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 Era: ~2nd Century BCE

The Father of Classical Yoga

• Compiled the Yoga Sutras, a foundational text that systematized the philosophy and practice of Raja Yoga.
   
• Introduced the Eight Limbs of Yoga (Ashtanga Yoga): a path for ethical and spiritual development.
   
• His work still guides yogic thought and practice today.

Era: 1888–1989
The Father of Modern Yoga

• Revived hatha yoga and made it adaptable for householders.
   
• Taught several legendary teachers who would bring yoga to the West.
   
• Emphasized the individualization of yoga practice based on age, health, and lifestyle.

 Era: 1863–1902
The First Global Yoga Ambassador

• Introduced Vedanta and Raja Yoga to the West at the 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago.
   
• Authored influential books that translated Indian spiritual ideas for a Western audience.
   
• Paved the way for Eastern philosophy and yoga’s acceptance in the modern world.

 Era: 1918–2014
The Master of Alignment

• Developed Iyengar Yoga, emphasizing alignment, precision, and use of props.
   
• His book Light on Yoga became a global yoga manual.
   
• Made yoga accessible to people with injuries, disabilities, and aging bodies.

Era: 1915–2009
The Creator of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

• Created the dynamic, physically demanding Ashtanga Yoga system.
   
• Inspired modern styles like Vinyasa and Power Yoga.
   
• Brought a meditative, breath-linked flow style to prominence. 

Era: 1899–2002
The First Lady of Yoga

• One of Krishnamacharya’s first students—and the first Western woman to be accepted into his school.
   
• Introduced yoga to Hollywood, teaching stars like Greta Garbo and Gloria Swanson.
   
• Helped popularize yoga globally and open doors for women in yoga instruction.
   

• Yoga (योग) – From the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning “to yoke” or “to unite.” Yoga is both a state of union and the practices that lead to union—of body, mind, breath, and spirit.
   
• Asana (आसन) – Literally “seat.” In modern yoga, it refers to the physical postures designed to prepare the body for meditation.
   
• Pranayama (प्राणायाम) – Breath control. Prana means life force; ayama means to extend or control. These practices regulate the flow of energy through breath.
   
• Dhyana (ध्यान) – Meditation. A state of focused, uninterrupted awareness that leads toward stillness and insight.
   
• Samadhi (समाधि) – The final stage of yoga; complete absorption or spiritual liberation where individual consciousness merges with the universal.

• Raja Yoga – “Royal path.” The classical eight-limbed path outlined by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, focused on meditation and mind mastery.
   
• Hatha Yoga – The path of physical discipline. Ha means sun, tha means moon; this practice balances opposing energies through asana, pranayama, and cleansing.
   
• Bhakti Yoga – The yoga of devotion, surrendering the ego through love for the Divine.
   
• Karma Yoga – The yoga of action and selfless service, acting without attachment to outcomes.
   
• Jnana Yoga – The yoga of wisdom and knowledge, involving deep inquiry into the nature of reality and self.
   
• Kundalini Yoga – A spiritual form of yoga aiming to awaken latent energy at the base of the spine through breath, mantra, and movement.
   

Outlined in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras:

1. Yama – Moral restraints:
    
   • Ahimsa – Non-violence
      
   • Satya – Truthfulness
      
   • Asteya – Non-stealing
      
   • Brahmacharya – Moderation or celibacy
      
   • Aparigraha – Non-possessiveness
      

1. Niyama – Observances:
    
   • Shaucha – Purity
      
   • Santosha – Contentment
      
   • Tapas – Discipline, heat
      
   • Svadhyaya – Self-study or scriptural study
      
   • Ishvarapranidhana – Surrender to the divine
      

1. Asana – Physical posture
    
2. Pranayama – Breath control
    
3. Pratyahara – Withdrawal of senses
    
4. Dharana – Concentration
    
5. Dhyana – Meditation
    
6. Samadhi – Enlightenment
    

• Shakti – Divine feminine energy or creative force.
   
• Shiva – The Lord of Yoga, representing stillness, consciousness, and transcendence.
   
• Chakras – Energy centers in the subtle body. Main ones include:
   
  • Muladhara – Root
     
  • Svadhisthana – Sacral
     
  • Manipura – Solar plexus
     
  • Anahata – Heart
     
  • Vishuddha – Throat
     
  • Ajna – Third eye
     
  • Sahasrara – Crown
     
• Nadis – Energy channels in the subtle body. Main nadis:
   
  • Ida – Left, lunar, cooling
     
  • Pingala – Right, solar, heating
     
  • Sushumna – Central channel of awakening
     
• Bandhas – Energetic locks:
   
  • Mula Bandha – Root lock
     
  • Uddiyana Bandha – Abdominal lock
     
  • Jalandhara Bandha – Throat lock
     
• Mudra – Gesture or seal (often using the hands) to direct energy and attention inward.
   

• Namaste – A respectful greeting, meaning “I bow to the divine in you.”
   
• Om (AUM) – Sacred sound symbolizing the vibration of the universe; often chanted in practice.
   
• Drishti – Gaze or focal point during asana or meditation to aid concentration.
   
• Mantra – Sacred sound or phrase repeated to focus the mind and invoke energy.
   
• Sadhana – Daily spiritual practice or discipline.
   
• Seva – Selfless service, often seen as a spiritual practice.
  
• Tadasana – Mountain pose
   
• Adho Mukha Svanasana – Downward-Facing Dog
   
• Balasana – Child’s Pose
   
• Bhujangasana – Cobra Pose
   
• Utkatasana – Chair Pose
   
• Virabhadrasana I, II, III – Warrior Poses
   
• Savasana – Corpse Pose (final rest)
   

Each name is often a combination of Sanskrit roots that describe the posture’s shape, animal, myth, or quality. 

• Maya – Illusion; the deceptive appearance of separateness in the material world.
   
• Karma – Action and its consequences; cause and effect.
   
• Dharma – Duty, virtue, or the path aligned with one’s purpose and truth.
   
• Atman – The true Self; pure consciousness beyond ego.
   
• Brahman – Universal spirit or absolute reality.
   
• Moksha – Liberation or freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth (samsara).
   
• Samsara – The cycle of suffering, birth, and rebirth.

• Sanskrit Name: Muladhara
   
• English Name: Root Chakra
   
• Color: Red
   
• Bija (Seed Sound): Lam (लं)
   
• Common Mudra: Prithvi Mudra – Touch tip of the thumb and ring finger
  
   

• Sanskrit Name: Svadhisthana
   
• English Name: Sacral Chakra
   
• Color: Orange
   
• Bija (Seed Sound): Vam (वं)
   
• Common Mudra: Varuna Mudra – Touch tip of the thumb and little finger
   

• Sanskrit Name: Manipura
   
• English Name: Solar Plexus Chakra
   
• Color: Yellow
   
• Bija (Seed Sound): Ram (रं)
   
• Common Mudra: Rudra Mudra – Touch thumb, index finger, and ring finger tips together
  
   

• Sanskrit Name: Anahata
   
• English Name: Heart Chakra
   
• Color: Green
   
• Bija (Seed Sound): Yam (यं)
   
• Common Mudra: Hridaya Mudra – Index finger at base of thumb; touch thumb, middle, and ring fingers together

• Sanskrit Name: Vishuddha
   
• English Name: Throat Chakra
   
• Color: Blue
   
• Bija (Seed Sound): Ham (हं)
   
• Common Mudra: Shuni Mudra – Touch tip of the thumb and middle finger
   

• Sanskrit Name: Ajna
   
• English Name: Third Eye Chakra
   
• Color: Indigo
   
• Bija (Seed Sound): Om / Aum (ॐ)
   
• Common Mudra: Gyan Mudra – Touch tip of the thumb and index finger

• Sanskrit Name: Sahasrara
   
• English Name: Crown Chakra
   
• Color: Violet or White
   
• Bija (Seed Sound): Silent Om or no sound
   
• Common Mudra: Dhyana Mudra – Hands in lap, right hand over left, thumbs touch gently
  
  
   

 Earth Star Chakra

• Location: ~12–18 inches below the feet
   
• Function: Grounds your energy to the Earth's core; anchors your personal energy field into collective Gaia energy
   
• Color: Brown or black
   
• Element: Earth
   
• Associated With: Deep grounding, past life karma, ancestral healing
   

Subterranean / Incarnational Chakra

• Location: Below the Earth Star Chakra
   
• Function: Holds primal life force, raw survival instincts, collective unconscious
   
• Color: Deep red or dark grey
   
• Associated With: Rebirth, shadow work, unconscious drives

These are above the crown chakra and connect the practitioner with higher realms of consciousness.

  Soul Star Chakra (Vyapini or Bindu Chakra)

• Location: ~6–12 inches above the head
   
• Function: Connects to soul’s purpose and akashic memory
   
• Color: Gold, white, or ultraviolet
   
• Associated With: Divine self, life mission, soul memory, karmic resolution
   

 Spirit Chakra / Stellar Gateway

• Location: ~18–24 inches above the head
   
• Function: Gateway to Source; filters cosmic energy into the auric field
   
• Color: White, iridescent, or rainbow
   
• Associated With: Oneness, universal consciousness, connection to divine realms

These exist throughout the hands, feet, joints, and organs, and help regulate the flow of prana throughout the body.

Hand Chakras

• Location: Center of palms
   
• Function: Project healing energy, connect to heart chakra
   
• Used In: Reiki, energy healing, mudras
   

Foot Chakras

• Location: Soles of the feet
   
• Function: Absorb Earth energy, grounding, detoxification
   

Bindu Chakra

• Location: Back of the head, near the occipital bone
   
• Function: Associated with subtle nectar (amrita), creativity, and higher intuition
   
• Color: Moon-white or silver
   

Hridaya Chakra (Spiritual Heart)

• Location: Slightly to the right of the physical heart
   
• Function: Considered the seat of the soul in many yogic texts (esp. Ramana Maharshi's teachings)
   
• Associated With: Inner Self, Jivatman, devotion
   

Mentioned in advanced Kundalini or Laya Yoga texts.

Lalana Chakra

• Location: Roof of the mouth (near uvula)
   
• Function: Controls the downward flow of nectar (amrita)
   
• Linked With: Vishuddha and Bindu
   
• Color: Pale pink or blue
   

Manas Chakra

• Location: Between Ajna and Sahasrara
   
• Function: Associated with the mind and control of the senses (indriyas)
   
• Color: Sky blue or white

Tibetan Buddhism – Vajrayana Chakra System

• Terminology: Wheels (chakra), channels (tsa), winds (lung), and drops (tigle)
   
• System: Often features 5 or 6 chakras, and different placement compared to Hindu systems
   
• Practices: Tummo (inner heat yoga), deity visualization, sexual yoga (tantric union)
   
• Differences: Emphasizes emptiness and clear light mind as the final realization; chakras as psychological gateways to rigpa (pure awareness)
   

Chinese Taoism – Dantian & Meridians

• System: Focuses on three main energy centers, called Dantian ("elixir fields")
   
  • Lower Dantian (below navel): Vital energy (Jing, Qi)
     
  • Middle Dantian (heart): Emotional energy
     
  • Upper Dantian (forehead): Spiritual energy (Shen)
     
• Also uses: 12 meridians (energy pathways), similar to Indian nadis
   
• Practices: Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Internal Alchemy
   

Kabbalah – Hebrew Mysticism (Tree of Life)

• System: 10 Sephirot (spheres) on the Tree of Life representing divine attributes and energy flows
   
• Some mappings: The sephirot can be loosely associated with chakras, especially in Western Hermetic systems
   
• Functions: Represents levels of consciousness and the path from human to divine
   

Sufi Mysticism – Lataif (Subtle Centers)

• Terminology: Lataif (singular: Latifa) – subtle faculties or energy points
   
• System: Usually 7 lataif, located in the body, including the heart, spirit, secret, and divine center
   
• Purpose: Cultivating remembrance of God (dhikr), spiritual purification
   

Western Esotericism – Theosophy, Hermeticism, New Age

• Adopted from: Indian and Tibetan systems during the 19th–20th century (e.g., Blavatsky, Alice Bailey)
   
• Expansion: Includes transpersonal chakras, aura layers, and colors as we often see in modern yoga circles
   
• Tools: Color healing, sound therapy, energy body mapping
   

Indigenous and Shamanic Cultures

• Native American: Some tribes recognize energy points along the spine or energy gates; also connect to Earth and Sky via sacred directions
   
• African Spirituality: Some Bantu traditions describe vital life force centers (e.g., nyama, ase, ra)
   
• Amazonian Shamanism: Recognizes a “light body” or “spirit body” activated through plant medicine ceremonies