Hridaya Yoga
The eternal, living, Spiritual Heart which resides in every being as the centre of Consciousness. Hridaya Yoga means union with the spiritual heart.
Guru
Gu–dispeller, Ru–of darkness, Literally: Guru–bringing light to darkness. A spiritual teacher or preceptor. A Spiritual Guru is a living example of Self-Realization, who has dedicated his or her life to offering guidance on how to attain Liberation to those who request it.
Karma Yoga
Karma–action, Yoga–from yuj meaning to unite, join or connect. Karma Yoga is the spiritual path of union with the Higher Self, brought about by performing selfless actions or service dedicated to God and humanity.
Pranayama
Prana–vital life energy, Ayama–expansion “When the breath moves, the mind also moves. When we calm the breath, the mind becomes concentrated. A regular practice of pranayama lengthens and slows the breath, resulting in an accumulation of vital prana, which prepares the mind to dive deeply into meditation.” ~ Mangala Anshumati
Kirtan
Kirtan is the devotional chanting of ancient Sanskrit Mantras. In this practice, mantras are sung in a call and response manner: the kirtan-leader sings a phrase and the satsanga repeats it. The joyous singing, deep breathing and powerful vibrations heal and balance the mind, body and emotions.
Darshan
Translation: Sight, in the light. Auspicious audience with Enlightened Beings, Spiritual Teachers or Sacred Teachings. Beholding the ‘Light’ of darshana means we are uplifted by the sight or presence of a Liberated Being who inspires us by their living example.
Devotee
“A devotee is a spiritual aspirant who feels an affinity towards a certain teacher or philosophy. They freely choose to follow the aspects of the teaching that resonate with their own consciousness. This inspiration lifts the devotee beyond their ordinary awareness to lead a life of greater love, service and joy.” ~ Mangala Anshumati
Sadhana
Any conscious action or practice that you take with the sincere intention of moving closer to your own Spiritual Heart.
Samadhi
There are no English words that exactly represent what real meditation is. It begins with concentration (Dharana), moves towards steadily flowing intuitive contemplation (Dhyana), and culminates in the Higher Conscious State (Samadhi) which leads to Super Consciousness.
The Self
In spiritual philosophies, the lower conditional self or ego is differentiated from the Higher Self. The Spiritual Self has the nature of Satchitananda (Sat: Existence; Chit: Consciousness; and Ananda: Bliss). The limited self is an erroneous identification; the Unlimited Self is our pristine original state.