Some truths that are realized over time, that’s how those who have experienced Kriya Yoga for the first time describe the feeling of recalling what their soul remembers but had forgotten long ago. What is Kriya Yoga? Where did it arise from? Let us find out about the beginnings of this incredible spiritual path.What is Kriya Yoga?Kriya Yoga isn’t just one technique you can neatly define. It’s more like a pathway, one that gradually leads inward. Rooted in ancient Indian traditions, it brings together breathwork, meditation, and a kind of inner discipline that isn’t rigid so much as attentive.But it doesn’t fit into the usual “wellness” box. It’s not about getting your posture perfect or chasing a clear mind like it’s a finish line. If anything, it’s quieter than that. More personal.It works with energy, or prana, not to control it forcefully, but to notice it, to follow it.And in a way that feels a bit different from many modern yoga styles, it doesn’t really begin with the body. It begins underneath it, with energy, and then moves inward from there.The Silent Currents of Ancient WisdomThe term “Kriya Yoga” itself became popular more recently, but it too seems to go back a long way. You can find excerpts of it in texts like the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, where it’s described in a single line:“Tapah Svadhyaya Ishwara Pranidhanani Kriya Yogah.” (Self-discipline. Self-study. Surrender..)Simple words, though they open into something much larger. Kriya, in that sense, isn’t just about practicing. It’s how you live, how you observe, how you relate to something beyond just being yourself.These teachings weren’t written down in detail or broadcast widely. They moved from teacher to student, often in remote places. Forests, caves, small ashrams. No announcements. No branding. Just a kind of direct transmission, one person to another.The Revival: Lahiri Mahasaya and the Himalayan MasterSo how did Kriya Yoga re-emerge in the modern world?The story dates in the 19th century, with a man named Lahiri Mahasaya who was a government clerk, living a householder’s life.Then, during a posting near Ranikhet, he encountered a yogi known as Mahavatar Babaji, often described as a timeless yogi. Under Babaji’s guidance, Lahiri Mahasaya was introduced into Kriya Yoga.What’s interesting isn’t the initiation, but what followed. He was asked to teach, not monks or renunciates, but everyday people. Families, workers, people with responsibilities and routines.It opened the door.Lahiri didn’t build an organisation or try to gather followers in a formal sense. He taught from his home. People came, learned, and left. It stayed… simple.Paramahansa Yogananda and the Global VoiceLater, the teachings reached a much wider audience through Paramahansa Yogananda. In 1920, he travelled to the United States and began sharing Kriya Yoga through lectures and writing.His book, Autobiography of a Yogi, still brings many people to the subject. It doesn’t read like a manual. It feels more like a series of stories that gradually draws you in.Yogananda described Kriya Yoga as a way to optimize the evolution of consciousness. Which sounded abstract at first, but he grounded it in experience. More calm. More clarity. A kind of joy that was not dependent on circumstances.What Makes Kriya Yoga Different?There is no shortage of tools available today such as meditation apps, breathwork retreats and online mindfulness courses. So what makes Kriya different from the rest of the tools?Here are the things that many people who practice Kriya find unique about it:
Kriya is not about following a technique but it is about becoming more aware of yourself. While there are practices that you can do they are not just something you do mechanically Kriya practices guide you to look inward and understand yourself better.Kriya is a practice, it is not something that you need to show off to other people. In fact the quietly you practice Kriya, the deeper you will understand it and the more it will help you.It is a process but it can bring about deep changes in your life. Kriya is not a solution to your problems but if you keep practicing it you will see a steady transformation in yourself over time. A transformation that feels real and lasting not something that happens overnight.
Each breath becomes a prayer.Each breath becomes a step inward.Each breath becomes a return home.
At Masi Wellness, we offer gentle guidance and learning spaces for those drawn to deeper spiritual practices like Kriya Yoga. Reach out when the time feels right – your path is always waiting.
ReferencesSelf-Realization Fellowship (SRF) – Official Site of Paramahansa Yoganandahttps://yogananda.org Ananda Sangha – Kriya Yoga Teachingshttps://www.ananda.org/kriya-yoga/ Kriya Yoga Institute – Hariharananda Lineagehttps://kriya.org Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (Sacred Texts Archive)https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/yogasutr.htm Autobiography of a Yogi (Online version)https://www.ananda.org/autobiography-of-a-yogi/ The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – Commentary by Swami Satchidanandahttps://www.integralyoga.org/the-yoga-sutras-of-patanjali/
