Yoga Exercise Dictionary

AYURVEDA

Is from India, and is more than 5,000 years old. "Ayur" means life and "Ved" means knowledge. This holistic science is the knowledge of complete balance of the Body, Mind and spirit, including the emotions and psychology, on all levels. It includes in its consideration, longevity, rejuvenation and self-realization therapies through herbs, diet, exercise, yoga, massage, aromas, tantras, mantras, and meditation.

According to Ayurvedic tradition health is the balance of elements air, earth, fire, and water-and illness is as excess or deficiency of any particular element. Ayurveda treats illness at its source, rather than at the level of symptoms, and helps an in individual to take responsibility for their own health and well-being.

(See also: AYURVEDA , Alternative Health, Holistic Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Bhastra: Breath control. Hatha Yoga uses eight different kinds of breath control.  Bhastra is one of them.

(See also: Bhastra ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Jnana Yoga: The yoga of wisdom; the path to liberation based on wisdom, through the ability to distinguish between the Real and the unreal, and rejecting what is unreal.

(See also: Jnana Yoga ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

twelve stages of healing: extraordinary approach to healing physical, mental, and spiritual ills. Its developer, Donald M. Epstein, founded Network Spinal Analysis. His theory posits twelve stages of consciousness common to all humanity.

Nearly all of Epstein's stages involve:

(a)   yoga- or Qigong-like exercises, and

(b)  ) declarations.

For example, the first stage (Suffering) involves declaring: Right now, I am helpless and Nothing works at this time. In The Twelve Stages of Healing: A Network Approach to Wholeness (1994), Epstein states: The most appropriate response to Suffering is to stop thinking about its causes. The seventh stage involves declaring: Oooh, Ahhh, and Whooosh. The ninth stage involves declaring, I experience my vital force; and the eleventh stage, May it be on Earth as it is in Heaven.

(See also: Twelve stages of healing , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Lotus Position: Padmasana, or Lotus Pose, named so because the position puts the souls of the feet up, reminiscent of a lotus flower. The prime position for meditation, it is the most renowned of all Hatha Yoga postures.

(See also: Lotus Position ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Hatha Yoga (Sanskrit) A lower form of yoga practice which uses physical means for purposes of self-development, teaching that it is possible to attain to a certain grade of psychomental abstraction and to develop some of the lower vital-astral powers, by means of a set of physical exercises and postures, by the regulation of the breath, or by certain other psychophysical methods. These methods are to be neither recommended nor followed, for they are exceedingly dangerous except when practiced in minor degree under the supervision of a teacher, and above everything else in full coordination with the higher forms of yoga.

Hatha yoga practices can be exceedingly dangerous to sanity and health. Being of nonphysical nature on one side, they can adversely affect the mind, and in extreme cases even dislodge the mind from its normal and proper seat, producing insanity. Being of a physical nature also, they interfere with the proper pranic circulations in the body; the pranas when left alone are usually productive of health, and when disturbed by attempted meddling produce disease.

One phase of hatha yoga is the pranayama (suppression of the breath), interference with the normal and healthy respiration of the body; a practice which can readily produce tuberculosis of the lungs. It is breathing deeply, healthfully, and as often as common sense suggests, that brings benefits to the body because bringing about a better oxygenation of the blood and therefore a better physical tone. In very rare circumstances only, where a chela has advanced relatively far mentally and spiritually, but has still an unfortunate and heavy physical karma as yet not worked out, it may possibly be proper, under the guidance of a genuine teacher, to use the hatha yoga methods in a limited degree, but only under the teacher's own eye. For this reason hatha yoga books are occasionally mentioned in theosophical literature -- the Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali, for example, is a hatha yoga scripture, but one of the highest type. But generally, hatha yoga practices are injurious and therefore unwise, for they distract the attention from things of the spirit and direct it to the lower parts of the constitution.

Unfortunately, however, physical practices of various kinds seem to be particularly attractive to the average person because apparently within the sphere of easy performance. One does not know the dangers lurking there; but actually, to achieve even the minor results that come from perfect performance, greater effort and larger difficulties have to be encountered than in raising one's eyes to the nobler forms of yoga. It is always safe and indeed requisite for a disciple to practice the higher branches of yoga: jnana yoga, raja yoga, bhakti yoga, and karma yoga, which means the yoga of unselfish action in daily life. Consequently, when considered apart from the nobler forms of yoga there is not a particle of spirituality in all these hatha yoga practices.

(See also: Hatha Yoga , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Maharishi: Maha means great, rishi means 'seer', A Great sage. A Great soul.

(See also: Maharishi ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Govinda: Another name for Krishna, who is also referred to as Gopala.

(See also: Govinda ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Ama Visha: An especially harmful, disease-promoting type of ama that contains highly reactive toxins.

(See also: Ama Visha ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Ama: Poorly digested food material that accumulates in the body.

(See also: Ama ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Bala: Strength or immunity.

(See also: Bala ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Kapalabhati: A breathing technique designed to stimulate and energize the body and the brain.

(See also: Kapalabhati ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Pitta: The dosha governing all digestion, metabolism, and transformation in the body.

(See also: Pitta ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

APPLIED KINESIOLOGY

Applied Kinesiology is a healing system that evaluates and treats an individual’s structural, chemical, and mental aspects. It employs muscle testing and other standard methods of diagnosis.

Applied Kinesiology therapeutically utilizes nutrition, manipulation, diet, acupressure, exercise, and education to help restore balance and harmony in the body and maintain well-being throughout life. (From Alternative Healing, by Hugh Burroughs and Mark Kastner) Dr. George Goodheart, a chiropractor in Detroit, Mich., discovered the technique in 1964 during a patient treatment.

After applying a few seconds of deep pressure on the man’s severe muscular dysfunction, he found the problem was eliminated. His wide background in a variety of therapies assisted him in his development of the technique. Dr. John Thie developed a simplified version of Applied Kinesiology called Touch for Health in 1970.

(See also: APPLIED KINESIOLOGY , Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

Iyengar Yoga: This is probably the best known and widely practiced system of Hatha Yoga today.  Iyengar is unique for its use of props such as cushions, straps, blankets and blocks to assist in doing the postures.

(See also: Iyengar Yoga ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Qigong (also spelled chi gong, and chi gung; originally called daoyin):

1. (Chi Kung, Chinese Energetic healing, Chinese Qigong therapy, Chinese yoga, internal Qigong, Kiko, Qi Gong, Qigong healing) Chinese form of self-healing whose aim is to stimulate and balance the flow of qi (chi, vital energy) through meridians (energy pathways).

It involves contemplation, visualization (imagery), assumption of postures, and stylized breathing and body movements. Gong (or kung, as in kung fu) is a Chinese word that pertains to skill.

The word qigong literally means breathing exercise, to work the vital force, practicing with the breath, or working with the energy of life. Interpretations of the word include energy skill and energy mastering exercise.

2. A vast group of systems and methods of ancient Chinese and twentieth-century origin that encompasses Qigong therapy.

(See also: Qigong , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Many studies have reported the beneficial effect of the practice of yoga on diabetes. Some studies have mentioned up to 65 percent beneficial effect of yogic therapy for diabetes. K.N. Udupa has even mentioned 5 cases of juvenile diabetes who were completely controlled by yogic treatment. All of these studies have emphasized the possible mechanism of the yogic practices.

Read more here: » Yoga and Diabetes: The effects of exercise and yoga on Diabetes - A Clinical Research (Part II of II)

The floating exercise is an important part of the meditation practices of kundalini Tantra, and as such is normally one of the first exercises taught to a new student. Mastery of the floating exercise can bring alignment to virtually any technique or physical world method wished. The floating exercise can also open the student to alignment to any spiritual world method or benefit imagined.  

Read more here: » Floating Exercise: The Floating Exercise of Kundalini Tantra

Mudras and Bandhas are certain postures of the body by which Kundalini is successfully awakened. In Gheranda Samhita, the description of 25 Mudras and Bandhas, is given. The following 12 are the most important:-,, 1. Mula Bandha, 2. Jalandhara Bandha, 3. Uddiyana Bandha, 4. Maha Mudra, 5. Maha Bandha, 6. Maha Vedha, 7. Yoga Mudra, 8. Viparitakarani Mudra, 9. Khechari Mudra, 10. Vajroli Mudra, 11. Shakti Chalana Mudra, 12. Yoni Mudra.

From "Kundalini Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda

Read more here: » Mudras and Bandhas: Kundalini Yoga - Mudras and Bandhas

Clinical research in the west has focused exclusively on diabetes as a physical disorder. Clinical research in India, by contrast, has recognized that diabetes is a psychosomatic disorder, in which the causative factors are sedentary habits, physical, emotional and mental stress and strain. It has studied the beneficial effects of the practice of yoga, which is much more than a physical exercise.

Read more here: » Yoga and Diabetes: The effects of exercise and yoga on Diabetes - A survey of medical research (Part I of II)

O Divine Mother Kundalini, the Divine Cosmic Energy that is hidden in men! Thou art Kali, Durga, Adisakti, Rajarajeswari, Tripurasundari, Maha-Lakshmi, Maha-Sarasvati! Thou hast put on all these names and forms. Thou hast manifested as Prana, electricity, force, magnetism, cohesion, gravitation in this universe. This whole universe rests in Thy bosom. Crores of salutations unto thee. O Mother of this world! Lead me on to open the Sushumna Nadi and take Thee along the Chakras to Sahasrara Chakra and to merge myself in Thee and Thy consort, Lord Siva.

Read more here: » Kundalini Yoga: Preface to Kundalini Yoga by Sri Swami Sivananda

This FAQ gives a background on the phenomenon of kundalini. Part II of III.

In Part II: 1) Can I just use kundalini yoga simply to improve my health?, 2)

Is there any scientific basis for kundalini and the cakras?, 3) Do I really have to believe that all these cakras physically exist?, 4) Is Chinese qi gong a kind of kundalini yoga?, 5) What about Tibetan Buddhism - has kundalini been known in Tibet?, 6) Are there any other traditions that show awareness of kundalini?, 7)So how do I awaken kundalini?, 8) What are the advantages and disadvantages of using effort to awaken kundalini?

Read more here: » Kundalini FAQ: What is Kundalini? (part II of III) -