Master always emphasized the importance of keeping the spine straight to effectively practice Kriya Yoga. Now, I don’t take everything literally, but does my mild scoliosis (medically diagnosed) mean I can never have full communion with God in this lifetime? Past Karma determines our current iteration of human body, and some ailments are correctible and others are not depending on the severity of past acts. Am I taking things too literally or am I simply to accept my fate in this lifetime?
—Robert R., USA
Dear Robert,
Physical limitations may constitute a challenge for a meditator but they can be overcome. From your note I do not sense that your condition is preventing you from meditating (and practicing Kriya Yoga) or having a good meditation. Rather, it seems to me that your question is whether the curvature itself of your spine owing to scoliosis is an impediment to progressing on the path of Kriya Yoga. In general, I would say NO it isn’t. A subsidiary question might be this: “If my physical spine is not “straight” does this mean my astral spine is also not straight? And if so, does THIS impede the deeper experience of Kriya Yoga?
Let me respond from another point of view: in the practice of the Aum technique from which we hope to hear certain inner, astral sounds, a person who has hearing loss can STILL hear those astral sounds. In some cases, such a person may hear the sounds more readily than a person with excellent hearing because the person with the hearing loss condition is perhaps less distracted by outward sounds.
So while this is no guarantee, it is my understanding that a broken limb (from, let us say, a fall) does not mean the astral prototype of the limb is also “broken.” Since in Kriya Yoga the intention is to focus so deeply that the currents of prana in the subsidiary channels AND in the sushumna channel of the astral spine are energized. I sincerely believe that there should be no such impediment on account of having scoliosis. Nonetheless, this physical condition might make sitting up in meditation for longer periods a bit challenging. But that, I believe, is a different question.
I feel to say, also, that your “fate” may have far more to do with something that happened with your physical body (spine) in a past life and likely nothing to do with your spiritual advancement. I would not at all be inclined to consider this impediment a spiritual one. It’s like having high blood pressure or asthma. These might impact your Kriya practice but most likely have little if anything to do with the state of your soul. OK?
Adding to this is the simple fact that it is the SOUL (your consciousness) that has communion with God. You can communion with God no matter what your physical condition! Isn’t that great?
Blessings to you!
Nayaswami Hriman
