How Can Kriya Yoga Give a Joy-Filled and Abundant Life?

Guest post by Jane Gilman-Stewart
Life is full of quests, whether an individual realizes it or not. Oftentimes, the modern rhythm of life sees a
person seeks out gratifications at different stages of their life.
A student seeks to receive a degree and begin their journey as a professional. A career-driven person will
seek to overcome their limitations and move further along with their expertise. A family-driven person will
seek to build such relationships and even create life.
But some quests can be more difficult to achieve or even grasps. Such are the quests for joy and
abundance, two concepts that go far beyond what the material world can offer someone. And for these
quests, one needs first to seek spiritual enlightenment.
What Is a Joyous and Abundant Life?

To know how to reach the destination, one must first understand what it is they are looking for.
The concepts of “joy” and “abundance”, while not entirely foreign to most people, can be easily
misunderstood.
After all, joy can be found anywhere, at any time. One can find joy in a fleeting moment of pleasure and
contentment and have their heart filled with this unique warmth. People find joy in different activities, even in
different people.
The same goes for the concept of abundance. Most often, abundance is connected to material gains, and
individuals can have greatly different definitions as to what they think of abundance: the number of friends,
their monthly salary, the house they live in, etc.
However, both “joy” and “abundance” are concepts that should never be limited to momentary experiences
or material objects. In their purest forms, they transcend what the eye can see, and what the mind can even
experience.
And this is where yoga can play an essential role.
How Can Yoga Help One Reach True Joy and Abundance?

Yoga is a practice through which one seeks enlightenment and higher knowledge about the self and even
the world.
When a person is enlightened, and truly understands the order of the world, the concepts of “joy” and
“abundance” become understood at last.
An enlightened person understands joy is not found in the fleeting moments of day-to-day life. Joy, in the
true sense, is everlasting and comes from the person who has awakened. It is a reflection of their own
consciousness, and not created by outside means.
Abundance is not connected to material things. In its true sense, it means to live a full life, to feel life and all
its sensations. To live abundantly means to live in harmony, as the mind, body, and spirit connect to reveal
an entirely new dimension of human existence.
A joy-filled and abundant life is reached when one finds a sense of accomplishment at a spiritual level. While
many philosophies and practices can help a person achieve this, one practice, in particular, focuses
tremendously on spiritual awakening:
What Is Kriya Yoga?

Kriya Yoga is a practice that takes one through a journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth in order to
reach enlightenment.
While it’s a rather complex system of beliefs and practices, in Kriya Yoga the journey towards enlightenment
is inward. Spiritual growth is not to be found in the outside world, but rather practitioners must reconnect with
the Self in the true sense in order to become awakened.
This can be a rather strange concept to grasp, especially since most of life’s quests are filled with challenges
one might find from “others” – other people, places, situations, etc.
But the journey that Kriya Yoga helps people embark on promises much higher rewards than any other
quests a person can have in their life. By returning to the Self and reconnecting with one’s soul, a person
essentially reconnects with God.
Each person is a representation of the Divine. God should not be searched for in any other place that the
self. Through deep reflection and meditation, kriya yoga helps people walk the path to God, and unlock life’s
most essential gifts.
Gifts such as joy and abundance, in the true sense of the word. When a person reaches a level of spiritual
enlightenment, they are living in accordance with God and His word.
They are knowledgeable of the Truth and the true order of life and begin to remove the distractions that
threaten to pull them away from the path of spiritual fullness.
Who Can Practice Kriya Yoga?

Everyone has the potential to reconnect with God and live their life filled with joy and abundance. The
the practice of Kriya Yoga welcomes all who seek spiritual awakening and become free from the material world’s
pressures.
However, it is important to note that enlightenment is not achieved easily. Kriya Yoga provides the means,
but it is the practitioner who must approach this practice with an open heart and a strong desire to awaken
their soul.
Kriya Yoga – to the depth of your nature