Glossary of terms:
- 500 RYT
Yoga teachers can register as a RYT® 500 if they have successfully completed a 500–hour yoga teacher training that is registered with Yoga Alliance.
- Ashtanga yoga
A type of yoga based on eight principles and consisting of a series of poses executed in swift succession, combined with deep, controlled breathing.
- Animal intuitive
An animal intuitive is a person who can communicate by
psychic means with animals, either living or dead, using the ability to perceive information unavailable to the normal senses by extrasensory perception.
- Asana
Asana is a term widely used in yoga practice that is derived from the Sanskrit word “asana,” meaning seat or posture.
- Ashtanga
Ashtanga yoga, sometimes referred to as “the mother of Vinyasa” is a highly structured, physically intense branch of yoga. This form of yoga is also known as yoga therapy or “yoga chikitsa” in Sanskrit.
- Aura
The Aura is the electromagnetic energy field that surrounds the body and can sometimes be seen in full color. All living things possess an aura.
- Binaural beats
When you hear two tones, one in each ear, that are slightly different in frequency, your brain processes a beat at the difference of the frequencies. This is called a binaural beat.
Binaural beats induce the same mental state associated with a meditation practice, but much more quickly. In effect, binaural beats are said to reduce anxiety, increase focus and concentration, lower stress, increase relaxation. foster positive moods. promote creativity and help manage pain.
- Chakras
Chakra is a Sanskrit word that means “wheel” and refers to energy points in your body. They are thought to be spinning disks of energy that should stay “open” and aligned, as they correspond to bundles of nerves, major organs, and areas of our energetic body that affect our emotional and physical well-being.
- Chakra clearing
Chakra clearing is a form of energy healing that focuses on channelling energy into the seven chakras. Chakra clearing is believed to balance the chakras and promote health by maximizing the flow of energy in the body, much as a tune-up enables a car to operate at peak efficiency.
- Clairaudience
Clairaudience literally means “clear-hearing.” Clairaudience is the capability of receiving an intuitive vocal message from the world of spirits or a higher being. Clairaudients can extend their hearing to transcend the everyday physical world and the known level of awareness, in order to reach the world beyond. Clairaudients are highly intuitive people who are able to listen to a voice other than their own when the spirit world transmits a message to them.
- Clairsentience
Clairsentience literally means “clear-feeling.” It is the ability to feel the present, past, or future physical and emotional states of others without the use of the normal five senses. People who are clairsentient may also be able to retrieve information from houses, public buildings, and outside areas, that is invisible to our physical senses.
- Clairvoyance
Clairvoyance literally means “clear-seeing.” It is the ability to clearly see images of the past, present and future within the mind’s eye and without the use of our normal five senses. Clairvoyance is sometimes referred to as “having visions”, as people with clairvoyance can literally see images within their third eye.
- Empath
An empath is a highly sensitive person who has the ability to feel and absorb energy from people, places, things, plants, and animals. The most common type of energy empaths absorb is emotion. Empaths are people who feel deeply. They feel so deeply that sometimes what they are feeling is coming from something or someone else. This is because their energetic receptors, or chakras, are more open than others.
- Empathy
The spiritual gift of empathy is the ability to physically and emotionally experience the feelings of another. In most cases, this gift is experienced on an individual basis. In some cases, those with the gift of empathy are also able to experience the feelings or emotions of a group of people
- Energy
Simply put- everything is made of energy and has its own unique vibration. This includes all living and non-living things, thoughts, words and actions. Everything is in a constant state of receiving and radiating energy. The frequency of this energy falls on a spectrum from light to dark. Light energy is infinite, effortless, and rooted in love. Dark or shadow energy is dense and rooted in fear. As an electromagnetic being, you attract experiences and relationships that match your frequency.
- Energy clearing
Spiritual Energy Clearing is an ancient spiritual practice that removes stagnant, negative or chaotic energy from your body. When you are spiritually cleared, it makes way for and allows positive energy to flow freely into your space. Spiritual energy clearing is also beneficial when you need a change in your life or after illness or injury, death, arguments, difficult guests, relationship transitions, negative incidents, when you are selling your house, moving into a new house or when you are feeling low, tired or drained. Negative energy can literally make you ill, especially if you are exposed to it regularly.
- Energetic field
The electromagnetic energy field or aura is the energy that surrounds the body and can sometimes be seen in full color. All living things possess an electromagnetic field. There are several layers to the energetic field. These layers are where our mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional characteristics are stored. They can be in balance or out of balance. Which is why energy medicine practitioners believe that it’s not enough to just treat the physical body when people fall sick. The other four layers must be evaluated and treated as well.
- Ethically sourced materials
Ethical sourcing is the process of ensuring the products being sourced are obtained in a responsible and sustainable way, that the workers involved in making them are safe and treated fairly and that environmental and social impacts are taken into consideration during the sourcing process.
- Guided meditation
Guided meditation describes a form of meditation which utilizes a number of different techniques to achieve or enhance the meditative state. It is meditation done under the guidance of a trained practitioner with the use of imagery, music, sounds and other techniques.
- Guided visualization
Guided imagery is a focused practice that involves each of the five senses to ignite positive healing messages throughout the mind and body. The practice is often interchanged with visualization and guided meditation, but it has its own set of techniques. Some of the benefits of guided imagery are reduction of fear and anxiety and less frequent headaches.
- Hatha
Hatha yoga is a branch of yoga that involves a set of physical postures and breathing techniques. These are typically practiced more slowly and with more static posture holds than a Vinyasa flow or Ashtanga class.
- Higher Consciousness
Higher consciousness is a state of elevated awareness and perception in which a person has a deeper understanding of the nature of reality, the self and various spiritual aspects of life that play an important role in one’s personal evolution and psychological development.
- Intuitive
Intuitive people have very attuned empathetic abilities, meaning they can sense what others are thinking and feeling. Their minds are highly attuned to the vibrational frequencies given off by those around them.
- Intuitive energy healing
Intuitive energy healing is a powerful tool to locate, release and heal any stored negative emotions in your body. When the emotional body feels like it hasn’t been heard, it can manifest into physical body issues such as pains or illnesses. Examples of this can include, lower back pain, frequent stomach aches, migraines and heaviness in the chest. The energy healing practitioner uses intuitive senses in session to determine where these blocks are located within the body and then remove them using various modalities.
- Mediumship
Mediumship refers to a person who uses their psychic abilities to communicate with people who are in the spirit world. Mediums are literally the ‘medium” between those in the spirit world and those that are living. They provide a three-way communication channel: from spirit-to-medium-to-recipient.
- Oracle
While a deck of tarot cards always has 78 cards and are split into suits, oracle decks have their own set of rules, can have any number of cards and often don’t have suits. Cards may have their meaning printed on them and often provide the querant with a direct answer that needs little interpretation. Oracle cards are often less intense and depending on the deck- can be more playful.
- Pranayama
Pranayama is a Sanskrit word that literally means “life force”. It is the practice of breath control in yoga. It consists of synchronizing breath with movement during a yoga practice but is also a distinct breathing exercise on its own, usually used in meditation.
- Psychic reading
In a psychic reading, the reader uses only extrasensory perception (ESP) to obtain information from the querent as opposed to divination techniques such as tarot cards or a pendulum. This information is often more direct and can often provide a timeline of events.
- Reiki
Reiki is an energy healing technique with its roots in Japanese origin. The word Reiki comes from the Japanese word (Rei) which means “Universal Life” and (Ki) which means “Energy”. It is a subtle and effective form of energy work using spiritually guided life force energy.
- Restorative yoga
In a restorative yoga practice, the focus is not on stretching or strengthening but on releasing. The goal of restorative yoga is to release tension in the muscles and gently stimulate the organs through long-held poses designed to support and comfort. A variety of props such as blankets, blocks, bolsters, sandbags, and eye pillows may be used to increase relaxation and release.
- Sound bath
A sound bath is a meditative experience where those in attendance are “bathed” in sound waves. These waves are produced by various sources, including healing instruments such as gongs, singing bowls, percussion, chimes, rattles, tuning forks, and in some cases, even the human voice itself.
- Tarot
Tarot is a form of divination using Tarot cards. There are 78 cards in a deck with each card having a specific meaning. Divination can be obtained by using the cards within a specific spread. Tarot cards were originally called “Tarocchi” and used throughout Italy in the 1400s.
- Universal life energy
We are each filled with universal life force energy. This energy is the essence of our being, our consciousness and our soul. Every living being has a universal life force energy. Occasionally, we may subconsciously develop blocks within this energy from outside stressors, which can then make us become susceptible to illness and disease. It is important to keep our life force fluid and clear.
- Yoga
Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. Yoga is one of the six orthodox philosophical schools of Hinduism. The word itself literally mean “Union”, as yoga practice unites mind, body and spirit.
- Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra is not physical exercise, but rather a guided meditation. It is usually practiced lying down with a teacher guiding the session. The practice draws our attention inwards, and we learn to surf between the states of wakefulness and sleep.