SANSKRIT ASANA GLOSSARY (source: wikipedia.org and my memory) Sanskrit transliteration Sanskrit English Image Classification Adho Mukha Śvānāsana Downward­Facin Arm Balance g Dog Pose and Forward Bend. Adho Mukha Vṛkṣāsana Downward­Facin Arm Balance g Tree (Full Arm Balance) Ākarṇa Dhanurāsana Bow posture up Forward Bend to ear (Paschima Pratana Sthiti) Anantāsana Ananta's pose. Supine Leg Ananta was a stretch beast that would transport lord Vishnu Anjaneyasana Honorable Pose, Standing asana Crescent Moon, (Hip opener) Crescent Lunge Ardha Candrāsana Half moon Standing asana (Uttihista Sthiti) Ardha Matsyendrāsana Half lord of the Twisting fishes pose (Parivrrta Sthiti) Ardha Navāsana Half boat posture Abdominal asana (Udara Akunchana Sthiti) Aṣṭāvakrāsana Astavarkra's Arm Balance pose. Astavakra was a sage that appears in the Mahabarata Baddha Koṇāsana Bound angle Sitting asana/Forward Bend (Upavista Sthiti/Paschima Pratana Sthiti) Bakāsana Crane Arm Balance Bālāsana Child's Pose Kneeling forward bend Bharadvājāsana Bharadvaja's Twisting twist (Parivrrta Sthiti) Bhekāsana Frog Backbend (Extension) (Purva Pratana Sthiti) Bhujaṅgāsana Cobra Backbend (Purva Pratana Sthiti) Bhujapīḍāsana Arm­pressing Arm balance posture Bidalasana Cat Pose Kneeling Caturaṅga Daṇḍāsana Four­Limbed Arm Balance Staff Daṇḍāsana Staff pose Sitting asana (Upavista Sthiti) Dhanurāsana Bow Backbend (Purva Pratana Sthiti) Dvi Pāda Sirsāsana Both feet behind Forward Bend head (lit: (Paschima two­footed head Pratana Sthiti) stand) Dvi Pāda Viparīta Daṇḍāsana Two­Legged Backbend Inverted Staff (Purva Pratana Pose Sthiti) Eka Pada Koundinyāsana I Twisted one Arm balance legged arm balance / Koundiya was the name of a sage Eka Pada Koundinyasana II one legged arm Arm balance balance with straight legs / Koundiya was the name of a sage Eka Pāda Rājakapotāsana I One­Legged King Backbend Pigeon (Purva Pratana Sthiti) Ekapādaśīrṣāsana Foot behind Forward Bend Head Pose (Paschima Pratana Sthiti) Eka pāda śīrṣāsana One legged Inverted asana supported behind (Viparita Sthiti) head Garbhāsana Fetus Garuḍāsana Eagle pose Standing asana (Uttihista Sthiti) Gomukhāsana Cow faced pose Sitting asana (Upavista Sthiti) Guptasana also known as Sitting asana siddhasana or (Upavista Sthiti) muktasana Halāsana Plough Inverted asana (Viparita Sthiti) Hanumanāsana Monkey Pose Leg Stretch Jānuśīrṣāsana Head­to­Knee Forward Bend Forward Bend (Paschima Pratana Sthiti) Jaṭharaparivartanāsana Belly­revolving posture Karṇapīḍāsana Ear­pressing Inverted asana (Viparita Sthiti) Krāuñcāsana Heron Kukkuṭāsana Cockerel Arm Balance Kūrmāsana Tortoise Forward Bend (Paschima Pratana Sthiti) Lolāsana Pendant Mahāmudrā The great seal Forward Bend posture (Paschima Pratana Sthiti) Makarāsana Crocodile Maṇḍalāsana Circle Marjaryasana Cat pose Matsyāsana Fish Supine backbend Matsyendrāsana Lord of the Twisting Fishes (Parivrrta Sthiti) Mayūrāsana Peacock Arm Balance Muktahastaśīrṣāsana Head stand Inverted asana (Viparita Sthiti) Muktasana The liberated Pose Naṭarājāsana Dancer or Lord of Backbend the Dance (Purva Pratana Sthiti) Nirālambasarvāṅgāsana Unsupported Inversion shoulder stand (Viparita Sthiti) Pādahastāsana Standing Standing asana Forward Bend (Uttihista Sthiti) Padma Pinyamayurasana Peacock Feather Arm Balance Pose with legs in Padmasana/Elbo w Balance Padmāsana Lotus Sitting asana (Upavista Sthiti) Paripūrṇanāvāsana Full Boat Abdominal asana (Udara Akunchana Sthiti) Parivṛtta Revolved Bound Asymmetrical baddhapārśvakoṇāsana Side Angle standing twist with hand lock Parivrtta Pārśvakonasana Revolved Side Twisting Angle (Parivrrta Sthiti) Parivṛttatrikoṇāsana Revolved Twisting Triangle (Parivrrta Sthiti) Parsvottanāsana Intense stretch to Standing asana the side (Uttihista Sthiti) Paryaṅkāsana Couch Pose Sitting asana (Upavista Sthiti) Pāśāsana Noose Twisting (Parivrrta Sthiti) ● Paścimottānāsana Extension of the Forward Bend ● Paccimasana posterior (Paschima ● Paschima tana (western) part of Prattana Sthiti) the body Prasāritapādottānāsana Wide Stance Standing asana Forward Bend (Uttihista Sthiti) Rajakapotāsana King Pigeon Backbend (Purva Pratana Sthiti) Śalabhāsana Locust Backbend (Purva Pratana Sthiti) Salamba Sarvāṅgāsana I Shoulder Stand Inversion (Viparita Sthiti) Salamba Śīrṣāsana I Supported Inversion Headstand (Viparita Sthiti) Samakoṇāsana Straight angle Samasthitiḥ Equal Standing Standing asana (Uttihista Sthiti) Sasangasana Rabbit ● Śavāsana Corpse Pose Resting asana ● Shavasana (Visranta ● Sarvasana Karaka Asana) ● Mrtasana Sethubandasana Bridge Pose Backbend (Purva Pratana Sthiti) Setubandhasarvāṅgāsana Shoulder Backbend supported Bridge (Purva Pratana Sthiti) Siddhāsana Siddhi's Pose Sitting asana (Upavista Sthiti) Siṁhāsana Lion Sukhāsana Auspicious Sitting asana (Easy) Pose (Upavista Sthiti) Suptabaddhakoṇāsana Reclining Bound Resting asana Angle (Visranta Karaka Asana) Suptakoṇāsana Angle Inversion (Viparita Sthiti) Supta Padangustasana I Catching the big Supine Leg toe supine pose stretch Suptavajrāsana Thunderbolt Suptavīrāsana Reclining Hero Resting asana (Visrana Karaka Asana) Svastikāsana Cross Pose Sitting asana (Upavista Sthiti) Tāḍāsana Mountain Pose Standing asana (Uttihista Sthiti) Tiṭṭibhāsana Firefly Pose Arm balance Trikoṇāsana Triangle Standing asana (Uttihista Sthiti) Tulāsana Balance posture Arm Balance Uḍḍīyānabandha The abdominal lock Upavesāsana Sitting Down Standing asana Pose Upaviṣṭakoṇāsana Open Angle Forward Bend (Paschima Pratana Sthiti) Urdhva Dhanurasana Upwards­facing Backbend bow (Purva Pratana Sthiti) Ūrdhvamukhaśvānāsana Upward­Facing Backbend Dog (Purva Pratana Sthiti) Uṣṭrāsana Camel Backbend (Purva Pratana Sthiti) Utkaṭāsana Awkward Standing asana Pose/Powerful (Uttihista Sthiti) pose Uttanakūrmāsana Inverted Tortoise Uttānāsana Standing Standing asana Forward Bend (Uttihista Sthiti) Utthitahastapādāṅguṣṭhāsana Standing Big Toe Standing asana Hold (Uttihista Sthiti) Utthitapārśvakoṇāsana Extended Side Standing asana Angle (Uttihista Sthiti) Uttihita Pārśvakonasana Extended Side Standing asana Angle Pose (Uttihista Sthiti) Vajrāsana Thunderbolt Sitting asana (Upavista Sthiti) Vasiṣṭhāsana Vasista's Arm Balance pose/Vasista is (Side Plank the name of a Pose) sage Vātāyanāsana Horse Standing asana (Uttihista Sthiti) Viparītakaraṇi Legs­up­the­Wall Inverted asana (Viparita Sthiti) Vīrabhadrāsana I Warrior I Standing asana (Uttihista Sthiti) Vīrabhadrāsana II II Warrior II Standing asana (Uttihista Sthiti) Vīrabhadrāsana III III Warrior III Standing asana (Uttihista Sthiti) Vīrāsana Hero Sitting asana (Upavista Sthiti) Vṛkṣāsana Tree Standing asana (Uttihista Sthiti) Vṛścikāsana scorpion Backbend (Purva Pratana Sthiti) QUIZ ­ Name that Pose a. three angle pose b. reclining bound angle pose c. the pose where you take your head to one knee d. the pose where you hold the body stiff like a rod, with only your four limbs touching the floor e. downward face dog pose f. the pose where you put pressure on the ears g. the pose where the whole body is supported h. headstand or head balance i. one leg out to the side in supported shoulderstand j. spreading the feet intensely pose APPENDIX C: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WHAT ARE THE FIVE ELEMENTS and HOW DO THEY APPLY TO YOGA? (source: www.5elementsyoga.com) The 5 Elements (bhutas) in Ayurvedic philosophy are Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether (light, life, consciousness, space). They are found in all aspects of life and in all things. They are wonderful to explore both physically, mentally and spiritually while in the asanas (postures). Interestingly, many other cultures integrate a concept of the 5 Elements, such as the Celtic tradition and the Chinese (although slightly different: wood, fire, earth, metal and water). Not much is actually written about the 5 Elements in Yoga, but they are believed to be represented in the first 5 chakras (energy centres or "wheels of light"), climbing in order from the root chakra to the throat chakra. The Earth Element (Prithvi) in the body refers to our connection with the earth, the place where the raw elements for our bodies came from. We may bring more "earth" awareness into our yoga practice when we focus on grounding, building a firm base of support, connecting with the earth beneath us. Many times in our lives we become too "lofty" in our thoughts and need to come down to Earth to feel grounded and secure. In balancing postures, for instance, our stability is facilitated through deepening our connection with the Earth. Sometimes the Earth also refers to the Planet that we call home…exploring our connection with our Planet and the beauty and wonders that it holds... which we are all responsible to preserve. T he Earth element is represented in the 1st/Root Chakra of the body . The Water Element (Apah, Jala) in the body refers to the water that flows through our veins, or the circulatory system in the body. Health is only possible as the water element remains flowing in the body. While in our yoga postures, we may need to consciously increase the flow of blood into a particular area of the body. In vinyasa the practice takes on a flowing action, with one movement fluidly moving into the next. Water has almost magical properties and is essential to life (our bodies are 70% water), with incredible healing and cleansing powers. Water is a universal symbol for the soul and is the element representing the 2nd/Sacral Chakra, the area where new life is generated . The Fire Element (Agni) in the body refers to the internal warmth and heat that is generated in certain