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Kakasana crow pose, squating arm balance.

Kalinda, Kalynda, Kalindi Hindi word for Sun, also popular name for baby girl.

Kapal skull or cerebrum

Kapalbhati pranayama a breathing technique aimed at cleaning the frontal part of the brain; also called skull polishing - done through rapid breaths with more force on exhalation.

Karma action; the act of doing, also popular name for baby girl.

Karma yoga the yoga of action - aims at supreme consciousness through action; discussed in Bhagavad Gita

Karna dhauti one of the shatkarma which involves cleansing the ears.

Kati chakrasana waist rotating pose.

Kevala kumbhaka spontaneous cessation of breath without any conscious effort.

Klesha afflictions or tensions - according to yoga there are 5 such afflictions present in humans from birth

Koormasana tortoise' pose - an advanced posture.

Kosha sheath or body; realm of experience and existence.

Kriya activity, dynamic yogic practice

Kriya yoga the practice of kundalini yoga

Kukkutasana cockerel' pose

Kumbhaka breath retention

Kundalini man's retained energy or potential energy and consciousness

Kundalini shakti refers to the human's potential energy lying dormant in mooladhara (base) chakra like a coiled serpent. When awakened it rises up through the sushumna nadi.

Kundalini yoga philosophy expounding the awakening of potential energy and inherent consciousness within the human body and mind.

Kunjal kriya a shatkarma (cleansing) technique that involves the cleansing of the stomach by drinking in water and then expelling it by inducing vomiting.

Laghoo shankhaprakshalana a shatkarma technique - also referred as the short intestinal wash. Involves the drinking of several glasses of water and the expelling it through stool after a series of exercises (asanas); in the process a thorough cleansing of the colon takes place.

Lalita pleasant, playful, playmate of Krishna, also popular name for baby girl.

Laya yoga union with the supreme consciousness through pranayama or devotion. Literally, union by absorption

Lila, Leela playful, also popular name for baby girl.

Maha great

Maha bandha the great lock - combines the three locks in yoga - the moola bandha, jalandhara bandha and uddiyana bandha - together with breath retention.

Maha mudra the great gesture - combines the practice of moola bandha, shambhavi and khechari mudras simultaneously.

Maha nadi literally means 'great nadi', which is the 'sushumna' in yoga Makara crocodile

Makarasana crocodile' pose

Manas chakra the energy center above the ajna chakra - is depicted with six petals

Manipura chakra the energy centre in the spinal column located behind the navel - corresponding to the solar plexus.

Mantra subtle sound vibration, which through repetition aims at expanding one's awareness or consciousness.

Mantra shakti the power of mantra

Matsyendrasana a spine twisting pose

Maya perception or illusion, also popular name for baby girl.

Mayur peacock

Mayurasana peacock pose - advanced pose aims at strengthening the arms and stimulating the manipura chakra.

Meena precious stone, sign of Pisces, also popular name for baby girl.

Moksha liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

Moola root

Moola bandha energy lock created by the contraction of the perineum in the male and the cervix in the female.

Mooladhara chakra lowest energy centre in the human body where the kundalini shakti (serpent power) resides - situated in the perineal floor in men and the cervix in women.

Moorchha pranayama fainting or swooning breath' in which the breath is inhaled slowly and retained for an extended period.

Mouna silence - the practice of silence

Mudra literally means 'gesture' - mudra expresses and channelizes cosmic energy within the mind and body.

Nadi energy channels in the body, similar to the meridians in acupuncture

Nadi shodhana pranayama breathing technique - is the 'alternate nostril breathing' or 'balanced breathing' - balances the energy flow in the channels and purifies the energy channels (nadi) by balancing the flow of breath through the right and left nostrils.

Nasagra/nasikagra mudra hand gesture adopted during pranayama to alternate the flow of breath through the nostrils.

Nauli abdominal massage' - a cleansing technique (shatkarma) involving the contraction of the rectus abdominal muscles.

Neti kriya another shatkarma (cleansing technique) - involves cleaning of the nasal passages or sinus irrigation; jala neti forms a part of the various neti kriyas.

Nidra sleep

Niyama rule; there are 5 rules described in the Ashtanga Yoga of Patanjali.

Om the universal mantra; cosmic vibration of the universe; represents the four states of consciousness

Pada foot; section of a literary work

Padmasana lotus pose - a seated meditative posture

Pancha makara the five tantric practices : mansa(meat), madhya(wine), matsya(fish), mudra(grain), and maithuna(sexual intercourse)

Pancha tattwa the five elements - earth, water, fire, air and ether

Param highest, supreme, God

Paramatma the supreme atma; God

Parichaya avastha stage of perception of nada

Paschimottanasana back stretching pose

Patanjali author of the Yoga Sutras and preacher of the eight-fold (ashtanga) yoga

Payaswini nadi energy channel terminating at the right big toe, between poosha and pingala channels

Pingala nadi one of the main energy channels running on the right side of the spine from the mooladhara (base) chakra to the ajna chakra in the head by intersecting various chakras on the way.

Plavini pranayama breathing technique which involves gulping air and swallowing it into the stomach and retaining it

Poornima full moon night

Prakamya fulfillment of desire

Prakasha inner light

Prakriti nature

Pramana proof

Prana vital energy force sustaining life and creation

Pranayama technique of breathing and breath control which regulates energy flow and aims at maintaining energy balance

Prasad an offering usually food to and from the guru or higher power

Pratyahara sense withdrawal; first stage of concentrating on the mind during meditation

Pravritti nature of the mind

Prithvi tattwa the earth element

Purana eighteen ancient books consisting of legends and mythological narrations dealing with creation, recreation and the genealogies of sages and rulers

Purusha man; pure consciousness

Purushartha purpose of the consciousness, of man's existence- the four basic needs or desires, arth, kaama, dharma, moksha

Raja yoga yoga in which union is achieved through concentration of mind

Rakta bindu red bindu, same as beeja(seed) bindu, shakti bindu; the potentially creative bindu from which creation springs; often refers to the ovum.

Rechaka exhalation

Rudra Lord Shiva; Rudra is said to have sprung from Brahma's forehead and is one of the holy trinity.

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