Vocabulary.xlsx

Downward facing.

Downward facing dog pose.

The body; a limb or a part of the body; a constituent part.

Half.

Physical posture or pose; The third stage of yoga.

The number eight.

The eight limbs of Yoga described by Patanjali.

Like the Latin word ‘Omne’, the Sanskrit word ‘Aum’ means ‘all’ and conveys concepts of ‘Omniscience’, ‘Omnipresence’ and ‘Omnipotence’.

Bound, caught, restrained, firm.

Crow; elbow balancing pose.

Child’s pose.

A bond or lock; it means a posture where certain organs or parts of the body are contracted and controlled.

Worship, adoration.

The arm or the shoulder.

A serpent, a snake.

Cobra pose.

Literally, a wheel or circle. Energy (prana) is said to flow in the human body through three main channels (nadis), namely, Susumna, Pingala and Ida. Susumna is situated inside the spinal column. Pingala and Ida start respectively from the right and left nostrils, move up to the crown of the head and course downwards to the base of the spine. These two nadis intersect with each other and also the Susumna. These junctions of the nadis are known as chakras or the fly-wheels which regulate the body mechanism.

The moon.

The number four.

Crocodile; four limbs; a push-up position a few inches off the ground.

The mind in its total or collective sense, being composed of three categories: (a) Mind, having the faculty of attention, selection and rejection; (b) Reason, the decisive state which determines the distinction between things and (c) Ego, the I-maker.

A staff.

Staff pose.

A bow.

Concentration or complete attention. The sixth limb or stage of Yoga mentioned by Patanjali.

The seventh limb or stage of Yoga mentioned by Patanjali.

A point of focus or gazing point.

Two, both.

Two hands.

Two feet or legs.

One, single, alone, only.

One legged.

Eagle pose.

First syllable in the word ‘Guru’, meaning darkness.

Three forces of nature; Satva, a positive creating nature or influence; Ragas, a negative or destructive nature or influence; Tamas, the influence or nature of things to stay the same.

A guide who brings one from darkness to lightness; one who removes spiritual doubt.

First syllable of the word ‘Hatha’, which is composed of the syllables ‘ha’ meaning the sun, and ‘tha’ meaning the moon. The object of Hatha-yoga is to balance the flow of solar and lunar energy in the human system.

A plough.

Plough pose.

Hand.

Sun/moon; balance.

The way towards realization through rigorous physical discipline.

Knee.

Sacred knowledge derived from meditation on the higher truths of religion and philosophy, which teaches a man how to understand his own nature.

Action.

The achievement of union with the Supreme Universal Soul through action.

Process; anything you can do that brings one to a state of union, yoga.

The Kundalini (kundala=coil of a rope; Kundalini=a coiled female serpent) is the divine cosmic energy. This force or energy is symbolised as a coiled and sleeping serpent lying dormant in the lowest nerve centre at the base of the spinal column, the Muladhara-chakra. This latent energy has to be aroused and made to ascend the main spinal channel, the Susumna piercing the chakras right up to the Sahasrara, the thousand-petalled lotus in the head. Then the Yogi is in union with the Supreme Universal Soul.

A circle.

A sacred word, thought or sound.

A fish.

Fish pose.

A seal.

Face or facing.

Name.

Commonly said at the end of yoga class by the instructor and the students.

A boat.

Boat pose.

Self-purification by discipline. The second stage of yoga mentioned by Patanjali.

The foot or leg; also part of a book.

The big toe.

Lotus.

Lotus pose.

Entire, complete.

Revolved or rotated; to twist.

Revolved or rotated triangle pose.

West; the back side of the body.

Intense stretch of the back side of the body from the nape to the heels.

Seated forward bend.

The author of the yoga sutras. The propounder of Astanga yoga. He put it on paper, so the world could experience it.

Pain, suffering, pressure.

Intelligence, wisdom.

Breath, respiration, life, vitality, wind, energy, strength. It also connotes the soul.

Rhythmic control of the breath. The fourth stage of yoga.

Separated.

A withdrawal from the senses; the body and mind to a focused place within; the self. The fifth stage of yoga.

East, the front of the body.

Intense stretch of the front side of the body.

Royal or king.

King pigeon.

The achievement of union with the Supreme Universal Spirit, by becoming the ruler of one’s own mind by defeating its enemies.

The second syllable in the word ‘guru’, meaning light.

Locust.

Locust pose.

With support.

The eighth limb or stage of Yoga mentioned by Patanjali; a state in which all thought has completed itself.  The divine state.  A state in which one experiences union with the universal source.

Standing in attention.

The meditative process as described by Patanjali involving different states of awareness; the sixth, seventh, and eighth limbs or stages of yoga, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi, together are commonly referred to as Samyana.

Six.

All, whole.

The whole body.

Shoulder stand.

A corpse, a dead body.

Corpse pose.

A bridge.

The construction of a bridge. Name of an asana in which the body is arched.

Bridge pose.

A sage, seer or prophet; also a semi-divine being of great purity and holiness.

The head.

A lightness of being; easy.

Sleeping; supine or laying back.

Supine hero pose.

The sun.

Dog.

Mountain.

Mountain pose; standing tall.

To stretch, extend, lengthen out.

Burning away impurities through self-discipline.

The second syllable of the word ‘hatha’. The first syllable ‘ha’ stands for the sun, while the second syllable ‘tha’ stands for the moon. The union of these two is Hatha-yoga.

Three.

A triangle.

Triangle pose.

A type of pranayama in which the lungs are fully expanded and the chest is puffed out.

Up or upwards; to raise or elevate.

Upward facing.

Camel.

Camel pose.

A particle, denoting intensity.

Chair or awkward pose.

An intense stretch.

Intense standing forward bend.

Extended.

A thunderbolt, the weapon of Indra.

A celebrated sage, author of several Vedic hymns.

Side plank.

Flow; a physical or energy flow.

Hero; brave.

Hero pose.

A powerful warrior created out of Siva’s matted hair.

Warrior I pose.

Warrior II pose.

Warrior III pose.

Tree.

Tree pose.

Fluctuation.

The god of death. Yama ia also the first of Patanjalis eight limbs or stages of yoga.

Union.

A posture.

One who follows the path to union.