Common Yoga Terms (the Cliffs Notes version)

Asanas ("seat"): Physical postures of yoga.

Guru: Teacher or master; one who illumines the darkness.

OM (or Aum): Considered to be the first sound of creation. Om is frequently chanted before, after and/or during yoga classes.

Pranayama: Breath awareness to facilitate inner stillness and awareness. 

Hatha Yoga: From "ha" (sun) and "tha" (moon), hatha yoga seeks to unify opposites - body and mind - and describes any of the physical practices of yoga.

Mantra ("tool or instrument of thought"): Sounds, syllables, words or groups of words that are repeated with the goal of creating a positive transformation; a sacred thought or a prayer.

Meditation: Focusing and calming the mind often through breath work to reach deeper levels of consciousness.

Mudra: A seal. Positions of the body that have an influence on the energies of the body, or mood. Mostly the hands and fingers are held in a mudra.

Namaste: Commonly said at the end of yoga class by the instructor and the students. One beautiful interpretation: I honor that place in you where the whole Universe resides. And when I am in that place in me and you are in that place in you, there is only one of us.

Props: Tools such as mats, blocks and straps used to extend range of motion and facilitate ease in a pose.

Savasana: Final relaxation; literally translated as "corpse pose."

Ujjayi (a.k.a as Hissing Breath, Victorious Breath): A type of pranayama in which the lungs are fully expanded and the chest is puffed out; most often used in association with yoga poses, especially in the vinyasa style.

Yoga: From the Sanskrit "yug" (yoke), means "union". Yoga is an ancient discipline in which physical postures, breath practice, meditation and philosophical study are used as tools for achieving liberation.