Yoga dictionary

The yoga sutras are the philosophical bases of yoga. They help lead you onto the path of Enlightenment, and is widely regarded as the authoritative text on yoga and its ideals.

This strengthening pose looks easy, but is rather difficult when it comes down to it. From a Warrior II position (see picture) you straighten your legs, kick your back hip out and reach forward, before turning one arm skyward and reaching the other to the floor, looking at your top hand once you’ve settled into the position. It really works your legs and increases their flexibility and also improves overall balance.

The warrior poses are commonly the lead-ups to more advanced postures and are powerful stances in which your legs are held apart and your arms are stretched outwards. With many variations, the most common you’ll hear in a yoga class are Warrior I (with arms above your head), and Warrior II (see photo, with arms outstretched and parallel to the ground).

Uttanasana – an incredibly fun word to say aloud – is the ‘standing forward bend’ posture which stretches the back of your legs and hips, as well as your spine. Most athletes, from dancers to footballers, will probably have done this sometime in their life without realising its proper yogic name!

More an addition to yoga than an actual piece of it, Thai massage has evolved into many techniques and movements to improve your flexibility. Originally, it was created to relieve stuck energy which arose from hours of seated meditation.

Somatics isn’t a style of yoga but rather a movement therapy. It is a system for teaching us about how our brain senses and moves the muscles. In a somatics class, you will focus in-depth on very subtle movements, for an incredibly effective and concentrated way of working your body.

Restorative yoga is just as relaxing as it sounds… it aims to put you into a deep state of relaxation. You’ll hold postures for longer periods of time and may frequently use props like blankets, blocks, and pillows to help you stay in position.

While not technically a yoga term (it’s more a biology lesson), your ‘quads’ are the large muscles at the front of your thigh which pulls your knees up and helps you stand from a lunge position. In yoga, you’ll hear your teacher refer to these a lot, so it’s a good one to include on our list so that you know what he or she means!

‘Prana’ by itself means ‘life force’ or ‘breath.’ The word in its entirety refers to the freeing flow of breath in various breathing exercises practised in yoga.

Om – a mystic syllable – is considered the most sacred mantra in both Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism. It is used in yoga during meditation and as a mantra during actual practice. It does not need to have spiritual meaning for you personally to use it in your mantras.

You’ll frequently hear “namaste” at the end of a yoga class. Originally an Indian greeting, it is said at the end of a class to express gratitude for what you have accomplished and as a way of saying “I am grateful” to the teacher, the class, and yourself.

A ‘mantra’ is a word or sound that is repeated to aid concentration in meditation or yoga, and was orginally used in Hinduism and Buddhism.

Laya yoga is simply an advanced form of tantric yoga (which can be found in our yoga dictionary) where the energy in your chakras gradually dissolves.

Possibly one of the coolest words of yoga, Krounchasana – or ‘heron pose’ – stimulates your abs and heart. You’ll definitely notice a stretch along your bent leg’s thigh, ankle, and shin.

In a literal sense, this pose is also called the ‘head to knee’ pose. In your practise, it is believed to calm the mind and also stretches the all-important hips, back, and groin.