Yoga Terms
All terms are in Sanskrit, the ancient language of yoga.
asana - yoga posture
pranayama- yoga breath and life force
Vinyassa Flow - fluid sequence of postures linked by breath
Hatha yoga - physical part of yoga practice
Mantra - word or sound that's chanted, either aloud or silently, to focus the mind
Shanti- peace
Namaste - the beautiful Light inside me honors the beautiful Light inside you (said at the end of class)
Om- mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of yoga sessions. It is said to be the sound of the universe. What does that mean? Somehow the ancient yogis knew what scientists today are telling us—that the entire universe is moving. Everything that exists pulsates, creating a rhythmic vibration that ancient yogis acknowledged with the sound of Om. We may not always be aware of this sound in our daily lives, but we can hear it in the rustling of the autumn leaves, the waves on the shore, the inside of a seashell.Chanting Om allows us to recognize our experience as a reflection of how the whole universe moves—the setting sun, the rising moon, the ebb and flow of the tides, the beating of our hearts. As we chant Om we begin to sense a bigger connection that is both uplifting and soothing.
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