About Yoga

Yoga Terms

Namaste: The gesture Namaste represents the belief that there is a Divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart chakra (life energy pools). The gesture is an acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another. "Nama" means bow, "as" means I, and "te" means you. Therefore, Namaste literally means "bow me you" or "I bow to you." To perform Namaste, we place the hands together at the heart charka, close the eyes, and bow the head. It can also be done by placing the hands together in front of the third eye, bowing the head, and then bringing the hands down to the heart. This is an especially deep form of respect.

Om (Aum): Om is not a word but rather an intonation, which, like music, transcends the barriers of age, race, culture and even species. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa, au and ma. When they are combined together, they make the sound Aum or Om (with the fourth sound being silence). It is believed to be the basic sound of the world and to contain all other sounds. It is a mantra or prayer in itself. If repeated with the correct intonation, it can resonate throughout the body so that the sound penetrates to the centre of one's being, the atman or the soul.

Bandha:The bandhas are energy valves or locks within the body that assist in regulating flow of prana (life force) along the body's energy channels (nadis). The word "bandha" means binding, restricting. When the bandhas are engaged or activated, the energy (prana) is forced to travel through the channels in a specific way. In a physical manner, activation of the bandhas helps build core strength and provides stability and lightness to the postures, and aids in transition between postures. The three main bandhas are:
1) Mulabandha- the "root lock" located at the base of the spine. It is engaged in men by gently contracting the muscle in the perineum. In women, it is engaged by contracting the muscles of the pelvic floor.
2) Uddiyana- the "navel centre lock". One can activate this bandha by subtly drawing the navel inwards and upwards.
3) Jalandhara- the "chin lock". Gently reach the chin forward and then down towards the notch where the collar bones (clavicles) meet.

Chakras: Chakras are "pools of life energy" that are part of the energetic or subtle body. Their corresponding reference points in the physical body are located along the spine.

The seven chakras are:
1) muladhara chakra - the root centre located at the base of the spine and associated with the element of earth.
2) swadhisthana chakra - the sexual centre located three fingers below the navel and associated with the element of water.
3) manipura chakra - the power centre located in the solar plexus and associated with the element of fire.
4) anahata chakra - the compassion centre located in the heart and associated with the element of air
5) vishuddha chakra - the speech centre located in the throat and associated with the element of sound
6) ajna chakra - the third eye located between the eyebrows and associated with the element of space
7) sahasrara chakra - the centre of universal consciousness and located just above the crown of the head and associated with the element of space.

Pranayama: The word pranayama comes from "prana" (meaning life force) and "ayama" (meaning extension). Pranayama exercises are intended to help us direct prana by use of the breath - controlling inhalation, exhalation and retention of the breath.

Ujjayi Breath: Ujjayi or "victorious" breath is a specialized breathing technique used to focus the mind and heat up the body so it can move safely through the asana practice. The ujjayi breath is created when we inhale and exhale through the nose with our mouth closed, slightly constricting the throat so the breath swirls in the back of the throat. Some describe this breath as the sound being like distant ocean waves breaking.

Drishti The drishti is the eye gaze or focus used in each asana (posture).