Ryan Kurczak is one of the foremost teachers of Kriya Yoga in the world today. He is the author of numerous books on the subject, he hosts the Kriya Yoga Podcast, and his Kriya Yoga Online YouTube Channel has tens of thousands of subscribers. Ryan teaches in the lineage of Mahavatar Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteswar and Paramahansa Yogananda. His own teacher, Roy Eugene Davis, was a direct disciple of Yogananda from 1949 until the great yogi’s passing, and Ryan was authorized to teach by Mr. Davis more than a decade ago.
I finished this latest of Ryan’s books a week or so ago. In addition to step-by-step instructions in Kriya Yoga meditation techniques, he presents a concise history of the lineage, along with a survey of essential teachings relevant to the practice from the Yoga Sutras and the Bhagavad Gita.
The book is well-titled. It covers pretty much anything someone would truly need to know about Kriya Yoga. Although these practices are best learned under the guidance of an experienced teacher – and they usually take many years of daily effort to learn to do well – there is certainly enough in this book to begin learning, and it will also serve as a reference guide for reviewing philosophy and technique throughout one’s life.
The lineage and teachings of Kriya Yoga is a deep well, and one could spend a lifetime of study and still find something new to learn. An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice is one of the most thorough, practical, and authoritative works currently available on the subject. I highly recommend it for curious newcomers and seasoned meditators as well, though some of the content may be just a bit dense for someone who is not at all familiar with meditation or similar spiritual practices.
