Kriya Yoga Home Study Program
Program Overview
Kriya Yoga is taught at Ananda Kriya Yoga Home Study just as Paramhansa Yogananda taught it — as a comprehensive spiritual path.
Before you learn Kriya Yoga Technique, you will go through 4 steps of preparation. Yogananda has said that in order to practice Kriya Yoga properly, your nervous system must be prepared well.
Therefore here the systematic approach to learning Kriya Yoga has proven to be effective and gradual. Its effectiveness has been demonstrated by thousands of dedicated Ananda Kriya Yogis all around the world.
Step 1 – You’ll learn how to meditate.
Step 2 – You’ll learn yogic principles and their application in daily life.
Step 3 – During this step, if you feel attuned to Paramhansa Yogananda’s vibrations, and feel that he is your Guru, you’ll then take a discipleship vow.
Step 4 – By this stage, you’ll have established a consistent meditation routine and you’ll learn 3 more techniques that are necessary for being able to practice Kriya Yoga properly.
The time that’s required to finish all 4 steps is between 9 to 12 months. After that, you’ll partake in Kriya Initiation Ceremony and learn the main technique of Kriya Yoga.
Each step is explained further in the next section of this page.
Program Structure and Details
Post Program Support
Ananda Kriya Yoga Home Study offers ongoing support for the Kriyabans (those who’ve taken Kriya Initiation), including Inspiring a Lifetime of Kriya Yoga, Kriya retreats (both online and in-person), guided Kriya meditations,
live Q&A sessions as well as email support.
Program Mentors
The mentors at Ananda Kriya Yoga Home Study are experienced meditators. They come from different walks of life but they all share a common goal – To share the blessings received on the path of Kriya Yoga with others. They work with the strengths of their students in supporting them embrace the spiritual path in a gradual way.
Program Reviews
Every year hundreds of spiritual seekers all over the globe receive Kriya Initiation at different Ananda worldwide entities. They all come from all walks of life, religions, nationalities, and backgrounds.
Here are some Ananda Kriya Yoga Home Study Students who have shared their experience after embracing the path of Kriya Yoga.
"Before coming to the path of Kriya Yoga, I was flooded with questions that deeply bothered me and the frustration of not getting answers to them. Until one final day, I read “Man’s Eternal Quest” by Paramhansa Yogananda. Not only all my questions were answered, but I felt the need to learn Kriya Yoga. Soon, I saw an ad on social media about Ananda teaching Kriya online. Today, After the kriya initiation, I live with immense joy within, enjoy each moment and accept everything as a blessing. I’m trying my best in sharing Paramhansa Yogananda’s teachings with others."
"As a child, I felt very frightened by the world around me, and it didn't help that I just could not fit in. I read the Autobiography of a Yogi and it lit a flame within. Since taking the course with Ananda Kriya Yoga Home Study, I have come to feel a sense of purpose and to live from Joy. Somehow the world doesn't feel so bad anymore."
"From an early age, I never fully understood the world we live in or my purpose. This often left me sad and frustrated. Although I searched for answers in science, in theology, in nature, from teachers and peers, I failed to receive explanations that seemed sensible to me. When I discovered Kriya Yoga, the world along with me in it, finally began to make sense! Kriya unveiled my innermost questions: "Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I from? Where am I headed?" And finally, "How can I find happiness?" It has radically transformed my perception of life."
"Since my early days, I have been looking for spiritual growth in many ways. I am a Veteran, and I took premature retirement to enhance my spiritual growth. My mentor suggested I read Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda. Eventually, I enrolled to learn Kriya Yoga with Ananda. The complete journey to date has been fantabulous and more than fulfilling and I am amazed to see the transformation within. Today I have become more positive and in control of myself, my approach to life has changed completely with the rise in my consciousness level and I feel contented."
"Before I got introduced to the path of kriya yoga I had done my share of experimentation with different paths but the spiritual thirst that I was longing for was not quenched. Then by some divine intervention, I stumbled on “Autobiography of a Yogi “ by Paramhansa Yogananda and the rest is history. I came across the Ananda Kriya Yoga Home Study Course. The home study course is also very well integrated. Kriya Yoga has brought a revolutionary change in my life, it has given meaning to my spiritual quest and has shown me the light to move forward in bliss and with happiness."
Technical Reviews
As Kriya Yoga Home Study is an online program, from time to time we seek responses from the students on different technical aspects of learning. It helps us to improve the learning experience for every age group.
Here’s the rating given on course content, teaching method, and teaching platform by the students who finished the program and received Kriya Initiation between January 2020 and March 2021.
Global Reach
Ananda Kriya Home Study has students in India, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Dubai/UAE, Nepal, Philippines, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia. Where as Ananda Worldwide caters to South and North America regions and Ananda Europe serves the Europe region.
FAQ
How Kriya Yoga affects the brain/nervous system?
By Dr. Peter Van Houten, M.D
I’ve been practicing meditation from another lineage. Can I receive initiation into Kriya sooner?
Nine months of preparation is required to learn five preparatory meditation techniques, and to establish a daily routine of practicing them. It is important to learn these techniques as Paramhansa Yogananda taught them.
I’ve already done all the lessons and taken Kriya Yoga. However, I’ve slipped in practicing all of the techniques on a regular basis. Can I enroll again in the Home Study Program as a way to review all of the techniques? I’m sincere and wanting to practice the technique regularly.
Absolutely you may take the Home Study Course. Please let us know in your correspondence that you are already a Kriyaban. Email us your details at kriyahomestudy@anandaindia.org
I live outside India. Can I still take the Ananda Kriya Yoga Home Study program?
Ananda Kriya Home Study serves the Asia and Africa region, if you reside in any one of these regions you can enroll with us. There’s a different website for countries in South & North America as well as for countries in Europe.
If you live in North/South America visit: Ananda Worldwide
If you live in Europe, visit: Ananda Europe
Do I have to pay to learn Kriya Yoga?
Yes. There’s a cost for the preparation courses before learning the main technique of Kriya Yoga. You’ll pay a nominal amount for each course as you’ll go along the preparation steps.
Do You Need a Living Guru to Learn Kriya Yoga?
Paramhansa Yogananda personally authorized Swami Kriyananda to initiate others into Kriya Yoga, acting as Yogananda’s instrument. Swami Kriyananda has also authorized a number of Ananda teachers to initiate people into Kriya, acting as instruments for the Ananda line of Gurus.
Kriya is offered as initiation because it is more than a technique. At Kriya initiations, the teacher offering the initiation acts as a channel for Yogananda’s magnetism and blessing. Many people have been transformed by the power of Kriya initiation through Ananda.
Should I read the Autobiography of a Yogi, before I take the Ananda Kriya Yoga Home Study Program?
If you don’t mind waiting a few weeks, or whatever time it will take you to read the Autobiography of a Yogi, it would be a good idea to read it first. It will give you a clear picture of the philosophy of Paramhansa Yogananda. If you love reading, and feel that you simply can’t wait to learn to meditate, then it is okay to read the Autobiography of a Yogi simultaneously as you study the first-course lesson – Lessons in Meditation.
