supta = lying down or sleeping, reclining, supine
surya = sun
surya yantra = sun dial
surya-chakra = nervous plexus situated between the navel and the heart
surya-nadi = the nadi of the Sun; another name for pingala-nadi
sushumna = the main nadi channel situated inside the spinal column, a hollow passageway between
pingala nadi and ida nadi that runs through the spinal cord, and through which kundalini can travel
once it is awakened
sutra = thread: a work consisting of aphoristic statements such as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra
sva = one’s own, innate, vital force; soul, self
svadhyaya = education of self by study of divine literature, self-study, to study one’s body, mind,
intellect, and ego; one of the niyamas
svarga = heaven
svastika = good fortune
Svatmarama = the author of Hatha-yoga-pradipika, a classical textbook on Hatha Yoga
swadhishtana chakra = site of worldly desires, energy center located above the organ of generation
Swami Sivananda = a well-known yogi of the 20th century, founder of Sivananda Yoga
Swami Vishnu Devananda = a close disciple of Swami Sivananda
T
taal-vrksa = palm tree
tada = mountain, straight tree
tadasana-samasthiti = a state of balance; an even distribution of weight while standing
tan = stretch, lengthen out or extend
tana = to stretch out, extend
Tandava (Thandava) = sacred frantic dance representing the cosmic cycles of creation and
destruction performed by the Hindu Deity Lord Shiva
tantra = thread on the loom
Tantra (Tantric) Yoga = this yoga is characterized by certain rituals designed to awaken the kundalini
tap = to burn, to blaze, to shine, to suffer pain, to be consumed by heat
tapa = austerity
tapas = a burning effort, glow, heat; austerity gained through the committed practice of yoga, self-
discipline; practice with discipline, devotion and religiosity; one of the niyamas
tara = star
Taraka = a demon slain by Kartikeya, the god of war
tha = the second syllable of the word hatha; the first syllable ha stands for the sun, while the second
syllable tha stands for the moon; the union of these two is represented in Hatha Yoga
thavali = frog in Tamil
tirieng = horizontal, oblique, transverse, reverse, upside down
tiryak= horizontally, sideways, obliquely, across
tiryang-mukha = backward facing
tittibha = a small bird living along the coastline; firefly; or insect