Asana – Traditionally defined as the seated posture, used for meditation, from the Sanskrit meaning “seat.” The term is now commonly used to refer to any physical Hatha yoga posture.
Chakra – Comes from the Sanskrit, cakra, which means “wheel.” According to yoga traditions, a chakra is one of seven points in the human body, each responsible for a specific “spoke” of physiological function and emotional experience. Yoga and meditation are a means of keeping all of the body’s chakras unrestricted and open to the circulation of spiritual energy essential for health and emotional well-being.
Dakini – Originally the name of a Tantric priestess of ancient India who transported the souls of the dead into the sky. As such, a dakini is sometimes called a “sky dancer.” A dakini can also refer to an accomplished yogini, or the female personification of enlightenment and energy.
Divine – Used to describe something (or someone) that has the qualities of a god or deity.
Hatha Yoga – The practice of Hatha yoga focuses on total mastery of the physical body, including all bodily functions. It also emphasizes activating the chakras in order to stimulate kundalini and promote spiritual and physical wellness, including disease elimination.
Intuition – The ability to have knowledge or insight without the use of reason, evidence or justification; it is often thought of as insight that is “received” by an individual outside of his/her own intelligence.
Kundalini – A Sanskrit term that literally means “coiled one.” In spiritual circles, this term represents the primal force that lies “coiled” at the base of one’s spine. Yoga poses, controlled breathing and meditation provide a means to awaken the kundalini and channel its enlightening force upward through the seven chakras, to the sahasrara chakra at the crown of the head.
Meditation – The process of quieting the mind in order to spend time in thought for relaxation or religious/spiritual purposes. The goal is to attain an inner state of awareness and intensify personal and spiritual growth. In practice, meditation involves concentrated focus on something such as a sound, image or feeling.
Reiki – A form of alternative energy therapy developed in 1922 by Mikao Usui of Japan. It is a form of hands-on healing therapy that combines the use of touch and energy channeling to promote a sense of deep relaxation and healing. The aim of Reiki is to clear the body of energetic blocks, allowing the energy to flow freely and for balance to be restored.
Reiki is a Japanese term that may be translated to mean “universal life/energy.” It is a combination of rei, meaning “universal life,” and and ki, meaning “energy.” Ki can be viewed as synonymous to chi, pranaor cosmic energy. Can also be preformed remotely.
Savasana – Shavasana, Corpse Pose, or Mrtasana, is an asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise, often used for relaxation at the end of a session. It is a time for your body to recover and process in a relaxed state.
Tantra – A set of spiritual practices that direct the universal energies into the practitioner, thereby leading to liberation. Meaning “to weave” in Sanskrit, the term is derived from two words: tanoti, which means “to stretch” or “to expand,” and trayati, which means “liberation.”
Tantrika – A Sanskrit word that means “relating to Tantra.” Tantra is a Hindu spiritual practice (sadhana) based on religious and mystical texts devoted to goddess worship and shakti (divine feminine energy). It is also the name used to describe this collection of texts (Tantras).
Yoni – A stylized representation of the female genitalia that in Hinduism is a sign of generative power and that symbolizes the goddess Shakti.