Tag: asanas

Yoga asanas with their English and Sanskrit names ordered by when they would (loosely) appear in a yoga class.

• Mountain Pose – Tadasana (tada = mountain)
• Prayer Pose – Samasthiti (sama = same, equal; sthiti = to establish, to stand)
• Hero’s Posture – Virasana (vir = man, hero, chief)
• Breath of Fire – Kapalabhati (kapal = skull; bhati = shining)
• Four-Limbed Stick Pose – Chaturanga Dandasana (chatur = four; anga = limb; danda = staff, stick)
• Downward-facing Dog Pose – Adho Mukha Svanasana (adho = downward; mukha = face; shvana = dog)
• Upward-facing Dog Pose – Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (urdhva = rising or tending upward)
• Cobra Pose – Bhujangasana (bhujanga = serpent)
• Warrior I/II/III– Virabhadrasana I/II/III (virabhadra = the name of a fierce mythical warrior)
• Chair Pose – Utkatasana (utkata = awkward)
• Extended Side Angle Pose – Utthita Parsvakonasana (utthita = extended; parsva = side; kona = angle)
• Child’s Pose – Balasana (bala = young, childish)
• Revolved Side Angle Pose – Parivrtta Baddha Parsvakonasana (parivrtta = twist, revolve; baddha = bound; parsva = side; kona = angle)
• Extended Triangle Pose – Utthita Trikonasana (utthita = extended; tri = three; kona = angle)
• Revolved Triangle Pose – Parivrtta Trikonasana (parivrtta = to turn around; tri = three; kona = angle)
• Intense Side Stretch – Parsvottanasana (parsva = side; ut = intense; tan = stretch)
• Standing Forward Bend – Uttanasana (ut = intense; tan = stretch)
• Extended Hand-toe Pose – Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana (utthita = extended; hasta = hand; pada = foot; angusta  = big toe)
• Eagle Pose – Garudasana (garuda = a fierce bird of prey)
• King of the Dancers Pose – Natarajasana (nata = dancer; raja = king)
• Tree Pose – Vrksasana (vrksa = tree)
• Downward-facing Tree Pose (a.k.a. hand stand) – Adho Mukha Vrksasana (adho = downward; mukha = face)
• Half Moon Pose – Ardha Chandrasana
• Wide-Stance Forward Bend – Prasarita Padottanasana (prasarita = spread; pada = foot; ut = intense; tan = to stretch out)
• Camel Pose – Ustrasana (ustra = camel)
• Squat – Upavesasana (upavesa = sitting down, seat)
• Crow Pose – Bakasana (baka = crow, crane)
• Side Crow Pose – Parsva Bakasana (parsva = side)
• Eight-angel Pose – Astavakrasana (ashta = eight; vakra = crooked)
• Figure Four Pose – eka pada utkatasana
• Peacock Pose – Mayurasana (mayura = peacock)
• Feathered Peacock Pose (a.k.a. forearm balance) – Pincha Mayurasana (pincha = a feather of a tail; mayura = peacock)
• Scorpion Pose – Vrschikasana (vrschana = scorpion)
• Supported Headstand – Salamba Sirsasana (sa = with; alamba = the on which one rests or leans; sirsa = head)
• Posture of the Root Lock – Mulabandhasana (mula = root, foot; bandha = binding)
• Staff Pose – Dandasana (danda = stick, staff)
• West Back Stretching – Paschimottanasana (pascha = behind, after, westward; uttana = intense stretch)
• The Great Seal – Mahamudra (maha = great, mighty, strong; mudra = sealing, shutting, closing)
• Head-to-Knee Pose – Janu Sirsasana (janu = knee; shiras = to touch with the head)
• Revolved Head-to-Knee Pose – Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (parivrtta = turning, rolling; janu = knee; shiras = to touch with the head)
• Half Lord of the Fishes Pose – Ardha Matsyendrasana (ardha = half; matsya = fish; indra = ruler, lord)
• One-Legged Royal Pigeon Pose – Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (eka = one; pada  = foot; raja = king, royal; kapota = dove, pigeon)

• Bow Pose – Dhanurasana (dhanu = bow)
• Upward Bow Pose (a.k.a. wheel) – Urdhva Dhanurasana (urdhva = upward; dhanu = bow)
• Sage Vasistha’s Pose (a.k.a side plank pose) – Vasisthasana (vasistha = a sage)
• Locust Pose – Salabhasana (salabha = grasshopper, locust)
• Boat Pose – Navasana (nava = boat)
• Four-footed Tabletop Pose – Chatus Pada Pitham (chatur = four; pada = foot; pitham = stool, seat)
• Upward Plank Pose – Purvottanasana (purva = front; ut = intense; tan = extend, stretch)
• Seated Wide-Angle Pose – Upavistha Konasana (upavistha = seated; kona = angle)
• Turtle Pose – Kurmasana (kurma = turtle)
• Reclining Turtle Pose – Supta Kurmasana  (supta  = reclining)
• Cow-Faced Pose – Gomukhasana (go = cow; mukha = face)
• Monkey Pose (a.k.a. splits) – Hanumanasana (Hanuman was the semidivine chief of an army of monkeys who served the god Rama. Hanuman once jumped in a single stride the distance between Southern India and Sri Lanka and this split-leg pose mimics that famous leap)
• Bridge Pose – Setu Bandhasana (setu = dam, dike, bridge; bandha = lock; setubandha = the forming of a bridge, dam)
• Belly Twist – Jathara Parivrtti (jathara = stomach, bellow; parivrtti = turning, rolling)
• Fish Pose – Matsyasana (matsya = fish)
• Supported Shoulder Stand – Salamba Sarvangasana (salamba = with support; sarva = all; anga = limb)
• Plow Pose – Halasana (hala = plow)
• Ear-to-Knee Pose – Karnapidasana (karna = ear; pidana = squeeze, pressure)
• Bound Angle Pose – Baddha Konasana (baddha = bound; kona = angle)
• Reclining Bound Angle Pose – Supta Baddha Konasana (supta = resting)
• Lotus Posture – Padmasana (padma = lotus)
• Easy Posture – Sukhasana (sukha = comfortable, gentle)
• Adept’s Posture – Siddhasana (siddha = accomplished, fulfilled, a sage)
• Auspicious Posture – Svastikasana (svastik = lucky, auspicious)
• Corpse Pose – Savasana (sava = corpse)

Have fun at your next yoga class!