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YOGAGLOSSARY

Definitions of themost commonly usedwords in yoga today

GLOSSARY

Asana: the poses (or postures) used in yoga to help gain flexibility,strength, and a calm mind.

Ashtanga yoga: is Sanskrit for the 8 limbs of yoga. 'Asht' means eight and'anga' means limbs/components. These include the yamas, niyamas, asana,pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadi.

Ayurveda: is a traditional Hindu system of medicine, also known as the"science of life." 'Ayur' means life and 'veda' means science or knowledge.

Bandha(s): means to lock, hold, or tighten. In hatha yoga, it refers to "bodylocks."

Bhagavad-gita: a 700 verse script written in Sanskrit. It is an important textin the Hindu tradition. It "...implies that one can reach [a] peace of mind,body, and soul by practicing yoga."

Buddha: a title meaning 'one who is awake.' It was given to SiddharthaGautama who founded the teachings of Buddhism.

Chakras: refers to the centres of energy located on the midline of the bodythat manages our psychological side. In Sanskrit chakra translates to wheelor disk.

A useful glossary of the most common words found in yoga today. Youcan quickly search for a term by using ctrl+f or cmd(⌘)+f.

Drishti: refers to the 'yogic gaze'. It is a technique that develops yourconcentration and to bring your awareness inwards.

Guru: a spiritual teacher. Usually used in Hinduism & Buddhism.

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Hatha yoga: most popular style of yoga in the West. It incorporates asanas,pranayama, meditation and Kundalini.

GLOSSARY

Iyengar Yoga: style of yoga created by BKS Iyengar that promotesstrength, flexibility, endurance and balance through coordinatedbreathing and poses.

Karma: Sanskrit word meaning 'action' or 'doing'. It refers to theconsequences that result from your intentions and actions

Kundalini Yoga: style of yoga that focuses on awakening kundalini energythrough regular practice of meditation, pranayama, chanting mantra andyoga asana.

Mandala: Sanskrit word for 'circle.' It is a spiritual and ritual symbol used torepresent the universe.

Mantra: words, syllables, or sounds that are chanted out loud. Usually usedfor meditation or prayer purposes. It is believed mantras have spiritual andpsychological powers.

Mudra(s): symbolic or ritualistic hand gestures used in Hinduism,Buddhism, and yoga.

Namaste: is a traditional Indian greeting. In Sanskrit 'nama' means bow, 'as'means I and 'te' means you. Thus giving us the literal meaning: “bow me you”or “I bow to you.” Referring to acknowledging the 'divine spark,' that is foundin each of us.

Ohm/om: a sacred sound or mantra used in eastern religions. It is also said tobe the sound of the universe.

Prana: Sanskrit word for life force or vital energy that flows through thebody.

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GLOSSARY

Pranayama: is the practice of conscious breathing. Broken down into itstwo Sanskrit words: 'prana' refers to the energy that continuously flowswithin us and 'ayama' means to stretch or to extend.

Savasana: is also known as corpse pose. It involves lying on the back witharms and legs spread out at a 45­degree angle; it is said to be the mostimportant pose used in yoga and usually done towards the end of a practice.

Shakti: means power or empowerment. It is also referred to as the femaleprinciple of divine energy.

Surya Namaskar: also know as Sun salutation. It is a series of asanas puttogether in a sequence as a means to honour the sun.

Tapas: comes from the Sanskrit word 'tap' which means burn. The literalmeaning of tapas is to “heat the body and by doing so, it cleanses it.”

Ujjayi breath: a breathing technique used in pranayama and asana practice.In Sanskrit, it means 'victorious breath.' It is also called the 'ocean breath' forthe sound that is made while doing this technique.

Vinyasa: in Sanskrit, it translates to mean 'to place in a special way' just asposes are sequenced in yoga.

Yoga sutras: an ancient yogic text created by Patanjali between 200BCE and200CE. It is a compilation of 196 Indian Sutras which contains ancient yogicteachings and traditions.

Yogi: a practitioner of yoga.

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Sanskrit: One of the oldest Indo­European languages. It is used in Hinduism,Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism both as a sacred and philosophical language.