60 essential yoga terms defined — Sanskrit names, styles, concepts, and practices.
Ahimsa is the yogic principle of non-violence or non-harming, considered the foremost of the five yamas in Patanjali's eight-limbed path.
Yoga PhilosophyAsana refers to the physical postures practiced in yoga, originally meaning 'seat' in Sanskrit, now encompassing all yoga poses.
Yoga ConceptAshtanga yoga is a rigorous, structured yoga system following a fixed sequence of poses synchronized with breath, based on Patanjali's eight-limbed path.
Yoga StyleAtman is the true self or innermost essence of a person in yogic and Vedantic philosophy, understood as eternal and distinct from body and mind.
Yoga PhilosophyAyurveda is India's traditional system of medicine, a sister science to yoga, that seeks to maintain health and balance through diet, lifestyle, herbs, and constitutional typing (dosha).
Yoga PhilosophyA bandha is an internal muscular lock used in yoga to seal and direct the flow of prana (life force) within the body.
Yoga PracticeBhakti Yoga is the path of devotion, uniting with the divine through love, surrender, chanting, and worship rather than through physical postures or intellectual study.
Yoga StyleChakras are seven energy centers along the spine in yogic tradition, each governing specific physical, emotional, and spiritual functions.
Yoga PhilosophyDharana is single-pointed concentration, the sixth limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed path and the foundation for meditation.
Yoga PhilosophyDharma refers to one's righteous duty, purpose, or the underlying order that sustains right conduct and cosmic harmony.
Yoga PhilosophyDhyana is sustained, uninterrupted meditation, the seventh limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed path and the direct precursor to samadhi.
Yoga PhilosophyA dosha is one of three constitutional energies in Ayurveda — Vata, Pitta, and Kapha — said to govern an individual's physical and psychological tendencies.
Yoga ConceptDrishti is a focused gazing point used in yoga to steady the eyes and mind, supporting balance and concentration during practice.
Yoga PracticeA guru is a teacher or spiritual guide who has attained direct realization and leads students toward their own awakening, traditionally through a close, trust-based relationship.
Yoga ConceptHatha yoga is a traditional branch of yoga focusing on physical postures (asanas) and breathing techniques (pranayama) to balance body and mind.
Yoga StyleHot Yoga refers to any yoga class practiced in an artificially heated room, most notably the 26-posture Bikram sequence, designed to increase flexibility and induce sweating.
Yoga StyleIda is the subtle energy channel associated with lunar, cooling, and calming qualities, running from the base of the spine to the left nostril.
Yogic AnatomyIyengar Yoga is a precise, alignment-focused style developed by B.K.S. Iyengar that makes extensive use of props to help practitioners achieve correct, sustainable form in each posture.
Yoga StyleJnana Yoga is the path of knowledge and discernment, using self-inquiry and philosophical study to distinguish the eternal Self from the impermanent world.
Yoga StyleKarma is the principle of action and consequence, the idea that every intentional act generates effects that shape future experience.
Yoga PhilosophyKarma Yoga is the path of selfless action, in which one performs one's duties without attachment to results as a means of spiritual purification.
Yoga StyleThe koshas are five interconnected layers or sheaths — from the physical body to pure bliss — that make up the human being in yogic philosophy.
Yoga ConceptKriya refers to a cleansing or purification technique in yoga, ranging from simple physical practices to structured sequences of breath, movement, sound, and mudra.
Yoga PracticeKumbhaka is the deliberate retention of breath, held after inhalation or exhalation, forming the third of the four classical stages of pranayama.
Yoga PracticeKundalini is the dormant spiritual energy said to lie coiled at the base of the spine, which yogic practice aims to awaken and channel upward through the body's subtle energy centers.
Yoga ConceptA mantra is a sacred word, sound, or phrase repeated during meditation to focus the mind and cultivate spiritual awareness.
Yoga PracticeMaya is the concept of illusion or appearance that obscures the true nature of reality, a central idea in yogic and Vedantic philosophy.
Yoga PhilosophyMoksha is liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, considered the ultimate goal of yoga and classical Indian philosophy.
Yoga PhilosophyMudras are symbolic hand gestures used in yoga and meditation to direct energy flow and deepen spiritual practice.
Yoga PracticeA nadi is one of thousands of subtle energy channels in the yogic body through which prana, or life force, is said to flow.
Yogic AnatomyNamaste is a respectful greeting in yoga meaning 'I bow to you,' honoring the divine in each person.
Yoga ConceptThe niyamas are the five personal observances of yoga — including contentment and self-study — that form the second limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed path.
Yoga PhilosophyOm is a sacred sound and syllable chanted in yoga practice, considered in classical philosophy to be the primal vibration underlying all of creation.
Yoga PracticePingala is the subtle energy channel associated with solar, heating, and activating qualities, running from the base of the spine to the right nostril.
Yogic AnatomyPower Yoga is a vigorous, fitness-oriented style adapted from Ashtanga yoga, emphasizing strength, stamina, and continuous flowing movement.
Yoga StylePrana is the vital life force or breath energy that sustains all living beings according to yogic philosophy.
Yoga PhilosophyPranayama is the yogic practice of breath regulation, combining breathing techniques to control prana (life force) for physical and mental well-being.
Yoga PracticePratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses from external stimuli, the fifth limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed path and the bridge to meditation.
Yoga PhilosophyPrenatal Yoga is a modified style of yoga designed for pregnancy, emphasizing safe, supportive postures, pelvic floor awareness, and breathing techniques for labor preparation.
Yoga StyleRaja Yoga, the 'royal path,' is the meditative system codified by Patanjali's eight limbs, emphasizing mental discipline and concentration to still the fluctuations of the mind.
Yoga StyleRestorative Yoga is a deeply relaxing style using props to fully support the body in passive poses, activating the parasympathetic nervous system and promoting rest.
Yoga StyleSamadhi is a state of absorption or union in which the meditator and the object of meditation dissolve into one, the eighth and final limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed path.
Yoga PhilosophySamsara is the continuous cycle of birth, death, and rebirth driven by karma, from which yoga practice ultimately seeks liberation.
Yoga PhilosophyA sankalpa is a heartfelt intention or resolve set during yoga or meditation practice, expressing an already-present truth rather than a future goal.
Yoga ConceptSantosha is the yogic principle of contentment, the second of the five niyamas that form the second limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed path.
Yoga PhilosophySatsang is a gathering in the company of truth or wisdom, traditionally referring to time spent with a teacher or community for spiritual study.
Yoga ConceptSatya is the yogic principle of truthfulness, the second of the five yamas that make up the first limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed path.
Yoga PhilosophyShakti is the primordial feminine creative power in Hindu and yogic philosophy, understood as the dynamic energy that animates the universe and, within the body, as kundalini.
Yoga ConceptShanti means peace — a state of inner stillness cultivated through yoga practice and traditionally invoked three times at the close of chants and rituals.
Yoga ConceptSurya Namaskar, or Sun Salutation, is a flowing sequence of postures traditionally performed to honor the sun and warm the body at the start of practice.
Yoga PracticeSushumna is the central subtle energy channel running along the spine, through which kundalini energy is said to rise toward the crown of the head.
Yogic AnatomyA sutra is a concise aphoristic verse used to transmit philosophical teaching, most notably in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the foundational text of classical yoga philosophy.
Yoga ConceptSvadhyaya is the yogic principle of self-study, the fourth of the five niyamas that form the second limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed path.
Yoga PhilosophyTantra is a broad family of esoteric spiritual traditions and texts that view the body and material world as vehicles for spiritual realization rather than obstacles to it.
Yoga PhilosophyTapas is the yogic principle of disciplined effort or austerity, the third of the five niyamas that form the second limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed path.
Yoga PhilosophyUjjayi is a breathing technique using a slight constriction of the throat to create an audible, ocean-like sound, commonly used to anchor movement and attention throughout asana practice.
Yoga PracticeVinyasa is a dynamic style of yoga that links breath with movement in flowing sequences of poses.
Yoga StyleThe yamas are the five ethical restraints of yoga — including non-violence and truthfulness — that form the first limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed path.
Yoga PhilosophyYin Yoga is a slow-paced style in which seated and reclined postures are held for several minutes at a time to target connective tissue and the body's deeper, less elastic structures.
Yoga StyleYoga Nidra, or 'yogic sleep,' is a guided meditation practice that leads practitioners through systematic relaxation into a state of conscious deep rest between waking and sleep.
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