84 Yoga Asanas Pdf Download With Names
Sherilyn Peacher
If you are completely new to exercise, a daily practice may seem overwhelming. Try do some yoga three days per week. But with easy poses like the ones listed here, there is no harm in doing yoga every day.
A Sivananda yoga class is a traditional class which encourages proper breathing, flexibility, strength and vitality in the body while calming the mind. Because Yoga is a spiritual system with a physical component, this non-competitive approach helps the practitioner gain much more than just a healthy body.
A typical yoga class includes pranayama (breathing exercises), warm-ups including Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar), 12 basic asanas (postures) and deep relaxation. The focus is on mastering the basic asanas from which variations are then added to further deepen the practice. The asanas follow an exact order that allows for the systematic movement of every major part of the body in a balanced way that enhances prana or life force energy, keeping the mind quiet and without the need to think beyond each individual pose. Additional variations may also be taught.
Although recent research supports yoga practice as a way to treat back pain, it may not be appropriate for everyone. Be sure to talk with your doctor before starting any new yoga or exercise program. They can help you identify any possible risks and help monitor your progress.
The names of the yoga postures come from the Sanskrit language. With its complex pronunciation, this holy language was spoken thousands of years ago in the Indian subcontinent and is still used in the Hindu religion and by some schools of spirituality.
Yoga asanas names that make up the primary series of Ashtanga yoga give clues to their ability to promote health in the physical body. Many Ashtanga yoga postures are named after an animal or natural phenomenon that symbolises the essence of a specific life force quality. Take Navasana, for example. Visually speaking, the boat posture imitates a ship on the water. Symbolically, the practitioner of Navasana is making a journey through the troubled waters of samsara to the other shore.
Assisted yoga-based stretching, also known as passive asana, is the essence of the Ayurvedic Yoga Massage bodywork (AYM). AYM therapy consists of deep tissue massage with oil and an exfoliating powder called Calamus, followed by assisted stretching based on the yoga postures, guided by breathing techniques inspired by Pranayama.
The aim is to release body-mind tensions and open up through passive stretching that allows one to discover new ways through movement and easing coordination.
As a result, one feels more open and acquires a better movement amplitude during practice, avoids injuries, or recovers more quickly. There is a deep sense of grounding, stillness and coming home.
Looking for a comprehensive list of yoga poses to help you navigate your practice? Yogateket has got you covered! Our directory features a wide range of asanas, from beginner-friendly poses to more advanced variations. Each pose is listed with its Sanskrit name and its common English name, making it easy for you to learn and remember the different asanas.
We also provide helpful hyperlinks for further learning about specific poses. We've organized our yoga pose directory into different categories to find the correct posture (Asana) easier. So whether you're a beginner looking to get started with yoga or an experienced yogi looking to expand your practice, our list of yoga poses has something for everyone.
Standing yoga poses teach you the foundational actions necessary for correctly practicing all the other categories of yoga poses. Always meet flexibility with strength. Some primary alignments in class include pointing the knee forward, stretching the spine, straightening and extending the legs, lifting kneecaps, tone quads, tone glutes, and straightening and extending arms.
Most of us need backbends to balance our forward-bending lives. Sitting in front of a computer all day is unsuitable for our posture. Backbends can help you develop strength and flexibility in the spine. It is important to remember that always be warm and practice with caution. Safety cues you can hear in yoga class are. Contract the glutes, stretch the spine and lift the chest.
Twists in yoga are great for de-stress, and they remove toxins from the spine. Twists cause compression of the discs, and when released from the pose, the discs will rehydrate with fresh liquids again. Alignment cues you can hear are. Stretch the spine on the inhale, twist the torso, and press the knee and elbow together
Inversions can be fun and frightening and are rarely seen in a regular yoga class. You should always practice inversions with caution and until you feel safe and steady, always with the guidance of a yoga instructor. You should stop what you are doing immediately if you feel neck or cervical spine discomfort.
Many of these common yoga poses can be practiced in the extensive collection of our online courses of yoga classes, programs, and challenges. The yoga poses are taken from various styles, and names can vary from the traditions like Hatha Yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and Yin Yoga.
The yoga asanas that are named after animals have each been carefully crafted to embody what a specific animal is there to teach us. From the fierce rise of the cobra to the stoic humility of the cow pose. From the camel to the horse to the peacock to the firefly, yoga poses honor and respect the lessons that animals can teach us.
Do you ever wonder what the Sanskrit names for the different yoga poses are? Of course, we know the common English names for yoga poses, like downward dog and warrior pose, but their original names are Sanskrit. So, what are these names?
The downward facing dog (also known as the triangle pose) is one of the most well-known yoga poses. Get into the table-top position on all fours, with your hands and knees firmly in contact with the ground and your back as extended and straight as possible. Go onto the tips of your toes. Lift your knees off the ground and prop yourself up with your hands and the balls of your feet / your toes. Stretch your hips up and back (away from your head), so that your body forms a triangle. Draw your shoulder blades away from your ears. Continue to hold your spine in a stretched, straight position with your head held in alignment with your spine. Continue to increase the stretch in your legs, but only as far as you can without bending your back. Take some slow, deep breaths and hold this position for a few seconds. Repeat the exercise three times.
Knowledge of the Sanskrit names of yoga asanas and other related terms lends credibility to a yoga teacher, especially when used sparingly and effectively. But Sanskrit is actually considered one of the most beautiful languages and can easily be broken down to help explain the meaning behind the poses.
Having a basic understanding of Sanskrit words for yoga postures, even some of the common prefixes, can help your practice. You can open yourself to connecting deeper with your practice. You can think more about being present in a yoga posture as opposed to feeling like you are lost in your first year of a foreign language class. Anyone ever jumped into a basic foreign language class, but everyone had some proficiency but you?
Most students and fellow teachers will forgive minor mispronunciations of the Sanskrit words. And really, all of us Westerners are pretty much butchering it. So, I do have a few preferences and pet peeves in terms of Sanskrit pronunciation, or mispronunciation. Here are a few helpful tips of Sanskrit for yoga poses, along with a few other pointers:
In 1984 at age 45, Sri Dharma Mittra photographed himself some 1300 times in all the main yoga poses and many variations, plotting the resulting images on a chart he wished he had had available as a reference tool for the study of Asana, the third limb of yoga practice. Searchable highlights from The Master Chart of 908 Asanas are featured below to support you in your study of Yoga. You can search using the English or transliterated Sanskrit names of the main poses of yoga and many variations, as well. To further your study of yoga, best is to study directly with a Dharma Yoga Registered Teacher (DYRT).
It is best to find a qualified yoga instructor to teach you the alignment of the lying down yoga poses. As most of your body weight is supported by the earth or positioned with a low center of gravity, supine poses can often be held for longer times than other categories of asanas. This is especially true for lying down positions that focus on stretching. Expect to hold strength building supine poses for 4-6 breaths and stretching asanas for 6-12 breaths. If used in restorative yoga, they are held for even longer times. A consistent yoga practice and following our beginner yoga guide will yield the best and fastest results.
There are approximately 18 primary supine asanas in yoga. Check out our list of supine poses by image, name and level below. You will find step-by-step instructions, pose benefits, modifications, and Sanskrit pronunciation for each pose.
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