5 Sanskrit Words To Live By

Here are 5 of our favourite Sanskrit words, their meaning and how they relate to our everyday lives and our yoga practice.

1. Shantihi : Peace

‘Om shanti shanti shantihi’ is a mantra chanted for the invocation of peace. In Buddhist and Hindu traditions, shanti is chanted three times to represent peace in the body, mind and speech.

2. Santosha : Contentment

Santosha is the practice of being content with what you have in your life, regardless of external circumstances. Santosha could be material – being happy with the material things we have, or it could be inmaterial – being happy with where we are in our pose or pratice.

3. Ahimsa : Non Violence

Ahimsa means non harm or non violence. It’s about not harming or being violent to people around you but it is also about not harming or being violent to yourself. It’s about listening to your body and not pushing it beyond its limits and also about not putting yourself down with poisonous and self sabotaging thoughts.

4. Ananda : Bliss

Ananda is the condition of utter joy and bliss we create in our lives. It could also be a state that we reach during our practice where we open our hearts, totally let go and experience the joy the practice offers.

5. Bhakti

Love and Devotion. From the root word ‘bhaj’ which means to adore or worship. It is one of the most powerful forces in the Universe. It is what makes the world go round. We practice Bhakti to ourselves and to people around us.

#sanskrit #yoga