Glossary of some common words used in yoga
Pranayama (prɑːnʌˈjɑːməː)
The regulation of the breath through certain techniques and exercises.
Meditation
Is a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state.
Mantra/ˈmantrə/
(originally in Hinduism and Buddhism) a word or sound repeated to aid concentration in meditation.
Sanskrit
Is an ancient language which used to be spoken in India and is now used only in religious writings, ceremonies and yoga practice.
Om
Om refers to Atman (soul, self within) and Brahman (ultimate reality, entirety of the universe, truth, divine, supreme spirit, cosmic principles, knowledge). The syllable is often found at the beginning and the end of chapters in the Vedas, the Upanishads, and other Hindu texts.
Shanti
Peace
Namaste
Is the equivalent of hello, but with an element of respect. It also means the divine in me bows to the divine in you.
Asana
Sanskrit-sana, way of sitting. The name given for any bodily position assumed in yoga exercise.