The word kriya means action. Patañjali defines kriya yoga as the union of three practices: tapas (discipline, steady effort), svadhyaya (self-study and study of texts) and ishvara pranidhana (surrender to something greater than ourselves). It is the yoga of everyday life: acting with awareness to gradually purify the mind.
Kriyas as techniques
Over time, the word kriya has also been used for specific techniques combining breath, concentration, mantra and moving energy along the spine. Paramahansa Yogananda introduced to the West a lineage of kriya yoga passed from teacher to student.
A simple three-centre practice
In teacher training we work with simple kriyas, such as bringing attention to three centres (belly, heart and brow) as we breathe, imagining the breath rising and falling along the body’s central axis.
More advanced kriyas are learned with guidance. What we can all do from today is Patañjali’s kriya yoga: a little discipline, a little self-observation and a lot of trust.
