M

MAHA - glory, honour, pride
- MAHA BANDHA - the great bandha, all three bandhas together
- MAHA TATTVA - the divine quality, the highest divine principle (see also "tattvas")
- MAHAKASH - the universe
- MAHARANA - king
- MAHARANI - queen
- MAHASAMADHI - samadhi without return, the conscious dying of the yogi, the ultimate or last meditation

MAHATMA - "great soul", the title of great persons

MAHESH - (from maheshwara) - one of Shiva's names

MALA - string of 108 beads used for repeating mantra

MANAS - mind, one of the four antakaranas

MANANA - to think, to consider

MANIPURA CHAKRA - navel centre

MANOMAYA KOSHA - the sheath of the mind

MANTRA - holy syllables, words or sentences through which spiritual and mental powers and talents are developed
- GURU MANTRA - personal mantra the pupil receives from the guru
- BIJA MANTRA - seed mantra
- GAYATRI MANTRA - mantra from the Rig Veda
- SATTVIC MANTRA - pure, positive mantra
- VISHNU MANTRA - mantra dedicated to Vishnu

MAYA - illusion
- YOGA MAYA - illusory divine power

MOHA - attachment

MOKSHA - liberation (see also "mukti")

MAUNA - the observation of silence

MUDRA - bearing, posture, a particular position of the body, a particular indication
- AKASHI MUDRA - a yoga technique, gazing into the sky
- CHIN MUDRA - a position of hands and fingers in meditation
- PRANAYAM MUDRA - a position of hands when doing certain pranayam techniques

MUKTI - liberation, another name for moksha
- JIVAN MUKTA - the one who has achieved liberation in this lifetime
- VIDEH MUKTA - liberated within the body

MUL - root, foundation
- MUL BANDHA - contraction of the perineum
- MUL SHAKTI - two basic shaktis: prakrti shakti and brahma shakti

MULADHAR CHAKRA - the root chakra, the chakra in the root of the spinal column

MUMUKSHTVA - intense longing for liberation; spiritual seeking