The Sodarshan Chakra Kriya course

Yogapedia explains Sodarshan Chakra Kriya

What does Sodarshan Chakra Kriya mean?

Sodarshan chakra kriya is a complete meditative pranayama technique that is widely believed to be the most powerful pranayama practice and highest kriya across the many schools and styles of yoga. The term comes from the Sanskrit, su, meaning “proper” or “good; darshan, meaning “vision”; and kriya, meaning “completed action.”

It is an ancient Kundalini yoga technique, dating back thousands of years when it was used by the Brahmin class for purification. According to Yogi Bhajan, who brought Kundalini yoga to the West in the 20th century and who promoted sodarshan chakra kriya, the term means “the kriya for perfect purification of the chakras.”

Kriya typically refers to a complete set of practices, including asanas, to achieve an outcome, often the unlocking of specific chakras. Sodarshan chakra kriya involves a combination of alternate nostril breathing, suspension of the breath, the chin lock, silent repetition of the mantra, Waheguru, and pumping of the navel center. The focus is on the tip of the nose with the eyes barely opened.

This kriya is thought to provide a wide range of spiritual and emotional benefits, including:

• Clears karmic and emotional obstacles and debris
• Boosts positive energy and vitality
• Promotes intuition
• Clears the subconscious of negative thoughts
• Calms and stabilizes the mind
• Activates the chakras, promoting the flow of shakti energy

Sodarshan chakra kriya is also believed to benefit the physical body, improving the nervous, respiratory and digestive systems and boosting the immune system.