| Abhaya mudra | – | | | gesture of fearlessness
|
| Abhinivesha | – | | | fear of death
|
| Adhara mudra | – | | | perineal mudra
|
| Adharas | – | | | 16 bases which support the body
|
| Adharmic | – | | | not fulfilling one's natural role in life
|
| Advaita | – | | | non-dual experience; unity of the individual soul
|
| Agni | – | | | fire, in all its aspects. Agni encompasses all fires, from the densest (the power of digestion) to the most rarefied (the essence of cosmic fire).
|
| Agni mandala | – | | | 'zone of fire'; visualizing entire body in the form of agni
|
| Agnisar kriya | – | | | practice of emptying the lungs and pumping the stomach to strengthen the diaphragm and lower stomach region
|
| Agocharam | – | | | beyond sensory perception
|
| Agochari mudra | – | | | another name for nasikagra drishti
|
| Aham Bhramasmi | – | | | vedic mantra, I am Brahman'
|
| Ahamkara | – | | | ego
|
| Ahimsa | – | | | absence of violence from within; non-violence
|
| Ajapa japa | – | | | continuous, spontaneous repetition of mantra
|
| Ajna chakra | – | | | 'third eye'; command center
|
| Ajna mandala | – | | | ajna chakra symbol at the eyebrow center
|
| Akhanda kirtan | – | | | ongoing, unbroken kirtan
|
| Akara | – | | | form, link, continuity
|
| Akasha | – | | | space; ether
|
| Akasha tattwa | – | | | ether element
|
| Akashi mudra | – | | | awareness of the inner space; practice of the external stage of dharana; gazing into space with the head tilted back
|
| Amaroli | – | | | auto-urine procedure; drinking of one's own urine in order to detoxify the body and develop stamina and vitality
|
| Anadi | – | | | endless
|
| Anahada nada | – | | | unheard, unstuck sound
|
| Anahata chakra | – | | | heart chakra or emotional center
|
| Anahata kshetram | – | | | trigger point of anahata chakra
|
| Ananda | – | | | everlasting bliss
|
| Ananda samadhi | – | | | fourth state of samadhi; blissful absorption
|
| Anandamaya kosha | – | | | sheath or body of bliss, beatitude
|
| Annamaya kosha | – | | | sheath or body of matter
|
| Antah | – | | | inner
|
| Antah karana | – | | | inner instrument; experienced or manifest mind which includes the four aspects of manas, buddhi, chitta and ahamkara
|
| Antar kumbhaka | – | | | internal breathe retention
|
| Antar lakshya | – | | | internal aim to be aspired for in dharana
|
| Antar mouna | – | | | inner silence; meditative technique
|
| Antaranga yoga | – | | | four internal stages of raja yoga
|
| Anuman | – | | | inference
|
| Anusandhana | – | | | discovery
|
| Apah | – | | | water
|
| Apana | – | | | sub-prana, which is located in the lower abdominal region, responsible for elimination and reproduction
|
| Aparigraha | – | | | non-possessiveness
|
| Ardhanareshwara | – | | | form of Shiva, which is half male and half female
|
| Arjuna | – | | | one of the five Pandava back brothers; he to whom Lord Krishna addressed the Bhagavad Gita
|
| Artha | – | | | material need; wealth
|
| Asamprajnata samadhi | – | | | transitional stage of samadhi where the traces of the mind become active according to their intensity
|
| Asamprayoge | – | | | 'not coming into contact'
|
| Asana | – | | | a physical posture in which one is at ease and in harmony with oneself
|
| Asevitah | – | | | faith
|
| Ashrama | – | | | four stages of life
|
| Ashtanga yoga | – | | | eightfold path of yoga
|
| Ashwini mudra | – | | | contraction of anal sphincter
|
| Asmita | – | | | state where the ego and the sense of individuality are completely transcended and there is only pure awareness
|
| Asmita klesha | – | | | feeling of 'I' identified with an action
|
| Asmita samadhi | – | | | fifth state of samadhi; dissolution of ego; merging of body, mind and soul
|
| Asteya | – | | | honesty
|
| Asthi | – | | | bone found in the body tissues
|
| Atadroop pratishtha | – | | | knowledge of false identity; inability to link name with form
|
| Atma | – | | | individual soul; spirit
|
| Aum | – | | | primordial sound; mantra
|
| Avachetan | – | | | subconscious
|
| Avidya | – | | | ignorance; lack of conscious awareness; mistaking the non-eternal for the eternal; confined cognition
|
| Avyakta | – | | | unmanifest; unseen
|
| Awarohan | – | | | descending passage to the subtle body; spinal passage
|
| Ayurveda | – | | | vedic system of medical diagnosis and treatment |
| Bahir | – | | | external
|
| Bahir kumbhaka | – | | | external breath retention
|
| Bahir lakshya | – | | | external aim to focus on in order to achieve concentration
|
| Bahiranga yoga | – | | | four external stages of raja yoga
|
| Baikhari | – | | | audible sound produced by striking two objects
|
| Bandha | – | | | psychic lock that concentrates the flow of energy in the body at one point or plexus; postural contraction of the body
|
| Basti | – | | | excretory cleansing technique for the intestines and colon
|
| Beeja | – | | | 'seed'
|
| Bhadrasana | – | | | gentleman's pose
|
| Bhagavad Gita | – | | | Lord Krishna's discourse to Arjuna delivered on the battlefield of Kurukshetra during the great Mahabharata war
|
| Bhaja Govindam | – | | | ode to Shakti by Adi Shankaracharya
|
| Bhakti | – | | | devotion
|
| Bhal bhati | – | | | forehead bellows
|
| Bhastrika pranayama | – | | | 'bellows' breathing technique
|
| Bhati | – | | | to shine
|
| Bhava samadhi | – | | | absorption' in meditation due to emotional cause, e.g. kirtan
|
| Bheda | – | | | to pass through, pierce, purify
|
| Bhoochari mudra | – | | | practice of the external stage of dharana; gazing into space after focusing on the finger nail of the hand held in front of the face
|
| Bhoota | – | | | element
|
| Bhrumadhya | – | | | eyebrow center
|
| Bhrumadhya drishti | – | | | eyebrow center gazing
|
| Bindu visarga | – | | | center or source of individual creation from where the psychic vibrations first emanate
|
| Brahma | – | | | Lord of creation; manifest force of life and creation; potentiality of mooladhara chakra
|
| Brahma dhyana | – | | | meditation on the concept of Brahma
|
| Brahma granthi | – | | | perineal knot or psychic block
|
| Brahma nadi | – | | | subtle pranic flow within sushumna nadi through which kundalini ascends
|
| Brahmacharya | – | | | one who lives in higher consciousness; sexual control; redirection of sexual energy towards spiritual or meditational practices
|
| Brahmacharya ashrama | – | | | first stage of life up to 25 years, which is devoted to study and learning
|
| Brahman | – | | | absolute reality; 'ever-expanding consciousness'
|
| Buddha | – | | | the enlightened one
|
| Buddhi | – | | | discerning, discriminating aspect of mind; from the root 'bodh', 'to be aware of', 'to know'; intellect. |
| Chaitanya jyoti | – | | | eternal flame of spirit
|
| Chakra | – | | | psychic center in the subtle body; circle, wheel or vortex of energy; conjugation point of the nadis
|
| Chakrasana | – | | | wheel pose
|
| Chandra bheda pranayama | – | | | breathing technique that pierces and purifies the ida nadi
|
| Chandra mandala | – | | | another name for ajna mandala
|
| Charvak | – | | | one of the six darshana or systems of Indian thought; philosophy which accepts only the perceivable phenomena as valid, not the unperceivable
|
| Chaturmas | – | | | four months of the rainy season
|
| Chetana | – | | | consciousness; unmanifest aspect of consciousness and energy
|
| Chidakasha | – | | | space of consciousness experienced in the head region
|
| Chidakasha dharana | – | | | technique of meditation involving awareness of the chidakasha
|
| Chin mudra | – | | | attitude of chitta or consciousness; upward hand position with thumb and first finger touching
|
| Chit | – | | | eternal consciousness
|
| Chit shakti | – | | | mental force governing the, subtle dimensions
|
| Chitta | – | | | individual consciousness, including the subconscious and unconscious levels of mind; memory, thinking, concentration, attention, enquiry
|
| Chitta vritti | – | | | mental modification |
| Daharakasha | – | | | lower or deep space; encompassing mooladhara, swadhisthana and manipura
|
| Daharakasha dharana | – | | | concentration on the symbols of chakra and tattwa within the lower space
|
| Dakshina nadi | – | | | another name for pingala nadi
|
| Danta dhauti | – | | | method of cleaning the teeth
|
| Darshana | – | | | to glimpse; to see; to have a vision
|
| Deerghakaala | – | | | for a long period of time
|
| Dehasamya | – | | | body stillness
|
| Desha | – | | | place
|
| Deva tattwa | – | | | first tattwa: the divine element
|
| Devadutta | – | | | minor prana
|
| Devata | – | | | deity
|
| Devi | – | | | female deity; goddess
|
| Dhananjaya | – | | | minor prana
|
| Dhara | – | | | stream, flow
|
| Dharana | – | | | holding or binding of the mind to one point; concentration
|
| Dharma | – | | | the natural role we have to play in life; ethical law; duty
|
| Dhatu | – | | | layers of tissue in the body
|
| Dhauti | – | | | cleansing practices for the stomach region involving gentle washing with air, water, cloth or stick
|
| Dhyana | – | | | meditation
|
| Divya | – | | | divine
|
| Divya loka | – | | | plane of divine or transcendental experience
|
| Divyabhava | – | | | divine feeling
|
| Doshas | – | | | humors of the physical body
|
| Drashta | – | | | seer, observer; awareness
|
| Dridha bhoomihi | – | | | solid foundation
|
| Drishti | – | | | vision, eyesight
|
| Drishtisamya | – | | | stillness of vision
|
| Drona | – | | | teacher of the Pandava and Kaurava princes from the Mahabharata epic
|
| Durga | – | | | devi; goddess; representing energy
|
| Dwesha | – | | | repulsion, aversion |
| Kagra | – | | | tip
|
| Kaivalya | – | | | state of consciousness beyond duality
|
| Kala | – | | | time
|
| Kala loka | – | | | plane that comes under the influence of time and its secondary aspect, space
|
| Kama | – | | | emotional need or fulfillment
|
| Kapalbhati pranayama | – | | | frontal brain bellowing technique used to raise the pranic energy of the body and center it at ajna chakra
|
| Kapalshodhan | – | | | variation of kapalbhati
|
| Kapha | – | | | phlegm, one of the three humors described in ayurveda
|
| Karana | – | | | cause
|
| Kari | – | | | that which produces
|
| Karma | – | | | action; law of cause and effect, which shapes the destiny of each individual
|
| Karma kanda | – | | | path of ritual
|
| Karma shaya | – | | | deep layers of consciousness where the karma are stored in the form of impressions, symbols or archetypes
|
| Karma yoga | – | | | yoga of action; action performed with meditative awareness; yoga of dynamic meditation
|
| Karmendriyas | – | | | five physical organs of action (feet, hands, speech, excretory and reproductive organs)
|
| Kama dhauti | – | | | ways to clean the ears
|
| Khechad mudra | – | | | tongue lock
|
| Kirtan | – | | | singing of God's name
|
| Kleem | – | | | beeja mantra
|
| Koorma | – | | | tortoise
|
| Koormasana | – | | | tortoise pose
|
| Kosha | – | | | sheath or body
|
| Krishna | – | | | incarnation of Vishnu
|
| Kriya | – | | | action or motion
|
| Kriya yoga | – | | | practices of kundalini yoga
|
| Kukkutasana | – | | | cockerel pose
|
| Kumbha | – | | | a pot
|
| Kumbhaka | – | | | internal or external retention of breath
|
| Kundalini | – | | | 'serpent power'; spiritual energy; evolutionary potential
|
| Kundalini yoga | – | | | path of yoga, which awakens the dormant spiritual force
|
| Kunjal kriya | – | | | cleansing the stomach by voluntary vomiting using warm saline water
|
| Kuru princes | – | | | opponents of the Pandava princes in the Mahabharata epic |
| Madhya | – | | | intermediate
|
| Madhya lakshya | – | | | intermediate stage
|
| Maha | – | | | great
|
| Maha bheda mudra | – | | | great piercing attitude
|
| Mahamrityunjaya mantra | – | | | a long universal mantra
|
| Maha mudra | – | | | great attitude
|
| Maha samadhi | – | | | final liberation experienced on the departure of the spirit from the body
|
| Mahabandha | – | | | great lock
|
| Mahabharata | – | | | great epic of ancient India
|
| Mahakasha | – | | | one of the five mental spaces of vyoma panchaka; bright like the middle of the sun
|
| Mahaprana | – | | | prana in its cosmic, unmanifest aspect
|
| Mahat | – | | | greater mind
|
| Majja | – | | | nerves found in the body tissues
|
| Mala | – | | | garland
|
| Mananat | – | | | bondage of mind
|
| Manas | – | | | mind
|
| Manasi | – | | | mental
|
| Mandala | – | | | zone; area; pictorial representation
|
| Manduki | – | | | frog
|
| Manduki mudra | – | | | frog attitude
|
| Mandukya Upanishad | – | | | one of the major Upanishads, which describes the three states of consciousness, represented by the three syllables of AUM
|
| Manipura chakra | – | | | psychic center behind the navel, associated with vitality and energy; 'city of jewels'
|
| Manomaya kosha | – | | | mental sheath or body Mantra? – sound or vibration of power, which liberates the mind from bondage
|
| Mantra yoga | – | | | path of yogawhich liberates the mind through sound vibration
|
| Mantraha | – | | | force of vibration
|
| Maya | – | | | illusion; partial understanding; wrong or false notions about self-identity
|
| Mayurasana | – | | | peacock pose
|
| Medha | – | | | fat found in the body tissues
|
| Mehdra | – | | | plexus of the pranic body; nadi plexus located just a few centimeters below the nave
|
| Mitahara | – | | | balanced diet
|
| Moksha | – | | | liberation; freedom
|
| Moola | – | | | `root'
|
| Moola bandha | – | | | perineal lock; technique for locating and awakening mooladhara chakra; used to release brahma granthi
|
| Mooladhara anusandhana | – | | | discovery of mooladhara chakra
|
| Mooladhara chakra | – | | | root chakra, situated at the perineum; seat of the primal energy
|
| Mooladhara dhyana | – | | | practice involving visualization of mooladhara chakra and sensing the vortex of energy at this point
|
| Mouna | – | | | silence
|
| Mrityu tattwa | – | | | decay able element; manifest aspect of tattwa
|
| Mudra | – | | | psychic gesture; psycho-physiological posture, movement or attitude.
|
| Mukti | – | | | liberation
|
| Mumsa | – | | | muscle found in the body tissues
|
| Mumukshutva | – | | | desire for liberation |
| Nabho mudra | – | | | another name for khechari mudra
|
| Nada | – | | | psychic or internal sound
|
| Nada Yoga | – | | | yoga of internal sound
|
| Nadi | – | | | prana flow or channel
|
| Nadi shodhana | – | | | purification of nadis
|
| Nadi shodhana pranayama | – | | | practice of alternate nostril breathing by which the pranic channels are purified
|
| Naga | – | | | one of the five minor pranas
|
| Nairantarya | – | | | continuously without a break
|
| Nara | – | | | decaying principle
|
| Nashwara | – | | | decaying principle described in Samkhya philosophy; manifest existence; becoming; changeable
|
| Nasi | – | | | nose
|
| Nasikagra drishti | – | | | nose tip gazing
|
| Nasikagra upa chakra | – | | | minor chakra at the nose tip
|
| Natya mudras | – | | | dance mudras that express different attitudes or moods, such as love or anger
|
| Nauli | – | | | practice of rotation of the abdominal muscles
|
| Neti | – | | | cleansing practice for the head; nasal cleaning
|
| Nidra | – | | | deep sleep
|
| Nigraha | – | | | control
|
| Nirbeeja samadhi | – | | | final state of samadhi where there is absorption without seed; total dissolution
|
| Nirguna dhyana | – | | | meditation without gunas or qualities
|
| Nirvichara samadhi | – | | | transitional stage of samadhi; absorption without reflection
|
| Nirvichara dhyana | – | | | meditation without special attributes
|
| Nirvichara samadhi | – | | | transitional stage of samadhi involving purification of memory which gives rise to true knowledge of the object of perception
|
| Niyama | – | | | inner discipline
|
| Nyaya | – | | | one of the six darshana or systems of Indian philosophy; `logic'; recognition of the real spiritual experience by the omniscient mind |
| Padmasana | – | | | lotus pose
|
| Pancha klesha | – | | | five afflictions (ignorance, ego, attraction, aversion and fear of, death)
|
| Panchaka | – | | | five
|
| Pandavas | – | | | the five brothers in the Mahabharata epic
|
| Para nada | – | | | transcendental sound
|
| Param | – | | | supreme
|
| Paramakasha | – | | | one of the five mental spaces of vyoma panchaka; 'deep, dark space with a twinkling star-like light'; state of shoonya, nothingness
|
| Parigraha | – | | | collection
|
| Pashubhava | – | | | instinctive personality
|
| Pasyanti | – | | | mental
|
| Patanjali | – | | | ancient rishi who codified the meditative stages and states into the system of raja yoga
|
| Pawanmuktasana | – | | | series of wind releasing postures; preliminary asana series
|
| Pingala nadi | – | | | major pranic channel in the body which conducts the dynamic force manifesting as prana shakti
|
| Pitta | – | | | bile,. One of the three humors described in ayurveda
|
| Pooraka | – | | | inhalation
|
| Poorna | – | | | full
|
| Poorna dhanurasana | – | | | full bow pose
|
| Poorva Mimamsa | – | | | one of the six darshana or systems of Indian philosophy in the form of answers; contains theory of karma kanda or ritual
|
| Prajna | – | | | knowledge with awareness; the seer who observes the state of nidra; the all knowing; what is known; represents the 'M' of AUM; awareness of the 'one without a second'
|
| Prakasha | – | | | light
|
| Prakasha mandala | – | | | white light at the center of ajna chakra
|
| Prakriti | – | | | individual nature
|
| Pramana | – | | | direct knowledge; knowledge based on direct experience
|
| Prana | – | | | vital energy; inherent vital force pervading every dimension of matter
|
| Prana mudra | – | | | a technique of raising the prana
|
| Prana nigraha | – | | | control of prana
|
| Prana shakti | – | | | dynamic solar force governing the dimension of matter
|
| Prana tattwa | – | | | third element representing the vital or life giving force
|
| Prana vidya | – | | | knowledge and control of prana
|
| Pranamaya kasha | – | | | energy sheath or body
|
| Pranava | – | | | mantra Aum; primal sound vibration
|
| Pranava dhyana | – | | | meditation on the mantra Aum
|
| Pranayama | – | | | expansion of the range of vital energy
|
| Pranidhana | – | | | 'to believe in'
|
| Pranothana | – | | | awakening of the pranas in the different chakras
|
| Pratishtha | – | | | awareness of identity
|
| Pratyahara | – | | | withdrawal of the mind from the senses
|
| Pratyaya | – | | | seeds or impressions in the field of consciousness, which do not disappear even in samadhi
|
| Pravrittis | – | | | four instincts; (i) desire for food, (ii) desire for sleep; (iii) desire to procreate and (iv) fear of death
|
| Prithvi | – | | | earth or matter
|
| Purusha | – | | | totality of consciousness
|
| Purusharthas | – | | | four efforts which man must make in order to fulfill his individual existence: (i) artha (wealth), (ii) kama (love), (iii) dharma (duty), (iv) moksha (liberation) |
| Sabeeja samadhi | – | | | absorption with seed where the form of awareness remains
|
| Sadhaka | – | | | spiritual aspirant
|
| Sadhana | – | | | spiritual practice
|
| Saguna dhyana | – | | | meditation to develop awareness of the ttranscendental qualities
|
| Sah | – | | | with
|
| Sahaja | – | | | spontaneous; easy
|
| Sahaja samadhi | – | | | spontaneous meditative experience where the mind is totally withdrawn from the external world
|
| Sahajoli mudra | – | | | contraction and release of the urinary passage in the female body to stimulate Swadhisthana chakra and promote brahmacharya
|
| Sahasrara chakra | – | | | abode of Shiva or superconsciousness; 'the thousand petalled lotus'; highest chakra or psychic center, which symbolizes the threshold between the psychic and spiritual realms; located at the crown of the head
|
| Sahita | – | | | 'combined with something'
|
| Sakama karma | – | | | ego-inspired actions
|
| Sakshi | – | | | witness; drashta aspect
|
| Sam | – | | | perfect, balanced
|
| Samadhi | – | | | culmination of meditation; state of unity with the object of meditation and the universal consciousness
|
| Samana | – | | | one of the five sub-pranas; situated between the navel and diaphragm
|
| Samapatti | – | | | complete absorption; samadhi
|
| Samkhya | – | | | one of the six darshana or systems of Indian philosophy; associated with yoga; based on the division of existence into purusha, prakr;ti and a number of elements
|
| Samprajnata samadhi | – | | | first sate of samadhi; transcendental state where there is knowledge with awareness
|
| Samskara | – | | | unconscious memories; impressions that do not fit into the known categories of our present personality
|
| Samya | – | | | stillness
|
| Samyam | – | | | harmonious control; culmination of pratyahara, dharana and samadhi
|
| Sanatan | – | | | eternal
|
| Sankalpa | – | | | resolve
|
| Sannyasa | – | | | renunciation; dedication
|
| Sannyasa ashram | – | | | fourth stage of life from 75 years onwards; total renunciation
|
| Sanskrit | – | | | `language of the gods": original vedic language
|
| Santosha | – | | | contentment
|
| Sapta | – | | | seven
|
| Saptavatan | – | | | awareness of seven things simultaneously
|
| Saraswati | – | | | goddess of learning
|
| Sat | – | | | true
|
| Satchitananda | – | | | three divine attribrates of truth, consciousness and bliss
|
| Satkaara | – | | | with faith
|
| Satsang | – | | | gathering in which the ideals and principles of truth are discussed
|
| Sattwa | – | | | one of the three gunas; pure, unadulterated quality; state of luminosity and harmony
|
| Sattwic | – | | | pertaining to sattwa
|
| Satya | – | | | truth, reality
|
| Satyam | – | | | the unchanging principle
|
| Savdhan | – | | | attention; alert
|
| Savichara samadhi | – | | | third state of samadhi where the mind alternates between time, space and object
|
| Savishesha dhyana | – | | | meditation with special qualities: awareness of the concept of Shakti as a powerful force equal to that of Brahman
|
| Savitarka samadhi | – | | | second state of samadhi where there is alternating association of the consciousness between word, knowledge and sensory perception
|
| Shaiva | – | | | one who worships Shiva as the supreme reality
|
| Shaivism | – | | | practice of worshipping Shiva
|
| Shakta | – | | | one who worships the various manifestations of Shakti in the form of Kali, Saraswati, Durga etc.
|
| Shakti | – | | | primal energy; manifest consciousness
|
| Shaktism | – | | | practice of worshiping Shakti as the supreme reality
|
| Shambhavi | – | | | name for Parvati, consort of Shiva
|
| Shambhavi mudra | – | | | eyebrow center gazing
|
| Shambhu | – | | | name for Shiva
|
| Shankhaprakshalana | – | | | cleaning the conch; shatkarma that uses saline water to clean the small and large intestines
|
| Shankha mudra | – | | | conch Mudra
|
| Shanmukhi mudra | – | | | closing the seven gates
|
| Shat | – | | | six
|
| Shatkarmas | – | | | group of six purificatory techniques of hatha yoga
|
| Shaucha | – | | | cleanliness of the body
|
| Sheetali pranayama | – | | | 'cooling breath'; breathing principle technique where the breath is drawn in through the folded tongue
|
| Sheetkan pranayama | – | | | 'hissing breath'; practice of object drawing the breath in through clenched teeth
|
| Shiva | – | | | pure consciousness
|
| Shodhana | – | | | purification
|
| Shoonya | – | | | nothingness; void
|
| Shuddha | – | | | pure in nature
|
| Shuddhata | – | | | virtue; purity
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| Shuddhi | – | | | to purify
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| Shukra/arthata | – | | | reproductive tissues in the body
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| Siddha | – | | | perfected being
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| Siddha yoni asana | – | | | female version of siddhasana
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| Siddhasana | – | | | accomplished pose
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| Siddhi | – | | | paranormal or supernormal accomplishment
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| Simhasana | – | | | lion pose
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| Smashan bhoomi | – | | | cremation ground
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| Smritti | – | | | memory; memory field
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| Soham | – | | | mantra of the breath; used in the practice of ajapa japa
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| Sthiti | – | | | condition
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| Sthoola | – | | | gross
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| Sukha poorvaka | – | | | 'simple preliminary practice'
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| Sukhasana | – | | | easy pose
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| Sukshma | – | | | subtle dimension
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| Sumeru | – | | | mountain; tassle on mala
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| Surya | – | | | sun
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| Surya bheda | – | | | pranayama that pierces and purifies the pingala nadi
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| Surya mandala | – | | | image of the sun visualized at the eyebrow center
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| Surya namaskara | – | | | 'salute to the sun'; series of 12 asanas for revitalizing prana
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| Surya tantra | – | | | path of realization through visualization and evocation of the vital energy within the sun
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| Surya vijnana | – | | | another name for surya tantra
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| Suryakasha | – | | | one of the five mental spaces of vyoma panchaka; luminous space of the sun or the soul
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| Sushumna | – | | | central nadi in the spine, which conducts the kundalini or spiritual force from mooladhara to sahasrara
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| Sutra | – | | | threads of thought which outline the ancient spiritual texts
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| Sutra neti | – | | | nasal cleansing using a catheter
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| Sva, Swa | – | | | one's own
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| Swadharma | – | | | acceptance of one's own duty in life
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| Swadhisthana chakra | – | | | 'one's own abode'; second chakra associated with the sacral plexus
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| Swadhyaya | – | | | self study
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| Swami | – | | | master of the self
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| Swapna | – | | | dream state
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| Swara yoga | – | | | science of the breathing cycle
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| Swastikasana | – | | | auspicious pose |
| Tabla | – | | | Indian drums
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| Tadroop pratishta | – | | | knowledge of true identity; linking of name with form
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| Tamas | – | | | one of the three gunas; state of inertia or ignorance
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| Tamasic | – | | | pertaining to tamas
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| Tanmatra | – | | | nature, quality or essence of the five elements the sun visualized at
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| Tantra | – | | | ancient, universal science and culture which deals with the transcendence of human nature from the present level of evolution and understanding to transcendental level of knowledge, experience and awareness
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| Tapas | – | | | austerity; heat; process of burning impurities
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| Tarka | – | | | process of understanding through discussion and analysis
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| Tat | – | | | 'that'
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| Tattwa | – | | | element
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| Tattwakasha | – | | | one of the five mental spaces of vyoma panchaka; elemental space of perfect stillness
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| Tattwamaasi | – | | | 'Thou Art That'; vedic mantra
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| Teerthasthan | – | | | holy places of India
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| Tejas | – | | | luminosity; golden light or flame; the seer who observes the state of swapna
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| Tham, ksham | – | | | syllable or sound representing the sun or solar force
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| Trataka | – | | | to gaze steadily; dharana practice of gazing steadily at one point to focus the mind
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| Trayate | – | | | freed, liberated
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| Trimoorti dhyana | – | | | meditation on the three aspects of personality: sattwa, rajas and tamas
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| Turiya | – | | | fourth dimension of consciousness; super consciousness; simultaneous awareness of all three states of consciousness
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| Tyaga | – | | | renunciation or gradual dissociation of the mind from worldly objects and from the seed of desire |
| Udana | – | | | one of the five sub-pranas; energy located in the extremities of the body arms,legs and head
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| Uddiyana | – | | | 'to raise up', 'to fly up'
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| Uddiyana Bandha | – | | | lock applied to the abdomen which causes the diaphragm to rise into the chest, thereby directing prana into sushumna
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| Ujjayi pranayama | – | | | psychic breathing performed by contracting the epiglottis, producing a light sonorous sound
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| Upa-pranas | – | | | five minor pranas responsible for such actions as sneezing, yawning, itching, belching and blinking
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| Upanishads | – | | | vedantic texts conveyed by ancient sages and seers containing their experiences and teachings on the ultimate reality
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| Upanshu | – | | | whispered sound
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| Upasana kanda | – | | | ritual of worship
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| Usha pan | – | | | drinking water through the nose; traditional form of cold water neti
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| Uttara Mimamsa | – | | | one of the six darshana or systems of Indian philosophy which deals with the knowledge of ritual in the form of questions
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| Utthita Lolasana | – | | | 'swinging while standing pose'; a pre-pranayama exercise |
| Vacha | – | | | speech
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| Vairagya | – | | | non-attachment
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| Vaisheshika | – | | | a treatise on the subtle, causal and atomic principles in relation to the five elements
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| Vaishnava | – | | | one who worships Vishnu in the form of Rama, Krishna, Narayana etc.
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| Vaishnavism | – | | | sect of Vishnu
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| Vaishwa | – | | | manifest universe
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| Vaishwanara | – | | | seer who observes the manifest universe or the, external, waking consciousness
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| Vajrasana | – | | | thunderbolt pose
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| Vajroli Mudra | – | | | contraction and release of the urinary passage in the male body to stimulate swadhisthana chakra and promote brahmacharya
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| Vama dhauti | – | | | method of cleaning the stomach by voluntary vomiting; includes kunjal kriya and vyaghra Kriya
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| Vanaprastha ashrama | – | | | third stage of life from 50-75 years; retirement from worldly life in order to practise sadhana in relative seclusion
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| Vashishtasana | – | | | balancing asana invented by Sage Vashishta
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| Vastra dhauti | – | | | cleansing of the stomach and esophagus, using a cloth
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| Vata | – | | | wind, one of the three humors described in ayurveda
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| Vata nadi | – | | | nadi running along the back of the neck and head into the brain; controls gas formation and elimination
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| Vatsara dhauti | – | | | form of stomach cleansing performed by drinking air through the mouth and belching
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| Vayu | – | | | wind, prana
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| Vedanta | – | | | one of the six darshana or systems of Indian philosophy; 'the end of perceivable knowledge'; the mind experiencing its own limits and going beyond them; gaining realization and understanding of that exploration
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| Vedas | – | | | ancient spiritual texts of the Sanatan Dharma
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| Veerabhava | – | | | warrior personality
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| Veerasana | – | | | warrior pose (also known as the philosopher's pose or the thinker's pose)
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| Vichara | – | | | reflection
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| Vidya | – | | | knowledge
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| Vidyut mandala | – | | | visualization of lightning within the white light of prakash mandala
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| Vijnana | – | | | intuitive ability of mind; higher understanding
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| Vijnanamaya kosha | – | | | higher mental sheath or body
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| Vikalpa | – | | | fancy; unfounded belief; imagination
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| Vikshepa | – | | | dissipation
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| Vipareeta | – | | | inverted
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| Vipareeta karani mudra | – | | | inverted psychic attitude
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| Viparyaya | – | | | wrong knowledge
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| Vishaya | – | | | object
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| Vishnu granthi | – | | | psychic knot or block between manipura, anahata and vishuddhi chakras, symbolizing the bondage of personal and emotional attachment
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| Vishuddhi chakra | – | | | psychic center located at the level of the throat; center of purification
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| Vishwa | – | | | eternal
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| Vitara | – | | | reasoning
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| Viveka | – | | | right knowledge or understanding
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| Vrischikasana | – | | | scorpion pose
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| Vritti | – | | | circular movement of consciousness; mental and modifications described in raja yoga
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| Vyaghra kriya | – | | | cleansing the stomach by voluntary vomiting using warm saline water (performed on a full stomach)
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| Vyakta | – | | | manifest; seen
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| Vyakta prang | – | | | manifest life force
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| Vyana | – | | | one of the sub-pranas; reserve of pranic energy pervading the whole body
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| Vyoma | – | | | space
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| Vyoma Panchaka | – | | | the five subtle spaces |