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Sadhana
A commited, consistent practice of Yoga.
Sahaja
Lit. ‘innate or inborn’. Sahaja Samadhi is to awaken and live in the world from a state of ecstatic liberation.
Sahasrara Chakra
The thousand petaled lotus on top of the head, where the Kundalini Shakti unites with Lord Shiva, symbolising omniscience, onmipresence, omnipotency, enlightenment, Self-realisation – or the return to paradise, to one-ness, wholeness, the realisation of our own true nature, which is ‘Sat-Chit-Ananda’ (pure existence, consciousness, bliss)!
Sama Veda
One of the four Vedas.
Samadhi
The eighth limb of Ashtanga Yoga. The ultimate level of human consciousness with many subtle levels brought about by intense and correct practice of Yoga.
Samana Vayu
One of the five internal ‘winds’ (Vayus), currents or organic Prana inside our body, that regulate the body’s energies and bodily functions.
Samsara
The wheel of birth and death to which we are all bound by the laws of Karma until we awaken to our true nature.
Samskaras
Latent mental residual impressions of the past. Seed of individual consciousness or the seeds of Karma. Activity of the subconscious.
Samyama
The process of deep meditation leading from concentration to Samadhi, or intense ecstasy; encompasses the sixth, seventh and eighth limbs of Ashtanga Yoga.
Sangam
Community; order.
Sanskrit
The ancient classical language of Indian scriptures and Yoga texts, which is the source of modern Indo-European languages. A liturgical (sacred) language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and one of the 23 official languages of India cultivated for religious reasons.
Santosha
Contentment. One of the five Niyamas or personal vows or conducts.
Sarasvati
One of the three sacred rivers of India, somtimes also refering to the mystical main energy-channel (Sushumna Nadi) inside our spine through which the Kundalini Shakti rises from Mooladhara Chakra up to Sahasrara Chakra to meet her consort Shiva. Also one of the goddessess, the other two being Lakshmi and Durga, that form the female counterpart of Trimurti, in which the cosmic functions of creation, maintenance and destruction are personified by the forms of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Originally regarded as the river goddess, in recent times as goddess of knowledge, music and the arts. Consort of Lord Brahma, god of creation.
Sarva(m)
All; everything.
Sat
The state of pure, absolute being or existence.
Sattva
One of the three Gunas; the energy or principle of vibrance, luminosity, clarity which in combination with the other Gunas constitutes all phenomena.
Satya
Truthfulness. One of the five Yamas or social vows or conducts.
Satyam
Relative truth.
Savasana
The ‘dead’ posture.
Shabda
Word; sound; mantra.
Shaivaites
Devotees of Lord Shiva.
Shaka
One of the two mystical isles between which lies the ocean of milk; also symbol for Ajna Chakra.
Shakti
The energetic; female expression of the universe; energy, power. The Prana or energy-aspect or kinetic agent of pure unconditioned consciousness.
Shambhavi Mudra
Meditation technique with the help of Mantras and Yantras to expand consciousness.
Sharira
Body.
Shastras
Any sacred book of divine authority, e.g. the Vedas.
Shatkarmas
Six ways of physical purifacation. Internal body cleansing techniques used in Hatha Yoga.
Shaucha
Cleanliness. One of the five Niyamas or vows or conducts.
Shiva
The dramatic Hindu god of transformation, energy and destruction (mainly of our ego). Lord of the dance of life.
Shivananda
A modern Yogi whose approach to Yoga has spread widely in the west.
Shiva Samhita
A medieval Hatha Yoga text book.
Shraddha
Faith; trust.
Shruti
Lit. ‘the heard’; directly revealed knowledge (to the Rishis, saints and sages of ancient India).
Shunya
Empty; void.
Siddhi
Accomplishment; attainment; succes or perfection; psychic power.
Siddha
Adept (or one that is accomplished). A possessor of supernatural powers.
Sloka
Terse presentation of esoteric teachings; verse.
Smrti
Memory or recollection.
Soma
Symbolically the ‘nectar for the play of life’. A milky climbing plant, the fermented juice which is offered in libations to the divinities.
Sri Aurobindo
A modern Yogi, scholar and poet who founded Auroville, a Yoga-based community in Pondicherry, South India.
Sri Prabhupada
The founder of the so-called ‘Krishna consciousness movement’ (Hare Krishna) which has done much to popularise the Bhagavad Gita and Bhakti Yoga in the west.
Sthira
Steady; stable.
Sthula
Gross.
Sukha
Pleasant; comfortable.
Sukshma
Subtle.
Surya
Sun.
Sushumna
The most important subtle energy channel (Nadi), flowing in three layers up the spine through which the spiritual force of the Kundalini rises up through the Chakras on the ascent from hell (consciousness-level at Mooladhara Chakra) back to heaven (pure, absolute, unconditioned consciousness, symbolised by Sahasrara Chakra).
Sutra
Lit. ‘thread’ – a spiritual discourse; a brief precept or rule.
Sva
One’s own.
Svadisthana Chakra
The second lowest of the six resp. seven main Chakras inside and on top of our spine, related to the element of water.
Svadhyaya
Self-study or study of the scriptures. One of the five Niyamas or personal vows or conducts. Also part of Patanjali’s Kriya Yoga.
Svapna
Dream state.
Svarupa
One’s own essential form or nature.
Swami
Master of one’s self.