Five Essential Principles for Practicing Sukshma Vyayama (Kriyas) According to the Traditional Yogic Science
- Yoga Natha
- Jan 21
- 3 min read
Before understanding the five principles, it is essential to clarify what kriyas are within the context of Sukshma Vyayama.
Any movement that is not held statically in an asana for at least one minute is considered a kriya. A sequence of asanas performed dynamically is also a kriya. What is commonly called vinyasa — moving from one posture to another after only a few breaths — is a kriya.
There are thousands of kriyas, all valid within Sukshma Vyayama, but not within classical Hatha Yoga. Sukshma Vyayama exists to develop body awareness, coordination, breath intelligence, and preparation.
Below are the five essential principles that must be observed when practicing these kriyas.
1. The Rule of Complete Breathing (Pūrṇa Śvāsa)
Pūrṇa means complete. Śvāsa means breath.
At every moment of practice, whether in Sukshma Vyayama or in Hatha Yoga asanas, breathing must be complete:
Fully inhale, filling the lungs
Fully exhale, emptying the lungs
This is the first and non-negotiable rule of all asanas and kriyas.
Partial breathing breaks the energetic logic of the practice.
2. When to Inhale and When to Exhale
Breath must follow movement logic, not improvisation.
Expansion = Inhale
Whenever the movement is:
Upward
Expanding
Stretching
Opening
You inhale.
Think of a balloon: when filled with air, it rises.
Flexion, Side Bending, Twisting = Exhale
Whenever the trunk:
Folds forward
Bends sideways
Twists
You exhale.
Like a sponge being squeezed — air is expelled.
Important: The goal is to bend the spine, not to cheat by adjusting the legs while keeping the spine straight. If the spine is not bending, it is not Yoga.
Backbends (Retroflexions): Standing vs. Seated or Supine
Standing backbends → Exhale
Seated or lying backbends → Inhale
Why?
In seated or supine backbends (such as Camel Pose or Cobra), inhaling acts as a safety valve, preventing excessive compression and injury. Fully empty lungs in these positions allow deeper bends that can cause damage.
Standing backbends naturally limit depth due to balance.
Backbends are the most injury-prone movements in Yoga. They must always be compensated with forward bends, and never placed at the end of the practice.
3. Time of Stay in Asanas During Sukshma Vyayama
Only classical Hatha Yoga asanas emphasize long permanence.
In Sukshma Vyayama, permanence is short and conscious:
Begin with 3 full breaths
Progress to 5 breaths
Maximum stay: 1–2 minutes, never more
Why?
Because Sukshma Vyayama trains body awareness across multiple regions, not depth in a single posture.
It is better to experience many asanas briefly than a few for too long at this stage.
Later, in Hatha Yoga, the practitioner discovers their own sadhana — often:
One asana
One pranayama
One or two mudras
This is how the great Siddhas practiced.
4. The Law of Compensation
Every movement must be compensated.
Right side → Left side
Forward bend → Backbend
Twist right → Twist left
There is no gender-based rule in posture execution. The physical body follows symmetry. Claims otherwise are superstition.
Compensation must also respect spinal regions:
Cervical
Thoracic
Lumbar
If a backbend emphasizes the lumbar spine, the compensating forward bend must also target the lumbar spine.
Ignoring compensation leads directly to injury.
5. General Observations for Practice
Bathing
Bath before practice or at least 30 minutes after.
According to yogic understanding, energy accumulates in bodily fat and skin. Bathing before practice purifies external energy. Bathing immediately after washes away the beneficial energy generated by sadhana.
Insulation
Always practice on an insulating surface. Direct contact with the ground discharges energy like grounding a wire.
Traditional solutions: straw mats, animal skins. Modern solution: rubber yoga mats are excellent insulators.
Food
Eat at least 2 hours before practice
Avoid eating for 30 minutes after
Clothing
The ideal practice is nude or minimally clothed.
Acceptable hierarchy:
Nude
Natural fibers, loose
Natural fibers, tight
Synthetic, loose
Synthetic, tight (worst)
Remove all accessories, perfume, makeup, jewelry.
Silence and Meditativeness
The most important moment of practice is after it ends.
Do not “switch modes” immediately. Maintain introspection, silence, and self-observation.
The value of Yoga is measured by how much of that meditative state you carry into daily life.
Learn This Science at Its Source
These principles are part of the authentic yogic science preserved by the Natha Sampradaya, not modern adaptations.
They are taught in depth in our 100% online Hatha Yoga Teacher Training, guided by a Sadhu of the Natha tradition, the first formally accepted in the Americas.
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