Lecture: List of Asana Terms
Many of us remember yoga asanas in Sanskrit.
Do you know that each asana name has its own meaning?
Understand the meaning in Sanskrit,
and be aware of it when you perform the asanas.
■ A line
| Asana | Sitting method/position/pose |
| Ananda | Happiness (Ananda Balasana) |
| Agni | Fire (Agnistambasana) |
| Ashta | 8 (Ashtanganamaskara) |
| Addo | Downward facing (Adho Mukha Svanasana) |
| Ananta | Seven Headed Serpent King (Anantasana) |
| Arda | Half (Ardha Chandrasana) |
| Anga | Body/Extremities (Sarambasarvangasana) |
| Angsta | Big Toe (Padangsthasana) |
| Anjana | Mother of Hanuman (Anjaneasana) |
| Vajra | The lightning bolt that is the weapon of Indra, the king of the gods (Suptavajrasana) |
| Vatayana | Horse (Vatayanasana) |
| Vasishtha | Legendary Sage (Vashishthasana) |
| Vishwamitra | Name of a saint (Vishwamitrasana) |
| Viparita | Inverted/Upside Down (Viparita Karani) |
| villa | Hero/Soldier (Virasana) |
| Villa Badler | Great Warrior Name (Virabhadrasana) |
| Urdva | Raised/upward facing (Urdhva Mukhashvanasana) |
| Ushtra | Camel (Ustrasana) |
| Uttana | Strong stretching (Uttanasana) |
| Utthita | Stretched (Utthita Trikonasana, Utthita Par Svakonasana) |
| Utkata | Uneven/difficult (Utkatasana) |
| Upavistha | I sat down (Upavistha Konasana) |
| Vriksha | Tree (Vrikshasana) |
| Vrushchka | Scorpion (Vrschikasana) |
| acre | 1 (Eka Pada Sirsasana) |
■ Ka line
| Galawa | Name of the Sage (Ekapadagarawasana) |
| Coundinha | Name of the Sage (Ekapada Kaundinyasana) |
| Kaka | Crow (Kakasana) |
| Capinjara | Legendary Bird of India (Kapinjarasana) |
| Kapota | Pigeon (Kapotanasana) |
| Kalani | active (viparita kalani) |
| Garda | Eagle (Gardasana) |
| Karna | Ears (Karna Peedasana) |
| Coolma | Turtle (Kurmasana) |
| Cookta | Rooster (Kuktasana) |
| go | Cow (Ghorm Khasana) |
| Goraksha | Cowherd (Gorakshasana) |
| Kona | Horns (Supta Konasana) |
■ Sa line
| Sama | Same/Equal (Samakonasana) |
| Saramba | Branched (Saranba Shirsasana) |
| sarvanga | Whole Body (Saramba Sarvangasana) |
| Sirsha | Head (Sirshasana) |
| Siddha | A psychic, prophet, or sage called Siddhi (Siddhasana) |
| Jeanne | Knee (Jhanu Sirsasana) |
| Jalan | Network (Jalandhara Bandha) |
| shava | Deadly Skull (Savasana) |
| Shashanka | Rabbit (Shashankasana) |
| Jatara | Abdomen (Jataraparivartanasana) |
| Shanmukha | The name of the six-headed god of war (Shammukhe Mudra) |
| svana | Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) |
| sirsha | Head (Saran Bashirsasana) |
| Sinha | Lion (Sinhasana) |
| Svarga | Bird of Paradise (Svargadu Vijasana) |
| ska | Happiness, joy, pleasure, comfort (Sukhasana) |
| Skanda | Hindu god of war Kartikeya (Skandasana) |
| Stitich | Unmoving Posture (Samastitihi) |
| sputa | Lie Down (Supta Virasana, Supta Padangusthasana) |
| Swastika | Auspicious Seal (Swastika) (Swastikasana) |
| Setuvanda | Building a bridge (Setu Bandhasarvangasana) |
■Ta line
| Tada | Mountain (Tadasana) |
| Danura | Bow (Dhanurasana, Urdhva Dhanurasana) |
| Danda | Cane/Stick (Sandersana) |
| chakra | Wheel (Chakrasana) |
| Chacola | A bird resembling a kojuka (Chakorasana) |
| chattle | 4 (Chaturanga Dandasana) |
| Chandra | Moon (Chandrasana) |
| Tittiba | Firefly (Titivasana) |
| Douy | 2. Both (Dwipadasirshasana) |
| durwatha | The name of a sage known for his hot temper (Durwasana) |
| Torah | Scales (Tolasana) |
| Trataka | to stare and see (Trataka) |
| bird | 3 (Triangam Kaekapada Pastimottanasana, Utti Tatri Konasana) |
| Trianga | Three Limbs (Triangam Kaekapada Paschimottanasana) |
| Trikona | Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana) |
| drishty | Gaze (Dristi) |
| trivikrama | Vishnu Avatar Dwarf (Suptatri Vikramasana) |
■ NA line
| Nataraja | King of dance, another name of Lord Shiva (Natarajasana) |
| Nidler | Sleep (Yoga Nidrasana) |
| nirahamba | Branchless (Nila Ramba Parshva Konasana, Nila Ramba Pastimottanasana) |
■ Ha line
| Pasha | Rope (Pashasana) |
| Pada | Legs and Feet (Padangsthasana/Utthita Hasta Padangsthasana) |
| Barra | Child (Ananda Balasana) |
| Parshva | Lateral/Lateral (Utthitapar Sevakonasana) |
| Bhairawa | Frightening (Bhairavasana) |
| Bakar | Crane (Bakasana) |
| Pashchima | West (Pashchimottanasana) |
| Hasta | Hands (Pada Hastasana, Urdhva Hastasana) |
| Grouper | yoga of strength (hatha yoga) |
| Badda | Bound/Captive (Baddhapalshva Konasana, Baddha Trikonasana) |
| Padma | Lotus, Lotus Position (Padmasana) |
| Hanuman | Hanumaansana, the king of monkeys in Indian mythology |
| Hara | Hoe (Halasana) |
| Bharadvaja | The name of the military commander mentioned in the epic Mahabharata (Bharadvajasana) |
| Parivritta | Twisted (Parivritta Parsvakonasana, Parivritta Trikonasana) |
| pariga | Barrel (Parigasana) |
| paripourna | Complete (Paripourna Matsi Yendrasana) |
| palyanka | Couch Sofa (Paryankasana) |
| pariwartana | Rotate (Jatarapariwartanasana) |
| Hansa | Swan (Hansasana) |
| Pida | Compression (Buja Peedasana) |
| Pinda | Fetus (Garvapindasana) |
| Pincha | Feather (Pinchamayurasana) |
| Pourve | East (Pourvottanasana) |
| Buja | Arms/Shoulders (Buja Peidasana) |
| Prasarita | Opened/Extended (Prasarita Padottanasana) |
| baker | Frog (Bakersana) |
■ Ma line
| Mara | Wreath (Malasana) |
| Matsuya | Fish (Matsuyasana) |
| Maha | great, mighty (maha bandha) |
| Mayura | Peacock (Mayurasana, Pincha Mayurasana) |
| Marici | Son of Hindu Creator Brahma (Marychiasana) |
| Mugla | Root (moola bandha, mooladhara chakra) |
| Muca | Face/Mouth (Adho Mukha Svanasana, Urdva Mukha Svanasana) |
■ La line
| Lucica | Name of the Sage (Ruchikasana) |
| roller | Shiver (Rolasana) |