Kriya
Also known as: Kriya yoga
Sanskrit: क्रिया (kriya), meaning 'action' or 'practice.'
Kriya refers to a specific, structured technique or sequence of practices, such as breathing patterns, movements, chanting, or cleansing exercises, designed to produce a defined effect on the body, mind, or subtle energy. It ranges from simple cleansing exercises to complex Kundalini Yoga sequences taught by a teacher.
In Hatha Yoga, kriyas often refer to the six classical cleansing techniques (shatkarma). In Kundalini Yoga as taught by teachers such as Yogi Bhajan, a kriya is a specific set sequence combining posture, breath, sound, and focus, practiced as a complete unit rather than mixed and matched.
The word covers a wide range of practices, from the six classical shatkarma cleansing techniques, such as neti and kapalabhati, to the specific meditation and breath sequences taught within Kriya Yoga, a lineage brought to wide public attention by Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi in 1946. Because kriya can mean such different things depending on which tradition is using it, a physical cleansing technique and a specific meditative sequence taught within a particular lineage are not interchangeable, and context always matters when the word appears.
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Related Terms
Kundalini
Kundalini is a subtle energy described in yogic and tantric traditions as lying dormant, often symbolized as a coiled serpent, at the base of the spine. Through practices such as pranayama, asana, and meditation, this energy is said to be gradually awakened and directed upward through the body's subtle channels.
Hatha Yoga
Hatha Yoga is a classical branch of yoga focused on physical practices, including asana, pranayama, and cleansing techniques (shatkarma), used to prepare the body and energy channels for meditation and higher states of awareness. Its core text, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, dates to the 15th century.