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Have you taken a class or two and wondered what the difference between a kriya and a meditation was?
I wondered the same in my early days of practicing Kundalini yoga.
If you are new to kundalini yoga and can’t make head nor tails of what’s happening in a class, I have a blog post just for you, Demystified: Components of a Kundalini Yoga Class, where I breakdown a traditional class structure.
So let’s get started with a run down on what each of these practices are.
What is a Kriya?
A kriya is a specific set of asanas, or postures, in a specific sequence that are set up like so to achieve a particular outcome. This can sometimes be called a yoga set.
The kriya is the movement part of the class and each kriya can include pranayama (breathwork), mantra – chanting & sound, mudra (hand positions) and drishti (specific eye gaze).
Each part of the kriya will be a specific asana that may include a specific mantra or a breathwork or eye gaze and each asana will be for a specific amount of time. The kriya part of the class can be approx 20 – 40 minutes in length, depending on the specific kriya. A kriya will typically make up the majority of a kundalini yoga class.
There are hundreds of kriyas to choose from for pretty much about anything.
Some examples are:
- Kriya for balancing the chakras.
- Kriya for Metabolism and relaxation.
- Kriya to relax and release fear.
- Kriya for healthy bowel movement.
The kriya that is chosen for a class will be in tune with the class theme, ie, the main focus of that class.
Here is an example:
Class theme – To Release Stress,
Kriya – ‘To release stress and tension from the body’.
The intention of a kriya is to work with certain parts of the body, organs, energy centers, depending on the specific kriya, to cleanse the body and prepare it for deeper levels of meditation.
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What is a Meditation?
A meditation will be practiced after the kriya with shavanasa (rest & integration) in between the two. This will also be in tune with the class theme.
A meditation won’t have a different set of asanas like a kriya does. Meditations are typically practiced sitting and can include, Mudra (hand placement), mantra – chanting & sound, pranayama (breath) and Drishti (specific eye gaze). There won’t always be all of those components in one meditation, but more of a combination of a few of them.
A meditation could be the repetition of a breath practice with a mudra in a static position or it could be chanting a mantra while doing a repetitive mudra movement. Sometimes either with a specific eye gaze.
Some examples of a meditation in kundalini yoga:
- Meditation for the heart center.
- The caliber of life meditation.
- Meditation to change your destiny.
- Meditation to discover the beauty and heavens within.
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Conclusion
So to recap, a kriya has a sequence of specific asanas, or postures, put together to form a yoga set, ie, the movement part of a class, and a meditation is typically practiced sitting. Both will focus on a combination of mantra, mudra, pranayama or drishti.
The kriya makes up the majority of the class, approx 20 – 40 minutes, while the meditation can be practiced anywhere from 3-11 minutes depending on the length of the class.
A kriya will typically come before the meditation with shavasana between the two.
The kriya is to cleanse and prepare the body for meditation.
I hope this helps you on your kundalini yoga journey.
Sat Nam
Heather xox
If you are new to kundalini yoga and you’re wondering what’s going on with this strange practice, I have a FREE resource just for you, The Beginners Guide to Kundalini Yoga.