Archives: Glossary Terms

Pranayama commonly interpreted as breath control or breathing exercises. It is really much more powerful than that; as Vivekananda said, breathing has very little to do with it. Pranayama is about controlling energy. Prana is life force, the vital energy; it is the root energy of being alive. When you learn Pranayama, you learn to control that energy and utilize it in your spiritual practice. 

Sanskrit प्राणायाम for ‘restraint (ayama) of energy, life force (prana).’ A type of breathing exercise which transforms the life force (sexual energy) of the practitioner.

Prana is a Sanskrit word which means “energy,” and Yama refers to breathing or respiration. 

Sanskrit: Great-Grandfather, The Supreme Lord who created Brahma.

Pratyahara is when you are withdrawing attention from the physical senses; it is preparation for meditation. But it has more usefulness than simply that. Pratyahara is a state of consciousness in which you withdraw from the physical world in order to turn inward, to work in your spiritual practice. Pratyahara is not just “turning inward.” It is a special state of consciousness that is different from simply looking within. It has certain characteristics by which it can be recognized.