Kriya Yoga
The Meaning of Kriya
The word Kriya is composed of two syllables, kri and ya. In Sanskrit, kri means karma dhatu - action of the elements, and ya means Soul or Atma. The word Kriya indicates action of the Soul or prana karma. The first and most important action of the Soul is breath.
The word yoga comes from Sanskrit yuj which means union. The union of the individual soul with Spirit.
Kriya Yoga is a method to attain the union of breath and Soul in each inhalation and exhalation. Expressed in other words: the union of the individual soul with Spirit is called Kriya Yoga. This is true karma.
The practice of Kriya Yoga is based on breath, the brain and the spinal cord. Breath is the mediator between Soul and mind. The brain is the mediator between the sense organs and the mind. All our physical actions are reflected on our sense organs through the intermediary of the lower part of the brain located in the spinal cord. From this lower part of the brain where the lower mind is situated, we pass to the higher mind, then to breath, and lastly from breath to Soul (and then inversely).
