A

 A

non

 Abhaya

freedom from fear

 Abhinivesa

possessiveness

 Abhyasa

steady effort

 Acharya

a religious teacher

 Adhah

down

 Adhara

a support

 Adharma

breach of duty

 Adhibhuta

the principle of objective existence

 Adhidaiva

the principle of subjective existence

 Adhikari

competent candidate

 Adhimatra

superior

 Adhimatratama

the highest, the supreme one

 Adhisthana

seat, abode

 Adhiyajna

the principle of sacrifice, incarnation

 Adho-mukha

face downwards

 Adho Mukha Svanasana

the dog stretch posture

 Adhyasa

a case of mistaken identity

 Adhyatma

the principle of self

 Adrishta

the unseen (e.g. actions of invisible entities)

 Adisvara

the primeval lord, a name of Shiva

 Aditi

the mother of the gods

 Aditya

son of aditi

 Advaita

non-duality of the universal spirit

 Advasana

the prone posture

 Agama

proof of the trustworthiness of a source of knowledge

 Aham

I

 Ahamkara

tendency to identify oneself with external phenomena, 'the I-maker'

 Ahimsa

non-violence

 Aishvarya

desire for power

 Ajapa

involuntary repetition (as with a mantra)

 Ajna

command

 Akarna

towards the ear

 Akarna Dhanurasana

the shooting bow posture

 Akasha

ether

 Akrodha

freedom from anger

 Alabhdha-bhumikatva

the feeling that it is impossible to see reality

 Alamba

support

 Alasya

idleness

 Amanaska

the mind free from desire

 Amrita

the elixir of immortality

 Anahata

unbeaten

 Ananda

bliss

 Ananta

infinite, a name of Vishnu

 Anantasana

Ananta's posture

 Anga

a limb, or body part

 Angamejayatva

unsteadiness of the body

 Angula

a finger

 Angushtha

the big toe

 Anjana

the name of the mother of Hanuman

 Anjaneyasana

the splits

 Antahkarana

the mind

 Antara

within

 Antaranga

the practices of pranayama and pratyahara

 Antaratma

the inner self, residing in the heart

 Anuloma

with the grain, naturally

 Anumana

an inference

 Apana

one of the vital airs, controls the elimination of bodily wastes

 Apara

lower

 Aparigraha

abstention from greed, non-possessiveness

 Apunya

vice

 Arama

pleasure garden

 Ardha

half

 Ardha-baddha Padmottanasana

the half-lotus forward bend posture

 Ardha-chandrasana

the half-moon posture

 Ardha-matsyendrasana

the half spinal-twist posture

 Ardhanarishvara

Shiva and his Shakti united as one

 Ardha-navasana

the half-boat posture

 Ardha-padmasana

the half-lotus posture

 Ardha-salabhasana

the half-locust posture

 Ardha-sarvangasana

the half-shoulderstand posture

 Ardha-sirsasana

the half headstand posture

 Arjuna

a disciple of Krishna, hero of the Mahabharata

 Asamprajnata

unconscious samadhi

 Asana

seat, posture

 Ashcharyavat

wonderful

 Ashram

a yoga centre or school

 Ashta

eight

 Ashtavakra

name of a deformed sage

 Ashva

a horse

 Ashvini

a mudra: contraction of the anal sphincter muscles

 Asmita

egotism

 Asteya

non-stealing

 Atman

the self, supreme soul

 Atmiyata

the feeling of oneness

 Aum

all, the absolute

 Avarana

a veil

 Avastha

a state of the mind

 Avatara

a divine incarnation, e.g. Buddha. The ten avataras of Vishnu are: Matsya(the fish), Kurma(the tortoise), Varaha(the boar), Narasimha(the man- lion), Vamana(the dwarf), Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Balarama, and Kalki. avidya

 Avirati

sensuality

 Ayama

length, extension, restraint

 Baddha

caught

 Baddhahasta Sirsasana

the bound hands headstand posture

 Bandha

binding, a muscular lock

 Bandha Padmasana

the bound lotus posture

 Baka

a wading bird, the crane

 Bali

a demon king

 Basti

method for cleaning the intestines

 Bhadrasana

the auspicious posture

 Bhagavad Gita

the dialogues between Krishna and Arjuna

 Bhagavan

holy

 Bhairava

terrible, one of the forms of Shiva

 Bhajana

a hymn

 Bhakti

devotion, worship

 Bhastrika

the bellows breath

 Bhati

light

 Bhavana

concentration

 Bhaya

fear

 Bheda

a division

 Bhedana

breaking through, piercing

 Bheka

a frog

 Bherunda

terrible

 Bherundasana

the formidable posture

 Bhoga

enjoyment

 Bhoktir

one who enjoys

 Bhramara

a large bee

 Bhramari

the bee breath

 Bhranti-darshana

a delusion

 Bhu

land

 Bhudana

the donation of land

 Bhuja

arm or shoulder

 Bhujanga

snake

 Bhujangasana

the cobra posture

 Bhujasana

the arm posture

 Bhumi

the object of meditation

 Bhumikatva

firm ground

 Bhuta

a ghost, an element

 Bija

seed

 Bindu

drop or point

 Bodhi

supreme knowledge

 Brahma

the creator

 Brahmins

the highest, priestly caste

 Brahmacharya

control of sexual impulses

 Brahmacharyasana

the posterior stretch posture

 Brahmadvara

the door where kundalini enters the spine

 Brahmanda-prana

cosmic breath

 Buddha

Buddha

 Buddhi

wisdom, reason

 Chakra

a wheel or vortex

 Chakra-bandha

the binding which seals all of the chakras

 Chakrasana

the wheel posture

 Chandra

the moon

 Chatur

four

 Chela

a pupil

 Chit

pure consciousness

 Chitrini

a fine cord within the spine

 Chitta

mind-stuff, the lower parts of mind

 Chitta-vikshepa

confusion, distraction

 Chitta-vritti

a mode of behaviour

 Crore

ten million