Pranayama · Mantra · Meditation · Self-Realization
A living lineage rooted in the teachings of Mahavatar Babaji and Paramahansa Yogananda — taught in Alberta and online across Canada. Deepen your practice, accelerate spiritual growth, and discover the science of inner transformation.
A project of Vipassana.ca: Silent Retreats, Yoga & Meditation
The Practice
Kriya Yoga is a complete system of spiritual science combining pranayama, mantra, and mudra to rapidly accelerate spiritual evolution. First brought to the West by Paramahansa Yogananda, its roots trace to Mahavatar Babaji and the lineage of Lahiri Mahasaya.
Unlike physical-focused yoga styles, Kriya Yoga works directly with prana — the life force — to still the mind, purify the nervous system, and open deeper states of awareness and God-communion. It is a path for sincere seekers at every level.
Sacred breathing techniques that work directly with prana, the vital life force, to purify the body's energy channels and awaken higher states of consciousness.
Sacred sounds and energy seals that focus and amplify the effects of practice, aligning the practitioner with higher vibrational states.
Deep meditation practices that bring the wandering mind into stillness, leading to the direct experience of inner peace and divine presence.
A specific set of 18 yogic postures that prepare the physical body as a vehicle for higher spiritual practice and lasting wellbeing.
Energy Anatomy
Kriya pranayama directs prana (life force) through three primary energy channels — Suṣumnā (central spine), Iḍā (lunar left), and Piṅgalā (solar right) — activating the seven chakras from root to crown.
Each complete breath cycle of Pūraka (inhale), Kumbhaka (retention), and Recaka (exhale) draws pranic energy upward along the spine, progressively awakening higher centres of consciousness.
Suṣumnā · Iḍā · Piṅgalā | 7 Chakras | 3-Phase Breath
What We Offer
Whether you are new to yoga or an advanced practitioner, our programs meet you where you are. Dedicated Kriya classes are in preparation; today the practice is taught within our retreats.
Begin your Kriya Yoga journey. Learn foundational pranayama, basic mudras, and seated meditation suitable for beginners. Currently taught in person at the one-day retreats in Calgary and Edmonton.
Deep-dive weekend intensives focusing on traditional Kriya pranayama techniques. The closest format today is the 3-day silent retreat near Calgary, with daily pranayama and Kriya breathing sessions.
Structured multi-week courses in Kriya meditation. Until they launch, the online 10-day Vipassana course builds the same daily discipline of breath and stillness — from anywhere in Canada.
Comprehensive Kriya Yoga teacher training for those called to share this ancient tradition — in preparation. Join the mailing list below and we will let you know when applications open.
Want to practise Kriya Yoga now? Kriya pranayama and meditation are part of every Vipassana.ca retreat in Alberta — one day in the city or three days in silence at a retreat centre in the foothills.
See upcoming datesPractise in Person · Alberta
Kriya Yoga Canada is part of Vipassana.ca. At every retreat, Kriya pranayama sits alongside hatha yoga, guided Vipassana meditation and sound practices — all taught from the beginning, out loud, by a teacher in the room.
One full day in silence, close to home: hatha yoga, Kriya yoga, guided Vipassana meditation, a sound healing journey and OM chanting. No overnight stay, no experience needed.
Details & registration → Sun · December 6, 2026The fourth Edmonton edition — the same full day of silence, Kriya breathing, yoga, guided meditation and sound. Previous Edmonton dates filled up weeks in advance.
Details & registration → Thu–Sun · December 17–20, 2026Three days of noble silence in the foothills: Vipassana meditation, hatha yoga, daily pranayama and Kriya breathing practice, walking meditation and sound. Private room and vegetarian meals included; free transfer from Calgary and Edmonton.
Details & registration → Online · November 6–15, 2026Not in Alberta? Ten days of live guided practice from home: a Vipassana sit every morning and evening yoga with Kriya breathing every other day. Every session recorded.
Details & registration →Where to Practise · City by City
There is no dedicated Kriya Yoga studio in Canada yet, including ours; dedicated classes are in preparation. Here is, honestly, what exists where — and how the practice is taught today: at Vipassana.ca retreats in Alberta, where Kriya breathing sits alongside hatha yoga, guided Vipassana meditation and sound, every practice taught from the beginning by a teacher in the room.
Edmonton
One-day retreat
Sun · Dec 6
Calgary
One-day retreat
Sat · Nov 21
Cochrane
3-day silent retreat
Dec 17–20 · Mount St. Francis
Online · anywhere in Canada · Nov 6–15
The first Calgary one-day retreat: Saturday, November 21, 2026, 9 AM – 5 PM — a full day in silence with hatha yoga, Kriya breathing, guided meditation and sound, home the same evening. A second Calgary date is planned for January 2027. Register →
Where the one-day format began. The fourth Edmonton edition is Sunday, December 6, 2026, 9 AM – 5 PM at 10062 164 Street NW, led by Artem; previous dates sold out weeks ahead. Register →
Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre, 30 minutes west of Calgary, 3.5 hours from Edmonton: December 17–20, 2026. Noble silence, Vipassana, hatha yoga, daily pranayama and Kriya breathing, private room, vegetarian meals, free transfer from Calgary, YYC and Edmonton. November 12–15 is fully booked (waiting list). Register →
We are based in Alberta and do not teach in Ontario. Toronto is, however, well served for the formal lineage side: Self-Realization Fellowship has meditation groups in Ontario offering the path to initiation, and other lineages tracing to Lahiri Mahasaya visit regularly. For practice with us: the online course (add two hours to Mountain Time) or the 3-day retreat, with a free YYC airport transfer. Write to life@vipassana.ca before booking flights.
Lineage meditation groups exist in the Lower Mainland and in Quebec (English and French). Elsewhere, options are few. In every case the realistic routes are the online course and, when the time comes, a trip to Alberta. Beware of "kriya" classes at general studios that are in fact Kundalini sets — a different practice.
The live Online 10-Day Vipassana Course, November 6–15, 2026: a guided sit at 6 AM Mountain Time and an evening yoga session at 6 PM with Kriya breathing every other day; every session recorded. The preparatory practices transfer well to a live screen; the full technique and initiation are given in person by lineage organisations. Register →
All registration is on vipassana.ca; prices and refund terms are on each page. For travel, dietary needs or a health condition, write to life@vipassana.ca or call +1 (647) 614-0707. Full calendar: vipassana.ca/events.
Sacred Geometry
The Śrī Yantra — a diagram of interlocking triangles and concentric lotus petals — is the visual form of the primordial sound OM. In Kriya Yoga, it represents the convergence of Śiva (pure consciousness) and Śakti (creative energy) within the practitioner.
Meditation upon sacred geometry focuses and deepens awareness, complementing pranayama practice by giving the mind a luminous point of concentration beyond thought.
The Lineage
Kriya Yoga descends from Mahavatar Babaji through an unbroken chain of masters. Brought to international awareness by Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi, this living tradition continues to guide seekers on the path of Self-Realization.
"Kriya Yoga is an instrument through which human evolution can be quickened."— Paramahansa Yogananda
Mahavatar Babaji
revived Kriya Yoga, according to the tradition
Lahiri Mahasaya
1828–1895, Varanasi; received Kriya and taught it to householders
Swami Sri Yukteswar
Serampore; author of The Holy Science, teacher of Yogananda
Paramahansa Yogananda
1893–1952; brought Kriya West; Autobiography of a Yogi, 1946
A living tradition
lineage organisations give initiation; we teach the foundations in Canada
Benefits of Practice
Slow, regulated breathing settles the nervous system; practitioners commonly report less reactivity to stress and a steadier baseline through the day.
Systematically expand consciousness and access deeper states of awareness beyond ordinary meditation.
Regular Kriya practice sharpens mental concentration and enhances cognitive function in daily life.
Kriya Hatha Yoga and pranayama revitalize the body, increase energy, and support long-term health.
Connect with a community of like-minded seekers across Canada united by authentic spiritual practice.
Access authentic Kriya Yoga teaching from anywhere in Canada — or join us for in-person retreats and intensives.
Kriya Yoga at a Glance
A yogic path of pranayama (breath control), mantra, mudra and silent meditation. "Kriya" is Sanskrit for action or technique. Its aim is a quiet mind and direct inner experience, not physical fitness. Full guide →
Kriya pranayama works with three energy channels of the subtle body: Sushumna along the spine, Ida on the left (lunar) and Pingala on the right (solar). Breath draws prana through them and up the spine. How it works →
Muladhara (root), Svadhisthana (sacral), Manipura (solar plexus), Anahata (heart), Vishuddha (throat), Ajna (brow) and Sahasrara (crown) — the centres the breath is guided through, from base to crown.
Revived through Lahiri Mahasaya (1828–1895), who according to the tradition received it from Mahavatar Babaji in 1861; passed to Sri Yukteswar (1855–1936) and Paramahansa Yogananda (1893–1952), who brought it West in 1920. The story →
Hatha and Vinyasa are posture-based; Kundalini Yoga (Yogi Bhajan) is dynamic and chanted; Kriya is seated, silent and breath-led, closest to Raja Yoga. It pairs naturally with Vipassana. Comparison →
Kriya Yoga Canada is the Kriya project of Vipassana.ca. The practice is taught at retreats in Calgary, Edmonton and Cochrane, and online across Canada — see where to practise. Dedicated classes and teacher training are in preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kriya Yoga is a complete spiritual science combining advanced pranayama (breathwork), mantra, and meditation. Unlike physical yoga styles such as Hatha or Vinyasa that primarily focus on body postures, Kriya Yoga works directly with prana (life force energy) to accelerate spiritual growth, calm the mind, and develop higher states of consciousness. Read the full guide.
Yes. While Kriya Yoga is a profound and advanced tradition, you need no prior yoga or meditation experience. Foundational pranayama and meditation are taught step by step, and at the retreats where Kriya is currently offered, every practice is guided out loud by a teacher in the room — most participants are doing it for the first time.
Dedicated online Kriya Yoga classes are in preparation. In the meantime, seekers from across Canada — from British Columbia to Nova Scotia — can join the online 10-day Vipassana course by Vipassana.ca, with daily guided meditation and breath practice from home.
No. We are based in Alberta. Those cities have lineage meditation groups that offer the formal path to initiation; we offer the live online course and in-person retreats in Alberta, with a free airport transfer for the 3-day retreat. See city by city.
Kriya Yoga is currently taught in person as part of the Vipassana.ca retreats: one-day silent retreats in Calgary (November 21) and Edmonton (December 6), and a 3-day silent retreat at Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre in Cochrane, 30 minutes from Calgary (December 17–20). Each programme combines hatha yoga, Kriya pranayama, guided Vipassana meditation and sound practices.
Both are advanced energetic practices, but they differ in lineage and technique. Kriya Yoga stems from the Mahavatar Babaji lineage, popularized by Paramahansa Yogananda. It focuses on controlled pranayama, mantra, and meditation to achieve God-communion. Kundalini Yoga as practiced in the West largely follows the teachings of Yogi Bhajan and incorporates dynamic movement, chanting, and kriyas (exercise sets). Side-by-side comparison.
A Kriya Yoga teacher training program rooted in authentic lineage transmission is in preparation. Until it opens, dedicated practitioners deepen their practice at the 3-day silent retreats near Calgary. Leave your email below to hear when applications open.
The foundational practices can be learned and established within a few months of consistent daily practice. Kriya Yoga is also a lifelong path — each level of practice deepens with time and dedication. Most students notice shifts in mental clarity, energy, and inner peace within the first few weeks. See the beginner's guide, with a home routine and safety notes.
Begin Your Journey
Dedicated Kriya Yoga classes and teacher training are in preparation. Enter your email to be notified when we launch — or join the next retreat and begin practising now.