Eagle Pose, often used in Bikram and other forms of yoga.
gayatri-mantra –
a famous Vedic mantra recited particularly at sunrise
ghee –
clarified butter that originated in South Asia often made from the milk of water buffalo.
gheranda-samhita –
one of three major manuals of classical hatha yoga, composed in the seventeenth century; cf. Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika, Shiva-Samhita
ghrita neti –
neti (nasal cleansing technique) performed with ghee.
gomukhasana –
cow’s face’ posture
goraksha
गोरक्षा –
traditionally said to be the founding adept of hatha yoga, a disciple of Matsyendra
gorakshasana –
Yogi Gorakhnath’s’ pose
granthi –
any one of three common blockages in the central pathway (sushumna-nadi) preventing the full ascent of the serpent power (kundalini-shakti); the three knots are known asbrahma-granthi (at the lowest psychoenergetic center of the subtle body), the vishnu-granthi (at the heart), and the rudra-granthi (at the eyebrow center)
guna
गुना –
quality of nature viz. tamas, rajas, sattwa
a term that has numerous meanings, including “virtue”; often refers to any of the three primary “qualities” or constituents of nature (prakriti)
qualities of natural phenomena, everything in the universe exhibits these three qualities in varying degrees.
gunatita –
one who has gone beyond the three gunas.
guptasana –
the ‘secret’ pose
guru
गुरु –
spiritually enlightened soul, who can dispel darkness, ignorance and illusion from the mind and enlighten the consciousness of a devotee/disciple, Teacher, spiritual preceptor, spiritual teacher.
a spiritual teacher; cf. acarya
one who brings us from darkness to light; a spiritual mentor
guru-bhakti –
a disciple’s self-transcending devotion to the guru; see alsobhakti
guru-gita –
a text in praise of the guru, often chanted in ashramas
gurupunkti –
worlds or universes where gurus reside.
guru-yoga
–
a yogic approach that makes the guru the fulcrum of a disciple’s practice; all traditional forms of yoga contain a strong element of guru-yoga