A Soul will be freed permanently from bondages, which are associated with its three bodily casings, only by realizing its real nature. The real nature of the human Soul is as same as that of God. The sadhaka will understand this only by repeatedly uniting with God. Thus he realizes his nature as the Omkar which is simultaneously immanent in creation and transcendental to it. It is the knowledge of the real nature of the Soul that bestows freedom from bondages in all the realms.

To get an understanding of the reality, the devotee has to experience it face to face. What is necessary to see and experience the truth directly is nothing but the stillness of mind. Maharshi Patanjali points out that by following eight scientific steps of Kriya Yoga the yogi can experience the reality directly. It means realization is just eight steps away. By experiencing the truth directly he achieves the real knowledge of his self and attains liberation. Since the procedure contains the following of eight steps that takes the yogi to the union with Truth, it is called as the Ashtanga Yoga or the Eightfold Procedure to Union.

The presence of impurities (dynamism) in the bodies is the cause of ignorance- inability to know one’s self. The practice of the eight steps of the Kriya Yoga will cleanse all the impurities from the bodily casings. The Eightfold Yoga makes his mind and body perfect by bringing down His grace or prana into the body. The prana he absorbs from God through yoga-meditation practices cleanses his body and root out even the minutest seeds of vasanas. Once his body and mind becomes perfect, the union with Lord is bestowed by Guru by awakening fully the mystic power of Kundalini in the body of the devotee.

The eight steps that a student of Kriya Yoga should follow are:

1. Yama or Proscriptive Prohibitions
2. Niyama or Prescriptive Observances
3. Asana or Right Posture
4. Pranayama or Life-force Control
5. Pratyahara or Withdrawal of Life-force
6. Dharana or Concentration
7. Dhyana or Meditation
8. Samadhi or Unified Consciousness

1. YAMA OR PROSCRIPTIVE PROHIBITIONS

The yama and niyama are the instructions for setting up a balanced life. Following these guidelines is the first step in the yoga-sadhana. The adoption of these prohibitions and rules make devotee’s life harmonious and peaceful. The practice of higher steps and attainment of the goal is impossible in a life without peace and harmony. The yoga and meditation can be practiced well with full concentration only if mind and body are peaceful and healthy.

The rules of prohibitions command the student to avoid certain actions that bring about disharmony in his life. Doing any such deeds prohibited by yama rules will definitely create obstacles in the path of enlightenment. The Yoga Sutra of Maharshi Patanjali speaks about five kinds of such prohibitions. It prohibits (i) injury to others, (ii) untruthfulness, (iii) stealing, (iv) incontinence, (iv) taking/receiving more than required and recommends the practice of five principles viz. (i) ahimsa (non-violence), (ii) satyam (truthfulness), (iii) asteya (non-stealing), (iv) brahmacharya (celibacy), and (v) aparigraham (taking/accepting whatever is only needed; not receiving gifts that brings obligations).

2. NIYAMA OR PRESCRIPTIVE OBSERVANCES

The niyama prescribes the activities that are a must for a sadhaka. They are also five in number- (i) saucham (purity of body and mind), (ii) santhosam (contentment), (iii) tapas (penance), (iv) swadhyayam (self-study), and (v) eswara-pranithanam (devotion to God and Guru).

Avoidance of these prescriptions brings obstacles in the path of sadhana. These five forms the part of the daily routine of a student of Kriya Yoga.

3. ASANA OR RIGHT POSTURE

The term ‘asana’ means a particular posture- sitting posture- adopted by a yogi for the practice of yoga-meditation. It also connotes the seat on which he or she sits during the practice. In the ancient yoga text, the Yoga Sutra, Maharshi Patanjali defines asana as “sthira sukham asanam”. It means the posture (asanam) for meditation must be firm (sthiram) and comfortable (sukham).

Some asanas are practiced to keep body flexible and healthy. They improve the flow of blood and prana to muscles and joints. But, the real purpose of practicing asanas is to create ability to sit for long periods in meditation comfortably with spine erect, chin parallel to ground and chest expanded.

There are mainly 84 asanas. It is not necessary that one should master all of them to achieve realization. A few of them suitable for meditation may be practiced. The postures suitable for practicing Kriya and meditation are Siddhasana, Padmasana, Vajrasana and Sukhasana. It is not necessary that one should sit in one of the 84 postures while meditating and practicing Kriya. If you feel uncomfortable in sitting in a particular asana for meditation, you can use an arm-chair for the same.

4. PRANAYAMA OR LIFE-FORCE CONTROL

Pranayama means elongation of the vibration of prana or life-force thereby controlling it. The prana is the life-current that sustains the body, which moves inside the body through special energy channels called nadis. The vibration of prana is proportional to the vibratory level of mind. When mind is calm, prana is also calm. When mind’s vibration increases, prana’s vibration increases too. The reverse is also too. So, by reducing the vibration of prana, that is the elongation of prana wave, the vibration of prana and hence that of the mind can be reduced.

There are various pranayama techniques which provide different benefits. Some are practiced for keeping body healthy. They cure diseases, which is a must for beginning the spiritual journey. Some of them are done for spiritual advancement. They help in the awakening and controlling of the dormant Kundalini power.

5. PRATHYAHARA OR WITHDRAWAL OF LIFE-FORCE

The prana or life-force is that which animates the body and mind. The life-force enters the body from Lord through medulla oblongata, the Mouth of God. The vital energy or prana runs to every nook and corner of the body through channels created for the purpose. This flow of prana all over the body is that which binds the Soul with body, since prana is the energy of the Soul.  This is the reason for body-attachment and ignorance that ‘I am the body’, death, desires, birth etc. and all sufferings.

To liberate the Soul from bondage of the flesh, the prana is to be withdrawn from the body and senses and to be merged with its source the Soul or God. As a result, the mind will also be withdrawn from its bondage with senses and body, and thereby the person experiences an inner freedom. The practice of Kriya is the way to achieve this withdrawal. The state of withdrawal of prana and mind from the body and senses which dawns as a result of continued practice of Kriya, is known by the name prathyahara.

The experience of formation of pratyahara is as follows: With the practice of Kriya, breath elongates and become subtle. It gradually begins to vanish, with the perception of the flow of prana alternatively in two nadis of ida and pingala. The yogi experiences this as a movement of peculiar sensation alternatively on either sides of spinal cord. When the two subtle nadis are balanced, the breath vanishes out. Then prana enters the middle nadi or sushumna nadi and moves up and down inside it as per the mental instruction of the devotee. This is the state of prathyahara or the beginning state of the paravastha (highest state).

6. DHARANA OR CONCENTRATION

The practice of dharana, dhyana and samadhi forms the part of the Jnana Yoga (the Yoga of Wisdom). Even in the state of pratyahara too, the mind and prana is vibratory. It moves up and down inside the spine as sushumna current. The aim of dharana is to convert this current into still prana in the brain. The still prana means a still mind which is prajna or consciousness.

The practice of dharana is done to make mind more and a more inward. The withdrawal of prana into the astral spine awakens the doors of consciousness hidden in the cerebrospinal channel. These doors are called chakras. As a result of opening of the doors to various realms of consciousness, the yogi begins to hear various internal Sounds emanating from various realms of creation associated with the chakras. As he progresses in sadhana, he begins to hear various new sounds. These internal Sounds are the part of the sound of creation or Omkar. Listening to these internal Sounds is the best way to dissolve mind and make it still. This process is the real method of dharana, known as Nada Brahma Dharana.

The yogi gazing at the lamp with eyes kept open makes his mind tunes with the internal astral sounds. The mind is absorbed into the Sounds. This is also known as Laya Yoga (The Yoga of Dissolution). ‘Laya’ means dissolution or melting. Attaining deeper states of Laya or dissolution of mind through prolonged practice of dharana on inner Sounds of Omkar, he gradually enters the state of dhyana or meditation.

7. DHYANA OR MEDITATION

The expanded state of dharana is dhyana. Initially yogi hears the Cosmic Sound in his body only. Gradually he begins to feel the sounds reverberating throughout the universe. He feels his consciousness expanding with the sound and merges into that sound. This is the state of real meditation. In the state of meditation, yogi experiences thrills of joy and wisdom.

8. SAMADHI

When the devotee continues in his meditation, he reaches a point of absorption into God where he loses the identity of his ego. In deep states of meditation known as Savikalpa Samadhi he is unaware of himself and world and remain merged with God forgetting his body and the universe. In the Nirvikalpa Samadhi state, the ego ‘I’ is lost. Only an awareness-consciousness exists. The observer (meditator), object of meditation (observation) and the process of meditation vanishes from his mind. No thinking is left behind. What remains is pure consciousness, without any compartmentalization of thoughts. This is the Super Conscious state or Samadhi.

Progress only through Eight Steps

All sadhana practices pass through these eight steps. Without going through eight steps the attainment of the divine is impossible. Just for example, lets us take the practice of most simple sadhana– the chanting of a holy name or Japa Yoga. In this practice the devotee constantly chants the holy name or a mantra (sacred formula) of his beloved Lord. Through conscious repetition of sacred words the feeling of devotion arises in his mind. This is because the repeated chanting of the holy name with real aspiration destroys his sub-conscious vasanas. When the vasanas are being destroyed, his habits automatically changes from rajasic and tamasic mode to satvic mode. Thus he begins to follow the principles of yama and niyama unknowingly.

His ability to sit in a single posture for long duration increases with the elimination of vasana, because of the decrease of mental restlessness. With continuous chanting of mantra with concentration, his breathing pattern changes. He begins to breathe in and out long. This is the unconscious pranayama. The long incoming and outgoing of breath makes his mind and prana calm. This results in the withdrawal of life-force (prathyahara) from his body and senses and making it concentrated upon a point in the body (dharana), usually at the Eyebrow Centre. With the arrival of total stillness, his mantra-chanting mind vanishes and the dormant Kundalini power awakens. The devotee hears the inner Sounds from chakras which ultimately become a symphony or Om. With the rising up of the Kundalini power through the spine he sees various colours of Light. Seeing the Lights and hearing the Sounds, his mind automatically absorbs into it resulting in mediation. When the totally withdrawn power reaches the crown centre his mind vanishes into ultimate union or Samadhi.

The aim of all practices is to awaken the dormant Kundalini power. Instead of practicing unreliable and unscientific techniques, the yogis perform the practices that can easily and quickly awaken the power. The effectiveness of yoga is its speed and reliability. All techniques pass through the eight steps unconsciously. But yoga makes the devotees practice the eight steps consciously so that he can attain the right results fast.

Samadhi Brings flow of energy

With each samadhi the yogi brings enormous amount of energy into his body. His body becomes a transmission centre of God’s Energy of peace and liberation on earth. With the practice of certain higher techniques in Kriya Yoga, the yogi stores this excess energy in his body. With this excess energy, he can do whatever is wished. The excess energy washes out all his sins. It bestows all the miraculous powers including the Eight-Fold Yogic Powers (Ashtama Siddhis).  Any kinds of diseases, poverty, sufferings etc. do not affect him. He can utilize this Heavenly Gift to cure diseases, bless others, give realization to the right disciple, attains body of immortality himself etc. He can transfer the power into an idol placed in a temple for the progress of society. Whatever is requested before that idol in the temple by an ordinary man will be granted. The temple will act as a bestower of boons to commoners. When the yogi finally departs from his body, he transfers the power he acquired through penance into the idol of his beloved deity he worshipped and remains in the subtle body he created with the power or totally dissolves into the Spirit forever.

Yoga is chitta vruthi nirodha

The chitta in the pure form is the Soul, the reflection of Spirit. It is surrounded by or encapsulated in a box called chitta vruthi or feeling, which separates it from the ocean of Spirit. The practice of yoga, destroys the box of covering so that the still chitta which is the Soul comes in union with it source, Spirit. So yoga or union with God is cessation (nirodha) of chitta vruthi.

The Ashtanga Yoga put forward by Maharshi Patanjali delineates eight scientific steps through which a devotee can quicken the evolution of his consciousness to attain his Beloved. These eight steps are natural outcomes of any right practice to realization. To help the humanity, our ancestors developed such a plan to practice eight steps to quicken the human evolution.