Glossary of Yogic Terms (Part 1)

Glossary of Important Yogic Terms

• Abhinivesha: This term refers to primary fear, specifically the fear of not being, or the profound apprehension of losing bliss or the very being that experiences it.

• Abhyasa: Defined as practice, it signifies the sustained effort towards establishment or stillness in ultimate reality. It is considered one of the two essential "wings" of yoga, alongside detachment.

• Aham: This concept embodies symbolic reality, formed by the combination of the first and last alphabets (Ah + Ha + M), symbolically representing the duality of life and death. Transcending this duality leads to Aham as power.

• Ajna Complex (Third Eye Complex): Comprising Ajnya, Talu, and Indu, this complex is regarded as the sixth element in the Zero Point System. It represents a state of disassociation from the five elements and is synonymous with the "space" element.

• Anandamaya Kosha: Known as the bliss body, it denotes a non-dual state of sustained bliss that transcends the fluctuating "up and down" experiences of emotions.

• Anapanasati: A meditative practice where one focuses awareness on the sensation of breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. It serves as a foundational and preparatory step, often preceding Yoga Nidra.

• Anushasanam: Meaning "discipline" in the context of "Atha Yoga Anushasanam," this term implies a meticulous and systematic methodology essential for establishing oneself firmly in the practice and understanding of yoga.

• Anuttara Yoga Tantra: This translates to "no more questioning" and identifies as the highest system of yoga. It uniquely integrates both yoga and tantra to guide a practitioner towards ultimate, unquestionable experience.

• Archetypes: These are images, symbols, sounds, or words that instinctively trigger specific patterns of emotions and thoughts. They are crucial tools in Yoga Nidra for actualizing psychological patterns within the mind.

• Asana: Physical postures practised in yoga, functioning as an indirect yet powerful method to access the mind. Certain asanas can directly cultivate specific qualities, such as courage.

• Asmita: This translates to "unqualified egoism," and it represents the fourth and final stage of Samprajnata Samadhi. It follows specific enquiry, thought, and the experience of bliss.

• Assonance: The capacity to respond to any situation in the most ideal way, involving the harmonious alignment of internal and external elements. It embodies a state of natural ease-ness and synchronicity, achievable from the zero point.

• Avidya: Refers to false knowledge or a deluded understanding, which means having an incorrect perception of oneself, another person, or a situation, rather than simply being unaware.

• Baikhari: This is the physically expressed, spoken level of mantra, where sound waves are explicitly formed and manifested. It includes all vocal expressions, whether in language, music, or direct chanting.

• Bija: Constituent seed elements or sounds, such as "Vam" for the Muladhara Chakra, deeply connected to petals and chakras. These are essentially energy waves that form the underlying basis of psychological phenomena.

• Bodhicitta (Awakening Mind): This term denotes the purely altruistic desire to attain Buddhahood, serving as the foundational ideal and profound motivation for anyone embarking on the Bodhisattva path.

• CAB (Cognitive, Affective, Behavioural): These represent the three interdependent pillars of the psyche – thought, emotion, and action. For any therapeutic method to have lasting and transformative effects, these three aspects must be intensified and clarified.

• Chakra: These are domains of consciousness (e.g., Muladhara for instinct, Swadhisthana for identity, Manipura for intellect), each possessing a distinct psychological basis and being mapped to specific elements.

• Chitta: Encompasses the totality of the mind, including all that manifests in one's experience and the very sense of self. It is the mental field where information is processed and encoded.

• Chitta-Vritti-Nirodha: The core definition of yoga, meaning "the desistance of the movements of the mind" or the "inhibition of mental processes." It signifies achieving a state of mental stillness.

• Dharana: This is the process of identification, particularly within Tantric practices, where one purposefully uses their sense of identity to connect with and merge with an external object, such as a deity or pranic energy.

• Dharma: Refers to an individual's intrinsic nature and potential, as well as the inherent qualities or duty of a situation. Understanding one's own and others' Dharma enables highly skillful and appropriate interaction.

• Dhyana Shakti: This translates to "absorption power" or a hyperintuitive concentration capacity. It enables deep absorption into higher planes of consciousness, moving beyond ordinary intellectual and intuitive grasp.

• Ekagrata: Describes a one-pointed mind, a state of complete absorption where mental distraction ceases entirely. In this state, any object of focus can lead to an ecstatic experience.

• Elements (PanchaTattwa): Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Space are regarded as domains of consciousness, each processing reality and information uniquely. They profoundly influence psychological, physiological, and behavioural aspects of an individual.

• Evolution (Self-willed): This is the conscious process of expanding one's three powers (Gyan Shakti, Iccha Shakti, Kriya Shakti) at an individually determined pace, transcending the slow speed of natural evolution. It involves moving beyond the five elemental domains of consciousness.

• Gunas (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas): These are the three fundamental qualities of nature: Sattva (clarity/essentiality), Rajas (energy/dynamism), and Tamas (stasis/inertia). They collectively determine the quality, capacity, and intensity of all traits within a person's psychological makeup.

• Hatha Yoga: One of the three preparatory yogas (alongside Mantra and Laya/Kundalini) that precede Raja Yoga, it focuses on mind-body mastery and developing physical fitness as a foundation for more advanced spiritual practices.

• Heuristic knowledge: A limited form of knowing where conclusions are drawn based on available facts and their analysis, contrasting with the more direct, intuitive, or gnostic forms of knowledge.

• Hypnagogic State: This is a transitional state of consciousness occurring between waking and sleeping, characterized by rapid mental shifts that can facilitate the experience of Turiya (the fourth state). Yoga Nidra is specifically designed to access and maintain this state.

• Identity: Defined as an auto-generated cognitive functional defence against a world perceived dualistically. It is essentially a collection of biases and memories that an individual is subject to, rather than actively mastering.

• Intensity (Teevra): Represents the degree of total engagement and concentrated focus that significantly accelerates spiritual growth. It is a crucial factor determining how quickly one approaches their objectives in yoga, applying to both the practitioner and the methods employed.

• Kaivalya: Signifying ultimate liberation or absolute freedom, this is the culminating state achieved at the highest point of Raja Yoga, following the Dharmamega Samadhi.

• Koshas: These are five sheaths or layers of existence (Anamaya, Pranamaya, Manomaya, Vigyanamaya, Anandamaya) that enclose the Self, ranging from the gross physical body to the subtlest state of pure bliss.

• Kundalini: A subtle, powerful energy that, when awakened, ascends through the chakras, facilitating the emancipation of the shadow and the profound merging of Shiva (consciousness) and Shakti (energy).

• Laya Yoga: An ancient yogic tradition, forming part of the Anuttara Yoga Tantra, which focuses on the dissolution of the mind. It involves the study and practice related to chakras, nadis, and Kundalini.

• LPT (Laya Personality Table): This is the original table of traits derived from the Laya Tantra tradition, meticulously detailing the clusters of traits (petals) associated with each chakra and elemental domain.

• Madhyama: The second, subtle level of mantra, where the physiological processes within the body (such as breathing and the larynx) are responsible for generating and modulating sound, ultimately forming language.

• Mind (Chitta): This refers to the cognizing factor of consciousness, distinct from the physical brain, and is responsible for all experiences, both internal (thoughts, feelings) and external (perceptions). It actively creates and recreates reality.

• Mudha Mind: An ignorant and distracted state of mind, characterized by a lack of awareness of its own internal processes. This leads to indecisiveness and an unclear sense of one's own preferences and life choices.

• Muladhara Chakra: The first chakra, associated with the Earth element and instinct. Its four "petals" are understood as fundamental aspects or forces of bliss rather than individual traits, forming the experiential essence of life.

• Nadis: These are subtle energy channels within the Pranamaya Kosha (energy body), which play a role in creating dualistic experiences. Their convergence in the Sushumna facilitates experiences of non-dualism.

• Nidra (Deep Sleep): One of the five mental modifications (vrittis), it is considered the "mother state" where the pure Self rests in the bedrock of pure consciousness, separate from the waking and dream states.

• Nivritti: This term denotes the path of spiritual progression or evolution, characterized by moving away from attachment to the elements and towards a more purified, spiritual state of consciousness.

• Om (AUM): Regarded as the primordial sound or "word of God," representing the Universal Potentialities Source. Its correct intonation is a fundamental practice in Bhakti Yoga.

• Paramananda: The first petal of Muladhara, signifying eternal bliss or the greatest bliss. It represents the fundamental source from which all other petals are said to emanate.

• Para (Mantra Level): The deepest and purest level of mantra, representing the true self and pure consciousness. This level exists beyond the reach of the senses, intellect, and the memory-based mind.

• Pashyanti: The third, subtler level of mantra, where the mind cognizes or "sees" a thought or emotion before it is translated into words or expressed physically. It is the realm of pre-verbal cognition.

• Petals: These are metaphorical clusters of specific traits located within each chakra. Together, they weave the complex and unique tapestry of an individual's personality and psychological makeup.

• Prakriti: This refers to nature or matter, embodying existence itself. It becomes sentient when it is permeated by Purusha (pure consciousness), forming the basis of all experienced reality.

• Pranamaya Kosha: The energy body, composed of living, sentient energy. It contains the vital energy channels (nadis) and centres (chakras) and serves as a subtle blueprint for the physical body.

• Purusha: Represents pure consciousness or sentience, the animating principle that imbues Prakriti (matter) with life and awareness. It is the transcendental Self, distinct from the material world.

• Raja Yoga: Considered the fourth and highest path of yoga, its primary focus is the direct control and profound transformation of the mind (Chitta Vritti Nirodha). The ultimate aim is to achieve absolute liberation, or Kaivalya.

• Resolution (Sankalpa): A clear, simple, and psychologically-oriented intention that an individual seeks to manifest or bring alive within themselves. It is typically formulated and stated at the outset of a Yoga Nidra session.

• Sahajananda: This describes the bliss of natural ease-ness or the "fluid state," representing an effortless synchronicity with oneself and external situations. It is associated with the second petal of Muladhara.

• Samadhi: A state of deep meditative absorption, characterized by non-doing and an unbroken continuity of a focused mind. This state spontaneously evolves towards higher planes of consciousness and ultimately leads to Kaivalya.

• Samkhya: A foundational dualistic philosophical system that elucidates the interplay between Purusha (consciousness) and Prakriti (matter). It explains how the five elements fundamentally influence the nature of all experience.

• Samskara: These are subconscious impressions or experiences encoded as information within the soul, existing without symbols or language. They directly influence an individual's feelings and sensibilities.

• Sannyas: This state signifies complete internalization and profound non-identification with one's personality, effectively reaching a "zero point" where one is simultaneously everything and nothing.

• Sattva, Rajas, Tamas (Gunas): The three fundamental qualities of nature: Sattva (clarity/essentiality), Rajas (energy/dynamism), and Tamas (stasis/inertia). They determine the quality, capacity, and intensity of traits within a personality.

• Self: In yogic psychology, the Self is described as pure illumination or sentience isolated. It is the evolving aspect of an individual capable of achieving self-willed evolution.

• Shuddha Vidya: This refers to a state of absolute knowledge or pure gnosis, where one transcends duality and experiences reality as a unified, singular canvas. It is a level of pure, unadulterated understanding.

• Smriti (Memory): One of the five mental modifications (vrittis). In the context of Samprajna, it specifically refers to transformed memory, where associations with past experiences undergo purification.

• Soul: Described as information of a different type (Samskaras), representing individualized ways of feeling that exist beyond language or symbols. It is considered the driving force behind curiosity and evolution.

• Sushumna: The central energy channel (nadi) where all nadis that typically create experiences of duality converge. This convergence facilitates the experience of non-dualism.

• Swadhisthana Chakra: The second chakra, associated with the Water element, representing the foundational "child ego" or collective identity. It is crucial for developing self-acceptance and self-love.

• Tantra: A system of practices (often integrated within Laya Yoga) that consciously utilizes the body, senses, and identity to access higher states of consciousness, frequently involving identification with deities or energetic forms.

• Therapy (Zero Point System): A systematic approach focused on dynamic homeostasis, balance, and progress, aiming to purify memory associations and re-engineer personality traits rather than merely treating symptoms.

• Turiya: The "fourth state" of consciousness, transcending the ordinary waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states. Yoga Nidra is considered the most efficient method for generating this state of pure awareness.

• Vairagya: This is detachment, understood not as apathy, but as ultimate concern and compassion without attachment. It involves disassociating from external objects and even one's own personality, thoughts, and feelings.

• Vikalpa: Semantic delusion, one of the five mental modifications (vrittis), where the mind constructs elaborate conceptual frameworks. This can be problematic in spiritual contexts as facility with terms is mistaken for genuine insight.

• Viveka: This is discernment, the critical ability to differentiate between what is real and unreal, or between right and wrong. It is essential for ensuring that personal traits manifest in sattvic (harmonious) ways and for navigating spiritual paths effectively.

• Vritti: Refers to the movements or modifications of the mind (Chitta). Patanjali's Yoga Sutras classify these into five types, which can be either painful (klishtah) or non-painful (aklishtah).

• Yoga Nidra: A powerful "dream engineering" technique derived from Tantra Nyasa, which uses archetypes in a hypnagogic state to re-engineer psychological patterns. It is highly effective in promoting the experience of Turiya.

• Yoga: Fundamentally defined as the "union" or "to yoke," it means the cessation of the changing of the mind (Chitta Vritti Nirodha). It is a profound state of being that facilitates evolution beyond conditioned existence.

• Zero Point System: A comprehensive framework of Yogic Psychology designed for dynamic homeostasis, balance, and progress. It emphasizes de-learning processes to re-engineer internal architecture, allowing access to all traits without being controlled by any.