The first time you walk into a yoga class, it can sound like people are speaking a different language. Well, actually, they probably are! Many yoga terms are Sanskrit, which is an ancient language from India and the root of many Indian languages.
But don’t worry, you don’t need to learn a new language to practice yoga. In many yoga classes, the teacher will use both English and Sanskrit names for poses, so you can follow along more easily. They will also (typically) demonstrate the pose, so you can follow along without knowing what the words mean at the start. The more consistently you join classes, the more words you’ll start to recognize naturally.
20 Common Yoga Terms
Even when the teacher isn’t using Sanskrit, there will likely be a number of other terms that are unfamiliar as you begin practicing. In this list, my goal is to cover most of the common terms, so you can start to gain some familiarity before your first (or next) class. But I also encourage you to talk with the teacher or other students about any yoga terms that are new to you. We want to help you feel comfortable and are happy to help you learn!
- Asana – A Sanskrit term, literally translated as “seat”. Asana refers to the physical postures, which is what many people experience in a typical yoga class. There are 84 traditional asanas, but you’ll find even more asanas or poses in many classes.
- Chakra – A Sanskrit term, literally translated as “wheel” or “vortex”. These 7 points are located along the spine from the base of the spine to the top of the head and impact our emotional and physical well-being. They interact with the physical body through the endocrine & nervous systems and are linked with glands responsible for creating hormones.
- Chaturanga (Chaturanga Dandasana): A Sanskrit term, literally translated as “four-limbed staff pose”. This asana is a low plank and is part of a traditional vinyasa sequence.
- Child’s Pose (Balasana): A resting posture where you sit back on your heels, knees together or wide, and fold forward, bringing your forehead toward the mat. Hands are typically stretched forward above your head, but there are several variations available.
- Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana): A common yoga posture with both hands and feet on the ground, hips raised toward the sky – forming an upside down V shape with your body.
- Drishti: A Sanskrit term for “focused gaze”. Similar to spotting in dance, you “find your drishti” by focusing on a single spot that is not moving in front of you. This is helpful in poses to maintain your balance.
- Heart center: Referring to the center of the chest, you’ll often hear the teacher reference bringing your hands to “heart center”. This may also refer to the heart chakra.
- Mudra: A Sanskrit term that is literally translated as “gesture”. These symbolic gestures are typically made with your hands and fingers, said to intensify the effects of our yoga practice and enhance the flow of prana.
- Namaste: A Sanskrit term for “I bow to you”, it is often said as a sign of respect and as a simple greeting of peace. You will also hear this translated in western yoga as “The Divine in me honors the Divine in you” and may close class with this word. Other yoga teachers and practitioners have reconsidered using this phrase based on their study and understanding.
- Prana: A Sanskrit term often translated as “vital energy” or “life force”. Prana is though to flow through the chakras in the body when open & balanced. Both pranayama and asana are practiced to help move prana through the body.
- Pranayama: This Sanskrit term is made up of several root words: prana meaning “vital life force,” yama meaning “control” and ayama meaning “extension” or “expansion”. Pranayama is often translated as breathwork and is an ancient technique of breath regulation. There are many different types of pranayama, including: ujjayi (ocean breath), nadi sodhana (alternate nostril breathing), dirga (3 part breath), and Sama Vritti (box breathing).
- Sacrum: Part of the lower back, the sacrum is the triangle shaped bone at the base of the spine.
- Savasana: A Sanskrit term, literally translated as “corpse pose”. This is often the final pose of asana practice and is an important pose to allow our musculo-skeletal and nervous systems to integrate the practice.
- Sit bones: The lower part of your pelvis (the ischial tuberosity) is often referred to as your sit bones (or sitting bones). It’s the bones that absorb your weight while sitting.
- Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar): A series of postures, commonly practiced at the beginning of a vinyasa practice, including standing postures and backbends. There are 3 set sequences (A, B, C) and any number of variations based on those sequences.
- Ujjayi: A Sanskrit term for the Pranayama practice literally translated as “Upward Victorious Breath” or Ocean Breath. This is one of the more common types of breath taught in Asana practice (particularly in Ashtanga and Vinyasa) and is linked to movements during and between postures. The breath is practiced by inhaling and exhaling through the nose, with a slight constriction at the back of the throat. You might practice this first with an open mouth – thinking about fogging up a mirror held in front of your mouth. Then close your mouth and repeat that same process, you should hear an audible sound, especially during the exhalation (like ocean waves!).
- Chair Pose (Utkatasana): A common standing posture with the hips sinking back as if to sit in a char. Arms are often raised overhead, next to the ears, or in prayer mudra at heart center.
- Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana): A common folding posture where you bend at the waist, reaching toward the ground or your feet. Legs can be bent or straight, reaching for a block on the floor if your hamstrings are particularly tight.
- Vinyasa: Also a style of yoga, this has become a short way of referring to a sequence of poses including plank, chaturanga, upward-facing dog, and downward-facing dog. You may hear this in class as “take your vinyasa” and many variations of the standard flow also exist.
- Yoga: Yoga is a mind and body practice that originated in India and is practiced around the world. Although commonly recognized as a movement practice (asana), yoga includes breathing techniques, postures, and meditation to promote mental and physical well-being. There are 8 limbs of yoga, as explained by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, including: yamas (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (postures), pranayama (breathing), pratyahara (withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption).
You don’t need to memorize these terms before going to your next yoga class, but maybe having read this list will help when the teacher uses one of these terms.
Have a yoga term that should be added to this list? Send me a DM on Instagram and let me know!
