The Kriya Yoga Podcast

Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Spiritual Communion | The Kriya Yoga Podcast IS14

In this episode of the Kriya Yoga Podcast, we explore how Internal Family Systems (IFS) can support deeper meditation, psychological integration, and an authentic experience of divine communion.
Drawing from yogic philosophy, contemplative practice, and modern therapeutic insight, this talk examines why sincere meditation and devotion sometimes feel blocked—even after years of practice. The core insight: spiritual realization flourishes most naturally when the inner world is coherent, stable, and Self-led.
Internal Family Systems offers a practical framework for understanding the “parts” of the psyche—protective managers, reactive firefighters, and wounded exiles—and how unresolved inner conflict can quietly interfere with meditation, prayer, and daily spiritual life. When these parts are listened to, integrated, and guided by the Self, inner noise settles and spiritual practice becomes more effortless, spacious, and alive.
The episode connects IFS with key yogic principles such as Īśvara Praṇidhāna (communion or surrender to the Divine), samādhi, and Self-realization, suggesting that psychological healing is not a detour from the spiritual path, but often a powerful accelerator of it.
This conversation is especially relevant for long-time meditators who feel stalled, seekers struggling to sustain inner peace beyond the cushion, or anyone interested in bridging therapy, yoga, and contemplative spirituality in a grounded, discerning way.
Referenced text includes No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz and prior Kriya Yoga Podcast discussions on psychological wellbeing and spiritual practice.
The Kriya Yoga Podcast 202 Spiritual Counseling Spiritual Practice
The Kriya Yoga Podcast 95 Healing Blockages of the Heart Chakra
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🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice
If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.
📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book:An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.
🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.
🔗 Explore more resources:
Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga
Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books:👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com
Online Classes for All Levels:👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/
Hundreds of free videos on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline
Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.

Yoga is Samadhi | The Kriya Yoga Podcast IS13

In this episode of the Kriya Yoga Podcast, Ryan Kurczak explores the essence of yoga as the practice of Samadhi—a theme that will guide all classes, retreats, and offerings throughout 2026 as we celebrate a “Year of Samadhi.” Ryan shares upcoming opportunities for study and practice, including a monthly Patreon series on the preparatory processes in the Yoga Sutras, a six-week Samadhi Yoga Book Study Group, and a June Solstice retreat at the Himalayan Institute. Drawing from Vyāsa’s powerful statement that “Yoga is Samadhi,” Ryan walks listeners through the foundational principles that make Samadhi both the heart of yoga and an attainable experience for sincere practitioners. He highlights the importance of daily meditation, present-moment awareness, sattvic living, and Patanjali’s contemplations in Sutras 1.33–1.39 as essential tools for cultivating a serene, one-pointed mind. This episode offers inspiration, structure, and clarity for anyone committed to developing a direct, meaningful experience of Samadhi.
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🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice
If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.
📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book:An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.
🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.
🔗 Explore more resources:
Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga
Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books:👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com
Online Classes for All Levels:👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/
Hundreds of free videos on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline
Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.

The Divine Love and Power of Saint Francis | A Conversation with Isha Das | The Kriya Yoga Podcast IS12

In this episode of The Kriya Yoga Podcast we talked about Merchant to Mystic, Isha Das’ powerful re-telling of the life of Francis of Assisi—not as a distant saint, but as a true hero whose journey mirrors our own. We explored how this young, privileged pleasure-seeker from medieval Assisi transformed into one of history’s most beloved spiritual figures, and how failure, mission, community, meditation, lifestyle change, and surrender shaped his inner evolution. We also reflected on the pivotal role of Clare of Assisi, the way Francis embodied Christ Consciousness, and how his death reflected the purity of the life he lived. What makes Isha Das’ perspective so compelling is the depth of love and lived experience behind it—his forty years as a psychotherapist and mystical teacher illuminate Francis’ story in a way that feels immediate, human, and deeply relevant for modern seekers.
You can find Isha Das' new book, Merchant to Mystic: The Hero's Journey of Francis of Assisi here: https://a.co/d/dUOzUFs
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🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice
If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.
📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book:An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.
🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.
🔗 Explore more resources:
Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga
Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books:👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com
Online Classes for All Levels:👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/
Hundreds of free videos on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline
Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.

Yoga Sutra Samadhi Pada with David McGrath | The Kriya Yoga Podcast IS11

In this episode of The Kriya Yoga Podcast I speak with David McGrath, author and Kriya Yoga teacher. David and I discuss his most excellent and engaging commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Pada 1.  David has written one of the most lucid and helpful modern commentaries on Patanjali's work. It is well worth the read for any serious student of yogic meditation. 
You can find David's new book, Yoga Sūtra of Patañjali: Book One – Samādhi Pāda — Concentrated Absorption here: https://a.co/d/1CvtSnK
Learn more about Mr. McGrath's teachings here: https://www.davidmcgrath.ie/kriya-yoga
...and if you'd like to join us on retreat in Ireland, mark your calendar for fall of 2026. David and I will be hosting a week long retreat, just south of Dublin. 
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🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice
If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.
📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book:An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.
🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.
🔗 Explore more resources:
Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga
Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books:👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com
Online Classes for All Levels:👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/
Hundreds of free videos on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline
Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.

The Burning Present Moment | The Kriya Yoga Podcast IS10

The Burning Present Moment
On the spiritual path, enthusiasm often gives way to what one teacher called “the icky middle”—that in-between place where the excitement of beginning meets the challenge of transformation. It’s here that we learn: awakening isn’t just about peace or bliss. It’s about endurance, sincerity, and courage to live in the truth of the present moment.
To experience what’s real, we must let go of the small, familiar self. The process can feel raw—like peeling off layers of identity that have clung to us for years. At first, it may even hurt. But that sensitivity marks the beginning of true presence.
Just as Plato’s cave-dweller must adjust to sunlight after a lifetime of shadows, we too must learn to bear the brilliance of awareness. Many retreat back into the dark, but those who stay discover a new world waiting in the light—a world of clarity, love, and direct experience.
Letting go of old patterns, relationships, and self-images brings a natural grief. Yet this too is sacred. We honor what we’ve outgrown without turning back. In that surrender, space opens for joy and freshness—the pulse of Spirit in the present moment.
In Kriya Yoga, our practices—breath, mantra, meditation—are the steady work of freeing ourselves from the cave. When the chains fall away, we begin to sense freedom not as an idea, but as a living awareness. The invitation then is simple but profound:
Stay with the light. Live in the burning present moment where Spirit is always now.
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🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice
If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.
📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book:An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.
🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.
🔗 Explore more resources:
Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga
Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books:👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com
Online Classes for All Levels:👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/
Hundreds of free videos on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline
Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.

Good Company, Patience and Internal Transformation with Asha Nayaswami | The Kriya Yoga Podcast IS9

An Interview with Asha Nayaswami
This episode of the Kriya Yoga Podcast features an in-depth conversation with Asha Nayaswami, a spiritual director from Ananda Palo Alto and a longtime disciple of Swami Kriyananda since 1969.
Asha shares her early quest for truth, her transformative encounter with Kriyananda, and her subsequent journey in the Ananda community.
The Importance of Dynamic Practice and Living
She discusses the importance of good company, patience, and internal transformation on the spiritual path. Asha offers practical advice for beginners and seasoned practitioners, emphasizing the necessity of continuous inspiration, the integration of spirituality into daily life, and the profound understanding that real security and happiness come from within. The discussion also covers the challenges of maintaining spiritual practices amidst worldly distractions and the importance of finding a balance between spiritual and material pursuits.
For more information on Asha Nayaswami's offerings, please visit: https://www.ashajoy.org/
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🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice
If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.
📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book:An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.
🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.
🔗 Explore more resources:
Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga
Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books:👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com
Online Classes for All Levels:👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/
Hundreds of free videos on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline
Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.

Chitta - The Essential Knowledge of Yoga | The Kriya Yoga Podcast IS8

Experiencing and understanding Chitta, what Chitta is, how to know it, and its relevance to your yoga meditation practice is necessary for the promise of yoga to give its final fruits. 
In this episode, we continue on from episode 7 and explore the nature of Chitta.
Advised Reference Material Can be Found:
Free Class on Chapter 1 (Pada 1) of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
The American Sanskrit Institute
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🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice
If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.
📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book:An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.
🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.
🔗 Explore more resources:
Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga
Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books:👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com
Online Classes for All Levels:👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/
Hundreds of free videos on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline
Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.

Nirodha - The Essential Principle of Yoga | The Kriya Yoga Podcast IS7

Nirodha Saṁskāra: How the Mind Transforms in Deep Yoga
One of the most fascinating ideas in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is the subtle inner transformation that happens as the mind becomes still.
What Is Nirodha?
Patanjali defines yoga as:
“Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ” (Yoga Sutra 1.2)Yoga is the cessation (nirodha) of the fluctuations of the mind.
But how do we actually reach that state? It doesn’t happen all at once — it’s a gradual transformation where the restless patterns of thought are replaced by inner stillness.
The Two Competing Tendencies
In Sutra 3.9, Patanjali describes two forces in the mind:
Vyutthāna Saṁskāra: the tendency toward distraction and mental chatter
Nirodha Saṁskāra: the tendency toward silence and restraint
As we meditate and practice, the nirodha-saṁskāras grow stronger, and the vyutthāna-saṁskāras fade away. This shift is called nirodha-pariṇāma, or the transformation toward inner stillness.
The Inner Shift
The mind doesn’t go silent all at once. It moves through many moments of stillness, where restraint begins to dominate. Over time, these moments string together into a deep, sustained state of peace.
Understanding nirodha-saṁskāra helps us see that meditation isn’t about forcing the mind, but about training it gently, allowing new patterns of stillness to take root. Every time we sit in awareness, we’re imprinting peace into the mind itself.
Yoga is about replacing mental noise with inner clarity. Patanjali’s wisdom reminds us that transformation comes not from struggle, but from consistent practice and subtle inner change.
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🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice
If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.
📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book:An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.
🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.
🔗 Explore more resources:
Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga
Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books:👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com
Online Classes for All Levels:👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/
Hundreds of free videos on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline
Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.

Functioning in a Mystical Reality | The Kriya Yoga Podcast IS6

This episode of the Kriya Yoga Podcast is recording from our annual June Kriya Yoga Solstice Retreat.  Kriya Yoga teacher Ryan Kurczak explores ways to access the mystical state and what it is like to function and experience that state.
Topics include:
Imagining the Mystical Experience
Allowing Yourself to Experience a Mystical State
Losing Yourself in Mystical Experience
Extreme Techniques Don't work for Real Mysticism
The Psychological Key to Mystical Experience
Jesus
Attachment to Happiness in Meditation
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🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice
If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.
📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book:An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.
🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.
🔗 Explore more resources:
Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga
Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books:👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com
Online Classes for All Levels:👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/
Hundreds of free videos on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline
Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.

Touching the Radiant Field of Enlightenment | The Kriya Yoga Podcast IS5

This episode of The Kriya Yoga Podcast is an excerpt from a talk given during the 2025 summer annual Kriya Yoga week-long retreat in Rochester, NY. In this discussion we explore the power of Sattva as grace and an essential component of our enlightenment practice. 
For a full explanation of this topic, please see Ryan Kurczak's book,
Kriya Yoga and the Primordial Powers of Creation: A Guide to Sattva, Rajas and Tamas
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🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice
If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.
📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book:An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.
🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.
🔗 Explore more resources:
Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga
Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books:👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com
Online Classes for All Levels:👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/
Hundreds of free videos on YouTube:👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline
Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.