The
sanskrit word for
bliss or joy, often used in the context of
yoga, particularly among yoga or yogananda groups that seek self-realization and
spiritual fulfillment through the practice of yoga, such as the Ananda Church of Self-Realization of
Seattle.
Or so I hear; I'm not a yoga girl myself. I came in contact with the word through Madeleine L'Engle's glorious translation of it in A Swiftly Tilting Planet, when Charles Wallace is naming a new dog:
"The joy in existence without which the universe will fall apart and collapse"
Yes!
"That's a mighty big name for one dog to carry," Mrs. Murry said.
"She's a large dog, and it's her name," Charles Wallace responded.