Sanskrit Glossary · Yoga Collective

Yoga reached the rest of the world with its vocabulary intact. Pose names, breathing techniques and philosophical ideas are still usually given in Sanskrit, the classical language of India in which the major yoga texts were written. You do not need to learn any of it to practice well, but knowing what the words mean makes class instructions easier to follow, makes pose names less arbitrary and connects your practice to the tradition it comes from. This glossary covers philosophy, traditional ideas about breath and energy, practice terms, key texts and people, and the building blocks of pose names.

Many terms describe concepts from traditional Indian thought, such as prana, nadis and chakras. We present them as they appear in the tradition, not as established anatomy. For the physical side of practice, see Anatomy & Alignment; for the ideas behind the terms, see Philosophy & the Eight Limbs.

Terms A–Z

Abhinivesha uh-bee-nee-VAY-shuh: Clinging to life, or the fear of death. The fifth and subtlest of the five kleshas in the Yoga Sutras, described as present even in the wise.
Abhyasa ub-YAH-suh: Steady, sustained practice. Yoga Sutras 1.12 pairs it with vairagya (non-attachment) as the two means of settling the mind, and 1.14 adds that practice becomes firm when kept up for a long time, without break and with care.
Adho AH-doh: Downward. It appears in pose names such as Adho Mukha Svanasana, Downward-Facing Dog.
Ahimsa uh-HIM-sah: Non-harming, the first of the five yamas. On the mat it usually means working with sensation rather than forcing through pain; off the mat it covers speech, diet and how you treat others. See Philosophy & the Eight Limbs.
Anjali Mudra UN-juh-lee MOO-drah: Palms pressed together in front of the chest. Anjali means offering or salutation; it is the hand position used with a spoken namaste and at the start and end of many sun salutations.
Apana uh-PAH-nuh: One of the five vayus (movements of prana). Traditionally described as the downward and outward current governing elimination, it is often linked to exhalation and the pelvic floor in modern teaching.
Aparigraha uh-puh-ree-GRUH-huh: Non-grasping or non-possessiveness, the fifth yama. In practice it can mean letting go of the need to reach a particular version of a pose.
Ardha AR-duh: Half. Examples include Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon) and Ardha Matsyendrasana (half lord of the fishes, a seated twist).
Asana AH-suh-nuh: Literally “seat.” The third of the eight limbs, originally a stable sitting position for meditation. Yoga Sutras 2.46 describes it as steady and comfortable (sthira sukham asanam); today it refers to any yoga posture. Browse the Pose Library.
Ashtanga ush-TUNG-guh: Eight limbs: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi, as set out in the Yoga Sutras. The name is also used for Ashtanga Vinyasa, the set-sequence style taught by K. Pattabhi Jois. See Styles of Yoga.
Asmita us-MEE-tah: “I-am-ness” or egoism: identifying the true self with the body, mind or personality. The second of the five kleshas.
Asteya uh-STAY-yuh: Non-stealing, the third yama. It extends beyond objects to time, credit and attention that belong to others.
Atman AHT-mun: The self or soul in the Upanishads and Vedanta, often described as unchanging awareness beneath thought and personality.
Avidya uh-VID-yah: Ignorance or misperception, specifically mistaking the impermanent for the permanent and the non-self for the self. The Yoga Sutras call it the field from which the other kleshas grow.
Ayurveda ah-yoor-VAY-duh: “Knowledge of life,” the traditional medical system of India, often treated as a sister discipline to yoga. It describes health through three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha). Ayurvedic treatments are not a substitute for medical care.
Baddha BUH-dah: Bound or caught, as in Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle) or a bind where the hands clasp around a limb.
Bandha BUN-duh: Lock or binding. Hatha texts describe three main bandhas (mula, uddiyana and jalandhara) used to direct prana, usually during breath retention. Modern teachers often describe them in terms of muscular engagement.
Bhagavad Gita BUH-guh-vud GEE-tah: “Song of the Lord,” a 700-verse dialogue between the warrior Arjuna and Krishna, part of the Mahabharata. It presents karma, jnana and bhakti yoga as paths to liberation. Its date is debated; many scholars place it in the last few centuries BCE. See History of Yoga.
Bhakti BUCK-tee: Devotion. Bhakti yoga is the path of love and devotion to the divine, expressed through prayer, chanting and service.
Bhastrika bus-TREE-kah: Bellows breath: rapid, forceful inhalations and exhalations through the nose. A vigorous pranayama best learned from a teacher; avoid it if pregnant or if you have high blood pressure, heart conditions or a tendency to dizziness.
Bhramari BRAH-muh-ree: Humming bee breath. You exhale slowly while making a soft humming sound, which many people find calming. See Breathwork.
Brahmacharya BRAH-muh-CHAR-yuh: The fourth yama. Literally “conduct in line with Brahman,” it traditionally meant celibacy for students and renunciates; many modern teachers interpret it as moderation and wise use of energy.
Chakra CHUK-ruh: Wheel. In tantric and hatha traditions, a center in the subtle body along the central channel. Texts differ on how many chakras there are; the seven-chakra system common today draws mainly on later tantric sources and twentieth-century Western interpretation. The usual seven, from the base of the spine upward, are muladhara (root), svadhisthana (lower abdomen), manipura (navel), anahata (heart), vishuddha (throat), ajna (between the eyebrows) and sahasrara (crown). These are traditional concepts, not anatomical structures.
Chaturanga Dandasana chaht-oo-RUNG-guh dun-DAHS-uh-nuh: Four-limbed staff pose, a low plank with bent elbows. It is a key transition in the Sun Salutation and puts real load on the shoulders, so lowering the knees is a sensible option while building strength.
Chitta CHIT-tuh: Mind or consciousness, the whole field of thought, memory and feeling. Yoga Sutras 1.2 defines yoga as the stilling of the fluctuations (vritti) of chitta.
Dharana duh-RAH-nuh: Concentration: holding attention on one object, such as the breath or a sound. The sixth limb. See Meditation.
Dharma DAR-muh: A broad term covering duty, right conduct, the moral order and one’s path in life. In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna’s dilemma turns on his dharma as a warrior.
Dhyana dee-YAH-nuh: Meditation: sustained, unbroken attention that follows naturally from dharana. The seventh limb. The Chinese word Chan and the Japanese Zen derive from it. See Meditation.
Drishti DRISH-tee: Gaze or point of focus. Many styles assign a gaze point to each pose (the nose, the navel, the hand) to steady attention and balance. It is especially useful in balance poses.
Duhkha DOO-kuh: Suffering, discomfort or unease. Yoga and Buddhism both treat freedom from duhkha as a central aim; Yoga Sutras 2.16 says future suffering is to be avoided.
Dvesha DVAY-shuh: Aversion, the pushing away of what has caused pain. The fourth klesha, the mirror image of raga.
Eka Pada AY-kuh PAH-duh: One foot or one leg. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana is the one-legged king pigeon pose, and many poses have an eka pada variation with one leg lifted.
Gheranda Samhita gay-RUN-duh SUM-hee-tah: A hatha yoga manual usually dated to the late seventeenth century, framed as teachings of the sage Gheranda. It describes 32 asanas along with cleansing practices, mudras and pranayama.
Guna GOO-nuh: Quality or strand. Samkhya philosophy describes all of nature as woven from three gunas: sattva, rajas and tamas. Teachers sometimes use them to describe the feel of a practice, food or state of mind.
Guru GOO-roo: Teacher. The literal meaning is “heavy” or “weighty”; the popular explanation “remover of darkness” is a traditional interpretation rather than the word’s linguistic origin. In Indian traditions the guru–student relationship carries great respect.
Hatha HUT-uh: Literally “force” or “exertion.” Hatha yoga is the body- and breath-based discipline described in texts from around the eleventh century onward. The explanation of ha and tha as sun and moon is a later symbolic reading. Today “hatha” also names a gentle, general class style. See Styles of Yoga.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika HUT-uh YOH-guh pruh-DEE-pee-kah: “Light on hatha yoga,” a manual compiled by Svatmarama, usually dated to the fifteenth century. It covers asana (15 poses), pranayama, mudras, bandhas and meditation, and remains one of the most cited hatha texts. See History of Yoga.
Ida EE-dah: In hatha and tantric texts, the nadi (subtle channel) that ends at the left nostril, associated with the moon and cooling qualities. It pairs with pingala on either side of sushumna.
Ishvara Pranidhana EESH-vuh-ruh pruh-NID-uh-nuh: Devotion or surrender to Ishvara, the Lord or a higher principle. The fifth niyama. Some practitioners read it theistically; others as dedicating the effort of practice beyond personal gain.
Iyengar, B.K.S. ee-YEN-gar: Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar (1918–2014), a student of Krishnamacharya whose method emphasizes precise alignment, long holds and props. His book Light on Yoga (1966) became a standard reference. See Mats & Props.
Jalandhara Bandha jah-lun-DAR-uh BUN-duh: Chin lock: the chin draws down toward the top of the breastbone while the chest lifts. Traditionally used during breath retention. Avoid strain if you have neck problems.
Japa JUH-puh: Repeating a mantra, aloud, whispered or silently, often counted on a mala. A common form of meditation in devotional traditions.
Jnana GYAH-nuh: Knowledge or wisdom. Jnana yoga is the path of discernment and self-inquiry. English speakers often say NYAH-nuh.
Jois, K. Pattabhi puh-TAH-bee JOYCE: Krishna Pattabhi Jois (1915–2009), a student of Krishnamacharya who taught Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga in Mysore, India. The fixed-sequence style he taught shaped much of modern vinyasa and power yoga.
Kaivalya ky-VAHL-yuh: Isolation or aloneness: the final aim of the Yoga Sutras, in which awareness (purusha) stands free of identification with nature (prakriti). It is also the title of the fourth chapter.
Kapalabhati kuh-PAH-luh-BAH-tee: Skull-shining breath: short, forceful exhalations with passive inhalations. Classified in hatha texts as a cleansing practice. Avoid it if pregnant, or if you have high blood pressure, heart disease, hernia or recent abdominal surgery. See Breathwork.
Karma KAR-muh: Action, and the principle that actions carry consequences. Karma yoga, taught in the Bhagavad Gita, is the path of acting well without attachment to the results.
Klesha KLAY-shuh: Affliction or cause of suffering. Yoga Sutras 2.3 lists five: avidya (ignorance), asmita (egoism), raga (attachment), dvesha (aversion) and abhinivesha (clinging to life). Much of yoga practice aims to weaken them.
Kona KOH-nuh: Angle. It appears in Trikonasana (Triangle), Baddha Konasana and Utthita Parsvakonasana.
Krishnamacharya, T. krish-nuh-muh-CHAR-yuh: Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (1888–1989), a teacher in Mysore and later Chennai whose students included B.K.S. Iyengar, K. Pattabhi Jois, Indra Devi and his son T.K.V. Desikachar. He is often called the father of modern postural yoga. See History of Yoga.
Kriya KREE-yuh: Action. Yoga Sutras 2.1 defines kriya yoga as tapas, svadhyaya and ishvara pranidhana. The word also refers to cleansing practices in hatha yoga and to specific techniques in some modern lineages.
Kumbhaka koom-BUH-kuh: Breath retention, holding the breath in or out. Named after the kumbha (pot) that holds water. Long retentions should be learned gradually and with guidance. See Breathwork.
Kundalini koon-duh-LEE-nee: “Coiled one.” In tantric and hatha traditions, a dormant energy pictured as a serpent at the base of the spine that rises through the chakras. Also the name of a modern style popularized by Yogi Bhajan. It is a traditional concept, not a physiological one.
Mala MAH-luh: Garland. A string of beads, traditionally 108 plus a larger guru bead, used to count mantra repetitions in japa.
Mantra MUN-truh: A sacred sound, syllable, word or verse, repeated or chanted as a focus for the mind. Om is the best-known example.
Moksha MOKE-shuh: Liberation from the cycle of birth and death, the ultimate aim in many Indian philosophical traditions.
Mudra MOO-drah: Seal or gesture. In modern classes usually a hand position, such as anjali or jnana mudra (thumb and index finger touching). In hatha texts, mudras also include whole-body techniques combining posture, breath and bandha.
Mukha MOO-kuh: Face or mouth. Adho Mukha Svanasana is downward-facing dog and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is Upward-Facing Dog.
Mula Bandha MOO-luh BUN-duh: Root lock, a gentle lift of the pelvic floor. Hatha texts use it to draw prana upward; many modern teachers cue it as a subtle support rather than a hard squeeze.
Nadi NAH-dee: Channel or stream. Hatha and tantric texts describe a network of subtle channels carrying prana, often numbered at 72,000, of which ida, pingala and sushumna are the most important. A traditional model, not a map of nerves or blood vessels.
Nadi Shodhana NAH-dee SHOH-duh-nuh: Channel cleansing, commonly taught as alternate nostril breathing: you close one nostril at a time with the fingers and breathe slowly through the other. See Breathwork.
Namaste NUM-uh-stay: From namah (bow) and te (to you): “I bow to you.” An everyday respectful greeting across India and Nepal, used in many classes at the close. Poetic glosses such as “the light in me honors the light in you” are modern Western elaborations.
Niyama nee-YAH-muh: Observance, the second of the eight limbs. The five niyamas are shaucha, santosha, tapas, svadhyaya and ishvara pranidhana. See Philosophy & the Eight Limbs.
Om ohm (or AH-oo-m): A sacred syllable in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions, also written AUM. The Mandukya Upanishad is devoted to its meaning, and Yoga Sutras 1.27 calls it the expression of Ishvara. Chanting it in class is always optional.
Parivrtta puh-ree-VRIT-tuh: Revolved or turned around. Parivrtta Trikonasana is revolved triangle; Parivrtta Parsvakonasana is revolved side angle.
Parsva PARSH-vuh: Side or flank. Parsvottanasana (intense side stretch) is Pyramid Pose.
Paschima PUSH-chee-muh: West, which in traditional practice means the back of the body because one faced east. Paschimottanasana is Seated Forward Fold.
Patanjali puh-TUN-juh-lee: The compiler of the Yoga Sutras. Almost nothing is known of his life, and estimates of his date range from a few centuries BCE to around 400 CE, with many scholars favoring the later end. See Philosophy & the Eight Limbs.
Pingala PING-guh-luh: The nadi ending at the right nostril in hatha and tantric texts, associated with the sun and heating qualities. It pairs with ida.
Prana PRAH-nuh: Breath, and the life force that breath carries in traditional Indian thought. Hatha yoga aims to guide prana through the nadis. Treat it as a traditional concept and a useful way of paying attention, not a measurable substance.
Pranayama prah-nuh-YAH-muh: Regulation of the breath, the fourth limb. Usually explained as prana plus ayama (extension); some read it as prana plus yama (restraint). See Breathwork.
Prasarita pruh-SAR-ee-tuh: Spread out or expanded. Prasarita Padottanasana is Wide-Legged Forward Fold.
Pratyahara pruh-tyah-HAR-uh: Withdrawal of the senses, the fifth limb: attention turns away from outside stimuli, preparing for concentration. Often described as the bridge between the outer and inner limbs.
Purusha poo-ROO-shuh: Pure consciousness or the witnessing self in Samkhya and Yoga philosophy, contrasted with prakriti, the changing world of matter and mind.
Raga RAH-guh: Attachment, the pull toward what has brought pleasure. The third klesha. (In music the same word means a melodic framework.)
Raja Yoga RAH-juh YOH-guh: “Royal yoga.” A name often given to Patanjali’s meditative path, popularized by Swami Vivekananda’s book Raja Yoga (1896). In medieval texts it referred to the meditative goal of hatha yoga.
Rajas RUH-jus: The guna of activity, passion and restlessness. Too little and nothing moves; too much and the mind cannot settle.
Sadhana SAH-duh-nuh: Spiritual practice, especially a regular personal one. The second chapter of the Yoga Sutras is the Sadhana Pada. See Practicing at Home.
Salamba sah-LUM-buh: Supported. Salamba Sarvangasana is Shoulder Stand and Salamba Sirsasana is Supported Headstand.
Samadhi suh-MAH-dee: Absorption, the eighth limb, in which the sense of a separate meditator falls away and only the object of meditation shines. The Yoga Sutras describe several stages of it; the first chapter is the Samadhi Pada.
Samkhya SAHN-kyuh: One of the six classical darshanas, a dualist system distinguishing purusha (consciousness) from prakriti (nature). Yoga philosophy borrows much of its framework, including the three gunas.
Samskara sum-SKAR-uh: An impression left in the mind by experience, which shapes future habits and reactions. Practice is said to lay down new samskaras that gradually replace unhelpful ones.
Sanskrit SUN-skrit: “Refined” or “perfected,” the classical language of Indian philosophy, ritual and literature, and the language of the major yoga texts. See the note on pronunciation above.
Santosha sun-TOH-shuh: Contentment, the second niyama: accepting what is present without constant craving for more. It does not mean passivity.
Sattva SUT-vuh: The guna of clarity, balance and lightness. Yoga practice is often described as cultivating sattva.
Satya SUT-yuh: Truthfulness, the second yama. It is traditionally balanced by ahimsa, so honesty should not become a means of harm.
Savasana shuh-VAH-suh-nuh: Corpse pose, also spelled Shavasana: lying still on the back at the end of practice. It looks simple but asks for deliberate relaxation. See Corpse Pose.
Shanti SHAHN-tee: Peace. Often chanted three times at the end of a mantra (om shanti shanti shanti).
Shaucha SHOW-chuh: Cleanliness or purity, the first niyama, applied to body, surroundings and mind.
Sirsa SHEER-shuh: Head. Sirsasana is headstand (see Supported Headstand); Janu Sirsasana is head-to-knee pose.
Sukha SOO-kuh: Ease, comfort or happiness, the opposite of duhkha. Sukhasana is Easy Pose.
Supta SOOP-tuh: Reclining or lying down. Supta Baddha Konasana is Reclined Bound Angle.
Surya Namaskar SOOR-yuh nuh-muh-SKAR: Sun salutation, a flowing sequence of poses linked with the breath. The sequences taught today were shaped and popularized in the early twentieth century. See Sun Salutation.
Sushumna soo-SHOOM-nuh: The central nadi, running along the spine from its base to the crown in hatha and tantric descriptions. Kundalini is said to rise through it.
Sutra SOO-truh: Thread. A short, dense aphorism, or a text made of them, designed to be memorized and unpacked by a teacher or commentary.
Svadhyaya svahd-YAH-yuh: Self-study, the fourth niyama: study of sacred texts and reflection on oneself. Many practitioners apply it as honest observation of their own patterns.
Tamas TUH-mus: The guna of heaviness, inertia and dullness. Needed for rest and sleep, but in excess it shows up as lethargy.
Tantra TUN-truh: Loom or framework. A broad family of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions from roughly the mid-first millennium CE, which shaped hatha yoga’s ideas of the subtle body, mantra and kundalini. It is far wider than the Western association with sexuality suggests.
Tapas TUH-pus: Heat, and by extension disciplined effort. The third niyama: the willingness to do what is difficult but worthwhile.
Uddiyana Bandha oo-dee-YAH-nuh BUN-duh: Upward-flying lock: after a full exhalation the abdomen draws in and up under the ribs. Practiced on an empty stomach. Skip it during pregnancy and if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or abdominal conditions.
Ujjayi oo-JAH-yee: Victorious breath: slow nasal breathing with a slight narrowing at the back of the throat, producing a soft ocean-like sound. Common in vinyasa and Ashtanga classes. See Breathwork.
Upanishads oo-PAH-nee-shuds: Philosophical texts that close the Vedic corpus, exploring atman and Brahman. The oldest are usually dated to the first millennium BCE; the Katha Upanishad contains one of the earliest descriptions of yoga as steady control of the senses.
Urdhva OORD-vuh: Upward. Urdhva Mukha Svanasana is Upward-Facing Dog and Urdhva Dhanurasana is Wheel.
Uttana oo-TAH-nuh: Intense stretch. Uttanasana is the standing forward fold, and the root appears in Paschimottanasana and Parsvottanasana.
Utthita oo-TEE-tuh: Extended. Utthita Parsvakonasana is Extended Side Angle.
Vairagya vy-RAHG-yuh: Non-attachment or dispassion, the partner of abhyasa in Yoga Sutras 1.12. It means freedom from craving, not indifference.
Vayu VAH-yoo: Wind or air. Traditional texts divide prana into five vayus by direction and function: prana (inward), apana (downward), samana (centering, digestion), udana (upward) and vyana (pervading).
Vedas VAY-duz: The oldest scriptures of Hinduism, of which the Rig Veda is the earliest. They contain hymns and ritual texts; yoga as a systematic practice appears later, although scholars debate its earliest traces.
Vinyasa vin-YAH-suh: Placing in a special way. It describes linking movement with breath, a style of flowing class, and in many classes the short plank-to-Upward-Dog-to-Downward-Dog transition. See Styles of Yoga.
Viparita Karani vih-puh-REE-tuh kuh-RUH-nee: Inverted action. In hatha texts it was a mudra for reversing the flow of vital fluids; today the name usually refers to Legs Up the Wall.
Virabhadra veer-uh-BUH-druh: A fierce warrior created by Shiva in a well-known myth. The Warrior poses (Virabhadrasana I, II and III) are named after him. See Warrior I.
Vivekananda, Swami vee-vay-KAH-nun-duh: Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902), an Indian monk whose address at the 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago and later lectures introduced yoga philosophy to Western audiences. He emphasized meditation over postures.
Vritti VRIT-tee: Fluctuation or turning of the mind. Yoga Sutras 1.2 defines yoga as the stilling (nirodha) of the vrittis, and 1.6 lists five kinds: correct knowledge, error, imagination, sleep and memory.
Yama YUH-muh: Restraint, the first of the eight limbs, made up of five ethical principles: ahimsa, satya, asteya, brahmacharya and aparigraha. See Philosophy & the Eight Limbs.
Yoga YOH-guh: From the root yuj, to yoke or join. The word covers a wide range of Indian disciplines for training body, breath and mind; Yoga Sutras 1.2 defines it as the stilling of the mind’s fluctuations. See What Is Yoga?
Yoga Nidra YOH-guh NEE-drah: Yogic sleep: a guided relaxation practiced lying down, moving attention through the body while staying awake. Its modern form was developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in the mid-twentieth century. See Meditation.
Yoga Sutras YOH-guh SOO-truz: The foundational text of classical yoga philosophy, attributed to Patanjali: about 195 short sutras (editions differ slightly) in four chapters, setting out the eight limbs. See Philosophy & the Eight Limbs.
Yogi YOH-gee: A practitioner of yoga. Yogini is the feminine form, and in tantric texts also names a class of goddesses.