The god of death. Yama is also the first of the eight limbs or means of attaining yoga. Yamas are universal moral commandments or ethical disciplines transcending creeds, countries, age and time. The five mentioned by Patanjali are: Non-violence, Truth, Non-stealing, Continence and Non-coveting.

  Union, communion. The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the root ‘Yuj’ meaning to join, to Yoke, to concentrate one’s attention on. It is the union of our will to the will of God, a poise of the soul which enables one to look evenly at life in all its aspects. The chief aim of yoga is to teach the means by which the human soul may be completely united with the Supreme Spirit pervading the universe and thus secure absolution.

  A posture.

The classical work on Yoga by Patanjali. It consists of 185 terse aphorisms on Yoga and it is divided into four parts dealing respectively with Samadhi, the means by which Yoga is attained, the powers the seeker comes across in his quest and the state of absolution.

One who follows the path of Yoga.

Yoni means the womb or source and Mudra a seal. Yoni Mudra is a sealing posture where the apertures of the head are closed and the aspirant’s senses are directed within to enable him to find out the source of his being.

An age.

To join, to yoke, to use, to concentrate one’s attention on.