Yoga Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
a - non
abhaya - freedom from fear
abhinivesa - possessiveness
abhyasa - steady effort
acharya - a religious teacher
adhah - down
adhara - a support
adharma - breach of duty
adhibhuta - the principle of objective existence
adhidaiva - the principle of subjective existence
adhikari - competent candidate
adhimatra - superior
adhimatratama - the highest, the supreme one
adhisthana - seat, abode
adhiyajna - the principle of sacrifice, incarnation
adho-mukha - face downwards
adho mukha svanasana - the dog stretch posture
adhyasa - a case of mistaken identity
adhyatma - the principle of self
adrishta - the unseen (e.g. actions of invisible entities)
adisvara - the primeval lord, a name of Shiva
aditi - the mother of the gods
aditya - son of aditi
advaita - non-duality of the universal spirit
advasana - the prone posture
agama - proof of the trustworthiness of a source of knowledge
aham - I
ahamkara - tendency to identify oneself with external phenomena, 'the I-maker'
ahimsa - non-violence
aishvarya - desire for power
ajapa - involuntary repetition (as with a mantra)
ajna - command
akarna - towards the ear
akarna dhanurasana - the shooting bow posture
akasha - ether
akrodha - freedom from anger
alabhdha-bhumikatva - the feeling that it is impossible to see reality
alamba - support
alasya - idleness
amanaska - the mind free from desire
amrita - the elixir of immortality
anahata - unbeaten
ananda - bliss
Ananta - infinite, a name of Vishnu
anantasana - Ananta's posture
anga - a limb, or body part
angamejayatva - unsteadiness of the body
angula - a finger
angushtha - the big toe
Anjana - the name of the mother of Hanuman
anjaneyasana - the splits
antahkarana - the mind
antara - within
antaranga - the practices of pranayama and pratyahara
antaratma - the inner self, residing in the heart
anuloma - with the grain, naturally
anumana - an inference
apana - one of the vital airs, controls the elimination of bodily wastes
apara - lower
aparigraha - abstention from greed, non-possessiveness
apunya - vice
arama - pleasure garden
ardha - half
ardha-baddha padmottanasana - the half-lotus forward bend posture
ardha-chandrasana - the half-moon posture
ardha-matsyendrasana - the half spinal-twist posture
ardhanarishvara - Shiva and his Shakti united as one
ardha-navasana - the half-boat posture
ardha-padmasana - the half-lotus posture
ardha-salabhasana - the half-locust posture
ardha-sarvangasana - the half-shoulderstand posture
ardha-sirsasana - the half headstand posture
Arjuna - a disciple of Krishna, hero of the Mahabharata
asamprajnata - unconscious samadhi
asana - seat, posture
ashcharyavat - wonderful
ashram - a yoga centre or school
ashta - eight
Ashtavakra - name of a deformed sage
ashva - a horse
ashvini - a mudra: contraction of the anal sphincter muscles
asmita - egotism
asteya - non-stealing
atman - the self, supreme soul
atmiyata - the feeling of oneness
aum - all, the absolute
avarana - a veil
avastha - a state of the mind
avatara - a divine incarnation, e.g. Buddha. The ten avataras of Vishnu are: Matsya(the fish), Kurma(the tortoise), Varaha(the boar), Narasimha(the man- lion), Vamana(the dwarf), Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Balarama, and Kalki. avidya - metaphysical ignorance
avirati - sensuality
ayama - length, extension, restraint
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B
baddha - caught
baddhahasta sirsasana - the bound hands headstand posture
bandha - binding, a muscular lock
bandha padmasana - the bound lotus posture
baka - a wading bird, the crane
Bali - a demon king
basti - method for cleaning the intestines
bhadrasana - the auspicious posture
bhagavad gita - the dialogues between Krishna and Arjuna
bhagavan - holy
Bhairava - terrible, one of the forms of Shiva
bhajana - a hymn
bhakti - devotion, worship
bhastrika - the bellows breath
bhati - light
bhavana - concentration
bhaya - fear
bheda - a division
bhedana - breaking through, piercing
bheka - a frog
bherunda - terrible
bherundasana - the formidable posture
bhoga - enjoyment
bhoktir - one who enjoys
bhramara - a large bee
bhramari - the bee breath
bhranti-darshana - a delusion
bhu - land
bhudana - the donation of land
bhuja - arm or shoulder
bhujanga - snake
bhujangasana - the cobra posture
bhujasana - the arm posture
bhumi - the object of meditation
bhumikatva - firm ground
bhuta - a ghost, an element
bija - seed
bindu - drop or point
bodhi - supreme knowledge
Brahma - the creator
Brahmins - the highest, priestly caste
brahmacharya - control of sexual impulses
brahmacharyasana - the posterior stretch posture
brahmadvara - the door where kundalini enters the spine
brahmanda-prana - cosmic breath
Buddha - Buddha
buddhi - wisdom, reason
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C
chakra - a wheel or vortex
chakra-bandha - the binding which seals all of the chakras
chakrasana - the wheel posture
chandra - the moon
chatur - four
chela - a pupil
chit - pure consciousness
chitrini - a fine cord within the spine
chitta - mind-stuff, the lower parts of mind - such as memory
chitta-vikshepa - confusion, distraction
chitta-vritti - a mode of behaviour
crore - ten million
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D
Dadhicha - a sage who gave his bones to the gods, from which was fashioned the thunderbolt which slew Vrita
Daitya - a demon son of Diti
dakini - the goddess in muladhara
Daksa - a lord of created beings
daksina - the right side
dama - control of the body and senses
damani - a layer within a nadi allowing for the passage of energy
dana - giving
Danava - a demon
danda - a staff
dandasana - the staff posture
darbha - a sweet-smelling dried grass
darshama - a visit to a great person, viewpoint or vision
daurmanasya - despair
dehi - the self
deva - a divine being
devadatta - one of the vital airs, which causes yawning
devata - a divine being similar to an angel
deva-dasi - a temple prostitute
devi - a goddess
dhanu - a bow
dhanurasana - the bow posture
dharana - concentration
dharma - the law, duty, way of life
dhasanjaya - a vital air that stays in the body after death, sometimes bloating the corpse
dhenu - a cow
dhirata - strength
dhwani - a resonant sound
dhyana - contemplation
dirgha - long
Diti - mother of the daityas demons
dradhasana - the side relaxation posture
drashta - consciousness, the 'witness'
dridhata - strength
duhkha - pain, grief
dvesha - hatred
dvi - two, both
dvi-pada - two feet
E
eka - one, single
eka pada hastasana - the one leg posture
eka pada kakasana - the one leg crow posture
eka pada sirsasana - the leg-behind-head posture
ekgara - one-pointed
ekamevadvitiyam - one without a second
G
gana - Shiva's attendants
Ganapati - god of luck and wisdom
ganda - the cheek
garbha-pinda - an embryo
garbhasana - the foetus posture
garuda - an eagle
garudasana - the eagle posture
ghata - a pot, the body
ghi - clarified butter
go - a cow
gomukha - musical instrument resembling a cow's face
gomukhasana - the cow-faced posture
gorakshasana - the cowherd posture
gotra - family, race
granthi - a knot, obstruction in the chitrini
gu - darkness
gulma - the spleen
guna - a quality of nature
gup - guard, hide
guptasana - the hidden posture
guru - a spiritual teacher, heavy, important
H
ha - the sun
Hakini - the goddess in ajna
hala - a plough
halasana - the plough posture
hamasana - the altered peacock posture
hamsa - a swan
Hanuman - a monkey chief, son of Anjana and Vayu
hanumanasana - the splits
hasta - the hand
hasta padangusthasana - the hand-to-big-toe posture
hatha - force, against one's will
hatha-yoga - union with the supreme via discipline
himsa - violence
Hiranya-kashipu - a demon king, killed by Vishnu
I
ichchha - the will
ida - the channel on the left of the spine
indriya - organ of sense or action
indriya-jaya - mastery of the senses by controlling the desires
Isha - a form of Shiva
ishvara - a supreme being, god
ishvara-pranidhana - attentiveness to god
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J
jagrata-avastha - complete awareness of the state of the mind
jalandhara - bandha where the chin rests in the notch between the collar bones
janma - birth, incarnation
janu - the knee
janu sirsasana - the head-knee posture
japa - repetition of a mantra
jathara - the stomach
jathara parivartanasana - the belly-turning posture
jati - circumstances of life to which one is born
jaya - victory
jiva - a creature
jivana - life
jivatma - the individual soul
jnana - knowledge, especially spiritual knowledge
jnanendriya - an organ of knowledge, i.e. the five senses
jyotir dhyana - luminous contemplation
jyotis - inner light
K
kailasa - a Himalayan mountain, home of Shiva
kaivalya - spiritual independence and freedom
kakasana - the crow posture
Kakini - the goddess in anahata
kalabhairavasana - Lord Kalabhairava's posture
kali-yuga - the current, pleasure-loving age
Kama - desire for material pleasures, the god of passion
kama-dhenu - the heavenly cow
kanda - a knot, the place where the three main nadis join
kandasana - the upward ankle-twist posture
kapala - the skull
kapalabhati - a process to clear the sinuses
kapota - a dove
kapotasana - the dove posture
karma - work, action, the law of cause and effect
karmaphala - the result of an action
karma-yoga - unselfish actions
karmendriya - an action organ, e.g. the hands or feet
karnapidasana - the ear-press posture
Kartikeya - the god of war, was reared by the Pleiades
karuna - pity, tenderness
kathanta - howness
katikasana - the front-stretching posture
kaustubha - one of Vishnu's jewels
kaya - the body
kayika - pertaining to the body
kevala - whole, pure
khandapitasana - the ankle-twist posture
khechari - mudra where the tongue is inserted in the upper cavity
khyati - an outlook of knowledge
kleshas - the five sources of trouble and suffering
kona - an angle
koshas - bodies or sheaths
krauncha - a heron
krikara - one of the vital airs, causes coughing and sneezing
Krishna - the eighth incarnation of vishnu
krishnasana - the Krishna posture
kriya - cleaning
krounchasana - the heron posture
Krttikas - the Pleiades
kshatriyas - the caste of princes and warriors
kshipta - neglected or distracted
kukutasana - the cockerel posture
kumbha - a pot
kumbhaka - holding the breath
kunda - starting place of kundalini
kundala - coil of rope
kundalini - a coiled female snake, the latent energy at the base of the spine
kurma - a tortoise, one of the vital airs - controls blinking
kurmasana - the tortoise (leg-lock) posture
kutichaka - the hut-builder
L
lac 100,000
laghava - lightness
laghu - handsome, small
Lakini - the goddess in manipuraka
Lakshmi - goddess of beauty and luck
lalata - the forehead
Lanka - the kingdon of Ravana, Ceylon
lauliki - a movement of the abdominal muscles and organs
laya - absorption of the mind
laya-yoga - yoga using the latent power of kundalini
lingam - the phallus
lobha - greed
loka - a habitat
lola - swinging
lolasana - the swing posture
loma - hair
M
madhyama - average
maha - mighty
mahabandha/mahamudra - types of mudra
Mahadeva - the great god - Shiva
mahat - cosmic consciousness
maitri - friendliness
maithuna - sacramental intercourse
makara - a crocodile
makarasana - the crocodile posture
mala - a wreath
malasana - the garland posture
man - to think
manana - pondering
manas - the reasoning ability of the mind
manasika - of the mind
mandala - circle
Mandara - mountain used by the gods to stir the cosmic ocean
manduka - a frog
mandukasana - the frog posture
mani - a jewel
manipura - navel
manomani - samadhi
mantra - a prayer or sacred thought
Manu - father of the human race
marga - a path
matsya - a fish
matsyasana - the fish posture
matsyendrasana - the posture of Matsyendra
maya - illusion
mayura - a peacock
mayurasana - the peacock posture
meru-danda - the spinal column
mimansa - one of the schools of Indian philosophy
mirdu - soft, gentle
mirta - a corpse
mirtasana - the corpse posture
moha - infatuation or delusion
moksha - emancipation of the soul from rebirth
mudha - foolish, stupid
mudra - a seal
mudita - delight
mudras - muscular contractions that include the bandhas
mukha - the mouth
mukta - liberated
muktasana - the liberated posture
mukta hasta sirsasana - the freehand headstand posture
mula - root
mulabandhasana - the ankle-twist posture
mulashodhana - cleansing the rectum
murcha - mind-fainting
