Many of the terms used in yoga are based on Sanskrit, the classical language of India, especially of ancient Hindu scriptures and epic poems. When yoga terms are pronounced properly, distinct inhalations and exhalations result, similar to those used in meditative mantras.
Ashram: a hermitage; a monastic community or a religious retreat, especially in India and Southeast Asia.
Asana: a physical posture of yoga.
Ashtanga: the eight-limbed yogic path.
Ayurveda: ancient Indian science of health.
Bakasana: Sanskrit term for the basic Crane pose or Crow pose, where the folded torso is balanced above the arms and the bent knees rest upon bent elbows. Also called Kakasana.
Bakti: devotion, as in Bakti yoga.
Bandha: an internal lock used for controlling the energy inside the body during yoga; the three locks taught in Hatha yoga are the root lock, the abdominal lock, and the throat lock.
Buddha: the enlightened one; in Buddhism, refers to Siddhartha Gautama, a spiritual teacher during the sixth to fourth centuries BC who became enlightened.
Chakra: an energy center; the human body has seven—root, sacrum, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown—and each one is associated with a color, element, syllable, significance, and so forth.
WHAT’S THAT MEAN?
NIYAMA AND YAMA
These comprise two sets of five living principles that make up the ethical and moral foundation of yoga. Niyamas include Sauca (purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (burning enthusiasm), Svadhyaya (self-study) and Ishvarapranidhana (celebration of the spiritual). Yamas include Satya (truth), Ahimsa (nonviolence), Asteya (not stealing), Bramacharya (self-control and sexual responsibility), and Aparigraha (not grasping).
Dharma: truth; the path of truth; the teachings of the Buddha.
Dosha: a physical body type; in ayurvedic medicine there are three: pitta (fire), vata (wind), and kapha (earth).
Drishti: a gazing point used during asanas.
Guru: spiritual teacher or master; literally “one who illuminates the darkness.”
Kirtan: a community gathering that includes chanting, music, and meditation.
Mantra: a repeated sound that facilitates meditation; a sacred thought or prayer. Can be sounds, syllables, words, or groups of words that create a positive transformation.
Meditation: focusing the mind through breathing in order to reach a deeper level of consciousness.
Mudra: a hand gesture that influences one’s energies. Palms are pressed together in prayer position for anjali mudra, and forefinger and thumb are touching in gyana mudra.
Namaste: “I bow to you,” a greeting used among friends, or among yoga instructors and students. More subtly it says: “I honor the universe that resides inside you. When I am in my inner universe and you are in yours, there is only one of us.”
Neutral Position: In the spine, this means all three natural curves—cervical (neck), thoracic (middle), and lumbar (lower)—are present and in proper alignment. If the skin of your neck creases during a pose, it is out of natural alignment.
Om or Aum: considered the first sound of creation, it is frequently chanted during meditation or before, during, or after yoga classes.
Prana: life energy; chi; qi.
Pranyama: breath awareness; control of breathing to improve inner stillness.
Samadhi: a state of complete enlightenment.
Savasana: the Sanskrit term for Corpse pose; typically, the final relaxation pose at the end of a yoga class.
Shakti: female energy.
Shanti: peace; the term is often chanted three times.
Shiva: male energy; a Hindu deity.
Surya Namskar: sun salutations; a system of yoga poses performed in a series or flow.
Sutras: classical Indian texts.
Swami: defined as a “master,” a Hindu ascetic or religious leader, especially a senior member of a religious order.
Tantra: the yoga of union between mind and body.
Ujjayi breathing: also called Hissing Breath or Victorious Breath, involves fully expanding the lungs and puffing out the chest during yoga poses, especially during Vinyasa-style classes.
Yoga: from the Sanskrit yug or “to unite”; an ancient practice that incorporates breathing practices, physical postures, meditation, and philosophy in order to achieve enlightenment.
Yogi/yogini: a male/female practitioner of yoga.