For those of you who are new to meditation, Isha Kriya is a simple guided meditation technique offered for free by Isha Foundation (Sadhguru is the founder). After binge watching pretty much all of Sadhguru’s videos on YouTube for the last 6 months, I decided it was finally time to take some action!
So I started practicing Isha Kriya at least once everyday (sometimes more!)
It’s been about 2 months since, so I figure i’d share my thoughts with the rest of you. If you’re a meditation noob or are just thinking of starting out, this is especially for you guys!
#1 It’s Not As Easy As It Seems!
To ensure we’re all on the same playing field, here’s the actual guided meditation video (all credit to Wert er YouTube channel).
Did you watch the full video? At first glance, the technique seems pretty simple right? Well, it’s not quite that way when you get into it. It’s hard to constantly focus your mind for several minutes on “I am not the body, I am not even the mind”. Maybe it’s just me, but at some point in the meditation my mind starts to wander.
What’s for dinner? What movie am I watching tonight? What’s left for me to finish for work tomorrow?
These are the typical thoughts that flood my mind. As I gained a few weeks to a month of experience in Isha Kriya, these thoughts became less and less frequent, as I started to become more focused and less distracted.
If you’re new to the Kriya, don’t get discouraged if random thoughts flood your mind. Stick with it and in time this won’t be as much of a problem!
#2 It Truly Is Transformative!
What is transformation? For me transformation is when you have a complete shift in perspective or mindset.
To put it simply, transformation is when your life takes a full on 360!
That’s been my experience with the Kriya. The more you meditate, the more you realize how wrong you’ve been your whole life (at least I do!). Essentially there’s a drastic change in which you start to shift from “material” to “spiritual”. Everything about you transforms: your thoughts, your emotions, your tendencies, even the way you act around others!
#3 It’s Not At All Exhaustive!
Isha Kriya takes a little less than 20 minutes (15-16 minutes if you skip the initial instructions!). This is considerably less time compared to most other meditation techniques.
If you can’t spare 15-20 minutes in a day to practice this Kriya, I seriously have no hope for you!
Because it only takes 15-20 minutes long, the Kriya is not at all exhaustive. I’ve never once felt pain in my legs or discomfort in my back. If anything, the Kriya has left me feeling a lot better (higher energy levels, elevated mood etc.) after than before!
#4 It’s Powerful But…
It’s amazing how something so simple can be so powerful. That’s exactly what Isha Kriya is. What’s really cool is you start to notice this right off the bat. I can vividly remember my first time sitting down and playing the guided meditation, only to be absolutely blown away 20 minutes later.
Many of you who might have tried the Kriya can probably relate!
For those who haven’t tried it, my only advice to you is this: sit with a completely open mind. Try not to have any biases, and just have a “go with the flow” type of mindset. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!
It’s powerful but…..I am starting to feel that the Kriya can only offer you so much. For most people what it can offer is over and beyond what they desire or aspire for. However, for others who want to continue the spiritual journey, it’s not enough. In a sense, it’s not an advanced meditation technique. So what is? I’m not sure myself at this point. I have enrolled in a 4 day Inner Engineering course, so I guess that will broaden my experience, but till then…….
The Point Is…..You Must Try For Yourself!
Stop reading and watching videos about stuff, and actually start taking action. If you’re putting it off, don’t. Remember it only takes 20 minutes to perform the Kriya. Spare 20 minutes and give it a shot!
For those who want to know more about my personal experiences with the Kriya (during/after practice), here’s a comprehensive post I recently wrote. Feel free to check it out!