The world has been blessed with the sacred art of yoga that originated in the Indian heartland. Yoga is much more than a way to stay physically fit. It also keeps your mind calm in stressful situations. The best part about making yoga a part of your daily routine is you get to connect with your true self and unlock the hidden potential. If you are a yoga novice, choose a registered yoga school to get in-depth knowledge about this sacred art.
Whether it is chanting the sacred OM or greeting each other with Namaste, yoga practitioners have a language of their own. Nevertheless, it is important to familiarize yourself with some commonly used yoga words and concepts before you take the plunge.
With that said, let us take a look at the commonly used yoga lingo you would come across during your training. First, let us understand a bit about the different yoga styles.
Registered Yoga School – The Yoga Styles
Registered Yoga School is much more than just sitting cross-legged all day and chanting a mantra. Recently, this ancient art has become a global phenomenon. Thanks to the numerous physical and mental health benefits different yoga styles offer.
Given below are the best yoga styles you can choose to learn.
1. Aerial Yoga
The name says it all! This yoga style combines aerial arts and yoga. Aerial yoga utilizes a fabric trapeze that bears all or some of your body weight. This yoga style focuses on relaxation and practice. The best thing is it is a lot of fun to learn this yoga style.
2. Ashtanga Yoga
Ashtanga yoga is a bit more on the athletic side when it comes to yoga. It is a traditional practice that focuses much on progressive yoga sequences that are tied to your breath. For example, the primary series of Ashtanga yoga includes a total of 75 poses and detoxifies your body, and provides strength.
3. Hatha Yoga
A majority of yoga styles fall under the ambit of Hatha yoga. Moreover, this style of yoga follows the classic traditional approach by combining your breathing with numerous body poses.
4. Integrative Yoga
Also known as Integrative Yoga Therapy, this yoga style provides therapeutic benefits to your mind, body, and spirit. If you are looking to reap the full benefits of yoga consider practicing this style of yoga.
5. Iyengar Yoga
Iyengar yoga style requires you to hold a particular pose longer than other yoga styles. Further, it relaxes your muscles. This yoga style incorporates the use of belts, blocks, chairs, and blankets to help you practice this yoga without any hassle even in case of an injury.
6. Kripalu Yoga
This yoga style focuses on helping you get in touch with your body. Kripalu yoga includes three different phases namely meditation, long-held poses, and basic mechanics. Moreover, you learn this yoga style in a flowing sequence by moving from one stage to the next.
7. Power Yoga
Power Yoga has an athletic edge and was created basically for the western nations during the 80s. You practice this yoga style in a heated room. Further, the classes depend on the teacher’s preference and do not follow a specific sequence of yoga poses.
8. Restorative Yoga
As the name suggests, restorative yoga helps you relax especially if you are recovering from an injury. Moreover, this style of yoga includes standard yoga asanas like Balasana, Paschimottasana, among others that you practice for a long time to calm down the mind.
9. Vini Yoga
The word Vini in Sanskrit means adaption. This yoga style is perfect if you want personalized yoga training under a highly experienced yoga instructor.
10. Sivananda Yoga
Sivananda yoga is a spiritual form of yoga that includes sun salutations and other asanas in every class. Also, this yoga method focuses on relaxation, breathing, exercise, positive thinking, and exercise to help you adopt a healthy lifestyle.
11. Prenatal Yoga
Prenatal yoga has been designed keeping in mind expectant mothers. This style of yoga focuses on yogic breathing and provides your muscles with strength. Thus, you can learn this yoga style and help mothers-to-be to undergo a less painful delivery.
12. Kundalini Yoga
Kundalini is the dormant serpent energy lying dormant at the base of your spine. The Kundalini yoga style is energetic and requires you to move from one yoga pose to another. Further, the sequences in this style of yoga include fast yet repetitive movements to help unlock your true potential.
13. Jivamukti Yoga
The word Jiva in Sanskrit means living being and Mukti refers to salvation. Jivamukti yoga focuses on helping you attain spiritual enlightenment. Every Jivamukti yoga class focuses on chanting and scripture reading.
14. Anusara Yoga
Anusara style of yoga focuses on enhancing your mood and preventing any injury. It is one of the best yoga styles for yoga novices or if you are out-of-shape.
15. Bikram Yoga
Bikram yoga, created by Bikram Choudhary consists of a total of 26 body postures. Out of these, you have to repeat every yoga pose twice. Moreover, the practice takes place in a room heated to a temperature of 105-degrees.
16. Yin Yoga
Yin yoga style is a slow and meditative practice that helps relax your muscles. It is the best yoga style if you are just starting out yoga practice.
Now, let us dive a bit deeper into the world of human anatomy. You should choose a registered yoga school to reap maximum benefits from a yoga session.
Yoga Anatomy
When you enrol in a yoga teacher certification course there are some unusual terms you might hear about. Read further to know what these are.
1. Sacrum
The bone structure at the base of your spine includes the tailbone.
2. Sit Bones
Sit bones are a part of your pelvis and are located towards the underside of your hips. These are felt when you sit on a hard surface.
3. Sternum
Known as the breastbone, the Sternum is the bone running vertically down the centre of your chest.
4. Crown Of The Head
The top part of your skull.
With that said, it is time we focus on understanding some common catchphrases you would come across in a yoga class.
Common Yoga Catchphrases You Should Know
While learning yoga, do not focus only on the physical practice of yoga asanas. It is important to absorb the plethora of knowledge covering the numerous concepts of this sacred art you get from the yoga instructor.
Given below are some common yoga catchphrases that you would hear in a yoga session.
1. Asanas
Sanskrit word means a manner of sitting. It also stands for body posture or poses.
2. Ashram
The place where you get to learn and live the yogic lifestyle. Yoga ashrams provide you with workshops, seminars, and events.
3. Block
Refers to a yoga block made of foam or cork. Yoga block offers you support while practising difficult yoga poses.
4. Chakra
Chakra is the energy centre located throughout your body. Your body has a total of seven chakras including the base, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, brow, and crown chakra.
5. Karma
Part of the Eastern philosophy of cause and effect. Karma is not punishment for your actions rather the result.
6. Mantra
Words or syllables for repetition during the meditation session. These are practised to inspire your mind and spirit to keep up with the yoga practice.
7. Namaste
A way of greeting each other in yoga circles.
8. OM
The slow and steady sound is a mantra in itself.
9. Pranayama
A yogic technique that helps you develop controlled breathing.
10. Fire Breathing
A Pranayama technique was utilized during Kundalini yoga practice. The fire refers to rapid breathing that engages your diaphragm.
11. Jnana Mudra
Hand position is used most commonly during meditation sessions. The tip of your forefinger and thumb are brought together with your hands resting and palms facing upward.
12. Sanskrit
The ancient language of Hinduism and India.
13. Sun Salutation
A sequence of yoga asanas includes the mountain pose, lunge, plank pose, chaturanga, downward-facing dog, upward-facing dog, and standing forward bend.
14. Vinyasa
A flowing sequence of yoga poses.
You can learn a plethora of yoga catchphrases and lingo under the guidance of an experienced yoga instructor.
However, for you to earn a Yoga Instructor Certification you must possess the knowledge of not just yoga styles but also the different yoga asanas.
Basic Hatha Yoga Poses You Should Know About
Before you embark on this spiritual journey, remember that every other yoga style originates from Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga is a holistic way for you to gain mastery over your body and mind. This yoga style keeps your mind calm and prepares you for deeper meditation practice.
For starters, the word Ha stands for Sun and Tha means Moon. The practice of Hatha Yoga is all about balancing the solar and lunar energies in your body. Read further to know more about this yoga style.
Hatha Yoga And The 3 Yoga Nadis
Your body has three Nadis namely Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna. The Ida Nadi spirals up the left side of your spine and ends at the left nostril. The Pingala Nadi ends at your right nostril. Practising Hatha yoga helps you create a balance between the Ida and Pingala Nadi to unlock higher consciousness.
Moreover, if you want to earn a Yoga Certification you must know the five principles of Hatha Yoga that include;
- Proper Breathing
- Customized Diet
- Complete Relaxation
- Deep Thinking & Meditation
- Proper Exercise
With that said, now let us focus on the 12 basic Hatha Yoga poses that provide your body with a good stretch.
The 12 Basic Hatha Yoga Poses
The 12 basic yoga poses of Hatha Yoga activates the Chakra energy that is the sacred energy channel present in your body. These yoga asanas improve flexibility in your spine, stimulate the immune system, and strengthen every body part.
Hatha Yoga asanas also prevent numerous health problems like diabetes, stress-related problems, sexual disorders, and arthritis among others. In other words, the daily practice of these yoga asanas help you maintain good physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Let us now understand the 12 poses in detail.
1. Headstand Pose (Sirsasana)
Known as the King of all yoga asanas, the headstand pose gives your face a rush of fresh nutrients and oxygen to make your skin glow. The increased blood flow and rush of nutrients to your head also prevent hair fall.
Sirsasana detoxifies your adrenal glands to create a happy mood that helps you prevent depression, anxiety, and stress. A major benefit for your physical health is this asana helps you develop stronger core muscles and minimizes the risk of a stroke. Doing a Yoga Alliance certification course will help you know about this yoga asana.
2. Plough Pose (Halasana)
Halasana is an inverted back-stretching Hatha Yoga Pose that offers your back flexibility and back muscles strong. It stimulates your reproductive organs, strengthens the immune system, and thyroid glands.
Plough Pose is an excellent yoga asana for women during menopause. This offers your spine flexibility and helps with weight loss.
3. Sitting Forward Bend Pose (Paschimottasana)
The best Hatha yoga poses to calm your mind and relieve stress is Paschimottasana. Although you practice this pose after your body is warmed up it provides your entire body with a good stretch. If you are diabetic or have high blood pressure practice this yoga asana.
4. Locust Pose (Shalabhasana)
Locust Pose is an intermediate backbend yoga asana that gives your spine a good stretch, flexibility, and strength. This yoga asana stretches your entire spine, chest, and energizes you. It stimulates your internal organs and improves blood circulation in your entire body.
5. Half Spinal Twist Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
If you want to earn the Yoga Alliance Certification in Hatha yoga knowing the half spinal twist pose is important. This yoga asana requires twisting your body and that improves your spine’s flexibility, relaxes your nervous system, and calms down your brain. Ardha Matsyendrasana tones your abdominal organs and improves digestion.
6. Peacock Pose (Mayurasana)
Peacock pose is an excellent balancing Hatha yoga asana that helps develop strength in your arms, abdominal muscles, and improve concentration. It detoxifies your body, tones the digestive organs, and helps you get rid of constipation issues.
7. Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
Excellent standing yoga poses to reduce stress, tone your legs, and improve your mental and physical health. Trikonasana is a recommended Hatha Yoga pose that provides strength to your ankles, chest, arms, knees, and legs. This yoga asana stretches and opens your hips, groin, shoulders, chest, hamstrings, and spine.
8. Shoulderstand Pose (Sarvangasana)
An intermediate yoga pose in which your whole body balances on your shoulders. Shoulderstand is the oldest yoga asana and covers every organ in your body. It is a Hatha Yoga poses that cure asthma, sinusitis, relieve the symptoms of menopause, and infertility.
Sarvangasana stimulates your parathyroid and thyroid glands, the abdominal region, and relieves you of stress and depression.
9. Fish Pose (Matsyasana)
Fish Pose is a back-bending sleeping pose that opens your chest, abdomen, and throat. Further, it also helps you get rid of any thyroid disorders. The daily practise of this yoga asana helps you develop balance and flexibility in your neck and spine.
10. Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
This back-stretching Hatha Yoga pose stimulates your reproductive organs and relieves you of menstrual discomfort. Dhanurasana strengthens your back and abdominal muscles open your neck, chest, and shoulders.
You can improve the functioning of the liver, intestine, and pancreas with the daily practise of this yoga asana.
11. Crow Pose (Kakasana)
The Kakasana is an arm balancing yoga pose that requires strength in your arms and shoulders to perform. This yoga asana strengthens the muscles of your arms, core, and promotes a good body posture. It also strengthens and tones your upper arms, forearms, wrists, and abdominal muscles.
These Hatha yoga poses to provide you with a systematic body movement routine to help you remain free of stress and anxiety. However, make sure you take adequate rest between each asana to reap the full benefits. It is here that Shavasana comes into the picture.
12. Corpse Pose (Shavasana)
The easiest Hatha yoga poses is also the hardest one. Shavasana requires you to relax your mind and body and at the same time prevent yourself from falling asleep. This yoga asana improves your concentration, memory, and relieves you of depression and stress.
It is equally important you follow all the right guidelines to maximize your yoga practise gains.
Beginner Yoga Tips
Given below are three powerful tips to help you make the most of a yoga session as a beginner.
Arrive at the yoga session 10 minutes early so you can set up the mat, fill your water bottle, and do the warm-up before the actual practice starts.
Drink water sometime before and after the class to avoid dehydration.
If you have long hair then wear a braid or a low ponytail to prevent your hair from ruining the experience.
Conclusion
Yoga is a natural way for you to stay not just physically fit it also helps your mind remain calm in a stressful situation. It helps you not just develop peak physical and mental conditioning it gives you the chance to connect with your spiritual self.
FAQs
Ques 1) What yoga certification is best?
Ans) For beginners, 200 hour yoga teacher training is the best. It would be best if you had little to no yoga knowledge. Further, for intermediate yoga practitioners, 300 hour yoga teacher training is the best. The topmost yoga course, 500 hour yoga teacher training is perfect for advanced yoga practitioners.
Ques 2) How long does it take to become a certified yoga instructor?
Ans) Anywhere between 28 days to 60 days. Further, it depends on which yoga teacher training course you have chosen.
Ques 3) What is the last stage of yoga?
Ans) Samadhi is the final stage of practising yoga. It is a state of deep meditation where a person abandons all sense of hunger or thirst. A person who has attained samadhi can meditate for many days or weeks without getting up or getting tired.
