| From The River Of Heaven |
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| Books By David Frawley |
| THE PATHS OF YOGA : YOGA | |
| The Yoga of Technique : Kriya Yoga The third of the these paths is the Yoga of technique or inner action (Kriya Yoga). Kriya means action in Sanskrit, particularly the internal actions done on the body and mind to aid the process of meditation. This term is found in the Yoga Sutras as its definition of the practice of Yoga. It is said to consist of three parts; tapas, the energization of the will, svadhyaya, self-study, and Ishwara-pranidhana, surrender to God or the Self-existent power. This definition of the practice of Yoga includes all three methods of jnana (self-study), bhakti (surrender to God) and technique (energization of the will). All Yoga involves some sort of practice, system or discipline. In the Yogas of Knowledge and Devotion, however, the techniques are subordinated to a more primary self-observation or self-surrender. In general, technique is always secondary in Yoga, because Yoga aims at the realization of the Self or Spirit which is beyond form and action. Technique applies only to the realm of nature or matter. Pure spirit or pure consciousness is beyond all techniques. Technique can help balance our outer nature to bring us to the point of inner awakening, but technique cannot work by itself.
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