Mind and Emotion
This kriya gathers the fire of the lower triangle and sets it spinning. It is medicine for the digestive and sexual organs, it builds endurance, it breaks a fever, and it draws a clean sweat that purifies the skin. Train it and the legs that shook at first grow strong, and you begin to move with grace and certainty.
Pose 1
Sat Kriya. Sit on the heels with the arms stretched overhead and the palms pressed together. Interlace the fingers, leaving the index fingers free to point straight up. Men cross the right thumb over the left, women cross the left thumb over the right. Chant So Hum in the rhythm and style of Sat Kriya, and hold this for 5 minutes. Then inhale, exhale, and apply mulbandh. Lie back and relax for 3 minutes.
Pose 2
Sat Kriya. Repeat exercise 1.
Pose 3
Chest Stretch. Sit in Easy Pose with the spine erect. Interlace the fingers and place the palms behind the neck. Spread the elbows wide so they point away from the sides of the torso. Fix your attention at the Brow Point. Breathe long, deep, complete breaths for 3 minutes. Then inhale, hold the breath briefly, and relax.
Pose 4
Sat Kriya. Repeat exercise 1 for 3 minutes. Relax for 2 minutes.
Pose 5
Frog Pose. Stand up straight with the heels together. Drop into a squat, the Frog Pose. Inhale as the buttocks rise and the head moves toward the knees. Exhale as you sink back into the squat with the head up. The fingertips stay planted on the ground in front of the feet through the whole motion. Move through the frog pose 26 times. Relax for 1 minute.
Pose 6
Sat Kriya. Repeat exercise 1 for 3 minutes. Relax for 1 minute.
Pose 7
Frog Pose. 10 times. Move straight into the next exercise.
Pose 8
Sat Kriya for 3 minutes. No rest.
Pose 9
Frog Pose. 15 times. No rest.
Pose 10
Sat Kriya for 3 minutes. No rest.
Pose 11
Frog Pose. 10 times. No rest.
Pose 12
Sat Kriya for 5 minutes. At the close, inhale deeply and hold with mulbandh for 30 seconds. Then exhale fully and hold the breath out with mahabandh for as long as is comfortable. Run this breath-holding cycle 2 more times. Relax for 15 minutes.