Yoga Styles

Glossary of Yoga Terms

Ahimsa - noninjury, nonviolence, harmlessness; one of the Yamas

Aparigraha - the concept of non-possessiveness

Achaurya - non-stealing, non-coveting, non-entering into debt

Arjava -  honesty, straightforwardness, renouncing deception and wrongdoing

Aparigrah - absence of avariciousness, non-appropriation of things not one's own

Ayurveda - an ancient system of health care that is native to the Indian subcontinent,  concerned with measures to protect "ayus", which includes healthy living along with therapeutic measures that relate to physical, mental, social and spiritual harmony

Asana - a body position or pose usually associated with yoga; refers to two things: the place where a practitioner sits and the manner in which they sit

Ashram - a place where a community of people come together primarily to practice yoga and meditation for the purpose of spiritual uplifting of its members, often headed by a religious leader or mystic

Asteya - Sanskrit for non-stealing; one of the Yamas

Asmita - an important concept in Indian philosophy which is difficult to translate, but which can be described as the identification of a subject with his limiting adjuncts.

Abhyasa - in Hinduism, refers to a spiritual practice which is regular and constant over a long period of time. It has been prescribed by the great sage Patanjali Maharishi in his Yoga Sutras, and by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita as an essential means to control the mind together with Vairagya.

Ahankara - consciousness, or Ego; one of the four elements of the mind

Antakharana - a link that connects the atma (soul) with the Paramatma (supreme soul) through one’s higher self ; an important source of divine energy

Atman - soul, self

Anahata - the fourth Chakra located at the heart represented as a green flower with twelve petals

Anahata Nad - unstruck sound, the sound of the celestial realm heard by yogis

Ananda - Sanskrit word for bliss

Ashtanga - eight limbs one must attend to on the yogic path; physical practice of yoga

Bhakti - a Sanskrit word meaning devotion

Brahmacharya -  a practice whereby a person's life is dedicated to the quest for a personal realization of Brahman. It is also recognized as a life that expresses Brahman through one's actions and deeds, such as strict celibacy, a life of moral restraint (dedicated to learning all aspects of Dharma), and devotion to meditation. While the term has many uses, in yoga it tends to take on a connotation of disciplining the use of and preserving sexual energy; one of the Yamas

Brahma - the Hindu god (deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva.

Brahman - The Supreme Cosmic Spirit or Absolute Reality which is said to be eternal, genderless, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and ultimately indescribable in human language.

Buddhi - feminine for Buddha; signifies a transpersonal faculty of mind higher than the rational mind that might be translated as ‘intuitive intelligence’ or simply ‘higher mind’

Bhagavad Gita - Sanskrit text comprising of 700 verses made up of similes and metaphors written in a poetic form that is traditionally chanted. It is revered as sacred by Hindu traditions and especially so by Vaishnavas (followers of Vishnu). It is commonly referred to as The Gita.

CHAKRAS: Centres of energy in the human system. See our Shockwave interactive Chakra animation
CHANDOGYA: Name of an Upanishad.
CHELA: Disciple.
CHIRANJIVI: One who has gained eternal life.

DAIVIC: Divine.
DAMA: Control of senses.
DARSHAN: Vision.
DAYA: Mercy.
DEHA: Body.
DHARANA: Concentration. The sixth limb of the Ashtanga or Raja Yoga system. Please see page on the 8 limbs.
DHARMA: Duty; characteristics, righteousness.
DHYANA: Meditation.The seventh limb of the Ashtanga or Raja Yoga system. Please see pages on the 8 limbs and on meditation.
DIVYA-DRISHTI: Divine perception.
DVESHA: Repulsion; hatred; dislike.

EKADASI: Eleventh day of the Hindu lunar fortnight.

GANGA: River Ganges.
GAYATRI: One of the most sacred Vedic Mantras; goddess.
GITA: Renowned sacred text "Bhagavad-Gita".
GUNA: Quality born of nature. See page on the three Gunas.
GURU: Teacher; preceptor. Read more about Guru

HAVAN: Sacred oblations.
HIRANYAGARBHA: Cosmic intelligence; the supreme lord of the universe; cosmic mind.

INDRA: The Lord of gods; the ruler of heaven.
INDRIYAS: Senses.
ISHVARA: Lord; God.

JAPA: Repetition of the Lord's Name or Mantra.
JIVA: Individual Soul.
JIVANMUKTA: One who is liberated in this life.
JNANA: Wisdom. Knowledge of the Self. Jnana is one of the four paths of Yoga. See page on the four paths
JNANA-INDRIYAS: Organs of knowledge or perception.
JNANI: (Pronounced Nyani) A wise person who is endowed with Jnana.

KAIVALYA: Emancipation; state of absolute independence.
KARMA: Action. The law of action and reaction. the fruits of the action. See pages on the law of Karma & on reincarnation.
KARMA-INDRIYAS: Organs of action - tongue, hands, feet, genital organ and anus.
KARMA-KANDI: One who observes strictly the duties ordained in the scriptures.
KARMASRAYA: Receptacle of actions.
KARUNA: Compassion
KASHAYA: Hidden desires.
KIRTAN: Singing devotional songs.
KRIYA: A type of of exercise in Hatha Yoga.
KSHAMA: Forgiveness.
KUNDALINI: The primordial cosmic energy located in the individual.
KUTIR: A small cottage; hut.

LAYA: Merging; dissolution.
LINGA-SARIRA: The subtle body, the astral body.

MAHA: Great.
MAHABHARATA: A Hindu epic.
MAHANT: Great sage
MAHAPURUSHA: A great soul.
MAHARISHI: Great sage
MAHASAMADHI: The departure of a Self-realized saint from his mortal coil.
MAHATMA: Great soul
MAITRI: Friendship.
MANONASA: Destruction of mind.
MANTRA: Sacred syllable or word, or set of words through the repetition and reflection of which one attains perfection.
MAYA: The illusive power of God.
MOHA: Infatuation.
MOKSHA: Liberation.
MOUNA: Vow of silence.
MOUNI: One who observes silence.
MUKTI: Liberation.
MUMUKSHU: One who aspires after moksha or liberation.
MUNI: An ascetic.

NADA: Mystic sound.
NIRVANA: Liberation; final emancipation.
NIRVIKALPA-SAMADHI: Superconscious state where there is no mind or Triputi.
NITYA-SIDDHA: A liberated soul of marvellous powers who is ever present on the astral plane.
NIVRITTI: Renunciation.
NIYAMA: The second step in Raja Yoga, observance - purity, contentment, austerities, etc.

OJAS: Spiritual energy.
OM: The sacred monosyllable which symbolizes Brahman.
OORDHVARETA: A Yogi who has stored up the seminal energy in the brain after sublimating the same into spiritual energy (Ojas).

PARIVRAJAKA: Wandering monk.
PARAM-DHAMA: Supreme abode.
PARAMAHAMSA: The highest class of Sannyasins.
PASU-SVABHAVA: Animal nature; bestial nature.
PATANJALI: The author of Yoga-Sutras, the foremost scripture on Raja Yoga, the Yoga of mind control..
PRAKRITI: Mother Nature, causal matter.
PRANA: Vital energy; life-breath.
PRANAVA: The sacred monosyllable Om.
PRANAYAMA: Practice of breath-control. See page on proper breathing.
PRATYAHARA: Abstraction or withdrawal of the senses; fifth step in Raja Yoga.
PREMA: Divine Love.
PRITHVI: Earth.
PURANA: Hindu myths and legends.
PURUSHA: The Supreme Being.

RAGA: Attachment.
RAJA: King.
RAJAS: One of the three Gunas or qualities of Prakriti which generates passion and restlessness. See page on the three Gunas.
RAJA-YOGA: A system of Yoga generally taken to be the one propounded by Patanjali Maharishi, i.e., Ashtanga Yoga. One of the four paths of Yoga. See page on the four paths
RAJASUYA-YAJNA: A sacrifice performed by a monarch as a mark of his subduing all other kings.
RAMAYANA: A holy narative of Lord Rama.
RASASVADA: Tasting the bliss of lower Samadhi.
RISHI: Sage.
RISHIKESH: A sacred place in the Himalayas.

SADHAKA: Spiritual aspirant.
SADHANA: Spiritual practice.
SADHU: Pious man; Sannyasin.
SAHASRANAMA: The thousand Names of the Lord.
SAKTI: Power; the feminine aspect of Divinity.
SAKTI-SANCHAR: Transference of power by a developed Yogi.
SAMA: Serenity; control of mind.
SAMADHI: The state of superconsciousness.
SAMSARA: The process of worldly life.
SAMSKARAS: Impressions in the subconscious mind.
SAMYAMA: Concentration, meditation and Samadhi practiced at one and the same time.
SANKARA: The well known teacher of Vedanta philosophy.
SANKIRTAN: Singing of divine songs.
SANNYASINS: Those who have embraced the life of complete renunciation.
SATCHIDANANDA: Existence absolute(Sat), Knowledge absolute(Chid), Bliss absolute(Ananda).
SATSANG: Association with the wise.
SATTVA: Purity-one of the three qualities of nature or Gunas. See page on the three Gunas
SIDDHI: Psychic power.
SIVA: Lord Siva - bestower of auspiciousness on His devotees.
SLOKA: Verse.
SRADDHA: Faith.
SRI: Auspiciousness-a name is qualified by putting "Sri" before it as a mark of courtesy and auspiciousness.
STOTRA: Hymn.
SUDDHA: Pure.
SUSHUMNA: The chief among astral tubes in the human body running inside the spinal column.
SUTRA: Aphorism.
SVADHYAYA: Study of scriptures.
SVARUPA: Essential nature; Reality.

TAMAS: One of the three qualities of nature (Gunas) which generates inertia, laziness, dullness and infatuation.
TAPAS: Austerity. The third Niyama of the Ashtanga Yoga system. See page on the 8 limbs.
TAPASCHARYA: Practice of austerity.
TATTVA: Essence; principle.
TEHSILDAR: Revenue officer.
TRIPUTI: The triad-seer, sight and seen.
TRISHNA: Sense-hankering.
TURIYA: The state of superconsciousness, the fourth state transcending the waking, dreaming and deep sleep states.
TYAGA: Renunciation (of egoism, desires and the world).

UDDALAKA: A great sage of yore.
UPADESA: Spiritual advice.
UPANISHADS: Revelation; text dealing with Ultimate Truth and Its Realization.

VAIRAGYA: Dispassion. Detachment from worldly attachments. Has been prescribed by the great sage Patanjali Maharishi in his Yoga Sutras and by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita as an essential means to control the mind together with Abhyasa.
VASANA-KSHYA: Desireless.
VASANAS: Subtle desires.
VEDANTA: The school of Hindu thoughts (based primarily on the Upanishads).
VEDANTIN: One who follows the path of Vedanta
VEDAS: The highest authority among the Aryans of India.
VEERYA: Seminal energy.
VETTA: Knower.
VICHARA: Enquiry into the nature of Brahman.
VIKSHEPA: The tossing of mind.
VISHAYA: Sense-objects.
VIVEKA: Discrimination.
VRITTI: A wave in the mind-lake.
VYAVAHARA: (Worldly) activity.

YAJNAVALKYA: A great sage of yore.
YAMA: First limb of Raja Yoga; Eternal vows - non-violence, truthfulness, etc. See page on the 8 limbs.
YOGA: Union; union with the Supreme Being - any course that makes for such union. See page on Yoga.
YOGI (N): One who practices Yoga; one who is established in Yoga.
YONI: Source.

ZAMINDAR: A rich landlord.

Yoga Styles

Ananda Yoga - Ananda Yoga is designed to integrate and harmonize all levels of your being: physical, mental, and spiritual, and to raise your level of consciousness by reinforcing the natural effects of certain yoga postures on your state of consciousness through the use of silent affirmations

Ashtanga Yoga - a system of yoga that has it's origins (allegedly)in an ancient manuscript known as the Yoga Korunta, compiled by the sage Vamana Rishi. Not to be confused with the eight spiritual practices outlined by the sage Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra, the Ashtanga Yoga practice consists of a set series of physically demanding yoga poses designed to help calm ongoing chatter of the mind, reduce stress and redirect one's attention to their internal experience.

Anusara Yoga - is a modern school of yoga started by John Friend in 1997; it is a popular hatha yoga Tantric philosophy. The emphasis of the school is on a set of "Universal Principles of Alignment" which underlie all postures, "heart opening" postures and the spiritual/meditative benefits of hatha yoga.

Bikram Yoga - also known as Hot Yoga, is a style of yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury and a Los Angeles, California based company. Bikram Yoga is practiced in a heated room (usually to 105°F (40.5°C) with humidity around 40% to mimic the conditions in India where yoga was created. Bikram classes use a specific dialogue and include a specific set of 26 postures and two breathing exercises done in the same order each time.

Integral Yoga
Integral Yoga, also called purna yoga, which is Sanskrit for full or complete yoga, is both a spiritual practice taught by the Twentieth century Bengali philosopher-sage Sri Aurobindo and a yoga system developed by Swami Satchidananda who is famous for teaching the people at the original Woodstock to chant "Om," The spiritual practice developed by Sri Aurobindo refers to the process of the union of all the parts of one's being with the Divine, and the realization of the Divine in the physical world. The yoga system developed by Swami Satchidananda is characterized by him as "a scientific system which integrates the various branches of Yoga in order to bring about a complete and harmonious development of the individual."