FIRST KRIYA

PRESENT WAY OF TEACHING FIRST KRIYA -- AFTER SWAMI HARIHARANANDA'S

PASSING
Sit cross-legged on the floor. Sit quietly to prepare for 1st level Kriya practice
1. Remembrance of all Kriya masters
2. Tongue rolled up
3. Forward bow (only one)
Concentrate at the Fontanelle, inhale and bow to the floor. Exhaling, mentally trace down the front
side of the body passing through each Chakra and stopping at Muladhara. Once you reach
Muladhara, forget the breath. Slowly ascend the Chakras, pausing at each Chakra to visualize
specific gurus at each Chakra and praying. When you arrive at Fontanelle, take an large inhalation
and sit up straight. Your consciousness is on the top of the head. This concludes the bow technique.
Variation of 3. Forward bows (six)
Exhale. Concentrate on Fontanelle. Become aware of Muladhar. As you inhale, you visualize the breath
coming from the physical location of Muladhara up the spine until you complete the breath at the top of
the head: Fontanelle. There, hold the breath for a few seconds (not with struggle and discomfort). Then
you release the breath slowly with a "huh huhhhhh" (two breaths out with the second one allowing all the
breath to go) as you bend at the waist and preferably touch the floor with your head. As you breath out,
you visualize the breath going down the front of the body until it returns to the the physical location of
Muladhara. After touching the forehead to the floor, you twist first to the right, touching the right earlobe
to the knee. Then you return to the center. Then you twist at the waist again this time to the left and touch
the left earlobe to the left knee. It is a very gentle touch in each case with the waist twisted sufficiently to
hold the head sideways. During this delicate process your awareness is in Fontanelle. This helps you to
experience pressure, swinging movement, light, and sound in the head. Then you come back to center,
and sit up breathing inward and feeling the energy rise to the head. You then repeat this process for the
other five Chakras: Swadhisthana, Manipura, Anahata, Vishuddha and finally Ajna Chakra.
Note: you will notice that since you hold your breath during the 6 bows, you will get a very strong
sensation of energy rising up form your lower Chakras, especially when you return to the upright seated
position, and take a long exhalation. Breath retention is a powerful Kundalini stimulator. If you are not
ready for the power generated by this procedure, if you feel like "spaced out" after your meditation, if you
feel too much irritable, use the following procedure.
You can make the previous procedure more accessible by breathing normally while remaining down. In
this comfortable situation, you can remain longer in each position of the head, up to 30 seconds.
Let us be more clear: when you are down breathe normally. Move head until right ear is directly over the
right knee. Try to experience pressure, swinging movement, light, and sound in right-side of head region.
Remain in this position for 3 to 30 seconds. Move head back to center until forehead touches ground. Try
to experience pressure, swinging movement, light, and sound in forehead region. Remain in this position
for 3 to 30 seconds. Move head until left ear is directly over the left knee. Try to experience pressure,
swinging movement, light, and sound in left-side of head region. Remain in this position for 3 to 30
seconds. Move head back to center until forehead touches ground. Try to experience pressure, swinging
movement, light, and sound in forehead region. Remain in this position for 3 to 30 seconds. Then sit up
inhaling deeply...

4. Shambhavi Mudra: eyebrows raised, concentration on the Fontanelle and chin slightly down
5. Om hearing with closing ear by fingers. Eliminate external ambient noise using the index fingers
to close the ears. Concentrate 100% awareness on Fontanelle. Listen to the internal sound of OM.
[a] Perception of Divine sound: concentrating on sound in the head for 3 5 minutes. Put fingers in
ears if needed
[b]: Perception of Divine vibration: imagine a thick liquid is poured onto the top of head, and
slowly coats entire body ending at the soles of the feet. (3-5 minutes). We now just try concentrate

on each body part starting from the top and ending on the toes. Then we go back to concentrating on
top of the head.
[c] Perception of Divine light: with opened eyelids, gaze upward see light. (3 5 minutes) Try not
to blink. Keep attention on Fontanelle!
6. Maha Mudra
Maha Mudra can be done with full breath retention or by breathing normally while you are down.
The pathway is always from Muladhara to eyebrows point. When you are down, with right leg
extended, turning your head to the left, feel pressure, swinging movement, light, and sound in right
part of the head. Then reverse... Then experience pressure, in forehead region.
7. Kriya Pranayama with short breath
With eyes closed, deeply inhale to Fontanelle.
1. Exhale down from Fontanelle through the front side of Sushumna to Ajna. Pause without breath
for few seconds (3-4). Inhale up the back side of Sushumna to Fontanelle. Hold your breath for few
seconds.
2. Exhale down from Fontanelle through the front side of Sushumna to fifth Chakra. Pause without
breath. Inhale up the back side of Sushumna to Fontanelle. Hold your breath.
3. ... to Anahata Chakra ...
4. ... to Manipura Chakra ...
5. ... to Swadhisthana Chakra ...
6. ... to Muladhara Chakra ...
7. ... to Muladhara Chakra ...
8. ... to Swadhisthana Chakra ...
9. ... to Manipura Chakra ...
10. ... to Anahata Chakra ...
11. ... to Vishuddha Chakra ...
12. ... to Ajna Chakra ...
This is one cycle (12 breaths). You can repeat the whole cycle for a couple of times.
Remaining in Fontanelle, see mentally the other Chakras in turn (Ajna, Vishuddha, Anahata ...). In
each Chakra try to perceive movement sensation.
Note 1. Remember that inhalation happens on the back side of Sushumna and exhalation on the
front side. The breathing is normal without sound -- not Ujjayi. Visualize you are breathing through
the Chakras.
Note 2. During the pause between inhalation, and exhalation the breath should be held 2 to 3
seconds, but after several weeks of Pranayama, the time of each pause can be gradually increased
up to 30 seconds. This detail is very important to create a deeper calmness.
8. Paravastha
Focus on Fontanelle, and remain there for as long as possible. Let breathing become natural.
Perceive the focus of your concentration slowly rising above Fontanelle outside of the body. Then
expand that focus infinitely outward. Offer a prayer, perceive this inner sky which starts from the
upper part of your head. Try not to have thoughts.
9. Jyoti Mudra
Stick your thumbs in your ears with the index fingers pressing lightly at the corners of the eyes.
Focus on Kutastha. Deeply inhale to Fontanelle.
1. Breathe out with "huh huhhhhhhhh" from Fontanelle to Muladhara; inhale back to Fontanelle
offering this Chakra to be cleansed in the fiery light witnessed through this Mudra. Hold the breath

for as long as you feel comfortable (about 10 -15 sec) when you reach the topmost point.
2. When comfortable breathe out with "huh huhhhhhhhh" and send the now purified Muladhara
Chakra back down to its original position. Then make the leap of awareness to Swadisthana;
inhale back to Fontanelle and purify it....
3. breathe out ... leap to Manipura Chakra ... purify
4. ... to Anahata Chakra ...
5. ... to Vishuddha Chakra ...
6. ... to Ajna Chakra ...
7. .... Fontanelle to Fontanelle; inhale back to Fontanelle ... -- you just remain at the top.
After this, you place the heels of your palms over your eyes and wait. Try to observe a milky white
light for 2-3 min. Then relax and sit quietly, pray for love, peace, offer thanks for having the
opportunity to practice this wonderful technique.]
Addition to the present way of teaching First Kriya
Some who went to Karar ashram received the following teaching from a swami there. They were introduced to an 8th
Chakra (30cms about the Fontanelle): he explained this was a kind of seal of the astral body. According to this teaching
all the previous techniques are practiced with full concentration there. In other words this Chakra takes the place of
Fontanelle and Fontanelle is considered as all the other chakras.
Just to give an example during variation of 3. of Forward bows, you have seven not six bows. Fontanelle too is raised
30 centimeters above the head in the 8th Chakra. They received also Kriya Pranayama with reference to this 8th
Chakra. Kriya Pranayama was: Inhale to 8th, imagine a ball of intense light there. Then exhale to Fontanelle.....
There version of Paravastha is to concentrate about 30 cm above the Fontanelle and so on....