Brief History

Yoga is tied with our creation, the creation of mankind. It consists in remaining attached to our origin, in finding the original source of creation and remaining one with that source. Yoga is based on prana shakti (life force together with oxygen) whith subtle breath.

Yoga is as ancient as creation. It has progressively manifested on the astral plane through the physical plane to reach mankind. It has been transmitted through the centuries from master to master, then recorded in the sacred texts.

In ancient times, Maharishi Patanjala wrote a book called "the Yoga Sûtras of Patanjali". This text is used as a reference and has authority in the field of yoga. This book, otherwise known as "the Aphorisms of Yoga", comprises four chapters:

1. Samadhi Pada which explains the final goal of yoga, the object of practice, as well as its results and effects.
2. Sadhana Pada deals with the practice of yoga or sadhana.
3. Vibhuti Pada which indicates how the results of our practice (sadhana) manifest.
4. Kaivalya Pada: The state of union with the Self, how it is lived in our life. One will perceive that all actions come from the Soul, experiences inner piece, happiness and balance, which constitute the principal object of creation.

In the first verse of the second chapter we find the definition: Tapa swadhyaya iswara pranidhanani kriyâ yogah - which means "Kriya Yoga is the knowledge of Self through breath and the experience of the divine".

Verse 31 of the second chapter makes it clear that Kriya Yoga is for everyone: "It is neither a case of caste, country, era or period nor of any form of separation or of circumstance, it is simply the great universal technique."

Furthermore in verse 54 of the third chapter Patanjala states the importance of keeping the technique unaltered: "That way should not be modified according to categories or castes, particular tendencies, places or countries. It is comparable to none other and is an uninterrupted process for obtaining mastery in each state."

Masters of Tradition

In the course of time the ancient knowledge of Kriya Yoga tended to be forgotten. It is said that Kriya Yoga in the 19th century was revitalized by an Himalayan Yogi known as Mahavatar Babaji Maharaj. It was transmitted to his beloved disciple Lahiri Mahasaya at the end of the last century.

The story of Lahiri Mahasaya’s meeting with Babaji is related in Paramahansa Yogananda’s book "Autobiography of a Yogi". Lahiri Mahasaya obtained the highest realization by the means of Kriya Yoga. He soon became famous and many disciples came to him.

One of his best disciples was Shri Yukteswar, a great yogi and astrologer, who had numerous bright disciples, among whom was Paramahansa Yogananda, author of the book "Autobiography of a Yogi".Kriya Yoga which is well known in India has spread considerably in the West since 1920, when Paramahansa Yogananda moved to the United States. Residing there, he had an important part in spreading Kriya Yoga around the world.

Among Shri Yukteswar's highly realized disciples are Swami Narayana Giri ("Prabhujee") who was his closest disciple, Swami Satyananda Giri and Bhupendranath Sanyal.

The transmission of this teaching has been continued without interruption ever since. Masters have come and are still coming to Western countries to teach Kriya Yoga in its original form so that it is available to everyone. Today, Swami Shankarananda Giri transmits these teachings in the same way that he received them from his masters to any person who desires to receive instructions in this path as a means for spiritual evolution.