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CAVEAT EMPTOR -- This comparison is purely my own hypothesis, based on my own experiences and practice. Kriya Yoga is an interesting topic. There are many kinds of Yogic Kriya (literally, Action). Some are part of the Hatha Yoga tradition, such as the shatkriya - six kriyas, which are cleansing/purification techniques -- Kapalabhati pranayama - literally the "skull illuminating" pranayama - oxygenates the brain, cleanses the nasal passages Neti - the cleansing of the sinus cavity Nauli - creating a vacuum in the abdominal cavity by using muscular control Trataka - Gazing fixedly at a specific point (a ghee lamp flame for instance) Dhauti - washing the alimentary tract (controlled vomiting) Basti - yogic enema These are used as purification/preparatory practices undertaken by serious hatha yoga practitioners. But then we also have the more esoteric kriya yoga practices such as (famously) the Mahavatar Babaji's Kriya tradition, transmitted via Lahiri Mahashaya -> Sri Yukteshwar Giri -> Paramahamsa Yogananda lineage. There are other Kriya techniques -- Transcendental Meditation is one, Sudarshan Kriya Yoga is another, Tamil Siddhar Yoga traditions teach others. I've had the opportunity to learn and practice two such esoteric Kriya Traditions. I practiced Tamil Siddhar Tradition for a few years -- which was a blend of Hatha Yoga asanas, Pranayama, and mudras to raise kundalini in the central channel. The other is Sudarshan Kriya Yoga, as taught by Sri Sri Ravishankar and the Art of Living foundation. I learned and practiced it for a few years in the early 2000s, and then recently resumed its practice earlier this year. I've been regular in my practice since early February this year, and have missed 3-4 days (tops) due to travel schedules, etc. The pranayama methods outlined in Tamil Siddhar Yoga (TSY) and Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) have some similarities, though at one point I had thought the physically tougher TSY techniques were more "powerful" than SKY, simply because TSY is harder to practice. I couldn't have been more wrong. Having a long-standing and regular Dao Gong (Neigong)/Taijiquan practice now, I find there are some very interesting differences in what is cultivated in the SKY vs TSY vs Neigong systems. The Neigong system I practice is very powerful, and it works on the full range - body energy, subtle energy, and awareness/consciousness. Depending on the practice (and there is a wide range of practices, often using the same physical forms, but with different focus/emphasis), one or all of the above will be systematically exercised/cultivated. TSY is similar to Dao Gong, though I believe it doesn't work directly at the awareness level as much (or maybe because I only practiced it for 3-4 years, I didn't advance to the higher levels). SKY on the other hand works primarily in the subtle energy and awareness levels. The objective is to unify/consolidate the subtle energy, raise it to the third eye/crown point and enter into deep stillness/meditation. There is a body bliss similar to how Dao Gong produces it, and it continues throughout the day after each session. What is very interesting to me is the meditative quality it induces -- it results in progressively deepening stillness and clear luminescence of the mind, which too persists throughout the day, in spite of oftentimes very chaotic/stressful work schedules (I am often in meeting for 4-5 hrs a day, working on very complex and technical topics). Given my background in the other systems, I can't for certain say that if one practiced only SKY, or only TSY, or only Dao Gong, what the outcome would be. Speaking to friends who only practice SKY, I see that they too report similar experiences. I didn't have this kind of experience with TSY. Dao Gong is more "balanced" in my experience. I think the focus on the lower dantien has a lot to do with that. To my knowledge, they haven't interfered with each other as I've continued my practice(s) over a span of two decades. I have not practiced TSY in several years. But I can say with some confidence that SKY is the "easiest" of the three methods I've mentioned -- in that, the effort required to practice is progressively lower, and the entering into deep meditation is spontaneous and effortless -- even on days when the mind is relatively more distracted by worldly things. I do notice that SKY has "super-charged" the Daogong, especially the Jing/Qi level, and specifically the "Yang" aspect. The dao gong duration has progressively reduced for me, from 2-4 hrs a day for a long time, to no more than 45 minutes since the past 3-4 years. I do maintain a good 8-12 hr gap between SKY and Dao Gong/Taijiquan/Neigong practice -- mainly because my schedule prevents me from overlapping the two. I think also there is another reason to space these out -- they are working at different levels and doing them back to back seems like overloading the system to me. Why did I resume the SKY practice after many years of gap? I felt drawn to it. In retrospect, there is an element of "letting go" in SKY, while also maintaining balanced, even-keeled energy and mental state beyond the meditation time. SKY is good for someone looking to enter deep meditative states, undertake self-inquiry type meditation, with a focus on Self-realization.