Kriya Yoga - where to start?

[Magnanimous]

1 hour ago, Leo Gura said:

 

Because I don't blindly follow anything. I question and test all human ideas.

@Leo Gura So you're implying Kechari Mudra isn't necessary for optimal pranayama?

[Magnanimous]

On 10/08/2025 at 5:55 PM, Leo Gura said:

Kriya is not as intense. It is subtle and long-term. You need to do it for months for it to build up its effects.

@Leo Gura If I was a beginner, and started doing Pranayama 1 today (with reasonable progression time) how many months until I could start experiencing effects?

[Leo Gura]

2 hours ago, Magnanimous said:

@Leo Gura If I was a beginner, and started doing Pranayama 1 today (with reasonable progression time) how many months until I could start experiencing effects?

There is no answer to this question. It varies wildly from person to person. You just have to make an investment and see what happens.

[OBEler]

6 hours ago, Magnanimous said:

@Leo Gura So you're implying Kechari Mudra isn't necessary for optimal pranayama?

He can't know that. Putting your tongue up needs weeks to month of training. Watch the YouTube video I posted here. 

But from what I researched it's totally worth it .

[Davino]

In my opinion, if you have a spiritual practice that doesn't yield results in every sit... Better leave it and try another one.

It took me some time to find the best fitting techniques for me, every sit makes me substantially more conscious, everytime, everyday.

Of course, all techniques have a learning curve, but I'm very against this mentality of: practice everyday for months and maybe you'll see results, you're getting ripped.

[ExploringReality]

7 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

I have not. But you should not expect anyone's experience to be like yours.

It's better to feel changes than to feel nothing change.

So I would say you're getting exactly what Kriya is supposed to get you. Kriya us supposed to active all sorts of eneries and states. That's why you're doing it. Don't get cold feet as soon as stuff starts happening, just carry on with your practice.

Kriya yoga can be done for decades, 8 hours a day. So you've just scratched the surface.

Thanks, it can feel disorienting and scary when the body starts vibrating, getting gnarly bowl movements and feelings of being pushed, birthed or something brushing up against my skin and not knowing how to reassure myself. I knew intuitively that it was from the kriyas and pranayamas but it's hard to believe when it's actually happening.

I would get strong urges to connect with big cats like jaguars, panthers and others. My body would feel like a wild cat and I needed to move freely and authentically instead of the usual way. Also a lot of rage and bluntness in my attitude was spiked, like I have a low tolerance for bullshit, games and deception. 

I will continue to do these practices, and stay open and humble.

[OBEler]

5 hours ago, Davino said:

In my opinion, if you have a spiritual practice that doesn't yield results in every sit... Better leave it and try another one.

It took me some time to find the best fitting techniques for me, every sit makes me substantially more conscious, everytime, everyday.

Of course, all techniques have a learning curve, but I'm very against this mentality of: practice everyday for months and maybe you'll see results, you're getting ripped.

Not with kechari mudra. It is reasonable that it takes time until your tounge is flexible enough to put it up and to stay there on a certain area with a lot of nerve ends. Until then you will not get much value out of it. So you need to train for weeks to month without much in return until you made it.

 

 

[Cocolove]

Im done with kriya after 90 min daily for a couple years back when leo dropped the video. I just get better results with other techniques. If I was trying kriya I would be meticulous to follow the techniques perfectly. 

I got good effects and even had an enlightenment experience from it on a retreat one. I still can feel the energy and use it to channel sexual energy, get into a meditative state, but I find self inquiry style questioning and vipassana body scanning to work better.

[Davino]

4 hours ago, OBEler said:

Not with kechari mudra. It is reasonable that it takes time until your tounge is flexible enough to put it up and to stay there on a certain area with a lot of nerve ends. Until then you will not get much value out of it. So you need to train for weeks to month without much in return until you made it.

Yes, I know, I've undergone the process. That was addressed with the learning curve point.

I just wanted to make a general warning about this trap: "spiritual practices need months of work to see results." I find this a waste of resources and an unskilful approach. Try kriya yoga 7 times, if you don't see changes in your consciousness go try another practice.

Because I wasted many hours trying kriya yoga and it never suited me. On the contrary, kundalini worked profoundly from the first sit and it just increased in efficiency and potency. It would have been a huge mistake to keep doubling down on kriya yoga based on the mentality before exposed.

Obviously some advanced techniques take much more time to master like comfortable padmasana, kechari mudra, etc. That is fine, but should be landing on basics that consistently work in raising your awareness and in shifting your state of consciousness.