Kriyā Yoga

Kriyā Yoga (Sanskrit: “yoga of action”) is a term with multiple historical referents in Indian spiritual traditions.

Overview

Kriyā Yoga appears in Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtras as a preliminary practice comprising tapas (discipline), svādhyāya (self-study), and Īśvarapraṇidhāna (surrender to God). It also refers to the specific kriyā techniques revived in modern times by Lahiri Mahāśaya and popularized by Paramahaṃsa Yogananda.

Philosophical Context

In the Yoga Sūtras (2.1), Patañjali states that kriyā yoga consists of tapas, svādhyāya, and Īśvarapraṇidhāna, and that this practice attenuates the kleśas (afflictions) and leads to samādhi. In the later Tantric tradition, particularly in the Lineage of Mahavatar Babaji, kriyā yoga refers to a system of specific prāṇāyāma and bandha techniques said to accelerate spiritual evolution. The modern Kriyā Yoga movement, transmitted through Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi, emphasizes direct experience of the inner light and the gradual awakening of kuṇḍalinī through prāṇic techniques.

Interpretations

The Patañjalian kriyā yoga is a general ethical-devotional framework. The Tantric kriyā yoga is a specific practice system involving internal energy work. In modern usage, “Kriyā Yoga” typically refers to the lineage-based practice system. Some scholars question the historical continuity between Patañjali’s kriyā yoga and the modern system bearing the same name.

Verification Notes

• Patañjali’s kriyā yoga is described in Yoga Sūtra 2.1
• The modern system is detailed in Yogananda’s works