Ancient practice of Kriya Yoga offers a path to calm, clarity and spiritual awareness amid the pressures of modern life
IN today’s world, where constant notifications, demanding schedules and the mounting pressures of work and life often leave people searching for a sense of balance, meditation is increasingly being embraced as a way to quiet the mind. For Swami Purnatmananda Giri, a monk with the Kriya Yoga International Organization, that search for inner peace begins not with changing one’s lifestyle or beliefs but by learning to look inward. Speaking to the Pepperpot Magazine during a visit to Guyana earlier this week, the Indian-born monk said he hopes to introduce more people to the ancient practice of Kriya Yoga, which he says offers a practical way to cultivate calmness, clarity and spiritual awareness amid the distractions of modern life.
Although he now lives a monastic life, Swami Purnatmananda’s journey began far from the American monastery he now calls home. Originally from India, he pursued engineering studies before moving to the United States, where he completed a master’s degree in engineering and spent more than a decade working. While he had a successful career and a life that most people would call successful, Purnatmananda was inspired to make a change more than 30 years ago. As he shared, the shift in his life came after he read Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, a book that has inspired millions of readers worldwide.
As he continued learning and practising Kriya Yoga, inspired by the teachings of the book, he realised it was more than a personal interest; it had become his calling. He said, “That inspired me, and gradually, over time, as I learned the practice, I started practising, and eventually, I decided I wanted to go full-time to practise this path. It took over a decade before I completely stepped over from just practising and living in the world to transitioning into living in the monastery. For me, it was easy because I was mentally prepared. It was very simple in terms of the switch. My decision was very clear: this is what I wanted to do long-term. And I went forward.” Having practised Kriya Yoga since 1992, Purnatmananda now dedicates his life to teaching others under the guidance of his spiritual master.
While the notion of yoga is well known and millions practise it, Purnatmananda noted that Kriya Yoga has a few major differences. A large part of the work Purnatmananda and his fellow teachers do involves correcting one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding yoga. According to Swami Purnatmananda, many people associate yoga solely with physical exercise, stretching and flexibility, but Kriya Yoga, he explained, focuses on something much deeper. Rather than emphasising postures, it centres on calming the mind through meditation. He explained that the goal is to gradually quiet the constant stream of thoughts that pulls people outwards towards the world so they can begin to experience the divinity that already exists within them. “When the word yoga is said on the street, people automatically assume it’s physical postures, twisting my body this way and that way,” he added. “Kriya Yoga is about stilling the mind, calming the mind. When you calm the mind, you realise that divinity is within you,” he said.
One of the aspects of Kriya Yoga that Swami Purnatmananda says most people find both surprising and appealing is its accessibility. As Purnatmananda noted, unlike practices that require drastic lifestyle changes, strict diets or changes to existing religious beliefs, Kriya Yoga is designed to fit into everyday life. He noted that some of the greatest masters in their spiritual lineage were ordinary family people who were married, raised children and continued fulfilling their daily responsibilities while practising meditation. Because of this, he emphasises that people do not need to change their faith, their place of worship or even their eating habits to benefit from the practice. Instead, Purnatmananda notes that Kriya Yoga complements whatever religious tradition its practitioners already follow. “That is the beauty of Kriya Yoga; nothing needs to change,” he added. “You do not need to change your food habits; you do not need to change your faith or your belief in a particular God. Nothing needs to change. Just practise Kriya Yoga. It is going to help you understand your own faith and divinity in a better way.”
In a society where stress and anxiety have become increasingly common, Purnatmananda believes that even that initial experience can encourage people to continue exploring the practice and discover its deeper benefits over time. That message has brought Swami Purnatmananda back to Guyana for the third consecutive year. During this visit, he and members of the Kriya Yoga International Organization have been conducting a series of free public lectures at mandirs across the country. While interest has been encouraging, Swami Purnatmananda acknowledges that introducing meditation to Guyana presents its own unique challenges. He has observed that many Guyanese are deeply rooted in devotional worship and religious practices that play an important role in their spiritual lives. Meditation, however, is often less familiar. “People are very curious, but it’s still a slow transition in Guyana because many people here are more focused on the devotional and ritualistic aspect of looking at divinity. They are not into the meditative aspect. It is going to be a little bit of a challenge for us to convey to people the meditative aspects of the paths to divinity and health,” he said. Purnatmananda is optimistic, however, believing that, over time, more people will become curious about exploring Kriya Yoga.
Although this year’s visit is brief, ending with his return to Miami, Swami Purnatmananda considers it successful and fruitful. For Swami Purnatmananda, his work in Guyana and several other countries is about offering people a practical tool they can carry into their everyday lives. Whether someone is a student navigating academic pressures, a professional balancing work and family or simply someone seeking greater peace amid life’s uncertainties, he believes the practice of Kriya Yoga offers an invitation to pause, breathe and reconnect with something deeper within themselves.
