Namaste! I have recently started doing Kriya Yoga, been mediating for over 2yrs which has helped me overcome fear largely. In my situation my task at hand is not my natural inclination. I am pushing myself to shift my focus for long, but lately it seems I am not able to find my way, and I am longing for God and Guru’s presence by my side. I am also doing Navi Kriya and want to know about improving Will Power and need some inspiration and direction. Jai Guru!
—Anurag, India
Well the good thing is that you want to know God! Yogananda said that it takes very, very, very good karma even to want to know God! The way to improve your situation is to begin and maintain a regular, and daily, Kriya Yoga practice. As Lahiri Mahasaya said of Kriya yoga, it works like mathematics, it cannot fail. But only if practiced daily and regularly.
And the way to improve your will power is by using it. Will power is like a muscle, which builds over time as it is used in the right way. Use it now to determine your daily practice of Kriya Yoga. Don’t make this practice an option in your mind, but make it something you simply do every day, no matter what. You wake up in the morning and meditate. Again in the evening, either right before bedtime or earlier in the evening, you practice Kriya Yoga again. Be steadfast, be regular, and be joyful and loving in your practice. Kriya Yoga is the greatest gift we have ever received, and it will, if practiced regularly and faithfully, take us all the way to oneness in God.
To deepen your practice, also seek out other Kriyabans (those initiated into Kriya) and practice with them. Attend any kriyaban meditations in your area, and always refer back to the basics of the technique, so you know you are practicing correctly. In addition, have your Kriya practice reviewed regularly by an Ananda kriyacharya (Kriya Yoga teacher).
I gain inspiration both from the inspiration in the writings of Yogananda and Kriyananda, as well as from my gurubais. For inspiration I read the Autobiography of a Yogi, The New Path, and The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita in particular. Also recently, I have been re-reading the book Paramhansa Yogananda, A Biography. In addition, another favorite of mine is Awaken to Superconsciousness by Swami Kriyananda. All these books provide wonderful inspiration as well as deepening spiritual insights.
As you engage in this regular practice, and seek out satsang with other Kriyabans, you will feel yourself growing steadily in calmness, peace, joy, and divine love. The company you keep will make a big difference in how fast all of this develops. You will also, over time, have an increasing awareness of who you are (a soul and spark of the divine light) and what your purpose in this world is (to remember your oneness as part of the divine).
I hope this will be helpful to you.
Many blessings,
Nayaswami Parvati
