| TERMS |
DESCRIPTION |
| |
|
| Abhyasa |
practice - the act of
practicing |
| Acharya |
teacher |
| Adwaita |
a philosophy according to
which there is no duality - only a singular state of
consciousness |
| Agni |
fire |
| Agnisar
kriya |
one of the shatkarmas
(cleansing practices) -intestinal cleansing |
| Aham |
ego |
| Ahimsa |
non-violence, non-injury -
one of the yamas of ashtanga yoga |
| Ajapa
japa |
spontaneous repetition of
'soham' mantra |
| Ajna
chakra |
energy center located
behind the forehead, also called psychic centre - one of the seven
energy centers |
| Akasha |
ether, space |
| Anahata
chakra |
energy center located in
the heart region; also called pranic centre - fourth of the seven
energy centers. |
| Ananda |
bliss,
ecstasy |
| Antar |
inner,
internal |
| Antar
dhauti |
internal yoga cleansing
(shatkarma) techniques |
| Antar
kumbhaka |
internal breath retention.
The stage of pranayama where breath is retained after
inhalation. |
| Antar
mouna |
internal silence - a
meditation practice. |
| Anubhava |
experience,
realization |
| Ardha |
half |
| Ardha
dhanurasana |
half bow yoga
pose |
| Ardha
matsyendrasana |
half spinal twist yoga
position |
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| Ardha
padmasana |
half lotus
pose |
| Asana |
yoga position or yoga
pose, also called yogasana. A balanced position for smooth energy
flow in specific areas of the body and mind. |
| Ashrama |
residential place of
people living together in yogic tradition. |
| Ashtanga
yoga |
the eight fold path of
yoga as outlined by Patanjali: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama,
pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi |
| Ashwini
mudra |
practice of contracting
the anal sphincter. |
| Atman |
soul. |
| Aum |
see Om |
| Avidya |
ignorance |
| Bahir |
outside,
external |
| Bahir
kumbhaka |
external breath retention.
The stage of pranayama where breath is retained after
exhalation. |
| Bahiranga
trataka |
concentrating the
attention (gaze) upon an external object such as a candle
flame. |
| Bandha |
a posture in which organs
and muscles are contracted to create energy lock in a specific
area. |
| Basti |
a colon cleansing
technique (shakarma), yogic enema |
| Bhagvad
Gita |
a part of the famous Hindu
epic 'Mahabharata'. Teachings of Lord Krishna to his disciple Arjuna
at the commencement of the battle of Kurukshetra, with explanations
on sannyasa yoga, karma yoga, bhakti yoga, and jnana
yoga. |
| Bhakti |
devotion |
| Bhakti
yoga |
the yoga of
devotion. |
| Bhastrika
pranayama |
'bellows' breathing technique in which the
breath is forcibly drawn in and out through the nose in equal
proportions, like the pumping action of the bellows. |
| Bhramari
pranayama |
breathing practice in
which a soft "humming-bee" sound is produced during exhalation to
stimulate the Ajna Chakra |
| Bhujangasana |
cobra' pose. |
| Brahman |
supreme consciousness,
absolute reality. |
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| Chakra |
literally meaning circle or wheel, in yoga this
refers to the energy centers lying along the confluence of the nadis
(energy channels) |
| Chandra |
moon |
| Chandra
nadi |
ida nadi |
| Chidakasha |
psychic space in front of
the closed eyes, just behind the forehead. |
| Chin
mudra |
hand gesture in which the
first finger is kept at the root of the thumb, the last three
fingers are unfolded. |
| Danda |
stick |
| Danda
dhauti |
one of the cleansing
techniques (shatkarmas), used to clean the oesophagus with a
stick. |
| Danta
dhauti |
teeth cleansing
technique |
| Dhanurasana |
bow' pose; backward bending yoga
pose |
| Dharana |
practice of concentration;
sixth of the eight fold path in ashtanga yoga |
| Dharma |
duty, righteous
path |
| Dhauti |
second of the shatkarmas;
cleansing technique of the eyes, ears, tongue, forehead, oesophagus,
stomach, rectum and anus |
| Dhyana |
meditation; single-pointed focus of mind on either a
form, thought or sound. |
| Diksha |
initiation given by the
guru. |
| Dosha |
three humours of the body;
see kapha, pitta, vata |
| Dugdha
neti |
nasal
irrigation or cleansing technique using milk |
| Ghrita
neti |
neti (nasal cleansing
technique) performed with ghee |
| Gomukhasana |
cow's face' posture |
| Gorakshasana |
Yogi Gorakhnath's' pose |
| Guna |
quality of nature viz.
tamas, rajas, sattwa |
| Guptasana |
the 'secret'
pose |
| Guru |
spiritually enlightened
soul, who can dispel darkness, ignorance and illusion from the mind
and enlighten the consciousness of a devotee/disciple |
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| Hatha
yoga |
science of yoga which
purifies the whole physical body by means of shatkarma, asana,
pranayama, mudra, bandha and concentration |
| Hridaya
akasha |
psychic space of the heart
centre |
| Ida
nadi |
one of the main energy
channels running on the left side of the spine from the mooladhara
(base) chakra to the ajna chakra in the head. |
| Jala |
water |
| Jala
basti |
the yoga
technique of enema using water - one of the yoga shatkarma
|
| Jala neti |
a shatkarma technique -
cleansing of the nasal passages with water by alternating the flow
of water in the nostrils, preferably using a neti
pot. |
| Jalandhara
bandha |
throat lock' to restrict the flow of bereath
through the throat - done by resting the chin on the upper sternum
(chest). |
| Japa |
continuous chanting i.e
repetition of a mantra |
| Jihva
dhauti |
one of the shatkarma
techniques for cleansing the tongue. |
| Jnana |
knowledge, understanding,
wisdom |
| Jnana
mudra |
the gesture of knowledge -
in this the index finger is bent so that its tip is joined with the
tip of the thumb, the other three fingers are spread
out. |
| Jnana
yoga |
the yoga of knowledge -
attained through spontaneous self-analysis and investigation of
abstract and speculative ideas. |
| Kapal |
skull or
cerebrum |
| Kapalbhati
pranayama |
a breathing technique
aimed at cleaning the frontal part of the brain; also called skull
polishing - done through rapid breaths with more force on
exhalation. |
| Karma |
action; the act of
doing |
| Karma
yoga |
the yoga of action - aims
at supreme consciousness through action; discussed in Bhagavad
Gita |
| Karna
dhauti |
one of the shatkarma which
involves cleansing the ears. |
| Kati
chakrasana |
waist rotating' pose. |
| Kevala
kumbhaka |
spontaneous cessation of
breath without any conscious effort. |
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| Klesha |
afflictions or tensions -
according to yoga there are 5 such afflictions present in humans
from birth |
| Koormasana |
tortoise' pose - an advanced
posture. |
| Kosha |
sheath or body; realm of
experience and existence. |
| Kriya |
activity, dynamic yogic
practice |
| Kriya
yoga |
the practice of
kundalini yoga |
| Kukkutasana |
cockerel' pose |
| Kumbhaka |
breath
retention |
| Kundalini |
man's retained energy or
potential energy and consciousness |
| Kundalini
shakti |
refers to the human's
potential energy lying dormant in mooladhara (base) chakra like a
coiled serpent. When awakened it rises up through the sushumna
nadi. |
| Kundalini
yoga |
philosophy expounding the
awakening of potential energy and inherent consciousness within the
human body and mind. |
| Kunjal
kriya |
a shatkarma (cleansing)
technique that involves the cleansing of the stomach by drinking in
water and then expelling it by inducing vomiting. |
| Laghoo
shankhaprakshalana |
a shatkarma technique - also referred as the
short intestinal wash. Involves the drinking of several glasses of
water and the expelling it through stool after a series of exercises
(asanas); in the process a thorough cleansing of the colon takes
place. |
| Laya yoga |
union with the supreme
consciousness through pranayama or devotion. Literally, union by
absorption |
| Maha |
great |
| Maha
bandha |
the great lock - combines
the three locks in yoga - the moola bandha, jalandhara bandha and
uddiyana bandha - together with breath retention. |
| Maha
mudra |
the great gesture -
combines the practice of moola bandha, shambhavi and khechari mudras
simultaneously. |
| Maha nadi |
literally means 'great
nadi', which is the 'sushumna' in yoga |
| Makara |
crocodile |
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| Makarasana |
crocodile' pose |
| Manas
chakra |
the energy center above
the ajna chakra - is depicted with six petals |
| Manipura
chakra |
the energy centre in the
spinal column located behind the navel - corresponding to the solar
plexus. |
| Mantra |
subtle sound vibration,
which through repetition aims at expanding one's awareness or
consciousness. |
| Mantra
shakti |
the power of
mantra |
| Matsyendrasana |
a spine twisting
pose |
| Mayur |
peacock |
| Mayurasana |
peacock' pose - advanced pose aims at
strengthening the arms and stimulating the manipura
chakra. |
| Moksha |
liberation from the cycle
of birth and death. |
| Moola |
root |
| Moola
bandha |
energy lock created by the
contraction of the perineum in the male and the cervix in the
female. |
| Mooladhara
chakra |
lowest energy centre in
the human body where the kundalini shakti (serpent power) resides -
situated in the perineal floor in men and the cervix in
women. |
| Moorchha
pranayama |
fainting or swooning breath' in which the breath
is inhaled slowly and retained for an extended period. |
| Mouna |
silence - the practice of
silence |
| Mudra |
literally means 'gesture'
- mudra expresses and channelizes cosmic energy within the mind and
body. |
| Nadi |
energy channels in the
body, similar to the meridians in acupuncture |
| Nadi shodhana
pranayama |
breathing technique - is
the 'alternate nostril breathing' or 'balanced breathing' - balances
the energy flow in the channels and purifies the energy channels
(nadi) by balancing the flow of breath through the right and left
nostrils. |
| Nasagra/nasikagra
mudra |
hand gesture adopted
during pranayama to alternate the flow of breath through the
nostrils. |
| Nauli |
abdominal massage' - a cleansing technique
(shatkarma) involving the contraction of the rectus abdominal
muscles. |
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| Neti
kriya |
another shatkarma
(cleansing technique) - involves cleaning of the nasal passages or
sinus
irrigation; jala neti forms a part of the various neti
kriyas. |
| Nidra |
sleep |
| Niyama |
rule; there are 5 rules
described in the Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali. |
| Om |
the universal mantra;
cosmic vibration of the universe; represents the four states of
consciousness |
| Pada |
foot; section of a
literary work |
| Padmasana |
lotus pose - a seated
meditative posture |
| Pancha
makara |
the five tantric practices
: mansa(meat), madhya(wine), matsya(fish), mudra(grain), and
maithuna(sexual intercourse) |
| Pancha
tattwa |
the five elements - earth,
water, fire, air and ether |
| Param |
highest, supreme,
God |
| Paramatma |
the supreme atma;
God |
| Parichaya
avastha |
stage of perception of
nada |
| Paschimottanasana |
back stretching
pose |
| Patanjali |
author of the Yoga Sutras
and preacher of the eight-fold (ashtanga) yoga |
| Payaswini
nadi |
energy channel terminating
at the right big toe, between poosha and pingala
channels |
| Pingala
nadi |
one of the main energy
channels running on the right side of the spine from the mooladhara
(base) chakra to the ajna chakra in the head by intersecting various
chakras on the way. |
| Plavini
pranayama |
breathing technique which
involves gulping air and swallowing it into the stomach and
retaining it |
| Poornima |
full moon
night |
| Prakamya |
fulfillment of
desire |
| Prakasha |
inner light |
| Prakriti |
nature |
| Pramana |
proof |
| Prana |
vital energy force
sustaining life and creation |
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| Pranayama |
technique of breathing and
breath control which regulates energy flow and aims at maintaining
energy balance |
| Prasad |
an offering usually food
to and from the guru or higher power |
| Pratyahara |
sense withdrawal; first
stage of concentrating on the mind during meditation |
| Pravritti |
nature of the
mind |
| Prithvi
tattwa |
the earth element |
| Purana |
eighteen ancient
books consisting of legends and mythological narrations dealing with
creation, recreation and the genealogies of sages and
rulers |
| Purusha |
man; pure consciousness |
| Purushartha |
purpose of the
consciousness, of man's existence- the four basic needs or desires,
arth, kaama, dharma, moksha |
| Raja
yoga |
yoga in which union is
achieved through concentration of mind |
| Rakta
bindu |
red bindu, same as
beeja(seed) bindu, shakti bindu; the potentially creative bindu from
which creation springs; often refers to the ovum. |
| Rechaka |
exhalation |
| Rudra |
Lord Shiva ; Rudra is said
to have sprung from Brahma's forehead and is one of the holy
trinity |
| Sahasrara
chakra |
highest energy centre
located at the crown of the head |
| Sakshi |
witness |
| Samadhi |
the final stage of
ashtanga yoga in which concentration becomes one with the object of
concentration; supreme union. |
| Samskara |
impressions stored in the
mind that form the basis of our beliefs, attitudes and
personality. |
| Sankalpa |
spiritual
resolve. |
| Sannyasi |
one who has renounced the
world in seek of self-realization. |
| Santosha |
contentment |
| Saraswati |
Goddess who bestows
knowledge of fine arts and power of speech |
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| Sarvangasana |
shoulderstand - an
inverted posture |
| Sat |
truth |
| Satguru |
guru who has attained
self-realization |
| Sattwa
guna |
quality unwavering
purity |
| Satya |
truth-one of the
yamas |
| Seetkari
pranayama |
Breathing technique which
involves hissing leading to a cooling effect upon the whole
body. |
| Shabda
Brahman |
cosmic causal
state. |
| Shakti |
vital force;
energy |
| Shambhavi
mudra |
a yoga gesture in which
one focusses at the mid-eyebrow centre |
| Shashankasana |
moon pose |
| Shatkarma |
the six yogic techniques
of purification of the body, viz. neti, dhauti, nauli, basti,
trataka, kapalbhati |
| Sheetali
pranayama |
cooling breath' - a pranayama technique that
lowers the body temperature by inhaling through the mouth while
letting the breath flow in over the tongue. |
| Shishya |
disciple;
student |
| Siddha yoni
asana |
the female counterpart of
the siddhasana meditative posture, in which the left heel presses
the entrance to the vagina |
| Siddhasana |
a meditative seating
posture in which the left heel presses the perineum (stimulating the
mooladhara chakra); also called as the adept's pose or the 'pose of
perfection'. |
| Sirshasana |
inverted pose - the
'headstand' in which the body is inverted and balanced on the crown
of the head |
| Soham |
represents a mantra in
meditation; literally means, 'I am That'. Represents the Psychic
sound with the sound 'so' during inhalation and 'ham' during
exhalation. |
| Soma
chakra |
sixteen petalled chakra
situated above ajna and manas chakras |
| Sukhasana |
a comfortable meditative
pose; also called the 'easy pose' or simply the cross-legged
pose. |
| Surya bheda
pranayama |
breathing technique in
which inhalation is done through the right nostril ; increases
vitality |
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| Surya
nadi |
see 'pingala
nadi' |
| Sushumna
nadi |
main energy channel in
yoga, in the centre of the spinal cord through which kundalini
shakti flows. |
| Sutra
neti |
yogic technique to cleanse
the nasal passage using a special thread |
| Swadhisthana
chakra |
second chakra in the
spinal column, above the mooladhara. |
| Swastikasana |
auspicious pose
-meditative posture similar to siddhasana |
| Tadasana |
palm tree pose- standing
posture |
| Tamas |
the quality of inertia,
laziness, procrastination. |
| Tiryaka
bhujangasana |
twisting cobra
pose |
| Tiryaka
tadasana |
swaying palm tree
pose |
| Trataka |
one of the cleansing
techniques (shatkarma) in which the gaze is focussed upon an object
such as a candle flame. |
| Uddiyana
bandha |
abdominal retraction lock'; drawing in of the
abdomen towards the backbone after exhaling |
| Ujjayi
pranayama |
a kind of breathing
technique which produces a light sonorous sound. |
| Utkatasana |
squatting position |
| Uttankoormasana |
Tortoise pose |
| Vajrasana |
the 'thunderbolt' pose; a
kneeling posture with buttocks resting upon the heels. |
| Vama
swara |
flow of breath in the left
nostril |
| Vaman
dhauti |
yogic technique to cleanse
the stomach by voluntary vomiting. There are two types: kunjal kriya
(regurgitating of water) and vyaghra (regurgitating of
food) |
| Varisara
dhauti |
yogic cleansing technique
in which a large quantity of water is drunk in conjunction with
asanas to cleanse the entire digestive tract; also known as
shankhaprakshalana. |
| Vashitva |
ability to control all
objects, living and non-living |
| Vastra
dhauti |
yogic detoxification
technique in which a specially prepared cloth is swallowed and
removed after ten minutes, in order to remove mucus from the
stomach |
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| Vatsara
dhauti |
a cleansing technique in
which the air swallowed into the stomach is belched
out. |
| Vayu
tattwa |
air element |
| Vedas |
four ancient texts- Rig,
Yajur, Sama, Atharva, which are further divided into Samhita,
Brahmana, Aranayaka and Upanishads. They were revealed to the
sages and saints of India which explain and regulate every aspect of
life from supreme reality to worldly affairs. The oldest books
in the library of mankind. |
| Veerasana |
hero,s pose - for
concentration and discrminative thinking. |
| Vishuddhi
chakra |
one of the energy centres
located in the spine behind the throat and connected with the
cervical plexus, tonsils and thyroid gland. |
| Yamuna
river |
emanating from Yamnotri in
the Himalayas and joining Ganga near Allahabd, North India;refers to
pingala nadi in the pranic body. |
| Yoga |
state of union between two
opposites - body and mind; individual and universal consciousness; a
process of uniting the opposing forces in the body and mind in order
to achieve supreme awareness and enlightenment. |
| Yoga
abhyasa |
practice of
yoga. |
| Yoga
nidra |
a deep relaxation
technique also called 'yogic sleep' in which mind and body is at
complete rest but with complete awareness. |
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