogis should avoid political activities and not expend their energy on matters beyond their control. Instead, he suggested they focus on internal work to realize the unity of all things. According to this perspective, yogis should neither adopt social or political positions nor take sides, remaining instead in a state of universal peace. This teacher referenced Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, in which the sage advised his disciples during World War II not to concern themselves with world events outside their control. Instead, he encouraged them to focus on the quest for the Self, emphasizing that the world has a “sovereign,” and it is not our role to change or fix His world. Our task, he argued, is to change our minds to discover our true identity.

The Age-Old Question

This perspective raises an age-old question in spiritual traditions: To what extent should yogis involve themselves in worldly matters? It is a question worth exploring. On the one hand, many spiritual leaders, such as Mahatma Gandhi, the Dalai Lama, and the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, have actively engaged in social and political issues, believing that yogis must work to create a more just world. On the other hand, proponents of non-engagement argue that actions stemming from ignorance (Avidya) cannot lead to positive outcomes and should therefore be avoided altogether.

Both approaches have merit. Acting from the narrow perspective of the ego, while still entangled in emotions like anger, aggression, and revenge, may only perpetuate the cycle of violence. Conversely, how can a yogi remain passive and indifferent in the face of suffering, injustice, and the violation of basic human rights?

Compassion lies at the heart of all spiritual teachings. The realization that the apparent separation between beings is an illusion and the deep sense of interconnectedness with all creation compel yogis to respond to suffering. This is the essence of compassion, and without it, spirituality loses its meaning.

The Bodhisattva’s Way

In Mahayana Buddhism, the noble ideal of the Bodhisattva embodies this commitment. A Bodhisattva, having generated bodhicitta—a compassionate wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings—chooses to remain in the world of Samsara to help others awaken to their true nature. While the Bodhisattva acts in the world, their actions are guided by wisdom and clarity, enabling them to alleviate suffering effectively.

My View

In my view, inspired by teachers like Thich Nhat Hanh, yogis should strive to balance these two approaches. Recognizing that we are still subject to Samskara (mental impressions) and under the influence of Avidya, we must continue our formal practice to develop clarity and wisdom. However, engagement with the world should also be part of our practice. Formal practice is a laboratory for examining our own minds, serving as a foundation for becoming more caring, generous, and compassionate.

Engagement in the world is also a measure of spiritual progress. True progress manifests as increased joy and peace for oneself and those around us. Isolated practice should bear fruit in the form of greater equanimity in the face of life’s challenges and deeper empathy and care for others.

Therefore, formal isolated practice must be combined with engaged practice. Finding the right balance between these two paths is an individual challenge, requiring ongoing personal study and exploration. Mistakes are inevitable, but they provide valuable learning opportunities. Trusted teachers can guide us along this path.

It is possible that Ramana Maharshi’s advice during World War II was specific to the disciple’s personal circumstances rather than a general prescription for all yogis. Ultimately, I believe that walking both paths—inner and outer practice—is essential. Striking the right balance is a deeply personal journey, and we must approach it with care and humility, refraining from judging others’ choices and actions.