In this opening Kriya Yoga Online Sunday Service of the year, we explore a question that sits at the heart of the spiritual path: What part of us doesn’t feel pain?

While pain is an unavoidable part of human life—experienced through the body, emotions, relationships, and changing circumstances—yogic wisdom points to something within us that remains untouched by suffering. This episode reflects on that deeper dimension of our being: the seer, the witness, the Self.

Drawing from the teachings of Kriya Yoga, this talk examines why most people come to spiritual practice through difficulty, dissatisfaction, or a sense of lack—and how meditation, when practiced with the right intention, leads not just to relaxation, but to direct recognition of our essential nature.

We explore:

• The difference between meditation as relaxation and meditation as realization

• Why zoning out or calming the mind is not the same as knowing the Self

• How repeated glimpses of the witness gradually transform the way we experience life

• Why suffering doesn’t disappear on the spiritual path, but loses its grip

• How challenges, loss, and change become teachers rather than obstacles

This episode also reflects honestly on the nature of the human world—aging, loss, impermanence, and uncertainty—and why spiritual maturity begins with understanding life as it actually is, not as we wish it to be.

Rather than encouraging escape from the world, this talk invites a deeper presence within it. When awareness shifts from what changes to what is changeless, we discover a center of clarity, peace, and wisdom that supports us through every phase of life.

Whether you are new to meditation or have been practicing for many years, this episode offers a grounded reminder: the part of you that doesn’t feel pain is not something to be created—it is something to be recognized.

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🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice

If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.

📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book: An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.

🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.

🔗 Explore more resources:

• Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions 👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga

• Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books: 👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com

• Online Classes for All Levels: 👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/

• Hundreds of free videos on YouTube: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline

Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.

In this episode of the Kriya Yoga Podcast, we explore how Internal Family Systems (IFS) can support deeper meditation, psychological integration, and an authentic experience of divine communion.

Drawing from yogic philosophy, contemplative practice, and modern therapeutic insight, this talk examines why sincere meditation and devotion sometimes feel blocked—even after years of practice. The core insight: spiritual realization flourishes most naturally when the inner world is coherent, stable, and Self-led.

Internal Family Systems offers a practical framework for understanding the “parts” of the psyche—protective managers, reactive firefighters, and wounded exiles—and how unresolved inner conflict can quietly interfere with meditation, prayer, and daily spiritual life. When these parts are listened to, integrated, and guided by the Self, inner noise settles and spiritual practice becomes more effortless, spacious, and alive.

The episode connects IFS with key yogic principles such as Īśvara Praṇidhāna (communion or surrender to the Divine), samādhi, and Self-realization, suggesting that psychological healing is not a detour from the spiritual path, but often a powerful accelerator of it.

This conversation is especially relevant for long-time meditators who feel stalled, seekers struggling to sustain inner peace beyond the cushion, or anyone interested in bridging therapy, yoga, and contemplative spirituality in a grounded, discerning way.

Referenced text includes No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz and prior Kriya Yoga Podcast discussions on psychological wellbeing and spiritual practice.

The Kriya Yoga Podcast 202 Spiritual Counseling Spiritual Practice

The Kriya Yoga Podcast 95 Healing Blockages of the Heart Chakra

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🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice

If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.

📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book: An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.

🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.

🔗 Explore more resources:

• Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions 👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga

• Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books: 👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com

• Online Classes for All Levels: 👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/

• Hundreds of free videos on YouTube: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline

Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.

In this episode of the Kriya Yoga Podcast, Ryan Kurczak explores the essence of yoga as the practice of Samadhi—a theme that will guide all classes, retreats, and offerings throughout 2026 as we celebrate a “Year of Samadhi.” Ryan shares upcoming opportunities for study and practice, including a monthly Patreon series on the preparatory processes in the Yoga Sutras, a six-week Samadhi Yoga Book Study Group, and a June Solstice retreat at the Himalayan Institute. Drawing from Vyāsa’s powerful statement that “Yoga is Samadhi,” Ryan walks listeners through the foundational principles that make Samadhi both the heart of yoga and an attainable experience for sincere practitioners. He highlights the importance of daily meditation, present-moment awareness, sattvic living, and Patanjali’s contemplations in Sutras 1.33–1.39 as essential tools for cultivating a serene, one-pointed mind. This episode offers inspiration, structure, and clarity for anyone committed to developing a direct, meaningful experience of Samadhi.

-

🌟 Stay Connected & Deepen Your Practice

If you’d like to participate in future live sessions, consider joining the Kriya Yoga Online Patreon Community or applying to the Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship Program.

📘 For continued inspiration and instruction, check out Ryan Kurczak’s latest book: An Essential Guide to Kriya Yoga Practice, available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon.

🧘‍♂️ Your host, Ryan Kurczak, is a Kriya Yoga meditation teacher and author, authorized to teach in 2005 by Roy Eugene Davis, a direct student of Paramahansa Yogananda.

🔗 Explore more resources:

• Patreon Community: Support the work & access live sessions 👉 https://www.patreon.com/KriyaYoga

• Kriya Yoga Apprenticeship, blog posts & books: 👉 https://kriyayogaonline.com

• Online Classes for All Levels: 👉 https://kriya-yoga.teachable.com/

• Hundreds of free videos on YouTube: 👉 https://www.youtube.com/user/KriyaYogaOnline

Thank you for listening, and may your path be filled with clarity, strength, and peace.