We all know that the ancient Indian practice of yoga promises physical, mental and spiritual awakening … right? But how many of us actually know proper yoga lingo, those multiple Sanskrit words like ashtanga, asana, pranayama? It can be very confusing and we’ve nodded sagely every single time someone has a conversation with us about yoga, without knowing what the hell is being spoken about. So we’ve put together an easy yoga terminology guide that’ll acquaint you with all those terms so you’ll know what to say next time someone speaks to you about their amazing Ashtanga practise.
1. Asana: In simple terms, this means seat or a yoga posture.
2. Ashtanga: Ashtanga is the eight-limbed union created by Patanjali which includes moral discipline (yama), posture (asana), breath control (pranayama), self-restraint (niyama), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana) and ecstasy (samadhi) that together lead to liberation (kaivalya).
3. Pranayama: The inhaling technique and breath control that are needed to achieve a conscious state is known as pranayama.
4. Chakra: Chakra is the wheel wagon of psycho-energetic centres of the body, which can cure many ailments if treated correctly. Our body has seven according to yoga, each of which is associated with one of the five elements.
5. Hatha yoga: Hatha yoga is a branch of yoga that emphasises on the physical aspects of transformation and cleansing techniques along with breath control. It is also known as forceful yoga.
6. Iyengar: Iyengar is a form of hatha yoga created by one of the foremost yoga teachers, B.K.S. Iyengar. It gives special attention to detail, precision and alignment along with breath control and posture. It helps increase stability, mobility and strength.
7. Kundalini-shakti: Kundalini-shakti or coiled power is the serpent power or spiritual energy that exists in the psycho-energetic centres or chakras and which must be awakened for enlightenment. The path taken to achieve this enlightenment is known as Kundalini yoga.
8. Surya Namaskar: Surya Namaskar or sun salutation is a system of yoga exercises. These exercises are performed in a specific flow or series.
9. Shavasana: This yoga asana, which looks like a corpse or dead body is called Shavasana. It is the state of final relaxation that is performed at the end of every yoga session.
10. Mudra: Mudras are basically various hand gestures for example the anjali mudra or pressing the palms together at the heart.
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