Yoga glossary: 106 Sanskrit terms explained simply

Sanskrit is the classical language of India, and the language of the texts yoga comes from. Most teachers, including us, use the Sanskrit name alongside the English one. You do not need to learn it to practise. It does help to know what you are hearing. If you are new, start with our guide to your first yoga class, then keep this page open in another tab.

Spellings vary, because Sanskrit is written in Devanagari script and there are several ways to bring it into English letters. Sirsasana and Shirshasana are the same pose. We use the spellings most common in classes.

What do the basic yoga terms mean?

What do the words in yoga pose names mean?

What are the Sanskrit names of common yoga poses?

What do the yoga breathing terms mean?

What do the yoga philosophy terms mean?

What do the words for yoga texts and teaching mean?

How do you pronounce Sanskrit yoga words?

A few rules get you most of the way:

• Vowels have a short and a long form. The short a is like the “u” in “but”; the long ā is like the “a” in “father”. Āsana starts long: “aa-suh-nuh”, not “a-sah-na”.
• “Th” is not the English “th”. It is a “t” with a breath after it, as in “hot-house”. Hatha is closer to “hut-ha” than to “hath-a”.
• “Ph” is not “f”. It is a “p” with a breath after it.
• “V” is soft, somewhere between an English v and w.
• “Ch” is as in “church”, so chakra starts like “chuck”.
• “Sh” and “s” are distinct, but if you mix them up nobody will mind.
• A final short “a” is light. In Hindi it is often dropped altogether, which is why you will hear yoga said as “yog” in north India.

What is the easiest way to learn yoga Sanskrit?

1. Learn the roots, not the names. Once you know adho, urdhva, mukha and svana, you know two poses without memorising either.
2. Learn ten poses at a time, starting with the ones you practise most. The 12 basic Sivananda postures make a good first list.
3. Say them aloud as you practise. Hearing yourself fixes them in memory.
4. Learn the meaning with the word. Savasana means corpse pose, and knowing that tells you what to do in it.
5. Chant. Chanting is how Sanskrit has always been learned. A few lines sung daily teach rhythm and pronunciation faster than any list.

On our 28-day teacher training in Fort Kochi, the Sanskrit names of the postures and the core philosophy vocabulary come up every day, in practice, in study and in chanting.

Common questions

What does asana mean?

Asana means posture. In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras it originally meant a steady, comfortable seat for meditation; it later came to mean any yoga posture.

What does namaste mean?

Namaste is a respectful greeting meaning “I bow to you”, usually said with the palms together at the chest. It is used every day in India, not only in yoga.

What is the difference between yama and niyama?

The yamas are five ethical restraints in how we treat others: non-harming, truthfulness, non-stealing, moderation and non-possessiveness. The niyamas are five personal observances: cleanliness, contentment, discipline, self-study and surrender.

Why do yoga teachers use Sanskrit names?

Sanskrit is the language of the original yoga texts, and the names often describe what the pose is, which English names do not always capture. It also gives teachers from different countries a shared vocabulary.

How do you pronounce Hatha?

Close to “hut-ha”. The “th” in Sanskrit is a “t” followed by a breath, not the English “th” in “path”.

Do I need to learn Sanskrit to do yoga?

No. Most teachers give the English name as well, and you can practise for years without learning any Sanskrit. Knowing the common roots simply makes classes easier to follow.