Kriya yoga is a blend of the six branches of yoga: Hatha for poses, Bhakti for compassion, Raja for spiritual devotion, Jnana for studies, Karma for service and Tantra for sacred rituals. The Kriya Yoga Institute emphasizes that the main purpose of this yoga is to provide students with knowledge that allows them to understand their unity with God. The Kriya techniques open spiritual centers of the body (the seven chakras) and involve using breathing exercises to achieve deep meditation.
Preparing the Field
Yogis who are new to Kriya yoga get ready for their initiation into this meditation-based yoga by "preparing the field." This might include a study of the teachings of Paramahamsa Hariharananda and Paramahamsa Prajnanananda and reading the "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramhansa Yogananda or other texts recommended by the leaders of the Kriya Yoga Institute. After preparing the field, yogis join the Kriya program with a ritualistic initiation ceremony and meditation sessions.
So-ham
This Kriya yoga meditation technique has the participant imagine their inhale as the mantra "soooo" and their exhale as "hummm." Three levels to this technique include visualizing the breath first residing directly under the breastbone, second moving up and down the spine and third resting on the space between the nostrils. So-ham, or Soham, is often referred to in a reverse mantra as Ham-so. Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati calls Soham the universal mantra because it reflects the sound and feel of the natural breath.
Hong-sau
The Hong-sau (pronounced hong-saw) involves breathing deeply as you focus on the space between the eyebrows. Once the participant can meditate on the area for a few minutes they begin to repeat the mantra "hong" on the inhale and "sau" on the exhale. This Kriya meditation technique is useful for opening the chakra of awareness and guidance (ajna chakra).
Om
Om (or Aum) meditation is another Kriya meditation technique which is based on the idea of using sound during meditation. Note that many other styles of yoga use forms of Om meditation. The sound Om represents the vibrational hum of the universe. To meditate Om style, the student first says "aum" out loud a few times each minute, and then says it only in the mind and eventually not at all.
Higher Kriyas
Higher meditation levels exist past the mantra techniques described above. Most Kriya yogis (or Kriyabans) do not readily disclose these. Only gurus and masters are supposed to teach the higher Kriyas to their students when they believe they are ready. The higher Kriyas, or meditation techniques, often involve tongue positions within the mouth, advanced breathing techniques and body positions.
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