Asana: (AH-sun-ah, IASTāsana) A prescribed posture for a movement or meditation; sometimes called “poses” in modern hatha yoga.
Bija: (IAST bīja) Seed syllable, considered to contain the essence of a deity.
Chakra: (IAST cakra) Energy center in the body used in yogic and tantric meditation.
Dharma: (DAR-muh) Literally meaning “law” (as in “law of nature”), this more generally refers to the systems that make up absolute reality, and how they manifest in relative reality. Often expressed as “practicing the dharma” or “teaching the dharma”, meaning bringing yourself or others into alignment with that reality.
Karma: The law of cause and effect; the cosmic way in which actions create consequences.
Mala: (MALL-uh) A string of beads used for mantra repetitions.
Mantra: (MON-truh) Sacred syllables or phrases used for focus and transformation.
Meditation: The practice of training the mind to focus and achieve a state of calmness and clarity.
Metta: (MET-uh; Skt maitrī) Loving-kindness, wishing happiness and well-being for oneself and others.
Mindfulness: Awareness of the present moment without judgment.
Mudra: (MOO-druh; IAST mudrā) Hand positions and gestures used to influence energy flow in the body and mind.
Pranayama: (Prahn-uh-YAH-muh; IAST prāṇāyāma) Breath control exercises used to manipulate energies in the body.
Sadhana: (SOD-uh-nuh; IAST sādhanā) A practice or ritual undertaken in pursuit of a goal, usually ultimate truth.
Sadhaka: (SOD-uh-kuh; IAST sādhaka (m) / sādhakā (f)) One who performs sadhana; a practitioner.
Samadhi: (sah-MAH-di; IAST samādhi) Deep absorption, a state of oneness with the object of meditation.
Shiva: (SHEE-vuh, IAST Śiva) The Hindu god of transformation and liberation. In nondual Shaiva tantra (NST), Shiva is the consciousness which pervades existence and from which all things emerge.
Tantra: (TAHN-truh) A group of spiritual paths originally from the Indian subcontinent that emphasize a nondual perspective, embracing life in relative reality (particularly the body), and using ritual practices to condition the mind to see through its own illusions to pursue ultimate truth.
Vipassana: (vee-PAH-sun-uh; IAST vipaśyanā) Insight meditation. The level of distinction between vipassana and shamatha has ebbed and flowed over time.
Yoga: Literally meaning “yoke”, a system of practices meant to bring together (yoke) physical, mental, and spiritual disciplines. The particular form of stretching and breathwork is generally termed hatha yoga (HA-tuh yo-guh), though scholars often refer to it as “modern postural yoga” to distinguish it from other historical forms.