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Glossary

You may be in a yoga class and hear the teacher using Sanskrit words for different aspects of body, mind & soul exercises. We thought you might find this list helpful in translating some of the more commonly used terms. Use always the box on the right to navigate our Glossary. Feedback for corrections and additions is welcome: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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M


MAHA
- glory, honour, pride
- MAHA BANDHA - the great bandha, all three bandhas together
- MAHA TATTVA - the divine quality, the highest divine principle (see also "tattvas")
- MAHAKASH - the universe
- MAHARANA - king
- MAHARANI - queen
- MAHASAMADHI - samadhi without return, the conscious dying of the yogi, the ultimate or last meditation


MAHATMA
- "great soul", the title of great persons


MAHESH
- (from maheshwara) - one of Shiva's names


MALA
- string of 108 beads used for repeating mantra


MANAS
- mind, one of the four antakaranas


MANANA
- to think, to consider


MANIPURA CHAKRA
- navel centre


MANOMAYA KOSHA
- the sheath of the mind


MANTRA
- holy syllables, words or sentences through which spiritual and mental powers and talents are developed
- GURU MANTRA - personal mantra the pupil receives from the guru
- BIJA MANTRA - seed mantra
- GAYATRI MANTRA - mantra from the Rig Veda
- SATTVIC MANTRA - pure, positive mantra
- VISHNU MANTRA - mantra dedicated to Vishnu


MAYA
- illusion
- YOGA MAYA - illusory divine power


MOHA
- attachment


MOKSHA
- liberation (see also "mukti")


MAUNA
- the observation of silence


MUDRA
- bearing, posture, a particular position of the body, a particular indication
- AKASHI MUDRA - a yoga technique, gazing into the sky
- CHIN MUDRA - a position of hands and fingers in meditation
- PRANAYAM MUDRA - a position of hands when doing certain pranayam techniques


MUKTI
- liberation, another name for moksha
- JIVAN MUKTA - the one who has achieved liberation in this lifetime
- VIDEH MUKTA - liberated within the body


MUL
- root, foundation
- MUL BANDHA - contraction of the perineum
- MUL SHAKTI - two basic shaktis: prakrti shakti and brahma shakti


MULADHAR CHAKRA
- the root chakra, the chakra in the root of the spinal column


MUMUKSHTVA
- intense longing for liberation; spiritual seeking