What does Jiva-Atman mean?

In Indian philosophy, the jiva-atman – also simply called jiva – is the individual soul or self. It is one of two types of souls, the other being the Paramatma or atman, which is the universal and eternal Soul. Jiva-atman is trapped in the earthly body when it is reincarnated. The term, jiva-atman, comes from the Sanskrit jiv, meaning “to breathe,” and atman, meaning “self.” Therefore, it may be translated to mean “living being.” The path of yoga can unite jiva-atman (the personal self) with atman (the cosmic Self) by creating and expanding the practitioner's awareness of the oneness of all creation.