An ashram is the monastic dwelling of certain orders of monks, particularly in Southeast Asia. It can also refer to a place of respite, of spiritual retreat. Shetty mentions his time in the ashram in India numerous times to illustrate some of the lessons he learned there. The routines and everyday practices of the monks at the ashram inform their thinking in tandem with long-standing philosophical traditions.

Translated as “Song of God,” the Bhagavad Gita exists “for all humanity,” as Shetty puts it (xiv), rather than for a specific religious group or tradition. It is the source material that establishes the definitions for the other Sanskrit terms below. Sanskrit is the classical language in which sacred Hindu texts and some Buddhist philosophy is written.

Breath is fundamental to the practice of meditation and other Vedic practices. It is “’the only thing that stays with you from the moment you’re born until the moment you die’” (xvii). It can calm the physical body, as well as soothe the psyche. As Shetty writes, “[c]ontrolled breathing […] is an immediate way to steady yourself, a portable tool you can use to shift your energy on the fly” (86). The practice of pranayama, specific breathing techniques, can “stimulate healing, raise energy, and [bring] focus on the present moment” (86).