asana :: आसनं :: commonly referenced postures
asana is a word which, in the context of yoga, describes a specific fixed position of the body. Vinyasa is the movement which morphs the body from one asana to the next. In practice, specific asanas are referred to by both their english and sanskrit names, often interchangeably. While the english names often make a symbolic reference to the actual form or gesture, the sanskrit terms can be a little less accessible to us westerners.
Lucky you! We've compiled a list of translations for the most commonly mentioned poses:
| ताडासन |
tadasana |
 |
mountain pose |
| उत्तानासन |
uttanasana |
 |
standing forward bend |
| चतुरङ्गदण्डासन |
caturaṅga daṇḍāsana |
 |
four limbed staff (aka yoga pushup, done between plank and cobra while in vinyasa) |
| सूर्य नमस्ते |
surya namaskara |
 |
sun salutation, the basic foundational vinyasa flow |
| अधोमुख स्वनसन |
adho mukha svanasana |
 |
down dog, literally "downward facing dog"... alongside tadasana and savasana, one of the "home" asanas |
| वीरभद्रासन |
virabhadasana |
 |
warrior pose - there are 3 variations |
| बद्धकोणसन |
badha konasana |
 |
bound angle pose / butterfly
oft referenced for the flyer in acroyoga inversions |
| वृक्षासन |
vṛkṣāsana |
 |
tree pose |
| नटराजासन |
natarajasana |
 |
lord of the dance, shiva, dancer's balance |
| शवासन |
savasana |
 |
corpse pose |
For a comprehensive reference listing more than 100 asanas, see WikiPedia.
|
