A Journey Towards Inner Peace | Faith, Curiosity, and Kriya Yoga

On my journey to better understand myself and gain clarity about the world around me, I found myself constantly stumped by many of the popular religions that people typically adhere to, such as Christianity (in all its denominations), Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, and more.

My initial exploration beyond Catholicism was sparked by my natural curiosity and the desire to adapt and create my own interpretation of the world around me.

The beginning starts technically before me – with my parents. Both my mom, 1 of 6 girls (the youngest) and my dad, 1 of 8 boys and girls (the middle child), came from strict Catholic families that upheld your textbook values for a faithful Irish Catholic family. Church was at 7am every Sunday, kids were altar servers (for those unfamiliar – that’s when you wear the white cloaks and serve the priest and set the alter during Mass), dinner was held as a family every night once dad got home, say grace (prayers) before every meal, volunteer at homeless shelters, elderly homes, etc. You get the picture. Big Families, Lots of quality time, Laughs, Fights, Prayers. But through it all; an unequivocal desire to do good and make the world a better place. The idea that God has a plan, we may not know his plan so, all we can do today is be his humble servants – through our thoughts and words and actions.

Anyways, you can be sure those values were carried out onto their offspring (aka me and my siblings). Born and raised with everything I mentioned above. Catholic schooling, Kindergarten thru 12th grade. High School for me was private, all girls. Yep, that means uniforms and no boys. I guess you could say I lived a somewhat conservative, privileged, life for the better part of my adolescence. Sheltered from a lot.

I will forever be in awe of the sacrifices my parents endured in order to raise me and my siblings the way they did. It was a choice, and not an easy one. They made a decision, together, to uphold the wellbeing of their children above their own self-interests’. Our education, exposure to positive influences, participation in sports, community, prayer, God. We did not take fancy vacations to elaborate destinations, nor did we buy the expensive cars or watches. From my young (and very narrow seeing eyes) we lived modestly. Always reminded to be grateful for what God has given us and never take things for granted. I would be remiss if I did not express very clearly here, how grateful and forever indebted I am to my parents for choosing to raise me, my older sister, my younger sister and younger brother the way they did. I only hope one day I will have the means to give back to them all the blessings they gave to me.

Transitioning, from high school into public university – the reader can venture to imagine the natural integration one might take to enter the ‘rebel phase’. You can only be young and holy for so long. (LOL). My older sister (who also went to the all-girls high school) and I would joke that the girls leaving HS would go 1 of 2 ways… lesbian or party girl. Ha. Us, of course, being the perfect middle ground in normalcy (since we played sports that gave us the socialization some may never find if isolated to just an all-girls academic lifestyle for 4-7 years).

To be honest, I might skip college (as it relates to my spiritual journey) because, to be frank, nothing really happened. I lost a lot of passion for most of everything. I can recall sitting in a jacuzzi with some friends discussing atheism. Of course, my open-minded, easily-sueded-self, agreeing with the majority. I decided “Yes, I will be atheist”. That might have lasted a weekend. I like to think of this time as my trial-and-error years. I definitely did not feel like making time for ‘God’ or spirituality. I probably went to a couple Yoga classes which was about as spiritual as I got. College was ‘The Forgotten Years’ (for many reasons).

It wasn’t until after college and into my first job that I found myself at a crossroads of thought. “Shouldn’t there be more?” How philosophical Annie… I know right… But seriously. I remember really starting my first ‘big girl’ job at one of the largest Homebuilder’s in America with the (supposed) dream. I got my 9-5, Monday thru Friday, fabulous benefits, cool co-workers, fun boss, paid holidays.

Hurrah! The glorious monotony (granted, I was not privy to my present hindsight at that time).

While my mind was ever present at doing the best work I could for my company (which I did and was recognized in a multitude of ways for, including an award for stock in the company, vested for 5 years with the allure to keep me from hopping jobs). I thought “I made it”, totally enthralled with my work and eager to outperform the person I was yesterday. After about a year, my naturally inquisitive personality began to take hold. I took up the piano, painting, researching new concepts and quickly became enamored in the realm of neuroscience.

Discovering Neuroscience was a cornerstone in my life. It was the science that initially captivated me and, selfishly, I was curious for my own condition – My Traumatic Brain Injury Story. However, over time I began to see how thoughts and disease are interconnected.

I have always been a deep thinker. Making up stories in my head to fit my imaginary narrative. My universe is colorful. I love being happy and silly and positive. My name is Annie Ray and so I liked to be a ray of sunshine for others. I just felt like it fit my image. 😉 I can remember being told, even in college, that I am ‘too nice’ and if I wasn’t careful people would take advantage of that. But I never let those words quake my spirit.

The spirit alive inside of me is unlike anything I can describe. It’s curious. Eager to be a friend to others and be infectious with my kindness. I crave to learn and make decisions rooted in conscious awareness, understanding things as a whole, rather than a set of parts. There was no narrative I could find that fit my mold. No roadmap that felt like the ‘right direction’. So, I made up the rules as I went.

As you can now understand, I am a pretty fluid thinker; flexible in my approaches to understanding topics. And soon, I became confused with, well, most things. Starting with universally accepted ideas and, not to be dramatic, but ending with pretty much anything mainstream. The conversations happening around me that I was urged to participate in consistently resonated as negative, long winded, difficult to understand and, to put it plainly, just not fun. I could not understand why I was so confused. Why was there so much division? Overwhelming distrust? Continuous fighting? Opinions on having opinions? Aren’t we all supposed to be having a good time? Then it dawned on me, EVERYONE IS SAYING THE SAME THNIG! But they don’t know that they are saying the same thing because they are phrasing it how THEY understand it, while someone else is phrasing it but in how THEY understand it. And over and over. See Analogy below.

We are so focused on seeing our garden for how we’ve nurtured it, how we’ve loved it and those darn winds that have blown through our garden – but hey, we are still standing strong. At the end of the day it is OUR garden… But don’t you see? That’s just it. It’s our garden. Yours, mine, ours. We share this garden. And we love our garden. We want to see our garden flower and prevail through the winter. Are you following?

Quick Takeaways on Major Religions

Despite minute variations in practices and beliefs, all these major religions share common principles of seeking unity with the divine, expressing compassion for others, and nurturing a sense of purpose and community. These shared values reflect a common desire for spiritual growth, inner transformation, and overall betterment of humanity.

So, I thought “Why can’t there be a religion that says, I agree with You and You and You… Can there be a religion for that?” I laughed hopelessly.

Well, turns out there is and its called The Self Realization Fellowship.

The Self-Realization Fellowship

The Self-Realization Fellowship (SRF) is a spiritual organization and philosophy founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in the early 20th century. It is rooted in the teachings of yoga and meditation, emphasizing the pursuit of self-realization and direct communion with the divine. SRF recognizes and incorporates elements from various world religions and spiritual traditions, making it an inclusive and inviting path for people of all backgrounds.

At its core, SRF acknowledges the shared spiritual truths found in many religions and seeks to harmonize and synthesize these common elements. It recognizes that different paths can lead to the same spiritual truths and encourages individuals to explore these truths for themselves through meditation and inner communion.

In essence, SRF acts as a bridge, acknowledging the similarities and universal principles found in the many religions of the world and offers a practical and inclusive approach to self-realization and spiritual growth.

History of Kriya Yoga?

The illumined sages of ancient India were the first to discover the spiritual science of Kriya Yoga in the long-forgotten past. Bhagavan Krishna extols it in the Bhagavad Gita. The sage Patanjali speaks of it in his Yoga Sutras. Paramahansa Yogananda has stated that this ancient meditation method was also known to Jesus Christ, as well as to disciples such as St. John, St. Paul, and others.

By the definite science of meditation known for millenniums to the yogis and sages of India, and to Jesus, any seeker of God can enlarge the caliber of his consciousness to omniscience to receive within himself the Universal Intelligence of God.

— Paramahansa Yogananda 

Among the eight ancient systems of yoga, Kriya Yoga serves as a direct means of attaining the highest stages of yoga, including dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and even the ultimate goal of samadhi (union with the divine). It is based on the teachings of the ancient Indian sage Patanjali, who outlined the path of Kriya Yoga in his Yoga Sutras.

The goal of Kriya Yoga is to help the meditationer develop concentration and control over their minds, emotions, and physical bodies in order to achieve a state of inner peace and clarity. It’s like a freeway to spiritual enlightenment. It gives you actionable steps that inspire you into a new way of living.

“Establish in yourself a temple of beauty and peace; there you will find Him, on the altar of your soul.”

— Paramahansa Yogananda

Kriya Yoga Techniques

Conclusion

So, will you share in your garden with me?