
The Difference Between a Kriya & a Meditation
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.

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.

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.