Sahasrara:

The thousand-petaled spiritual energy center at the crown of the head, where one experiences the highest states of consciousness.

(See also: Sahasrara, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Samadhi:

The state of meditative union with the Absolute; the state of final absorption in God.

(See also: Samadhi, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Sankalpa:

Thought, intention, or will directed toward a specific outcome.

(See also: Sankalpa, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Sannyasa:

1)  Monkhood.

2)  The ceremony and vows of monkhood.

(See also: Sannyasa, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Saptah:

(lit., seven) A term introduced by Swami Muktananda to refer to the continuous chanting of the name of God, which also may be accompanied by dancing in a circle in a series of measured steps as an act of devotion and a joyful experience of meditation in motion. Saptahs were often held in the ashram for seven days at a time.

(See also: Saptah, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Satsang:

(lit., the company of the Truth) The company of saints and devotees; a gathering of seekers for the purpose of chanting, meditation, and listening to scriptural teachings or readings.

(See also: Satsang, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Self:

Divine Consciousness residing in the individual, described as the witness of the mind or the pure I-awareness.

(See also: Self, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Sushumna:

The most important of all the nadis; the central channel, which extends from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. It is the pathway of the awakened kundalini.

(See also: Sushumna, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Sutra:

Aphorism; a condensed and cryptic statement that usually can be understood only through commentary. In India, the major points of an entire philosophical system may be expressed in a series of sutras.

(See also: Sutra, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Tandra:

The state of higher consciousness between sleeping and waking that is experienced in meditation.

(See also: Tandra, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Tattvas:

In Kashmir Shaivism, the basic categories or principles of the process of universal manifestation from pure Consciousness to matter; that which is the essence of each stage of manifestation.

(See also: Tattvas, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Turiya:

A name of God. Silent repetition or audible chanting of the divine Name is considered to be the most effective means of redemption in Kali Yuga, the present age. Chanting and japa open the heart to the love and joy contained within it.

(See also: Turiya, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Upanishads:

The inspired teachings, visions, and mystical experiences of the ancient sages of India; the concluding portion of the Vedas and the basis for Vedantic philosophy. With immense variety of form and style, all of these scriptures (exceeding one hundred texts) give the same essential teaching that the individual soul and God are one.

(See also: Upanishads, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Vairagya:

Dispassion; the power of renunciation by which a yogi is able to pursue the true rather than the false, the eternal rather than the ephemeral.

(See also: Vairagya, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Vedas:

Among the most ancient, revered, and sacred of the world's scriptures, the four Vedas are regarded as divinely revealed, eternal wisdom. They are the Rig Veda, Atharva Veda, Sama Veda, and Yajur Veda.

(See also: Vedas, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Viveka:

1)  A name for the all-pervasive, supreme Reality.

2)  One of the Hindu trinity of gods, representing God as the sustainer of the universe. Rama and Krishna are the best known of His incarnations.

(See also: Viveka, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Witness:

The transcendental Consciousness that lies at the root of the mind and from which the mind can be observed.

(See also: Witness, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Yajna:

1)  A sacrificial fire ritual in which Vedic mantras are recited while wood, fruit, grain, oil, yogurt, and ghee are poured into the fire as an offering to the Lord.

2)  Any work or spiritual practice that is offered as worship to God.

(See also: Yajna, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Mantra:

The names of God; sacred words or divine sounds invested with the power to protect, purify, and transform the individual who repeats them. A mantra received from an enlightened Master is filled with the power of the Master's attainment.

(See also: Mantra, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Maya:

The power that veils and obscures the true nature of the Self and creates a sense of differentiation. It makes the universal Consciousness, which is One, appear as duality and multiplicity.

(See also: Maya, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Mukti:

Liberation from the cycle of birth and death; freedom from the sense of duality and limitation.

(See also: Mukti, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

Murti:

(lit., embodiment; figure; image) A representation of God or of a chosen deity that has been sanctified and enlivened by worship. A murti can be a symbolic embodiment of the presence of God or a recognizable human figure, as in the image of a saint.

(See also: Murti, Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)