Bitcoin and Yoga: Pathways to Individual Sovereignty (Part VII) - Himalayan Kriya Yoga and Bitcoin

Himalayan Kriya Yoga is a unique lineage of the yogic tradition that traces its practices back to Babaji in the Himalayan caves. The sacred practices empower the individual to connect with their inner being and realign their energy. Kriya means cleanse in sanskrit, or action with awareness. The book Autobiography of a Yogi by Yogananda contains powerful stories of the legendary yogis own personal journey, and the power of the kriya practices.

I learned about and experienced this powerful yoga lineage in Bali early last year, from the amazing Samten. I took the Himalayan Kriya Yoga level 1 course along with Erin and a few other yogis, a week long intensive amongst the trees and monkeys of Ubud. The kriyas work throughout your energy body - your chakra system - helping you leave your analytical, thinking mind and tap into your subconscious. I have felt the transformational power of releasing old traumas and negative energy from my body. While your mind loosens, your body loosens as well, and you may find yourself to be more flexible than you’ve ever been before. That’s because your mind isn’t telling your muscles ‘no’, but you intuitively can continue to go deeper and deeper.

In learning how to teach these practices, I have felt the powerful emotional release of students, and the relief from the constant anxiety and stress of always being plugged into the modern world and news cycle. For me, both kriya and bitcoin have helped me find peace and oneness in an interconnected way. When our money loses its purchasing power as rapidly as it is and our society is bogged down by the incomprehensible trillions of dollars of debt, we can lose sight of our own physical, mental and energetic wellbeing. By opting out of the negativity around us and tuning inwards to our breath and subconscious, while connecting to others and participating in an open monetary network on our own terms, we are empowered to reclaim our individual sovereignty.

In recent Instagram posts, my teacher Samten has shared several reasons why someone would practice Kriya yoga which I'd like to share below, while adding my bitcoin spin analogous to each.

Five energetic reasons why one would practice or study kriya yoga along with why someone would use or study bitcoin:

Five physical benefits of kriya and bitcoin:

Five mental benefits of kriya and bitcoin:

As I dove deeper into the weeklong Himalayan Kriya Yoga teacher training in February 2022 and tapping into my own heart's desires, I kept coming back to bitcoin in these practices, manifesting our collective future flourishing on sound money. While I’ve continued to practice and teach yoga over the past year and a half I have focused more of my energy in connecting with bitcoiners and advancing bitcoin adoption. I have continued to do the work to learn about bitcoin and the Lightning Network, run a node, practice yoga, deepening my relationships to others and following my own spiritual path. There are four levels of kriya teachingl and having completed the first level, I look forward to continuing on to the next.

My journey connecting bitcoin and yoga came full circle recently when I had the opportunity to teach yoga at BitBlockBoom in Austin. The first day we practiced pranayama breathwork, active meditation and asanas. The energy and connection with other bitcoiner yogis in the room was strong, and I asked to see if they'd be interested in practicing Himalayan Kriya Yoga the next day. They concurred, and I was thrilled to share these sacred practices.

At the end of the kriya session we leave space for sharing. One said he felt emotions he hasn't felt in years. Another used it as an opportunity to heal the trauma from his father's recent passing. Being in the shared energy of bitcoiners brimming with optimism was powerful, and I will continue to share these practices.

I hope that this journey on the connection of yoga and bitcoin inspires you to want to learn more and utilize these incredible and powerful tools in your everyday life. The beauty is that you get to decide exactly how you wish to live your life. I believe everyone can become a Sovereign Individual, on a pathway to freedom, and experience a calm, centered and presence in everyday life.

If you have any questions or want to go deeper with discussions or lessons in either yoga or bitcoin, in your life or business, please reach out. I would love to connect with you.

Namaste,

Jon

PS: this concludes my primary series on bitcoin and yoga. If you missed earlier, feel free to start at Part I here. I look forward to sharing more with you in future newsletters.