15 common terms of Yoga
For yoga beginners, common yoga jargon in the yoga class is always a hurdle for them to well understand the meaning of practice. Such as Namaste. Prana. Vinyasa. Om. Ujjayi. The yoga instructor guides the beginners in classical Indian Sanskrit and English translation form as always. Studying new yoga poses and learning the breathing techniques are difficult for beginners, and adding a new language is in the yoga practice would have the beginners intimidating. But don't worry with the consistant practice, you can learn the Sanskrit meanning naturally and yoga words.
If you're not familier with the yoga lingo yet or need some refreshers, here are the tips for you. They are the original Sanskrit language with English translations that you may come across in any yoga class.
Top 15 common yoga terms to master
For beginners, there're about 15 common terms you may know before your first yoga class. After a few classes, you can refresh the terms to understand the meaning of yoga practice.
Asana (a-sa-na) – The physical yoga poses in hatha yoga. Each yoga pose name in Sanskrit ends with asana.
Chakra (chak-rah) – A swirling wheel of light and energy in the body. Each chakra is associated with a specific color, emotion, and elements. The most common 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.
Drishti (drish-ti) – A focal point used in yoga to set your gaze and help with concentration, balance, and focus
Hatha (hah-tah) – The “forceful path.” Ha is translated to the Sun, and Tha, to the Moon. One goal of Hatha Yoga is to balance the sun and moon energy in the body.
Namaste (nah-mah-stay) – A salutation said at the beginning or end of a class to acknowledge the inner light inside of all beings.
Niyama (nee-yuh-muh) – The second limb of Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga system contains the five internal practices of Niyama (observance). The five 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 primary mantra represents the union of the entire universe. Om is often prefixed to many of the Sanskrit mantras and hymns.
Prana (prah-nuh) – The life-force energy that sustains the body. Also one of the five internal winds or vayus.
Pranayama (prah-nah-yah-mah) – The control and mastery of prana or life-force energy through mindful breathing exercises like the ujjayi breath.
Ujjayi (u-jai-yee) – The ocean sounding breath or victorious breath. This is a popular type of conscious breathing or pranayama.
Savasana (sha-va-sa-na) – Translated as “corpse pose,” this is the final relaxation pose after a class that involves lying flat on your back with your arms and legs flopped out to the side.
Vinyasa (vuh-nyaa-suh) – A linked sequence of two or more asanas performed in a fluid motion and synchronized with the breath. The most famous vinyasa is the sun salutation. The literal translation is: “nyasa” meaning “to place” and “vi” in a “special way.”
Yamas (yahm-uh) – The five moral, ethical and societal guidelines for the practicing yogi. These guidelines are all expressed in the positive, and describe how a yogi behaves and relates to her world when truly immersed in the unitive state of yoga.
Yoga Sutras (yo-ga sut-ras) – One of the most popular Ancient Indian texts written by the sage Patanjali that describes a coherent and detailed philosophy of the practice of yoga.
We hope this list satisfiying you and helpful. Please let us know if the article useful for you and point out what we miss from you point of view. Thank you and enjoy your yoga class.