Namaste. Prana. Vinyasa. Om. Ujjayi. These yogic words are widespread to most yoga classes, but recognizing all of the yoga jargon can be intimidating for newbies. Most yoga instructors guide their classes by way of sequences employing each Sanskrit–the classical Indian language utilized in yoga–and the English translations for the widespread yoga terms. All of this yoga lingo can be intimidating and confusing to folks who are new to their practice. Learning new movements and breathing strategies is challenging adequate when adding a different language to the mix. But, do not be concerned! With constant practice, students will naturally understand quite a few of the Sanskrit meanings and yoga words as they progress additional in their practice.
If you are not pretty there however or could use a refresher, right here are a couple of widespread yoga vocabulary words, in the original Sanskrit with their English translations, that you may well hear in any yoga class. We will briefly clarify the meanings of these yoga words and the context to which one particular generally finds these yogic terms utilized.
The top rated 15 yoga terms to know
If you are a newbie, there are about fifteen widespread yoga terms to know prior to your very first class. After a couple of classes you can come back to this list of terms to gradually develop up your vocabulary and understanding of the practice. We’ve highlighted in green the most widespread terms beneath to swiftly get newbies up to speed.
79 Common yoga words utilized in yoga classes
Study this extended list of yoga lingo to use your new Sanskrit know-how in your next yoga class! Try to understand one particular or more of these for every single class you take to gradually develop up your vocabulary.
Abhyasa (ah-bee-yah-sah) – Defined as “constant exercise,” this describes a willful, focused and engaged spiritual practice.
Adho (ah-doh) – Translated as “downward”, as in Adho Mukha Svanasana for downward facing dog.
Ahamkara (ahan-ka-ra) – The “I-maker” or the yogic idea of ego, which is noticed to could the thoughts and have to be transcended to accomplish enlightenment.
Ahimsa (a-him-sah) – Practicing non-violence or non-harming towards all living items. Ahimsa is the very first of the Yamas, or moral codes listed in the Yoga Sutra.
Ananda (a-nun-dah) – An ecstatic state of comprehensive bliss and enjoy.
Apana (ah-pan-nah) – This vayu or internal “wind” is the second-most crucial of the 5 sorts of prana in Hatha Yoga and Ayurveda. Located at the pelvic floor, it regulates the outward flow of prana from the body and governs the elimination of physical wastes and toxins from the body.
Ardha (ar-dha) – Translates to “half,” as in Ardha Chandrasana or Half Moon Pose
Asana (a-sa-na) – The physical yoga poses in hatha yoga. Each yoga pose name in Sanskrit ends with asana.
Ashram (ash-rem) – A yoga hermitage or a college of yoga.
Ashtanga (ash-tan-ga) – Translated as “eight-limbed yoga,” this is the eight-limbed path described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. These eight stages develop upon every single other and lead the practitioner to a state ofenlightenmentt or samadhi.
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga) – This difficult and athletic method of hatha yoga was popularized in the course of the 20th century by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.
Atman (aht-muh-n) – The transcendental and eternal Self or indwelling spirit.
Bandha (bahn-da) – An energetic lock or seal in hatha yoga, requiring a contraction of muscle tissues and internal focus to constrain the flow of prana or power. Bandhas are frequently utilized in pranayama to market power flow and sustain optimal overall health. The 3 primary locks or binds utilized are Mula Bandha (root lock), Uddiyana Bandha (naval lock), and Jalandhara Bandha (throat lock).
Bhagavad Gita (buhg-uh-vuhd-gee-tah) – The oldest Sanskrit book on yoga that is embedded in the bigger Mahabharata epic. This text consists of the teachings on karma yoga, samkhya yoga, and bhakti yoga.
Bhakti (bahk-ti) – The practice of cultivating enjoy and devotion directed toward the Divine.
Bikram (bick-ram) – This style of yoga is practiced in a heated area with a set sequence of asanas. The founder of this yoga college has been embroiled in various controversies so most yogis favor to practice other designs of hot yoga.
Buddhi (boo-dee) – The highest aspect of the thoughts which is thought of to be the seat of wisdom.
Chandra (chun-drah) – The moon, as in Ardha Chandrasana or Half Moon Pose.
Chakra (chak-rah) – A swirling wheel of light and power in the body. Each chakra is connected with a certain colour, emotion, and components. The most widespread chakras are the root chakra, heart chakra, and third eye.
Chaturanga (chat-u-ranga) – The yogi pushup movement used to move from plank to the ground.
Dharma (dar-mah) – The function, goal, and path in life that leads one particular to truth, peace, and enlightenment.
Dhyana (dhya-na) – Meditation from a sustained state of mental focus and, the seventh limb of Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga.
Drishti (drish-ti) – A focal point utilized in yoga to set your gaze and aid with concentration, balance, and focus.
Duhkha (doo-kuh) – A undesirable space or a damaging state of thoughts that leads to suffering or ignorance.
Dwi (dva) – The quantity Two utilized in poses with names like Dwi Hasta Bhujasana, or Two Hand Arm Pose.
Eka (eh-kah) – The quantity One utilized in quite a few poses that focus on one particular limb, like Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, or One Leg Pigeon Pose.
Flow – See “vinyasa.”
Granthi (gran· thi) – One of the 3 “knots” or blockages in the central power channel or nadi which prevents a complete ascent of the serpent energy to accomplish enlightenment in tantra yoga.
Guna (goo-nuh) – One of the 3 primary qualities or constituents of nature: tamas (inertia), rajas (overactivity), and sattva (equanimity).
Guru (goo-roo) – A spiritual teacher or leader who delivers know-how and guides one particular to the path of awakening and union.
Hatha (hah-tah) – The “forceful path.” Ha is translated to the Sun, and Tha, to the Moon. One aim of Hatha Yoga is to balance the sun and moon power in the body.
Hasta (has-ta) – The hand (or arm).
Iyengar (eye-yen-gar) – One of the more well-liked designs of yoga, this tradition emphasizes detail, precision and alignment in the efficiency of asanas. It frequently tends to make use of props such as belts, blocks, ropes and blankets.
Japa (jah-pah) – The recitation of Sanskrit mantras or prayers, normally utilized in Bhakti Yoga or mantra meditation.
Jnana (juh-nah-nuh) – The yogic path of know-how and wisdom.
Karma (kar-mah) – The law of result in and impact. A yogi’s aim is to not accumulate any additional karma in his or her lifetime.
Kirtan (kur-tan) – The devotional and ecstatic singing and chanting of hymns and mantras in a neighborhood gathering.
Kosha (koh-shuh) – One of the 5 sheaves or envelopes that surrounding the transcendental Self (atman) like Russian nesting dolls. Each kosha hides the one particular underneath and as a result blocks its light and our awareness of their power.
Kumbhaka (koom-bha-ka) – The holding or retention of breath utilized in pranayama practices.
Manas (man-uhs) – The rational aspect of thoughts, which is bound to the senses and processes fundamental info.
Mandala (muhn-dal-uh) – A circular geometric style that represents the cosmos and serves as an object of meditation and contemplation.
Mantra (man-truh) – A sacred Sanskrit sound or phrase, that has a transformative impact on the thoughts when utilized in meditation.
Maya (mah-yah) – The deluding or illusionary energy of the mind’s projection of the globe.
Moksha (mohk-shuh) – The “release” or freedom from the ignorance (avidya) of the correct Self.
Mudra (mood-rah) – A hand gesture or bodily movement utilized in yoga practice to influence the flow of prana, life-force power.
Namaste (nah-mah-keep) – A salutation mentioned at the starting or finish of a class to acknowledge the inner light inside of all beings.
Nadi (nah-dee) – A channel of prana or subtle power in the body. There are more than 72,000 nadis in the body but there are only 3 primary channels (ida-nadi, pingala-nadi, and sushumna-nadi).
Niyama (nee-yuh-muh) – The second limb of Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga method consists of the 5 internal practices of Niyama (observance). The 5 Niyamas are purity (saucha), contentment (samtosha), austerity (tapas), study (svadhyaya), and dedication to the Lord (ishvara-pranidhana).
Om or Aum (ohmm) – The sound of this principal mantra represents the union of the whole universe. Om is frequently prefixed to quite a few of the Sanskrit mantras and hymns.
Pada (pah-dah) – The foot or leg, as in Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, or One Leg Pigeon Pose
Patanjali (puh-tuhn-juh-lee) – An ancient Indian sage, scholar, philosopher and the compiler of the Yoga Sutra, who lived c. 150 C.E.
Prana (prah-nuh) – The life-force power that sustains the body. Also one particular of the 5 internal winds or vayus.
Pranayama (prah-nah-yah-mah) – The manage and mastery of prana or life-force power by way of mindful breathing workout routines like the ujjayi breath.
Pratyahara (pruh-tyah-hahr-uh) – A yogic strategy of “sense withdrawal” that creates internal focus and introspection by way of shutting out the distractions made by the senses.
Ujjayi (u-jai-yee) – The ocean sounding breath or victorious breath. This is a well-liked kind of conscious breathing or pranayama.
Utthita (oo-tee-tah) – This translates to “extended,” is incorporated in asanas in which the body is extended or stretched beyond its normal variation.
Sadhana (sa- dha-na) – The spiritual practice, coaching or discipline that is used to progress a yogi towards accomplishing enlightenment.
Samadhi (suh-mah-dee) – The highest aim of a yogi is to attain this unitive state in which the meditator becomes enmeshed with the object or focus of one’s meditation.
Samsara (suhm-sahr-uh) – The inherent state of flux and transform in our globe that we discover ourselves cyclically entrapped in.
Samskara (sam-ska-ra) – The subconscious patterned impressions that are made and hidden in the depth of the thoughts and serve as a supply of suffering.
Savasana (sha-va-sa-na) – Translated as “corpse pose,” this is the final relaxation pose soon after a class that requires lying flat on your back with your arms and legs flopped out to the side.
Shala (sha-la) – Used interchangeably with “yoga studio” or “yoga space,” a Shala is is a committed space exactly where folks can collect to understand, study and practice with each other. In retreat centers this is generally a kind of pavilion that gives a shaded, open meeting spot.
Shanti (shahn-tee) – This translates to “peace” in Sanskrit. Shanti is a widespread mantra chanted or mentioned at the starting or finish of class.
Satsang (sat-sang ) – This is defined as “in the company of truth” and is a gathering to hear an skilled or enlightened yoga teacher speak on a philosophical idea.
Shakti (shak-ti) – The feminine aspect of dynamic divine power that has a yin/yang partnership with pure consciousness.
Supta (soup-tah) – This translates as “to recline” and is utilized in poses that involve a reclining position to start with.
Surya Namaskar (sur-ya na-ma-ska-ra) – The Sun Salutations are a sequence of yoga postures and movements that flow from one particular to the next. There are a number of unique variations of Surya Namaskar.
Sutra (su-tra) – This translates as “string or thread” and refers to a brief rule, like a theorem distilled into couple of words or brief sentence, about which teachings of ritual, philosophy, or other subjects are woven. “The Sutras” is normally utilized as shorthand for Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Raja (rah-juh) – Meaning “royal or king” this term is utilized in asana names and is also a big path of Yoga.
Restorative – This term is from time to time utilized broadly to describe the energetic impact of certain poses or a sequence. It is used to describe a certain style of yoga that makes use of blankets and bolsters to help the body though holding postures.
Tantra (tan-truh) – A kind of yoga that focuses on the internal energetic side of yoga, involving the use of chakras, mantras, and Hindu mythology.
Tapas (ta-pas) – The heat and intensity that is made by practicing austerity and self-discipline.
Vedas (vay-dahs) – The oldest of the yogic scriptures that comprises 4 primary collections of the Rig Veda, Sama Yajur, and Atharva Vedas.
Vairagya (vai-rahg-yah) – The yogic practice of detachment and the attitude of inner renunciation of worldly goods.
Vinyasa (vuh-nyaa-suh) – A linked sequence of two or more asanas performed in a fluid motion and synchronized with the breath. The most well-known vinyasa is the sun salutation. The literal translation is: “nyasa” which means “to place” and “vi” in a “special way.”
Yamas (yahm-uh) – The 5 moral, ethical and societal suggestions for the practicing yogi. These suggestions are all expressed in the positive, and describe how a yogi behaves and relates to her globe when genuinely immersed in the unitive state of yoga.
Yin – This Chinese term is used to describe a restorative kind of asana practice that focuses on flexibility employing extended holding instances of certain postures.
Yoga (yo-guh) – Sanskrit for “yoking” or “union,” this collection of unique spiritual strategies and philosophies aim to unite the thoughts, body, and spirit. It has 4 primary paths to decide on from: Karma Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Jnana Yoga.
Yoga Sutras (yo-ga sut-ras) – One of the most well-liked Ancient Indian texts written by the sage Patanjali that describes a coherent and detailed philosophy of the practice of yoga.
Namaste yogis–we hope you loved this list of the widespread definitions of yoga terms and will discover this list beneficial in your study of yoga and Sanskrit. Is there anything we forgot or did your teacher say anything in class that is not on our list? Let us know in the comments beneath!
