Sanskrit Terminology from the book Vinyasa Krama by Matthew Sweeney

The Indian Sanskrit language is a logical and straightforward system and the naming of asana even more so. When a body part is used in a name, it reflects in most rudimentary terms what is to be done with that part of

Toni Romero, Eka pada Rajakapotasana

the body. For example. hasta padangustasana, hands and toes posture (literally hands and foot-fingers). This tells you that you should be holding the big toes with your hands in some manner. When a sage is referred to in a posture it is named after him or for what that sage was renowned for. For example. marichyasana indicates one knee in an upright position each time. Marichi is the son of Brahma and his name
literally means ‘ray of light. ' By imitating a sage or Rishi (enlightened sage) you are aspiring to his or her divine qualities.
Animal names are often used as visual inspiration. By imitating an animal in a posture it is intended that you
experience some exceptional aspect of that particular creature: the lightness of a bird, the flexibility of a monkey or the fierceness
of a crocodile. For example, the naming of kapotasana, the pigeon, reflects the position of the arms and chest. Both of the elbows tend to be pointed like the beak of the pigeon with the chest sticking out like a pigeon’s breast . These postures resemble a pigeon's ability to swivel its head into seemingly impossible backward angles.[...]
It is important to learn the traditional Sanskrit names of the postures and what they mean. The system of Yoga is culturally Indian, and despite the current Western influence. the full impact of the spirituality of Yoga is difficult to grasp unless this culture is embraced in some way. In my experience, learning some of the basic terms adds an insightful and devotional quality to the practice. In the visual risana library of this book all of the names for the postures and their variations are provided. including a description ofthe great sages, saints and gods invoked by many of the postures.

From the One Thousand Names of Lalita

Salutations to the most
adorable and beautiful
Mother of all beings.

Adorations to the
Beautiful Great Empress
Salutations to the
Goddess whose royal seat
is the great lion.
Adoration to Her who is
born from the altar of the
fire of Pure Consciousness.
Obeisances to Her who is ever
stimulating in what is to be
done for and by the gods.
Adoration to Her who has
the brilliance of a thousand
rising suns.
Salutations to Her who is
endowed with four arms,
(Asvaruòha,Sampatkari,
Mantrini, and Varahi)
surrounding Her as four
goddesses.
Obeisances to Her who has a
noose of passion/grasping in
the lower left hand.
Salutations to Her who has
a fiery goad of anger/repulsion
in the right lower hand.
Salutations to Her who wields
the sugarcane bow, of the
synthesizing Mind, in Her left
upper hand.
Obeisances to Her in whose
right upper hand are the five
subtle elements, in the form
of arrows which captivate the
mind in meditative awareness.
Adoration to Her who, as coiled
Kundalini, resides As one in the

Muladhara at the pelvic floor.
Adoration to Her who pierces
through the Knot of Brahma.
Greetings to Her who then
rises up to the Manipura in
the navel.
Salutations to Her who,
pierces, breaks through
the Knot of Vishnu.
Obeisances to Her who
settles down deep inside
the Ajnachakra.
Salutations to Her who
finally breaks through the
Rudra-granthi.
Salutations to Her who has
sprung up to the thousand
(innumerable) petaled lotus,
called Sahasrara.
Adorations to Her who is the
showering of the flowing nectar
(from the moon in the center of
the Sahasrara).
Adoration to her whose beauty
is like continuous lightning.
Salutations to Her whose stands
completely above the six cakras.
Salutations to Her who is the
great Conjunction.
Salutations to Her who is the
coiled Kundalini, blocking the
middle path.
Salutations to Her who is the as
fine as the thread of a lotus stalk.
Salutations to Her who is the
Beautiful auspiscious iva.
Salutations to her who is the
form of the Union of iva and
akti (Pure Consciousness and
Creative Energy).
Salutations to Her who is both
the amorous, playful goddess
Lalitaa and the loving mother
Ambikaa.