What is Kriya Yoga?
Kriya Yoga is a meditation practice centered on advanced pranayama (breath control) techniques designed to accelerate spiritual development and Self-realization. The term “Kriya Yoga” has two distinct meanings that often cause confusion: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (2:1) define Kriya Yoga as three foundational practices—tapas (austerity), svadhyaya (self-study), and Ishvara pranidhana (surrender to God). However, the modern Kriya Yoga practice popularized by Paramahansa Yogananda was never called “Kriya Yoga” before his time, but was referred to as “the Yoga of Shyama Charan Lahiri” or simply “pranayama,” and Yogananda gave it the distinctive name “Kriya Yoga” because the main effect of pranayama is purification (kriya). This glossary entry focuses on the meditation lineage transmitted through Lahiri Mahasaya and Paramahansa Yogananda.
The practice involves specific breathwork that practitioners believe directly influences the flow of prana (life force) through the subtle energy channels. Unlike general pranayama exercises, Kriya Yoga techniques are traditionally taught only through direct initiation from an authorized teacher within the lineage. Practitioners report that consistent practice quiets mental agitation, deepens concentration, and cultivates inner stillness necessary for higher states of consciousness.
Origins & Lineage
Mahavatar Babaji revived the lost scientific meditation technique of Kriya Yoga, though historical records of his birth and early life do not exist. In Bengal, India, Shyamacharan Lahiri was born on September 30, 1828. Babaji initiated Lahiri Mahasaya into Kriya Yoga practices in the Himalayan Mountain area near Badrinarayan and counseled him to return to society and teach others the sacred science. Lahiri Mahasaya made the ancient science of Kriya Yoga available not just to those who had renounced the world, but to all sincere souls. He lived most of his life in Benares until his Mahasamadhi in 1895.
In 1884, Priya Nath Karar became a disciple of Lahiri Mahasaya, and after his wife’s death, took the monastic name Sri Yukteswar Giri. In 1893, at a Kumbha Mela, Babaji met with Sri Yukteswar and asked him to write a book revealing the underlying unity of religions, which was published as The Holy Science, and told him he would send a disciple to be trained to take the message of yoga to the West—that disciple was Paramahansa Yogananda.
Paramahansa Yogananda was born on January 5, 1893, at Gorakhpur, northeastern India. Yogananda was the first great master of yoga to make his home in the West, coming to the U.S. from India in 1920 and living there until his passing. Kriya Yoga was brought to international awareness by Paramahansa Yogananda’s 1946 book Autobiography of a Yogi and through Yogananda’s introductions of the practice to the West from 1920.
There are a number of Kriya Yoga lineages that have branched out from the disciples of Lahiri Mahasaya, creating some variation in how techniques are taught and practiced today.
How It’s Practiced
Kriya Yoga practice consists primarily of specific pranayama techniques that require formal initiation. The core practice involves coordinating breath, attention, and subtle energy movement along the spine. Practitioners typically sit in a meditative posture with spine erect, using visualization and breath control to circulate prana through the chakras and sushumna nadi (central energy channel).
A typical session begins with preparatory exercises—often including other pranayama techniques like alternate nostril breathing—followed by the main Kriya technique, which involves a precise sequence of inhalation, breath retention, and exhalation coordinated with mental focus. Advanced practitioners may perform multiple “kriyas” (cycles) in one sitting. The practice is usually done twice daily, morning and evening.
The tradition emphasizes that Kriya Yoga is most effective when combined with meditation, ethical living aligned with yogic principles (yamas and niyamas), devotional practices, and study of spiritual texts. Many practitioners also incorporate kirtan (devotional chanting), mantra repetition, and service as complementary practices.
Kriya Yoga Today
Contemporary seekers encounter Kriya Yoga primarily through organizations descended from Paramahansa Yogananda’s lineage. Self-Realization Fellowship (founded by Yogananda) and Ananda (founded by his direct disciple Swami Kriyananda) are the largest Western institutions offering Kriya initiation. Other teachers from parallel branches of Lahiri Mahasaya’s lineage also teach globally.
Initiation into Kriya Yoga typically requires preliminary study and practice. Most organizations require students to complete a series of lessons covering meditation fundamentals, yogic philosophy, and preparatory techniques before receiving formal initiation. Self-Realization Fellowship, for example, offers a comprehensive home-study course that students complete over several months or years before becoming eligible for Kriya initiation.
The practice is primarily taught for individual home practice rather than group classes. While some organizations offer meditation retreats where Kriya practitioners gather, the core techniques are practiced privately. Online courses and correspondence lessons have made preliminary teachings more accessible, though the actual Kriya initiation still requires personal transmission from an authorized teacher.
Common Misconceptions
Kriya Yoga is not a style of physical yoga with postures and sequences. While some Kriya Yoga practitioners also practice hatha yoga asanas, the Kriya techniques themselves are meditation and pranayama practices performed in seated postures.
The term “Kriya Yoga” in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras refers to a different practice than the modern lineage technique. Conflating these two meanings leads to confusion. Patanjali’s Kriya Yoga describes a threefold path of discipline, self-study, and devotion, while the Lahiri Mahasaya/Yogananda lineage refers to specific pranayama techniques.
Kriya Yoga does not promise instant enlightenment or supernatural powers, despite some exaggerated claims. Paramahansa Yogananda described it as a scientific technique that accelerates natural spiritual evolution, but consistent practice over years is emphasized. The tradition values steady, patient discipline over dramatic experiences.
The practice is not secretive or cult-like, though it maintains traditional guru-disciple protocols. The requirement for direct initiation reflects an ancient pedagogical approach ensuring proper technique transmission rather than deliberate obscurity. Information about what Kriya Yoga involves is openly available; the specific techniques are simply reserved for initiated students who have prepared adequately.
How to Begin
Those interested in Kriya Yoga for beginners should start by reading Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda, which provides context for the tradition and outlines its philosophical foundations. This book remains the primary text introducing Western audiences to what Kriya Yoga meaning encompasses within this lineage.
Next, establish a daily meditation practice using accessible techniques before pursuing Kriya initiation. Many Kriya organizations recommend starting with basic breath awareness, mindfulness meditation, or simple pranayama to build the concentration and stillness necessary for more advanced practices.
To pursue formal instruction, contact Self-Realization Fellowship, Ananda, or another established Kriya Yoga organization. Most offer preliminary lessons through correspondence courses or online platforms. These preparatory programs typically include meditation instruction, pranayama basics, study of yogic philosophy, and guidelines for spiritual living. After completing these requirements—usually taking six months to several years—students become eligible for Kriya initiation.
Alternatively, some seekers explore related practices like other pranayama techniques, mantra meditation, or bhakti practices while learning more about the Kriya tradition. Building a foundation in yogic principles and meditation prepares students for eventual Kriya initiation when the time is right.