40+ Sanskrit Yoga Words and Their Meanings For All Yoga Students

Get this long list of Sanskrit yoga words to enhance your knowledge for your next yoga class! Try to learn one or more of these for each class you take to slowly build up your yoga vocabulary.

New to yoga practice?

Some of the Sanskrit words you have heard a lot in your yoga class like adho mukha, eka pada, namaste, prana etc. Even YOGA is a sanskrit word which means “to add”.

Doing your yogic practice without understing yogic tems, could be an obstacle to focus.

But, don’t worry!

We have populated a list of common yoga words, in the original Sanskrit with their English translations, that you may hear in any yoga class.

By understanding the meaning of these Sanskrit yogic words, help you to improve your yoga vocabulary.

Related: 14 types of yoga to choose from

Sanskrit Yoga Words and Their Meanings:

Abhyasa (ah-bee-yah-sah) – Practice

Adho (ah-doh) – Downward

Ahamkara (ahan-ka-ra) – The “I-maker” or the yogic concept of ego

Ahimsa (a-him-sah) – Non-violence

Ananda (a-nun-dah) – A blissful state

Ardha (ar-dha) – Half

Asana (a-sa-na) – Yoga poses

Ashtanga (ash-tan-ga) – Eight-limbed

Atma (aa-tma) – Soul, individual consciousness.

Baddha (ba-dh-aa) – Bound

Bandha (bahn-da) – An energetic lock

Chandra (chun-drah) – The moon

Chakra (chak-rah) – Energy wheel

Chaturanga (chat-u-ranga) – Four limbs

Dhyana (dhya-na) – Meditation

Drishti (drish-ti) – A focal point

Dwi (dva) – The number Two

Eka (eh-kah) – The number One

Guru (goo-roo) – A spiritual teacher

Hasta (has-ta) – The hand (or arm).

Japa (jah-pah) – The recitation of Sanskrit mantras or prayers

Jnana (juh-nah-nuh) – Knowledge and wisdom

Karma (kar-mah) – The law of cause and effect

Kirtan (kur-tan) – The devotional and ecstatic singing and chanting of hymns and mantras in a community gathering

Kumbhaka (koom-bha-ka) – The holding or retention of breath used in pranayama practices.

Mantra (man-truh) – A sacred Sanskrit sound or phrase

Moksha (mo-ksh-aa) – Freedom from the cycle of rebirth

Mudra (mood-rah) – A hand gesture or bodily movement used in yoga practice

Mukha (mu-kh-aa) – Facing

Namaste (nah-mah-stay) – A salutation

Nadi (nah-dee) – A channel of prana or subtle energy in the body.

Pada (pah-dah) – The foot or leg

Parvritta (pa-ri-vrat-aa) – Revolved

Parsva (par-sh-va) – Side

Prana (prah-nuh) – The life-force energy

Utthita (oo-tee-tah) – Extended

Savasana (sha-va-sa-na) – Corpse pose

Shanti (shahn-tee) – Peace

Satsang (sat-sang ) – In the company of truth

Supta (soup-tah) – Recline/ on your back

Surya Namaskar (sur-ya na-ma-ska-ra) – The Sun Salutation

Urdhva (ur-dh-vaa) – Upward

Vairagya (vai-rahg-yah) – The yogic practice of detachment

I hope this list of common yogis words will help in your yoga practice. Is there any other Sanskrit words you have listened but not listed here, let me know in the comment section, I will definitely help you with the meaning.

Namaste!