Wanna know the Lingo?

Imagine doing something completely unknown to you, this is your first time ever, and you walk in to people who seem to know a language that you are not familiar with. They are all in sync and know what is happening and you're left standing there, looking around, trying to make sense of it all, heart and brain racing.

Trying something new can raise anxiety. Being armed with pertinent information about the new venture can help to reduce the anxiety. I am hoping this post will be able to help someone who is new to yoga, whether they're going to a class for the first time or doing an online session on their own for the first time. These are a few of the commonly used words, some in English, some in Sanskrit, that you may hear as a beginner yogi/yogini.

1)     Yogi/Yogini- These are simply terms for people who practice yoga. Yogi is male, Yogini is female. Although, Yogi can be use as an all-encompassing word, I think Yogini is a fun word to say.

2)     Asana- This is the Sanskrit word for pose (literally translates to “seat”). This is why all of those the poses you hear in Sanskrit end in -asana. (balasana, tandasana, sukhasana, etc).

3)     Prana- Literally “life force”. Our life force, our energy, is in our breath, our body's energy, our alive-ness. Prana usually refers to breath or the slight shaking of a physical muscle in a pose.

4)     Pranayama/Breathwork- Pranayama means “control of the life force”. The life force being breath. So, breathwork is simply controlling your breath. There are different ways to do this. Certain breath patterns rev up the heart rate while others lower it.

5)     Vinyasa- Smooth transitions between poses, especially when paired with the breath. This basically means that it's “flowy” asanas. The transition between poses is smooth, flowy movement, usually moving with the breath.

6)     Hatha- One pose at a time, usually held for more than one or two breaths, with a slight rest in between. Poses are usually held for longer in Hatha yoga than Vinyasa. It is focus on one pose at a time.

7)     Chakra- Areas of energy within the body. They are not mystical, people long ago just realized that certain areas of the body are affected by certain physical and mental problems or stimuli and vice-versa. By focusing on the affected area, our body's awareness goes to that area and we can begin to heal. There are 7 chakras, but more on them in an upcoming post!

8)     Mudra- Positioning of the hands. This is kind of like an accupressure thing. Placing the hands in different positions stimulates different parts of the brain/body. Different mudras can aid in mental or physical healing by stimulating what you're trying to heal.

9)     Mantra- A repeated word, sound, or statement meant to aid in concentration. If you want your body to focus on your heart, there are certain sounds that resonate within the chest cavity. If you want to focus on your strength, repeating “I am strong.” will achieve that.

10) Mala- Literally translates from Sanskrit as “garland”. Malas are a circular string of beads, with 108 beads, plus a guru bead and/or tassel. They are very helpful in meditation. By starting at the guru bead/tassel, your fingers can deftly move over each bead with each breath until you have gone all the way around back to the guru bead/tassel, therefore completing 108 round of deep breathing. These are in no way necessary for meditation. They can also be worn as a necklace or a bracelet.

11)  Props- Items used to help the body get the most out of poses. These items are usually blocks, straps, bolsters, blankets, and pillows. Not every person needs props for every pose, but there is no shame is using them. Every person's body structure is different, right down to bone positioning. Making the most of a yoga practice usually includes props! Heck, even a mat is technically a prop.

12) Savasana- You may have noticed -asana in that word. Yep, it's a pose, but it's such a highly used pose that most teachers don't explain it. “Go to Savasana” means lay down on your back on the yoga mat. Savasana is corpse pose. So just lie on your back, arms, legs, feet, hands, and everything else relaxed, and breath deeply, eyes closed.

13) Namaste- Translated from Sanskrit: namah- bow or salutation and te- to you. This is used as a term of respect to say hello or goodbye, and has an appreciative tone. A lot of teachers use this word at the end of a class, or practice, as a way of signaling that the class has ended and saying goodbye.

So there ya have it! Lingo. I am posting this in hopes that it may help those with questions about what they’ve heard, or those with high anxiety who are apprehensive about going to a class and not knowing what’s going on or being said. Yoga is so great for anxiety and I want to do anything I can to help make that first step towards a yoga practice easier.

Namaste.