Yoga Words and Sanskrit Terms to Know for Class
- Asana: yoga pose
- Pranayama: breath control techniques
- Bandha: energy lock
- Chakra: energy center in the body
- Drishti: gaze or focus point
- Hatha: physical yoga practice
- Mantra: a word or sound repeated during meditation
- Mudra: hand gesture or seal
- Namaste: a traditional Indian greeting or farewell meaning “I honor the divine in you”
- Om: a sacred sound or mantra in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism
- Savasana: final relaxation pose
- Sun Salutation: a series of yoga poses performed in a sequence to energize the body
- Ujjayi: a type of pranayama where the breath is audible and creates a “hissing” sound in the throat
- Vinyasa: a flow sequence linking movement with breath
- Yamas: ethical guidelines in yoga
- Niyamas: personal practices in yoga
- Pratyahara: withdrawal of the senses from external distractions
- Dhyana: meditation or the state of meditation
- Ashtanga: a type of yoga that follows a specific sequence of poses
- Ayurveda: a system of traditional medicine that originated in India
- Bhakti: devotion or love for a divine being
- Dharma: one’s purpose or duty in life
- Guru: a spiritual teacher or guide
- Karma: the law of cause and effect
- Kriya: a specific sequence of movements or actions used in yoga or meditation
- Nadi: energy channels in the body
- Natarajasana: Lord of the Dance Pose
- Padmasana: Lotus Pose
- Prana: life force or energy in the body
- Sattva: the quality of purity or clarity
- Siddhasana: Accomplished Pose
- Surya Namaskar: Sun Salutation
- Tantra: a system of practices and beliefs that emphasizes the union of the individual self with the divine
- Urdhva Mukha Svanasana: Upward-Facing Dog Pose
- Vrikshasana: Tree Pose
- Adho Mukha Svanasana: Downward-Facing Dog Pose
- Anahata: the heart chakra
- Ardha Chandrasana: Half Moon Pose
- Bhujangasana: Cobra Pose
- Chaturanga Dandasana: Four-Limbed Staff Pose
- Garudasana: Eagle Pose
- Hanumanasana: Monkey Pose
- Kapotasana: Pigeon Pose
- Natarajasana: Lord of the Dance Pose
- Navasana: Boat Pose
- Parivrtta Trikonasana: Revolved Triangle Pose
- Sarvangasana: Shoulder Stand Pose
- Sirsasana: Headstand Pose
- Svadhisthana: the sacral chakra
- Trikonasana: Triangle Pose
- Virabhadrasana I: Warrior I Pose
- Virabhadrasana II: Warrior II Pose
- Vishuddha: the throat chakra
- Anjali Mudra: prayer hands
- Baddha Konasana: Bound Angle Pose
- Balasana: Child’s Pose
- Dandasana: Staff Pose
- Gomukhasana: Cow Face Pose
- Malasana: Garland Pose