Sanskrit is the language of yoga and I teach using both English and Sanskrit because I feel it helps to portray yoga in its true form - an ancient science and way of life. Yoga is so much more than physical exercise, which is the common modern western interpretation. Asana means steady pose. The names of most yoga poses take asana as the suffix. Asanas are named after animals or ancient sages or have a symbolic meaning and most can be directly translated. For example: Ardha Chandrasana is the half moon pose - 'ardha' means 'half' and 'chandra' means 'moon'. Some of the more common asanas you will hear me mention are:

• Adho Mukha Svanasana - Downward Facing Dog
• Advasana - prone full body stretch
• Ardha Chandrasana - half moon
• Ardha Matsyendrasana - half spinal twist
• Bhadrasana - Cobbler
• Bhujangasana - Cobra
• Chakrasana - Wheel (also called Urdhva Dhanurasana - Upward Bow)
• Dhanurasana - Bow
• Gomukhasana - Head of a Cow
• Halasana - Plough
• Janu Sirsasana - seated head to knee pose
• Kakasana - Crow
• Kumbhakasana - Plank (literally 'retention of breath pose')
• Marichyasana - pose of a sage
• Matsyasana - Fish
• Pachimottanasana - seated forward bend (literally the 'west pose')
• Padahastasana - standing forward bend (literally 'foot to hand pose')
• Prasarita Padottanasana - standing wide leg forward bend
• Pursvottanasana - Bowing Warrior
• Sarvangasana - Shoulderstand
• Sethu Bandasana - Bridge
• Sirsasana - Headstand
• Tadasana - Mountain Pose
• Tarasana - Star Pose
• Trikonasana - Triangle
• Urdhva Mukha Svanasana - Upward Facing Dog
• Uttanasana - standing head to knee
• Utktasana - Chair or Awkward/Fierce pose
• Ustrasana - Camel
• Uttitha Parsvakonasana - extended side angle lunge
• Virabhadrasana 1, 2 & 3 - Warrior 1, 2 & 3