Yoga For Beginners : Terminology for Yoga,YOGA GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Yoga For Beginners : Terminology for Yoga

In Vedic Sanskrit, the more commonly used, literal meaning of the Sanskrit word yoga which is "to add", "to join", "to unite", or "to attach" from the root yuj, already had a much more figurative sense, where the yoking or harnessing of oxen or horses takes on broader meanings such as "employment, use, application, performance" (compare the figurative uses of "to harness" as in "to put something to some use"). All further developments of the sense of this word are post-Vedic. More prosaic moods such as "exertion", "endeavour", "zeal", and "diligence" are also found in Epic Sanskrit

.

According to Pāṇini, a 6th-century BCE Sanskrit grammarian, the term yoga can be derived from either of two roots, yujir yoga (to yoke) or yuj samādhau (to concentrate).[21] In the context of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the root yuj samādhau (to concentrate) is considered by traditional commentators as the correct etymology.[22] In accordance with Pāṇini, Vyasa who wrote the first commentary on the Yoga Sutras,[23] states that yoga means samādhi (concentration).[24] In other texts and contexts, such as the Bhagavad Gītā and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the word yoga has been used in conformity with yujir yoge (to yoke).

YOGA GLOSSARY OF TERMS for Yoga For Beginners
 

Abhyanga: A specialized oil application and massage.

Agni: Digestive and metabolic fire.

Ama: Poorly digested food material that accumulates in the body.

Ama Visha: An especially harmful, disease-promoting type of ama that contains highly reactive toxins.

Amrit kalash: literally means "container of immortality".

Ananda: Bliss or joy. In Indian philosophy of the Upanishads, Ananda was an important attribute of the supreme being, Brahman. "Bliss" was used to define Brahman and was also considered to be the highest state of the individual self. Ananda Yoga: Ananda Yoga focuses on gentle postures designed to move the body's energy to different organs and muscles, but primarily to the brain to prepare for meditation.

Antahkarana: The mind.

Antaratma: The inner self, residing in the heart.

Ardha Chandrasana: In Hatha Yoga, the Half-Moon posture.

Ardha Padmasana: in Hatha Yoga, the Half-Lotus posture.

Arjuna: The hero of the Indian epic Mahabharata, he was the friend and devotee of Lord Krishna, who revealed the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita to him on the eve of the battle.

Artha: Worldly wealth, the pursuit of wealth and social status.

Artharya Veda: "Knowledge of Incantations", the fourth Veda.

Aryans: The migrant invaders of India from approximately 1500 b.c; people of spiritual values.

Asampranjata: The highest super-conscious state where the mind is completely stilled and Reality is experienced.

Asana: Originally an immobile body posture; a seat or sitting posture that was used for meditation and to help facilitate perfect concentration. Hatha yoga developed this practice into a series of asanas or postures.

Ashram: A spiritual settlement or community, a peaceful retreat. A place to meditate or study the philosophy of Yoga.

Ashramas: Nearly 2,000 years ago, the dharma texts described the four ashramas (stages of life). It taught that a man should first be a chaste student, then become a married householder who honors his ancestors by begetting sons, then devote himself to spiritual contemplation, and finally, become a homeless wandering ascetic.