Yoga Glossary
A large amount of yoga terminology is in Sanskrit. Here is an explanation of such terms that will unlock the mystery of the language of yoga.
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| 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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