A Short Glossary Of Yoga Terms
As you get deeper into the practice of yoga, you might find yourself coming across
terms that you are not familiar with, whether they're used by your instructor, members of your class, or in books or magazines you might read. Some terms might refer to yoga moves or poses, or they may refer to concepts particular to yoga.
Dont panic if they are unfamiliar to you. Like many special practices, yoga comes with its unique terms that become familiar to yoga enthusiasts during their journey. Many of the terms used in yoga are Hindu in origin and may be hard to grasp upon first hearing them. But as you continue your yoga journey, these words and others will become clear and relevant to your life.
Below are a few terms that you may run across in the study of yoga. While this is list is by no means complete, it can serve as a good overview for the ideas and concepts contained in yoga.
Abhyasa simply means practice, as in the regular and constant spiritual practice of yoga.
Acarlya refers to a instructor or guide, primarily one in religious areas, but it is also used in yoga.
Ananda refers to the state of ultimate joy and bliss. It is named after one of the most famous and devout followers of the Buddha.
Asana is the name of the physical poses in yoga designed to promote and maintain the yoga practitioners sense of well being, both physical and mental. Different asanas are specifically designed to promote flexibility and/or mental peace.
Ayurveda is an Indian study of medicine that has a long tradition. While it has many practitioners around the world, it is considered an alternative medicine by many Western doctors.
Bhakti Yoga is known as the "yoga of devotion" and is a major branch of yoga that encourages the participant to devote themselves to a personal form of God. There are three schools within Bhakti: Shaktism, Shaivism and Vaishnavism.
Bodhi means awakening or enlightenment and is the state of the awakened Buddha.
Buddha is the title given to a person who has attained enlightenment and ultimate inner peace. The title has been bestowed upon the founder of Buddhism, Gautama.
Chakra, which means "wheel", refers to the various psycho-energy areas on the body. Buddhism yoga maintains there are five chakras on the human body, while Hindu yoga practitioners believe there may be seven or more.
Diksha is an initiation process given to those who gain insight into the hidden aspects of yoga. It may include the presentation of a mantra given by a guru of Buddhism, Hinduism or Jaimism
Goraksha was the founder and first teacher of hatha yoga. Today, the term also refers to someone who has reached the upper levels of yoga and mastered the more challenging poses and movements.
Guru is an advisory and spiritual teacher.
Guru-Yoga is the yoga theory that positions the guru as the center of a yoga student's learning process.
Hatha Yoga is a major branch of yoga that is defined by special poses, breathing exercises and cleansing techniques.
Ishvara-pranidhana focuses on self-control, restraint and a dedication to the spirit.
Jnana-Yoga is the branch of yoga concerned with wisdom and knowledge. The practice focuses on four distinct paths: development of a discriminating mind, the skill to remain dispassionate when needed, virtue and freedom from earthly bonds.
Kaivalya is the ultimate goal of yoga, to be free of the material constraints of the world and isolated. It is said that people in a kaivalya state are away of their surroundings but possess the ability to distance themselves from them.
Karma refers to an action of any kind and its subsequent effect on ones life. Karma concerns the entire cycle of life, the causes and effects.
Krishna is the human incarnation of the god Vishnu and whose teaching form the practices of Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata-Purana.
Kumbhaka is a special breathing exercise in which the practitioner fills their lungs with air. It is usually done in conjunction with meditating and chanting.
Kundalini-shakti is the lowest psycho-energy center (or chakra) on the body and is regarded as the key to full enlightenment. To activate the kundalini-shakti, the practitioner must awaken it and direct it upwards to the crown of the head.
Laya Yoga is a Tantric yoga practice whereby the energy contained in several psycho-energy (chakra) centers is slowly dissolved.
Mandala refers to a circular design that represents the cosmos and is used in meditation.
Mantra means a sound or phrase that is sacred and has the power to induce a meditative state when chanted. Mantras can be sounds or phrases such as om or hum. Mantras are usually bestowed during a disksha.
Mantra-Yoga is yoga where a mantra is the primary means of meditation and path to enlightenment.
Marman is an area on the body where a great deal of physical energy is concentrated or blocked.
Nada is a sound contained within the body that practitioners of nata or kundalini yoga say is heard during meditation. It is key to concentration and meditation.
Nyasa refers to the ability to fill areas of the body with "life force" by merely concentrating on the areas.
Om is considered the original mantra and is symbolic of the ultimate reality.
Prana is the "life force" or "life breath" that yoga practitioners believe exists in all life on earth.
Prasada is a state of pure grace and mental clarity that is often achieved through meditation.
Recaka is associated with meditative breathing, with special emphasis on the control of the breath.
Samadhi refers to the unity of mind and body through meditation. In this, the highest level of meditation, the waking, sleeping and dreaming mind are all working in harmony.
Samatva refers to balance and harmony in the mind.
Sat is the ultimate reality.
Siddhi is somewhat related to Sat in that it refers to spiritual perfection and reaching a state of ultimate reality.
Sushumna-nadi is the central life force area in the human body. It begins at the base of the spine and extends to the crows of the head.
Turiya is a state of consciousness that goes beyond the most common states of walking, sleeping and dreaming. It is frequently described as the human spirit in harmony with the human experience and is the focus of a great deal of meditation.
Upaya refers to the practice of compassion in Buddhist yoga teachings.
Veerasana, additionally referred to as the "hero's pose", is regarded as an essential pose for concentration and discriminative thinking.
Yoga is the practice of bringing into harmony the state of the body and mind, individual and universal consciousness. It unites opposing states within the body to reach a higher state of awareness.
WoYoPracMo refers to World Yoga Practice Month, a period in which yoga practitioners, both veteran and new, vow to practice yoga every day for an entire month. During this month, many yoga studios offer special rates and yoga students assist each other with support and motivation.
by: Linda Adams
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