________________
Soham - lit. 'I am That'; mantra used in ajapa japa; the unconscious
repetitive sound produced by the breath, the inhalation
sounding 'so' and the exhalation 'ham' Soma - name of a plant that was the most important ingredient in
ancient sacrificial offerings; its juice; the moon; nectar of the
gods Spandan - vibration Srishti - creation; manifest universe Sthoola prana - one of the pancha pranas moving upwards between
the diaphragm and the larynx; controls the heart and the
lungs, also called prana Sukha - pleasure, comfort Surya - the sun Surya nadi - pingala nadi Surya namaskara - lit. 'salute to the sun'; a series of twelve asanas
for revitalizing prana Sushumna nadi - main nadi in the centre of the spinal cord
through which kundalini shakti passes Swadhisthana chakra - lit. 'one's own abode'; psychic/pranic centre
situated at the base of the spinal column, associated with the
sacral plexus Swadhyaya - self-observation; one of the niyamas, according to
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras Swah loka - one of the seven higher dimensions of consciousness Swara - sound or tone; flow of the breath in the nostrils Swara yoga - science of the breathing cycle Tamas - first of the three gunas or qualities of nature; inertia,
ignorance, dullness Tamasic - pertaining to tamas Tamo guna - the quality of tamas Tantra - ancient universal science, philosophy and culture which
deals with the transcendence of human nature from the present mundane level of evolution and understanding to the highest attainment of transcendental awareness, knowledge and experi
ence; process of expansion of mind and liberation of energy Tantric - pertaining to tantra Tapah loka - one of the seven higher dimensions of consciousness Tapasya - practice of austerity; one of the niyamas, according to
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras Tattwa - essential element, essence
350
