Yoga Glossary

Kundalini Yoga: Called by practitioners "the yoga of awareness", it focuses on "the expansion of sensory awareness and intuition in order to raise individual consciousness" and aims "to cultivate the creative spiritual potential of a human to uphold values, speak truth, and focus on the compassion and consciousness needed to serve and heal others." "Kundalini Yoga consists of active and passive asana-based kriyas, pranayama, and meditations which target the whole body system (nervous system, glands, mental faculties, chakras) to develop awareness, consciousness and spiritual strength." Read More...

Asana: A term for various postures useful for restoring and maintaining a practitioner's well-being and improving the body's flexibility and vitality, with the goal of cultivating the ability to remain in seated meditation for extended periods.[5] Asanas are widely known as "Yoga postures" or "Yoga positions". Read More...

Pranayama: Yoga primarily works with the energy in the body through the science of pranayam or energy-control. Pran also means ‘breath.’ Yoga teaches how to still the mind through breath-control and attain higher states of awareness. The higher teachings of yoga take one beyond techniques and show the yogi or yog practitioner how to direct his concentration in such a way as not only to harmonize human with divine consciousness, but to merge his consciousness in the Infinite. Read More...

Meditation: The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices (much like the term sports) that includes techniques designed to promote relaxation, build internal energy or life force (qi, ki, prana, etc.) and develop compassion,[3] love, patience, generosity and forgiveness. Read More...