Have you ever been involved in or overheard a conversation about yoga and found yourself totally lost, thinking the people you have been listening to are speaking a totally different language?  This post may help!  We are sharing 6 yoga terms you should know.

 

Let’s Dive In!

 

Bhakti

When you hear this term being used to describe a yoga class you will know the class is designed to be more spiritual in nature with a devotion to one’s personal higher power or god – a more heart-centered practice.

 

Bikram

This is a type of hot yoga named after the founder, Bikram Choudhury. Bikram yoga follows a strict set of rules including 26 poses that must be performed in the same order. It is not uncommon to find people using the terms “Hot Yoga” and “Bikram” used interchangeably. 

 

Chakra

Chakra means wheel and is used to describe an energy center for physical, mental and emotional energies. 

 

Mantra

A mantra is a collection of words, phrases, or sounds that are repeated during meditation.  Mantras are important because they give your mind something to focus on during meditation practice. 

 

Namaste

Chances are you have heard this term being used in pop culture or in a meme on social media.  Namaste means “bowing to you” and is often used at the end of a yoga class acknowledging that you have recognized and reciprocated the light and good in another soul.  When someone says “namaste” you should say “namaste” in return.

 

Savasana

You will often hear your yoga teacher ask you to find “savasana” which means to go into corpse pose or a final resting pose.

 

Vinyasa

The term vinyasa translates to “to place in a special way.”  When used in yoga, it typically refers to the sequencing of both breath and movement.

 

The next time you go to yoga class, listen closely to your instructor to see if you can hear any of the terms we mentioned here.