Self Realisation Fellowship

[Edward M]

Hi Bums,

 

The Self realisation fellowship has opened a London centre for kriya yoga.

 

Does anybody have any experience with them? are the practises safe and effective?

 

 

Thanks in advance for any replies!

 

Ed

[Chang]

I worked through their Home Study Lessons for a while but then began to practice Tai Chi and from there found myself on the Taoist path.

 

Were I to go along that route again I would be more likely to follow the AYP system of advanced yoga practices:-

 

AYP

 

There is an awful lot of information to be found on their site for free and I believe that it has been discussed at length by Tao Bums in the past.

Edited January 15, 2012 by Chang

[Edward M]

Hi Chang,

 

Thanks for that. How did you find the home study lessons? i'm interested in this system because well it's a system involving a process and you have a teacher in person for guidance.

 

I have the AYP book, i did the I-Am meditation for about two years, it is a good meditation. But, i'd like to have a guide in person.

 

Thanks!

Ed

[Chang]

Yes the lessons are very good and if they now have a centre in London that will be a great help.

 

I just found myself on the Taoist path and felt that it suited me better.

 

Good luck to you should you choose to give it a go.

[Edward M]

Good to hear they are good

 

Thanks, and good luck to you on your Taoist path!

 

Ed

[Jeramiah Zeitigeist]

I practiced Kriya for a number of years.

 

I found the Self Realisation Fellowship people very good indeed.

 

If you read Yogananda's works, you'll get a good idea of what they are about. I've certainly never heard anything bad about them, and if I had, I wouldn't care, as my experience was good, and thats all I can judge them on.

 

I only really dabbled with Kriya yoga, compared to my Daoist studies. But I still browse the Kriya books from time to time. I've just reread Seven Lessons for Conscious Living, by Roy Eugene Davis, which is a core book of the Self Realisation Fellowship, and I rate it highly.

 

It describes itself as

 

"A progressive program of higher learning and spiritual practice in the kriya yoga tradition"

 

In my opinion, good people.

[lifeforce]

Talk about synchronicity !

I was just about to start a discussion on this. Thanks for bringing it up.

I've been reading Paramahansa Yogananda's works again and I'm feeling that his books resonate with my recent shaktipat experience. A fire has been lit within me and at the moment I'm trying to validate my experience with the words and experiences of self-realized masters.

The Kriya Yoga path of SRF seems to have been a big success for those either searching for self-realization, or for those who have had a glimpse of the Divine and wish to deepen their practice.

A starting point, or foundation for this path is the hong sau technique.

[Tibetan_Ice]

[lifeforce]

Thank you TI.

[Edward M]

J-Z, thanks for that, have read most of 'The spiritual science of kriya yoga' by Yogananda, is a good book, must reread it. What did you get out of your time with Kriya yoga? Are you able to say what happens after any intiiation in terms of restrictions on everyday life etc?

 

LifeForce, haha no problem mate! yep synchronicity! I think the Hong Sau technique is in the book i mentioned above, will read about it, thanks!

 

T-I, Thanks for adding that... would you say this system could be dangerous for someone who has had a diagnosed mental disorder, seeing as it works with the third eye?

 

Cheers

Ed

[Jeramiah Zeitigeist]

[Jeramiah Zeitigeist]

J-Z, thanks for that, have read most of 'The spiritual science of kriya yoga' by Yogananda, is a good book, must reread it. What did you get out of your time with Kriya yoga? Are you able to say what happens after any intiiation in terms of restrictions on everyday life etc?

 

LifeForce, haha no problem mate! yep synchronicity! I think the Hong Sau technique is in the book i mentioned above, will read about it, thanks!

 

T-I, Thanks for adding that... would you say this system could be dangerous for someone who has had a diagnosed mental disorder, seeing as it works with the third eye?

 

Cheers

Ed

 

 

I came to Kriya through reading Autobiography of a Yogi, which I found inspirational. So I then studied Yogananda's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, then devoured pretty much everything else I could find.

 

I was already on a 'path', as it were, and had been studying eastern religions and techniques since my teens. I had always leant towards Tibetan and Chinese systems, so Kriya Yoga seemed like a distraction, at least at first. Then I decided to follow it more closely, knowing that I would eventually come back to China. I think it was actually an important diversion for me to take, as I still hold it quite dear, and still browse the books.

 

Hard to say what I got out of it, in terms of specifics, as I was already the product of many other practices. But it deepened my understanding of the soul and its place in the universe. Also made me realise that absolutely anything is possible, if the energy is right. I wouldn't change my experience, and maybe I'll go back to it in the future. I cherish the experience.

 

Initiation was very simple, over a day, I seem to remember. The good thing about it was, its very practical and pragmatic. Normal life continues as before. But the connection, energetically, to the lineage of Yogananda, allows things to flow very easily, I believe.

 

I'd recommend the Hong Sau mediation to anyone looking for a solid, straightforward method !

 

And I have bought 'Autobiography of a Yogi' for dozens of people, all over the world, when they have made it clear they were 'seeking' answers. And bought it for a good few clients too. And without exception, its changed their lives.

[Edward M]

J-Z,

 

Thanks, well what you experienced is deffinitely something worth cherishing, more understanding of your own soul

 

I got through about half of Auto-biography of a Yogi,, really must finish it! Will deff try the Hong Sau out!

 

Which Yogananda centre did you attend? was it the one in South West London? am just browsing his website now.

 

Cheers bro!

Ed

[Jeramiah Zeitigeist]

J-Z,

 

Thanks, well what you experienced is deffinitely something worth cherishing, more understanding of your own soul

 

I got through about half of Auto-biography of a Yogi,, really must finish it! Will deff try the Hong Sau out!

 

Which Yogananda centre did you attend? was it the one in South West London? am just browsing his website now.

 

Cheers bro!

Ed

 

Yes, I am very lucky ! Another piece of the jigsaw comes together. So many missing pieces, however.........

 

Finish the book ! I think it gets better and better as it goes along !

 

I was very lucky to be spending many months a year in America, at the time I got into Kriya. And I was often in California, so got to go along to HQ !

 

But I was actually initiated in Somerset. Which is my homeland, and my spiritual home, so that came together nicely.

[Edward M]

will finish it!

 

Thanks again!

 

Ed

[Tibetan_Ice]

...

T-I, Thanks for adding that... would you say this system could be dangerous for someone who has had a diagnosed mental disorder, seeing as it works with the third eye?

 

Cheers

Ed

Hi Ed

You know that is a very difficult question to answer. On one hand, I have read in a few places that just meditation can cause psychosis and/or schizophrenia, let alone third eye practices. So for people with a diagnosis of similar mental disorders, it might be best to stay away from any form of meditation and third eye practices. The third eye is the key to other planes, visions, intuition and other psychic phenomenon. Our modern western medical society has not evolved sufficiently to be able to distinguish between spiritual experiences and mental disorders, and often times people suffer needlessly because of this inadequacy.

 

Third eye focus and even some meditations are also known to stimulate and even activate the kundalini. If a person is not mentally stable to begin with, it does not make sense to send all that extra kundalini energy into the instability. Might be best to stay away.

 

On the other side of the story, an interesting source of information about the third eye is Samuel Sagan's book called "Awakening the Third Eye". You can find it here: http://www.expozium.com/Awakening_Third_Eye.pdf

In it, he does say this:

 

I have had encouraging results with these techniques of

grounding when working with borderline schizophrenics. Due to

the nature of their disease, certain schizophrenic patients are

caught up in a turmoil of extrasensory perceptions which are

sometimes genuine but completely out of control, and therefore

generating a terrible anxiety, if not panic. By teaching

schizophrenics how to ground themselves vigorously when they

sense a flash of delirium approaching, they are sometimes able to

avoid it and keep their sanity.

 

Sagan is a medical doctor and he does work with patients. The patients have the advantage of having someone to monitor their behaviour continually.

 

You know, meditation is not for everyone. There are many other practices that one can do to improve your life and help with self-inquiry such as asanas, bhakti, prayer, service to others etc.

 

Even TM, which is supposedly a beneficial form of meditation (eliciting the relaxation response) can cause mental fluctuations:

link: http://www.behind-the-tm-facade.org/transcendental_meditation-tmresearch-serotonin.htm

Research indicates that the brain neurotransmitter, serotonin (5-HT), is increased from TM practice.[1] This is good news and bad news.

 

The good news is that those people who are experiencing abnormally low levels of serotonin may temporarily benefit from the increase. Chronically low levels of serotonin are associated with some forms of anxiety and depression, and have been successfully treated with a group of SSRI drugs designed to raise serotonin levels.[2]

 

The bad news is that too much serotonin has been shown to have a range of negative, sometimes devastating, effects.

 

The condition of elevated serotonin levels is referred to as "serotonin syndrome" or "hyperserotonemia." A significant number of negative TM side effects correspond to the negative effects of serotonin syndrome.[3]

 

Here are some of the reported negative effects of TM:

Muscle twitches and convulsions

Headaches

Stomach and bowel complaints

Fatigue

Insomnia and other sleep disorders

Inability to focus -- feeling "spacey"

Anxiety and panic attacks

Depression

Dissociation and depersonalization

Nervous breakdown and suicidal ideation

 

So you see, there are two sides to the story and it is a very difficult question to answer.

 

TI

[Edward M]

T-I,

 

Thanks, yes i see the problem with answering the question! Appreciate your effort

 

Peace

Ed