Yoga and Spiritual Practices Glossary Quiz

anatman / anātman = Buddhist doctrine of no self or soul behind the skandhas asana / āsana = Posture, often seated but can be non-seated as well bhakti = Partaking in a deity or human, as in bhakti yoga, yoga of devotion or love chakra / cakra = Site of subtle life or gnosis in the body, sometimes also lotuses with specific numbers of petals or kingdoms

Agni = Vedic god of fire, also fire element Arjuna = One of the Pandava brothers and a chariot-rider instructed by Krishna on the eve of battle Brahma (Brahmā) = Hindu god who is the creator of the universe Buddha, the = Prince who preached a doctrine of enlightenment through awareness of sorrow's cause

Baul / Bāul / Bāul Fakir = Bards, sadhus, and yogis who sing esoteric and mystical songs and celebrate a common humanity beyond religious differences Bhagavad Gita / Bhagavadgītā = Part within the Mahābhārata in which Krishna gives Arjuna instruction on yoga on the battlefield dharma = Duty, religion, law, also a god Dharma who is the embodiment of the same dhyana / dhyāna = Meditation or meditative absorption in Hinduism and Buddhism

brahmin / brahman = Vedic priestly caste dhikr = Sufi recitation of spiritual words, often from the Qu'ran fakir = Originally referred to a poor renunciate, often Sufi, but acquired new meanings in the Baul tradition fana = Mystical experience in Sufism, meaning 'dissolution' or 'annihilation'

Hatha Yoga = Yoga of force, usually physical techniques of yoga Ishwara = The 'Lord' or 'Absolute' Kundalini = A serpentine energy in Haṭha Yoga and Tantric texts Mahayana (Buddhism) = The 'Great Vehicle' of Buddhism emphasizing compassion as important to enlightenment

Krishna (Kṛṣṇa) = Arjuna's charioteer, a god and avatār of Vishnu Jnana (jnana) = Knowledge or gnosis in Sanskrit, also in jñāna yoga Lalon Fakir (Lālan Sā̃i) = One of the most famous nineteenth-century Bāuls of Bengal who composed numerous esoteric songs, many on yogic ideas Hatha Pradipika (Haṭhapradīpikā) = Collection of medieval Haṭha Yoga teachings

Mahabharata (Mahābhārata) = A major epic in Sanskrit, that includes the Bhagavadgītā as a small part Jhana (jhāna) = Pali spelling of Sanskrit word dhyāna, 'meditation' Karma = Action, also in karma yoga (yoga of action) Madhumalati = 16th-century Hindavi romance written by Mir Sayyid Manjhan Shattari Rajgiri that includes an allegory of love as yoga

Guna = Quality, often in a set of three: purity (sattva), activity (rajas), and darkness (tamas) Helena Blavatsky = A Russian medium and occult author who took an interest in Indian spirituality and helped found the Theosophical Society with Henry Olcott Kaya (kāya) = 'Body' in Sanskrit, synonymous with deha Karma Yoga = Yoga of action

Manas, Marga, and Mokṣa = Spiritual paths and liberation Pandava brothers = Heroes of the Mahābhārata who practice heroic yoga Prakriti = Materiality principle in Samkhya, giving rise to the mind-body complex Samadhi = Advanced state of contemplation achieved through yoga practice

Prana and Pranayama = Vital breath and its control in yoga Modern Postural Yoga = Blend of Hatha Yoga and physical culture Purusha = Cosmic 'person' in Sāṃkhya, aloof from manifestation Samsara = Cycle of birth and rebirth in worldly existence

Occultism = Involves hidden powers and energies, often associated with yoga Shaiva and Shakta = Worshippers of Shiva and the Goddess Tantra = Scriptures and practices utilizing bodily processes and meditation for liberation Tathagata = Special Buddhas for meditation in Tantric Buddhism, often five in number