What is Kriya Yoga?

In the Kriya Yoga tradition which I represent as a disciple of Mr. Roy Eugene Davis, a direct disciple of Sri Paramahansa Yogananda, all the useful practices of the classical systems of Hatha, Bhakti (Devotional), Karma (Right action) and Jnana Yoga (Knowledge) are taught in accord with the learner’s psychological temperament and capacity to practise.

The word ‘yoga’ can be translated from Sanskrit to mean ‘union'. This is the uniting of the individual consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness. The word ‘kriya’ can be translated as ‘action’. Kriya Yoga then, is the uniting of one’s individual consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness through constructive living and meditation which transcends ordinary states of consciousness. Kriya Yoga is the Raja (Royal) Yoga defined in Patajali’s Yoga Sutras.

Kriya Yoga involves specific meditation practices which help the practitioner to overcome the restless nature of both the body and mind, and experience deeper realisations of the soul’s relationship with Infinite Spirit. Kriya Yoga meditation includes the practice of Kriya Yoga Pranayama, as mentioned by Paramhansa Yogananda in ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’. This is a specific breathing process which, when practised, helps the practitioner to draw their attention inwards. Kriya Pranayama, by channelling the prana (life current) within the body, refines the nervous system and neural-pathways in the brain, gradually developing the capacities of the brain to process more subtle states of consciousness. Paramahansa Yogananda’s teacher, Sri Yukteswar described Kriya Yoga as, ‘an instrument through which human evolution can be quickened.’

Kriya Meditation Practices can only be truly effective when the practitioner performs all of their wholesome actions attentively and with purpose. Specific lifestyle guidelines are prescribed to facilitate the practitioner’s quick awakening to complete Self and God-realisation.

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Relevant Reading

Autobiography of a Yogi

Paramahansa Yogananda

Paramahansa Yogananda As I Knew Him

Roy Eugene Davis