Guru
Sanskrit term for teacher.
Drishti
Visual focus. Drishti is often emphasized in Ashtanga style yoga, it means where the gaze rests during asana and meditation practice
Mudra
Mudra is a symbolic or ritual gesture of yoga. While some mudrās involve the entire body in a combination of asana, pranayama, bandha & dristi, most are performed with the hands and fingers.
Namaste / Namaskar
It means respect. Together with the mudra of palms together placed in front of the chest or above forehead and a slight bow, it means “ I bow to you”. Namaskar is considered a slightly more formal version than Namaste but both express deep respect. “ Yogis love to greet each other with “Namaste” before and after each yoga practice session.
Nadis
Nadis correspond to the veins and arteries that carry blood. But to yogis, they have a deepen meaning, representing the subtle channels or tubes through which prana flows. The three most important nadia are the ida (left), pingala (right) and sushumna (centre).
OM
Sacred Sanskrit syllable, primeval sound of the universe, the basic sound from which all else comes. Yoga philosophers believed that reciting the OM sound while contemplating the OM symbol can calm even the roaring waves of the most disturbed human psyche.
Prana
Prana refers to a vital, life-sustaining force of living beings and vital energy in natural processes of the universe. Prana is a central concept in Ayurveda and Yoga where it is believed to flow through a network of fine subtle channels called nadis.
Pranayama
Pranayama is breath control. It is “prana” + “ayama”. “Prana” means vital energy or life force; “ayama” means extension or expansion. Techniques of pranayama activates and regulates prana to go beyond one’s normal boundaries to attain a higher state of consciousness.
Surya Namaskar
Sun Salutation
Vinyasa
Vinyasa means breath-synchronized movement, meaning that movements occurs on inhales and exhales. Vinyasa is sometimes used to refer to the series of poses from upward facing dog, downward facing dog, crocodile to cobra. |