By Marcello OliveiraKriyá, in Yôga, means activity of purification of the mucous membranes Kriyá, alone, means activity. Kriyás are techniques of purification that are typical to Ancient Yôga. They are the art of cleansing the body inside and outside, paying attention to insignificant details that would make blush any of us that believes to be a clean individual. To the perplexity of arrogant westerners, kriyás were elaborated at a time when most of the people, which today were considered cultured, didn’t even take baths nor brushed their teeth.
At this time, yôgis were already more worried about hygiene than we are in this day and age, even more so than any other people in any time in history. Yôgis knew, for example, that it didn’t do any good to clean the outside, the visible face of the body, if we left the part of the body that is not visible filthy. They were conscious of the fact that this is very dishonest as it seems very much like sweeping the dirt under the rug, only that in this case, the rug is one’s own body!
There are six main kriyás, called shat karma.
1. Kapálabhati Cleansing of the brain and lungs. It can also be cataloged as a pránáyáma.
2. Trátaka Cleansing and training of the eyes to improve vision. It works rapidly on stigmatisms and hypermetropy.
3. Nauli Cleansing of intestinal and abdominal organs through massaging.
4. Nêti Washing the nostrils and maxillary sinus with water (jala nêti) or with a special medical hose (sútra nêti).
5. Dhauti Washing the esophagus and stomach with water (jala dhauti) or with gauze (vasô dhauti).
6. Basti (vasti) Cleansing of the rectum and colon with water. It was the ancestor of the colon cleansing as we know today.
KRIYÁ YÔGA
An interesting fact: Kriyá Yôga is a kind of Yôga which has no kriyás! Furthermore, it is not secret nor was it ever lost, as declared on a contemporary book that has become very popular in the 20th century, one which has spread much misinformation among uninformed readers. The most evident and convincing proof that such type of Yôga has never been secret nor lost lies in the fact that Kriyá Yôga was described in the Yôga Sútra of Pátañjáli, a work written over 2,000 years ago and one which was never a secret nor lost.
The original trunk of what may be referred to as Yôga’s family tree first divided into eight separate branches: Ásana Yôga, Rája Yôga, Bhakti Yôga, Karma Yôga, Jñána Yôga, Layá Yôga, Mantra Yôga and Tantra Yôga. These then subdivided into many others. Rája Yôga, for example, gave birth to Dhyána Yôga, Suddha Rája Yôga and Ashtánga Yôga (also known as the Rája Yôga of Pátañjali). This last subdivision, the one associated with Pátañjali, consists of eight stages: yama, niyama, ásana, pránáyáma, pratyáhára, dháraná, dhyána and samádhi.
The second stage, niyama is made up of five parts, three of which make up Kriyá Yôga: tapas, swádhyáya and íshwara pranidhána, which are nothing more that ethical norms From this we can conclude that Kriyá Yôga is merely the sum of three fragments within the eighth branch of the original trunk of Yôga, or what is referred to as Pre-Classic Yôga, the one which we teach.
The interpretations of these three ethical norms often result in many differing procedures. Tapas, as the norm of overcoming oneself, can also be understood as effort over oneself, discipline or austerity.
From this point of view, it is possible to declare that, for example, the execution of an ásana, or any other technique, is also the practice of tapas. This constitutes an excellent way to denominate tapas as anything one does. Similarly, one can apply the same thing to swádhyáya and íshwara pranidhána. Bibliographic support for these affirmations can be found in chapter 2, verse 1 in the Yôga Sútra of Pátañjáli as well as in the book Kriyá Yôga by Srí Swámi Shivánanda, Editorial Kier, Buenos Aires.
This second book openly teaches the true Kriyá Yôga, without mysteries or myths. Some people accept methods that are less encompassing because they know nothing better. What is available in their limited cultural universe then seems to be good enough and they even spread the word that such a small and poor resource is better than all the rest. Imagine the perplexity of people, who have tried this one single resource, when they come into contact with a kind of Yôga that is absolutely complete like Ancient Yôga (SwáSthya Yôga). Complete and uncomplicated!
DRISHTIS
The drishtis are a variety of trátaka that may be both interpreted as kriyá or dhárana. In the first case, they are denominated bahiranga trátaka (external) and in the second case, antaranga trátaka (internal). When practicing kriyá, the sádhaka doesn’t have to attend to concentration more than what is necessary in order to execute it well. Since the drishtis are exercises of ocular fixation, the ocular muscles are used a great deal and the eyes are washed by tearing. For this exact reason, if done in moderation, they can benefit the eyes and reduce some kinds of visual problems.
However, on the other hand, if practiced in exaggeration, they can damage the visual mechanism. In the variety of concentration exercise, the yôgin should make an effort not to let thoughts stray from the object of fixation. For example, if the object is a star, try to continue gazing at it without blinking for as long as possible, of course within reason, while maintaining one’s attention on the star as well.
The most common drishtis are:
1) Naságra drishti -fixation on the tip of the nose;
2) Bhrúmadhya - fixation on the base of the nose, between the eyebrows;
3) Shaktí drishti or shakta drishti - fixation on your tantric partner’s eyes;
4) Guru drishti - fixation on your Master’s image (painting, symbol or photograph);
5) Agni drishti - fixation on fire (a flame of a candle, campfire, torch, etc.);
6) Táraka drishti -fixation on a star;
7) Chandra drishti - fixation on the moon;
8) Súrya drishti - fixation on the sun (just during sunrise or sunset, and even then, only at the moment when it does not hurt the eyes).
MAUNA
Mauna is considered a resource for purification. Mauna means silence. A vow of mauna is a vow to remain in silence for a determined period of time, as tapas. Its origins probably date back to the monasteries, where the observance of silence was used to make it easier to impose discipline. In the Shivánanda Ashram, one can find, written in dêvanágarí on the walls of some rooms: “mauna kripá,” which means silence, please.
The practice of mauna has more to do with the brahmácharya lineage than it does with the Tantric lineage, which is libertarian and preaches that each individual should exercise their liberty to its fullest. This is why, in the Ancient Yôga (SwáSthya Yôga) we do not encourage the practice of mauna. In addition, such a practice could put the practitioner in difficult situations when faced with family and friends that are not practitioners.
It must be remembered that SwáSthya Yôga and the DeRose Method are distinguished from others because they do not give off the image of alienation, which can be noted in some other modalities of Yôga. However, if you are from a brahmácharya lineage and want to practice mauna, it is important to be attentive to the following observations: first, do not make an “occidental brahmácharya face,” which means expressing equanimity or a total lack of emotion.
Keep yourself extremely likeable and smiling, seeking to participate in everything as naturally as possible. If someone speaks to you, smile and maintain all the normal attitudes of your relationship with this person and strengthen these with an extra dose of care and sympathy.
FASTING (UPASANA)
Fasting is not a kriyá, but it contributes to the purification of the body. The best kind of fasting is that which is short and frequent: 36 hours, once a week, with a lot of mineral water. One day before fasting, one’s diet should include foods that contain natural laxatives (like a laxative infusion, papaya seeds or water that has had prunes soaked in it overnight) and a colon washing.
Finally, sweet fruits should be eaten before heavier foods, fruits like papaya or mangos. The reason for short and moderately frequent fasting is that long fasts excessively strain the body, consume muscular mass and can compromise one’s health, and therefore should be avoided.
Despite this, they can be used in cases of extreme necessity. If you choose to practice longer fasts, do so with a great deal of prudence and close accompaniment by medical experts.
Article writen by Marcello Oliveira, Instructor of SwáSthya, The Ancient Yôga and member of The International University of Yôga.
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