Kriya Hatha Yoga Babaji. 18 Poses for Relaxation and Rejuvenation

Kriya Hatha Yoga is the art of controlling the physical body through asanas, bandhas, and mudras. This is the starting point for someone learning Kriya Yoga. Controlling the physical body, compared to the mental or vital body, is relatively easy since the latter two are much subtler and less prone to the influence of human will. Asanas, bandhas, and mudras induce a state of relaxation on all five levels. They effectively massage the internal organs and glands, contributing to the strengthening of the physical body. They are effective in preventing and treating many diseases and functional disorders, such as diabetes, respiratory disturbances, and hypertension, as well as for correcting emotional imbalance. Thus, they eliminate one of the main causes of human suffering – 'poor health'. They also contribute to calming the physical body during meditation. Asanas help limit the destructive impacts of stress and maintain calmness in all situations. The practice of asanas against the backdrop of continuous awareness serves as an introductory course to meditation practice.

For his Kriya Hatha Yoga, Babaji selected only 18 asanas from the thousands existing in classical Hatha Yoga, along with some variations. These 18 asanas have an effective impact on all parts of the body and help address the challenges that will arise in the next stages of Kriya Yoga practice. Ideally, they should be learned and applied even before studying pranayamas and meditation. However, even after that, they remain an important part of personal practice throughout life, even in the final stages of spiritual development and transformation.