I came across the concept of automatic yoga/kriyas some time ago, and in my case, I feel it may not have been helpful and might even have hindered my spiritual progress.
Over time, I started experiencing increasing automatic movements during daily activities. From the beginning I mostly just went along with them, but as things developed, I gradually lost track of the line between a normal automatic response and something more unusual. At certain points, these movements were taking up a significant portion of my day.
Recently, I’ve started consciously stopping these movements whenever they arise, and I’m noticing that I’m regaining more stability in daily life. I feel more centered again, in a grounded, practical sense.
Because of this, I’m considering taking some time off from spiritual practices to reset.
I’m also wondering whether these experiences might be related to having started spinal breathing pranayama and the associated purification of the sushumna, and I’d be grateful for any insight on that as well.
I wanted to share this in case anyone else has gone through something similar, and to hear any perspectives or advice from the community.
One thing that’s been confusing is that these movements sometimes make me question who’s actually steering the ship. Is it simply my own nervous system unwinding, or is it something like kundalini or inner silence at work? Part of me feels that if it were a deeper intelligence, it wouldn’t have created so much disorientation. I’m curious if others have felt like this too.
spinal breathing can definitely stir things up fast, sometimes more than we expect, so slowing down doesn’t mean you’re backtracking, it’s just self‑pacing. The way you noticed more grounding once you stopped the movements a bit says a lot. Trust that.
Automatic kriyas are simply a form of energetic purification. As with all things, balance is essential. If the intensity becomes overwhelming, it’s wise to slow down and self-pace.
During the early years of my awakening, the kriyas were much more intense, though I could always stop them if needed. I still experience them now, but they’ve become gentler—more fluid and even pleasurable. I hope this perspective is helpful.
I think it was wise for me to momentarily step back from Spinal Breathing Pranayama.
I also feel comfortable continuing with twice-daily Deep Meditation. I don’t want to change my routine too much, and I don’t feel it’s necessary for me to completely stop practices, as things feel stable again.
One practical question has come up for me recently regarding a physical change I’ve noticed.
During normal daily activity (unless I’m speaking), my tongue now tends to rest lower in the mouth. This is fairly new for me. Along with this, my jaw feels more relaxed, and my lips tend to rest slightly apart, whereas before beginning practices they were usually closed.
This is of course not the only change I’ve noticed. Many changes over time have been positive and supportive of daily life, including a greater sense of ease, creativity, and overall flow.
In this particular case, I’m mainly seeing the change as a shift in muscular tone in the jaw/face area, and I’m curious whether anyone else has noticed something similar.
Good things are unfolding. These are the natural results of your practice — more space is opening within both the physical and subtle body. As the mind grows quieter, you’re able to settle more deeply into yourself and notice the subtler shifts taking place. It’s often said that dedicated yogis and yoginis radiate a kind of timeless youthfulness.
