A Yoga Glossary & Primer

Yoga is not a religion. It does not require that practioners surrender their own religious beliefs to practice.
Yoga is a philiosophy that began in India over 5000 years ago. The father of classical ashtanga yoga (the eight limbed path) is said to be Patanjali, who wrote the Yoga Sutras, which form the basis of yogic philosophy. These writings provide practioners with a framework for spiritual growth and mastery over the physical and mental bodies. Often yoga interweaves other philosophies, including Hinduism & Buddhism, but it is not necessary to have an understanding of them in order to practice or study yoga.
Asana is a Sanskrit term meaning "posture heald in stillness" both mentall and physically - most people recognize asana as complex poses. Practioners of asana are conscious of the subtle physical and mental shifts that arise during the physical practice of yoga. Asana serves to strengthen and heal the physical body while calming the mind. Continue practice and dedication cultivates a sense of calmness, concentration and lightness.
Mantras have been used for thousands of years to help ease the suffering of the mind. Typically, mantras are spoken aloud - the vibration of the mantra emanates and stimulates stangant energy in the body. Mantras are like affirmations and can be used in many different ways. The most common mantra is AUM (commonly seen as OM).
AUM is a mantra, or vibration, that is traditionally chanted at the beginning and end of a yoga class. It is considered to be the primordial sound and vibration of all things. Somehow, the ancient yogis knew what today's scientists are just discovering - that the entire universe is pulsating and moving. Nothing is ever solid or still. Everything that exists pulsates, creating a rhythmic vibration that the ancient yogis acknowledged with the sound of AUM. We may not always be aware of this sound in our daily lives, but we can hear it rustling in the autumn leaves, the waves crashing onto the beach, or the inside of a seashell.
All Vedic mantras start with AUM. Chanting AUM 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 the tides, even the beating of our own hearts. As we chant AUM, we are taken for a ride on this universal movement. Through our breath, our awareness, and our physical energy we begin to sense a bigger connection that is both uplifting and soothing.
Often students and teachers will place their hands to their hearts and bow their heads saying namaste at the end of class. This gesture of namaste represents the belief that there is a divine spark within each of us that is located in the heart. It is an acknowledgement of the soul in one by the soul in another. It is used as a greeting to see beyond labels, judgments and prejudice. It means "I see you", referring to the pure essence of each person's inner beauty.
Savasana is the final resting pose or meditation at the end of each class. It provides the time your body needs to absorb the benefits of the asana (physical) practice. It allows your heart rate to slow and the oxygen in your blood to circulate to your entire body. It offers a chance to still your mind and accept feelings that may have come up during practice. Racing out of a yoga class without time to adjust can defeat the purpose of the practice and give you a headache! Savasana is your moment of completion.
 

The quality of our breath reflects how we are feeling. When we are upset, the breath tends to be fast and shallow. When we are at ease, the breath is slow and deep. We can learn to manage the breath through yoga practice by maintaining deep consistent breathing through all the postures. When we can lengthen our exhale breath, there is more room to allow life in on the inhale. Creating space in the body and learning to work with the breath allows energy to flow freely throughout your system. Yoga helps you mentally unwind as well. You'll feel more energized after your very first yoga class!

Chronic stress and pressure can lead to serious illness and disease if ignored. A regular, consistent practice will most definitely calm the mind and body, boost the immune system, provide a deeper, more restful sleep, and eliminate stress.

And while yoga may not get rid of our problems, but it can help us learn how to look at our issues in a healthy, objective way and not become reactive. Through the yoga practice, we learn how to breathe and calmly work through any discomfort. We learn not to run away from our issues, but to let them arise and dissipate. We don't feed into them. We also learn to back off if a situation is painful.

Often you will find that whatever was bothering you before class, has become less of an issue after class. Meditation also serves as an effective stress reducer.

In addition, yoga may help you fall asleep easier and sleep more soundly. In yoga, we learn how to tune out distracting thoughts. Focusing on your breath calms the mind and lowers the heart rate. Strengthening and stretching the body promotes a restful state afterwards.

Whether you can touch your toes or not, with a continuous and consistent practice, yoga can transform your body and mind and improve your overall health. Yoga postures lengthen the body's connective tissues through physical postures called asanas that have been practiced for thousands of years.

Circulation is the ability to bring oxygen rich blood to all areas of our body. It gives life to every cell in the body, healing wounds, killing germs, and ensuring vitality to our tissue. Yoga is a wonderful vehicle to heal the immune system by boosting blood circulation to vital organs and tissue and lower our blood pressure.

A regular yoga practice is an extremely effective method of detoxifying, not only the physical body (skin, organs, and blood), but on the deeper, emotional layer as well. Yoga allows us to release and clean out old thinking. It sharpens are mental clarity and enhances our creativity.

Learning yoga postures creates an enormous sense of pride that you will carry with you in your daily life. When we can feel good in our physical bodies, standing upright, it boosts our self esteem and self confidence.

A regular yoga practice may reduce your appetite and will encourage better food choices. Yoga cleanses the body, increases metabolism, stimulates waste elimination, and reduces cravings.