Kripaluji Maharaj is a Hindu spiritual leader and author of several books on yoga and Ayurveda. He is also a teacher of Jnana Yoga, the ancient form of Yoga, and Maha Yoga, the more modern and advanced form. Kripaluji Maharaj teaches at Yoga on Fire and in studios all over the country. As a teacher he is considered an Ayurvedic master. I was blown away by some of his wisdom, and his ability to get me to think about the past and present while teaching me the benefits of Yoga in the present.
He started teaching us when we were students at the San Diego State University College of Chiropractic. What a terrific introduction to an ancient science! Dr. Maharaj has an easy manner and a big heart. Many of the students who have been his students for over 30 years report that he makes them feel like they really are going to be enlightened. In fact, many describe their classes as spiritual journeys.
Kripaluji Maharaj started with a simple yet powerful message. He wanted to show us that through meditation we could realize our true potential. We could live a life that was greater than we ever thought possible. His primary focus at first was on breath control and learning to relax the body and mind.
I must say that when I first started with him I was very skeptical. However, after only a few classes I saw how much emphasis he put on meditation and breath control. The way he explained things, and the way he put together his teachings made it seem very simple, but I had never practiced Yoga or really studied the discipline before. I found that he was very gentle and kind with me and this is something that he emphasized.
After only a short time, I was able to do all of the challenging poses and transitions with ease. I found that it was like having another body, an extra brain that knew how to do things. I was fascinated by this and began to see how the world worked on a much deeper level. While still practicing with Maharaj, I realized that in order to achieve the best results I needed to learn from an expert. I started to research different teachers and this is when I found out about Prana.
From this point on, I began to practice with him on a daily basis. As time went on, I saw how easy and meditative it became to get in touch with the Prana within. It is from this experience that I can relate to what Maharaj meant when he said that to understand the true nature of life you must “be the change you wish to see.”