Online course · Skool
Sanskrit for Yoga Teachers: Pose Names, Pronunciation and Meaning
Over 100 yoga poses in Sanskrit and English, with pronunciation, etymology and the stories behind the names. Created by a linguist.
The course is part of the Sofia Balance Method community on Skool.
Say the names with confidence
Many yoga teachers avoid Sanskrit in class because they aren't sure how to pronounce it, or they've heard three different versions of the same pose name. That uncertainty shows, and students notice.
This course connects spelling and pronunciation, clears up confusion around the exact names of postures and explains what each name means. The result is more confidence when you teach and a richer experience for your students.
What's inside
100+ poses
Common poses with images, the Sanskrit name in IAST transliteration and the English name.
Pronunciation
How to say every name, including the sounds that don't exist in English.
Etymology
What each part of the name means and why the pose is called that.
Vedic context
The figures and stories behind poses like Hanumānāsana, Vīrabhadrāsana and Naṭarājāsana.
Reading IAST
How to read diacritics like ā, ṣ, ṇ and ś, so you can read any pose name correctly.
A preview: 8 poses and what their names mean
| Sanskrit (IAST) | English name | Literal meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Adho Mukha Śvānāsana | Downward-Facing Dog | adhas = down, mukha = face, śvāna = dog |
| Bakāsana | Crow / Crane Pose | baka = crane, heron |
| Śīrṣāsana | Headstand | śīrṣa = head |
| Piñcha Mayūrāsana | Forearm Stand | piñcha = tail feather, mayūra = peacock |
| Adho Mukha Vṛkṣāsana | Handstand | adhas = down, mukha = face, vṛkṣa = tree |
| Hanumānāsana | Front Splits | Hanumān, the monkey hero of the Rāmāyaṇa |
| Naṭarājāsana | King Dancer / Lord of the Dance | naṭa = dancer, rāja = king (Śiva as Lord of the Dance) |
| Vīrabhadrāsana | Warrior Pose | Vīrabhadra, a fierce warrior form of Śiva |
Who it's for
- Yoga teachers who want to use correct Sanskrit names in class
- Teacher trainees preparing for their exams
- Practitioners curious about the meaning and history behind the poses
Why learn from Sofia
As both a yoga teacher and a language enthusiast, Sofia became fascinated by the meaning, structure and sound of Sanskrit āsana names. She graduated in Hungarian and Spanish from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, and her background in linguistics, translation and multilingual studies led her deeper into learning Sanskrit, which she continues to study, now in the course Fundamentals of Sanskrit Grammar at the same faculty.
What surprised her most was that researching the names also expanded her movement practice. Through language she discovered new poses, variations and connections between families of āsanas she had never explored before. The course is written with a linguist's precision, not copied from a list online.
How the course works
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Poses are organised into categories, so you learn progressively.
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Listen to each pronunciation, then repeat it until it feels natural in your own voice.
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A good rhythm is about 5 poses a day, and you can revisit lessons as often as you like.
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Send a recording and get personal feedback on your pronunciation.
Frequently asked questions
What is IAST?
IAST (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration) is the standard way to write Sanskrit in Latin letters. The diacritics show you exactly how to pronounce each sound, for example ā is a long “a” and ṣ is a hard “sh” sound.
Do I need to know the Devanāgarī script?
No. The course uses Latin transliteration, so you can start right away.
Is it “Pincha” or “Piñcha”?
The correct transliteration is Piñcha, where ñ is a nasal sound before “ch”. The course explains spelling variations like this one for every pose.
Is this course useful for students, not just teachers?
Yes. Understanding what a pose name means often changes how you experience the pose itself.
Ready to say every name with confidence?
Start the Sanskrit course in the Sofia Balance Method community and learn the names, their sound and their meaning at your own pace.