Gorakhnath
Gorakhnath is a medieval Indian yogi revered as a founder of the Nath tradition and a major figure in the development of Hatha Yoga.
Nath Sampradaya: A Shaiva yogic tradition whose practitioners emphasize disciplined practice, initiation, and liberation. Gorakhnath is its most influential founding figure in many accounts.
Kundalini: A yogic concept of latent spiritual power, often imagined as a serpent coiled at the base of the spine. Nath yoga practices are associated with awakening and directing this power.
Matsyendranath: A revered yogi regarded in Nath tradition as Gorakhnath's guru and an early lineage master. Nath accounts place Gorakhnath in a teacher–disciple lineage descending from Matsyendranath.
Gorakhpur: A city in Uttar Pradesh, India, named for and closely associated with Gorakhnath. Its major Gorakhnath temple makes the city a focal point of his public veneration.
Hatha Yoga: A tradition of yoga using bodily techniques, breath control, and meditation to transform the practitioner. Gorakhnath is closely associated with its early development and teachings.
Pranayama: Yogic breath regulation used to influence attention, vitality, and bodily processes. Breath control is among the techniques linked to Gorakhnath's Hatha Yoga heritage.
Gorakhbani: A collection of vernacular sayings and teachings attributed to Gorakhnath. These verses are a major source for the teachings later associated with him.
Kanphata yogi: An initiated Nath ascetic traditionally marked by split earlobes and large earrings. This recognizable ascetic identity is closely tied to Gorakhnath's Nath tradition.
Siddha: A spiritual adept believed to have attained extraordinary powers or liberation through disciplined practice. Nath traditions portray Gorakhnath as an accomplished siddha.
Mudra: A symbolic or technical gesture used in religious ritual, meditation, and yoga. Hatha Yoga texts associated with Nath practice describe bodily seals as methods of yogic control.