origin of triyoga

Origin of TriYoga ®

The yogis say that there is a storehouse of spiritual energy lying dormant at the base of the spine, called kundalini. Through grace, or effort, or both, this energy can awaken, traveling up through the subtle body, illuminating the soul, merging the consciousness with the universe. On January 5, 1980, Kaliji was guiding students through a meditation using a visualization technique with the intention of expereinencing such awakening. Suddenly it was so. Kaliji experienced a powerful surge of energy which immediately begin to move her body through yoga postures, none of which she had any previous expereince having done, nor any previous interest in doing. Kaliji had never actually done hatha yoga before (the yoga of postures), and yet a fully systemized method of hatha yoga started to flow through her. This experience lasted about two hours. The entire time, Kaliji was merged in a blissful, expansive state. Soon thereafter, her students begin asking her to teach the beautiful flow of postures they had witnessed come through her, and thus TriYoga was born. Kriyavati Siddhi is the spontaneous flow of kundalini manifesting hatha yoga on the physical plane, a siddhi, or yogic accomplishment, in which a hatha yoga method is revealed spontaneously by the awakened kundalini while the yogi is in deep meditation or samadhi.

Who Is Kaliji?

From the time she was a young child, Kaliji was naturally drawn to self-inquiry and meditation. As early as three years old, she could be found sitting quietly in a seated pose. Kaliji’s mother, not knowing what she was doing, would try to entice her to watch television to be like other children. In response, Kaliji would run to the window of her room and say, “This is my TV.” Then she’d go to a larger window and say, “This is my movie.” By age seven Kaliji was actively seeking the answer to the question, “Where was I before coming to this planet? Where do I come from?” Upon asking these questions, bliss would fill her mind. Although the blissful feeling only lasted seconds it was what kept her asking these questions.

Throughout childhood, her interest in playing with other children was minimal. Instead she was attracted to games of intuition. She was having dreams that were coming true, and she was able to feel communication at times with those who had left their bodies. Once her babysitter and mother were speaking about the deceased mother of the babysitter. As they were speaking Kaliji saw the babysitter’s mother in subtle form. Kaliji questioned her mother about the form she saw. They insisted she was dead. At that moment, Kaliji realized the soul is eternal.

Over the years, groups of children would meet daily in her basement to sit in a darkened room lit only by a candle. There they would witness her experiences. Additional experiences kept her childhood filled with this inner connection. Once she lost her favorite snow hat and the next year while throwing a snowball wished she had her hat. To the amazement of all, when she threw the snowball in the air, the hat appeared out of the snowball.

Growing up, her interest wasn’t so much in schoolwork although it came easily to her; rather, coming from a musical family she was drawn to music. Music was integral to her being.

Later, during spring break from college, she went to Florida. On the flight home she found herself sitting next to a man who was sitting in lotus pose. At that time she had never heard of yoga and was immediately amazed at this posture. This man later invited her on a boat ride. While on the boat, a storm suddenly appeared. The giant waves rocked the boat and she fell into the water. Within ten minutes in the waves, she felt she was not going to survive this storm. She surrendered to this destiny if it was meant to be. At once the brief seconds of bliss she felt as a child during self-enquiry filled her being. She was immersed in this bliss. Then as fate would have it, a boat was able to reach her. A rope was thrown to her and she was saved. Upon reaching shore she looked into the eyes of the man who threw the rope and said, “Your eyes are different. What is the cause of this?” He replied, “I follow eastern philosophy.” After this, they met many times to discuss this ageless truth.

Later, one night in solitude she prayed and asked the Divine to reveal the source of happiness. At that moment, in July of 1975, kundalini awakened and for twelve hours she was immersed in bliss. Her life changed. She told all she was guided by the Mother Goddess. Five years later, kundalini awakened again and from that day on, spontaneous hatha yoga flowed through her body while in meditation. This continues today, revealing TriYoga sadhana.

Kaliji's real name is Kali Ray, while the form Kaliji, is in the traditional Indian form, showing respect for a great spritiual teacher by the addition of "ji" to her title. Kali has been a practicing vegan for 30 years, and has given many presentations on the benefits of a vegetarian/vegan diet. Her example has inspired thousands to make healthier food choices, and she was a major inspiration for Tony Robbins' Diet For A New America. In her early twenties, Kaliji chose the Sannyasa lifestyle, a lifestyle of renunciation and celibacy. Twelve years later H. H. Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji of Mysore, India initiated her as a Swamini in the Jayalakshmi Datta Avadhoota lineage. Presently, she serves on the executive board of Datta Yoga Center, USA.

Kali Ray is a world renowned yoga master and founder of TriYoga, a complete system of teachings which includes her hatha yoga Energy Flows, or TriYoga Flow. Kaliji has been featured on the cover of Yoga Journal, both in the United States and South America, was voted Yoga Teacher of the Year, and was a keynote speaker for the International Association of Yoga Therapists. In 1992, she founded TriYoga International, a non-profit education foundation, and currently serves as its chairperson. Visit www.triyoga.com to learn more about her.

What is Hatha Yoga?

Yogis have long been inspired with this most complete health and fitness program. This branch of yoga is called hatha yoga. The original hatha yoga was inspired through yogis who were in deep meditation. The life-energy became so balanced that it spontaneously moved the yogi's body through the practice, guiding as the body wisdom. Likewise, when one learns the practice from a yogi who has the direct experience then they, too, will feel the awakened flow of prana, or universal life energy. Progressively as the life-energy becomes balanced one will feel guided from within knowing exactly what the body needs in terms of food, exercise, rest and play. TriYoga® is a complete system of teachings which includes TriYoga hatha Flows. This flow is the union of posture, breath and focus - (asana, pranayama and mudra.) TriYoga fundamentals include relaxation-in-action, wave-like spinal movements, and economy of motion. With the systematic approach, students can remain with Basics or progress to subsequent levels. Within each level, students increase their knowledge of posture and flow, as well as strength, flexibility, endurance and breath control. Through sustained awareness on all aspects of the practice, the movement of body, breath and mudra harmonize and the inner flow naturally emerges.

About TriYoga® Class

This is a wonderful opportunity to deepen one's understanding of of the ancient system of yoga, as well as experience the inner flow of bliss through a regular practice. Corin and Mark are excited to teach a yoga system that is about becoming more and more present in the now. TriYoga is an extremely feminine form of yoga, that through grace and breath, allows for release into a posture without the use of force.

TriYoga® allows for the natural flow of life energy to deeply heal and transform our lives from within; by letting go into the inner flow we are loving ourselves in the most gentle and thorough way. Every class is a well-balanced daily practice, including pranayama (breathing exercises), mudra (energy guiding hand gestures), the geometrically precise physical postures, and flows connecting the postures and the breath, all this work is then enjoyed with a closing meditation. Through a systematic approach, physical and mental tensions dissolve, strength and flexibility increase, and a peaceful state of mind is attained.

Classes are designed for students of all levels, though it is best to begin with the basics or level one classes. Though even these classes are necessary for advanced students, and not "beginner" in most respects. Students that are used to power yoga, astanga yoga, and other american vinaysa flows will perhaps need to adjust themselves at first to the way in which we move slowly with the breath; but don't let this slowness fool you, these classes will prepare your mind and your breath and your body, for a feeling of bliss and ease in the advanced classes and an ability to remain with your breath while doing more challenging flows. In power and vinaysa flow classes there is not the same sustained flow with the breath, nor a real flow from one posture to the next. In TriYoga there is no break in the movement or breath. These are some of the main differences that make TriYoga a profoundly unique system of yoga.

Devi Yoga is another name for TriYoga®. Devi is a Sanskrit word meaning Mother Goddess, Universal Energy. The ever-expanding expression of the Absolute is called Devi, the cosmic energy. All yoga sadhana culminates in awakening this energy, kundalini, for the purpose of realizing a higher state of consciousness. In the eternal dance of sakti and siva, energy and consciousness, this sacred energy awakens and consciousness expands. One begins to flow from the heart, living by higher knowledge, filled with blissful joy. ~DeviPeetham.com

"To merge in supreme cosmic energy or to attain the supreme bliss i.e. absolute Sat Chit Ananda is TriYoga®."

~ Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji