Kriyā

Action, technique, ritual practice. In the Yoga Sūtras (2.1), kriyā-yoga is the path of action: tapas, svādhyāya, and īśvarapraṇidhāna — three practices that purify body, mind, and sacred connection. In haṭha yoga, kriyā designates the six purification techniques (shatkarma): dhauti, basti, neti, trāṭaka, nauli, and kapālabhāti. The Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā expands this catalogue. Kriyā is thus the bridge between will and transformation: sacred action that burns karma and prepares the ground for samadhi.