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Asana (Sanskrit आसन sitting down < आस to sit down[1]) is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, intended primarily to restore and maintain a practitioner’s well-being, improve the body’s flexibility and vitality, and promote the ability to remain in seated meditation for extended periods.[2] These are widely known as Yoga postures or Yoga positions, which is currently practiced for exercise and as alternate medicine.
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga – Style of yoga is characterized by a focus on viṅyāsa, or a dynamic connecting posture, that creates a flow between the more static traditional yoga postures. Vinyasa translates as linking and the system also implies the linking of the movement to the breath. Essentially the breath dictates the movement and the length of time held in the postures.
Bandha – (Sanskrit: बन्ध -binding, bond, arrest, capturing, putting together etc.[1]) is a term often employed in relation to yogic discourse and instruction. The term denotes a binding, lock or bondage that may be either internal or external to the body. Bandha may be defined as a particular focused and intentional action involving pressure, contraction or force on the muscles or some other bodily or sensate phenomena. In yogic traditions, bandha are to be studied, maintained and held principally whilst engaged in pranayama.
Bhagavad Gita – (Sanskrit भगवद्गीता, Bhagavad Gītā, “Song of God“) is one of the most important Hindu scriptures. It is revered as a sacred scripture of Hinduism,[1][2] and considered as one of the most important philosophical classics of the world.[3]
The Gita addresses the discord between the senses and the intuition of cosmic order. It speaks of the Yoga of equanimity, a detached outlook. The term Yoga covers a wide range of meanings, but in the context of the Bhagavad Gita, describes a unified outlook, serenity of mind, skill in action and the ability to stay attuned to the glory of the Self (Atman) and the Supreme Being (Bhagavan). According to Krishna, the root of all suffering and discord is the agitation of the mind caused by selfish desire. The only way to douse the flame of desire is by simultaneously stilling the mind through self-discipline and engaging oneself in a higher form of activity.
Chakra – (derived from the Sanskrit cakraṃ चक्रं, pronounced [ˈtʃəkrə] ) is a Sanskrit word that translates as “wheel” or “turning“. [1]
Chakra is a concept referring to wheel-like vortices which, according to traditional Indian medicine, are believed to exist in the surface of the etheric double of man.[2] The Chakras are said to be “force centres” or whorls of energy permeating, from a point on the physical body, the layers of the subtle bodies in an ever-increasing fan-shaped formation. Rotating vortices of subtle matter, they are considered the focal points for the reception and transmission of energies.[3] Seven major chakras or energy centres (also understood as wheels of light) are generally believed to exist, located within the subtle body.
Dharana – Dhāraṇā (from Sanskrit धारणा dhāraṇā) is translated as ‘collection orﾠ concentration of the mind (joined with the retention of breath)’, or ‘the act of holding, bearing, wearing, supporting, maintaining, retaining, keeping back (alsoﾠ in remembrance), a good memory’, or ‘firmness, steadfastness, … , certainty’[1]. Dhāraṇā may be translated as “holding”, “holding steady”, “concentration” or “single focus”. The prior limb Pratyahara invoves withdrawing the senses from external phenomena. Dhāraṇā builds further upon this by refining it further to ekagrata or ekagra chitta, that is single-pointed concentration and focus, which is in this context cognate with shamata.
Dhyāna – Sanskrit (Devanagari: ध्यान)) or jhāna in Pāli generally refers to either meditation or meditative states. Dhyana is considered to be an instrument to gain self knowledge, separating maya from reality to help attain the ultimate goal of moksha. Depictions of Hindu yogis performing dhyāna are found in ancient texts and in statues and frescoes of ancient India temples.
Drishti – View, position or point of focus and absorption.
Gheranda Samhita – (Sanskrit धेरंड संहिता Gheraṇḍa saṃhitā) meaning “Gheranda’s collection” is one of the three classic texts of hatha yoga (the other two being the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Shiva Samhita). It is a late 17th century text and is considered to be the most encyclopedic of the three classic texts on hatha yoga.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika – (Sanskrit: Haṭhayoga Pradīpikā, हठ योग प्रदीपिका) is a classic Sanskrit manual on Hatha Yoga, written by Svami Svatmarama, a disciple of Svami Gorakhnath. Said to be the oldest surviving text on the Hatha Yoga, it is one of the three classic texts of Hatha Yoga, the other two being the Gheranda Samhita and the Shiva Samhita.
Kriya – (in Sanskrit “action, deed, effort”) most commonly refers to a technique or practice within a yoga discipline, also the outward physical manifestations of awakened kundalini. Types of kriya may vary widely between different schools of yoga. Kriyas are the spontaneous movements resulting from the awakening of Kundalini energy.
Kundalini Yoga – a physical and meditative discipline within the tradition of Yoga, associated with the subdivision of hatha yoga [1]. It describes a set of advanced yoga exercises. The exercises are also sometimes referred to as Kriya Yoga or simply Kriya. According to Hindu tradition Kundalini yoga is a pure spiritual science that leads to enlightenment and God-Realization under the guidance of a Spiritual Master. The awakening of kundalini means awakening of inner knowledge [2].
Mantra - a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of “creating transformation” (cf. spiritual transformation).[1] Their use and type varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra.
Meditation – is used as a broad term for practices done by a sole practitioner without much, if any, external aid, often for the purpose of self-transformation. Often, though not at all necessarily, meditation is done as part of a religious tradition.
Mudra – A mudrā 
[muːˈdrɑː] (help·info) (Sanskrit: मुद्रा, lit. “seal”) is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. While some mudrās involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers. A mudrā is a spiritual gesture and an energetic seal of authenticity employed in the iconography and spiritual practice of Indian religions and traditions of Dharma and Taoism.
Nadi – Nāḍi (the Sanskrit for “tube, pipe”) are the channels through which, in traditional Indian medicine and spiritual science, the energies of the subtle body are said to flow. They connect at special points of intensity called chakras. Nadis seem to correspond to the meridians of traditional Chinese medicine.
Niyama - (Sanskrit: नियम) is a set of behaviors codified as “the observances” in numerous scriptures including the Shandilya and Varuha Upanishads, Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Gorakshanatha, the Tirumantiram of Tirumular and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. They include:
- Shaucha: in the traditional codification, this item is listed under Yamas; this word means purity.
- Santosha: contentment.
- Tapas: austerity.
- Svādhyāya: self-study or study of spiritual scriptures.
- Ishvarapranidhana: self-surrender.
Prana – (प्राण, prāṇa) is the Sanskrit for “vital life” (from the root prā “to fill”, cognate to Latin plenus “full”). It is one of the five organs of vitality or sensation, viz. prana “breath”, vac “speech”, caksus “sight”, shrotra “hearing”, and manas “thought” (nose, mouth, eyes, ears and mind; ChUp. 2.7.1).
In Vedantic philosophy, it is the notion of a vital, life-sustaining force of living beings and vital energy, comparable to the Chinese notion of Qi. Prana is a central concept in Ayurveda and Yoga where it is believed to flow through a network of fine subtle channels called nadis. Its most subtle material form is the breath, but is also to be found in blood, and its most concentrated form is semen in men and vaginal fluid in women.[1] The Pranamaya-kosha is one of the five Koshas or “sheaths” of the Atman.
Pranayama – (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम prāṇāyāma) is a Sanskrit word meaning “restraint of the prana or breath”. The word is composed of two Sanskrit words, Prāna, life force, or vital energy, particularly, the breath, and “āyāma”, to suspend or restrain. It is often translated as control of the life force (prana).[1][2][3][4] When used as a technical term in yoga, it is often translated more specifically as “breath control”.[5][6][7] Literal translations include A. A. Macdonell’s “suspension of breath”[8] and I. K. Taimni‘s “regulation of breath”.[9]
Pratyahara – (Devanāgarī प्रत्याहार) or the ‘withdrawal of the senses’ is the fifth element among the Eight stages of Patanjali‘s Ashtanga Yoga [1], as mentioned in his classical work, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali written in 2 BCE [2]. It is a bridge between the bahiranga (external) aspects of yoga namely, yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, and the antaranga (internal) yoga.
Samadhi – (Sanskrit: समाधि) is a Hindu and Buddhist technical term that usually denotes higher levels of concentrated meditation, or dhyana, in Yogic schools. It is the eighth and final limb of the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. It has been described as a non-dualistic state of consciousness in which the consciousness of the experiencing subject becomes one with the experienced object,[1] and in which the mind becomes still (one-pointed or concentrated)[2] though the person remains conscious.
Sadhana – Sādhanā (Sanskrit साधना), is a term for “a means of accomplishing something”[1] or more specifically “spiritual practice”.[2] It includes a variety of disciplines from Hindu and Buddhist traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.
Shatkarma (Sanskrit: षटकर्मन ṣaṭkarman), also known as Shatkriya[1], refers to the Yogic practices involving purification of the body.
Shiva Samhita – (also Siva Samhita) is a Sanskrit text on yoga, written by an unknown author[1]. The text is addressed by the Hindu god Shiva to his consort Parvati (“Shiva Samhita” means “Shiva’s Compendium”). It is one of three major surviving classical treatises on hatha yoga, the other two being Gheranda Samhita and Hatha Yoga Pradipika[2]. The Shiva Samhita is considered the most comprehensive and the most democratic treatise on hatha yoga[3].
Surya Namaskara – (IAST: Sūrya namaskāra) or Sun Salutation (lit. “salute to the sun”), is a common sequence of Hatha yoga asanas. Its origins lie in a worship of Surya, the Hindu solar deity. This sequence of movements and poses can be practised on varying levels of awareness, ranging from that of physical exercise in various styles, to a complete sadhana which incorporates asana, pranayama, mantra and chakra meditation.
The physical base of the practice links together twelve asanas in a dynamically performed series. These asanas are ordered so that they alternately stretch the spine backwards and forwards. When performed in the usual way, each asana is moved into with alternate inhalation and exhalation (except for the sixth asana where the breath is held in external suspension). A full round of Surya namaskara is considered to be two sets of the twelve poses with a change in the second set to moving the opposite leg first through the series.
Trataka – (in Sanskrit, n., त्राटक, trāṭaka, to look, or to gaze) is the practice of staring at some external object. It is used in yoga as a way of developing concentration, strengthening the eyes, and stimulating the Ajna chakra.
Yama - In the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali, the yamas are the first limb of the eight limbs of Raja Yoga. They are found in the Sadhana Pada Verse 30 as:
- Ahimsa (अहिंसा): Nonviolence. Abstinence from injury, harmlessness, the not causing of pain to any living creature in thought, word, or deed at any time. This is the “main” yama. The other nine are there in support of its accomplishment.
- Satya (सत्य): truthfulness, word and thought in conformity with the facts.
- Asteya (अस्तेय): non-stealing, non-coveting, non-entering into debt.
- Brahmacharya (ब्रह्मचर्य): divine conduct, continence, celibate when single, faithful when married.
- Aparigraha (अपरिग्रह): absence of avariciousness, non-appropriation of things not one’s own.
Yantra – (यन्त्र) is the Sanskrit word for “instrument” or “machine”. The meaning is contextual. Much like the word ‘instrument’ itself, it can stand for symbols, processes, automata, machinery or anything that has structure and organization. One use popular in the west is as symbols or geometric figures. Traditionally such symbols are used in Eastern mysticism to balance the mind or focus it on spiritual concepts. The act of wearing, depicting, enacting and/or concentrating on a yantra is held to have spiritual or astrological or magical benefits within the tantric dimension of the Dharmic Traditions.
Yin Yoga – so named because of its correspondence to the Taoist concept of yin, is a very distinct style of Chinese yoga similar to hatha yoga that stretches the connective tissue (joints) rather than conditioning the muscles, the latter being the aim of most other styles of hatha yoga. Experientially, the practice is characterized by passive asanas held for several minutes each. Some believe that yin yoga is the oldest form of hatha yoga, since it is the ideal method of physical conditioning for prolonged meditation, which is the principal concern of the ancient Hindu practice of Raja Yoga.
Yoga – (Sanskrit, Pāli: योग yóga) refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India.[1] The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.[2][3][4] In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs its practices.[5][6] In Jainism it refers to the sum total of all activities—mental, verbal and physical.
Major branches of yoga in Hindu philosophy include Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga.[7][8][9] Raja Yoga, compiled in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and known simply as yoga in the context of Hindu philosophy, is part of the Samkhya tradition.[10] Many other Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita and various Tantras.
The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings,[11] and is derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj,” meaning “to control,” “to yoke” or “to unite.”[12] Translations include “joining,” “uniting,” “union,” “conjunction,” and “means.”[13][14][15] Outside India, the term yoga is typically associated with Hatha Yoga and its asanas (postures) or as a form of exercise. Someone who practices yoga or follows the yoga philosophy is called a yogi or yogini.[16]
Yoga Nidra – a state of consciousness in which the yogi is in direct communion with the Divine energy, that may be understood as Dharma, pervading the whole phenomenal Universe and beyond.
Yoga Sutras -The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a foundational text of Yoga. It forms part of the corpus of Sutra literature dating to India’s Mauryan period. In Indian philosophy, Yoga (also Raja Yoga to distinguish it from later schools) is the name of one of the six orthodox philosophical schools.[1][2] Though brief, the Yoga Sutras are an enormously influential work on yoga philosophy and practice, held by principal proponents of yoga such as B.K.S. Iyengar as being of principal importance: