Glossary of Terms
Agni
Refers to our digestive fire, and is the root of the English word ignite. This "digestion" refers to our ability to process all aspects of life, including food, experiences, memories, emotions, and sensory impressions. Agni is responsible for assimilating the nutrients and essential elements the body needs while burning off waste products.
Ama
The toxins that build build up in the system as a result of poor digestive fire (agni).
Gunas
Literally means “qualities.” Ayurveda identifies 10 pairs of opposite qualities that we use to talk about the nature of food, the doshas, our environment, etc. They are heavy/light, dull/sharp, hot/cold, oily/dry, smooth/rough, dense/liquid, soft/hard, stable/mobile, clear/cloudy, subtle/gross. See also Tri Gunas.
Ojas
The subtle form of Kapha: underlying strength or “sap”, psychological stability, mental endurance, contentment.
Prakriti
Literally “nature.” Your biological constitution; a combination of Vata, Pitta and/or Kapha.
Prana
In Ayurveda, the subtle form of Vata: life force or breath, comprehension and coordination of ideas, ability to move our thoughts and perceptions. Also one of the five sub-doshas of Vata.
Rajas
One of the Tri Gunas: distraction, turbulence; brings about challenging emotions and interferes with our connectedness.
Sattva
One of the Tri Gunas: clarity, purity; brings about our connection to the divine.
Subtle Doshas
Vata, Pitta and Kapha as they manifest in their mental forms- Prana, Tejas, Ojas
Tamas
One of the Tri Gunas: disturbance, inertia; brings about our darker nature.
Tejas
The subtle form of Pitta: fire or radiance, governs intellect, reason, self-discipline and perception, digestion of thoughts, ideas, and emotions.
Tri Gunas
A way of describing a person’s soul development, or spiritual connectedness: sattva, Rajas and Tamas.
Vikruti
Describes the balance of the three doshas in the body at a given moment, and is therefore more accurately a description of the nature of imbalance.
