Dictionary

Asana: Physical posture or pose. Teachers should guide students through proper alignment and breathing during asanas.
Adjustments: Hands-on or verbal cues to help students deepen their practice or align their bodies correctly in poses.
Anatomy: Knowledge of the human body’s structure, critical for ensuring safety and proper alignment in yoga.

Breathwork: Focused breathing exercises used to control prana (life energy). A key part of almost all yoga practices.
Balance: Both a physical and mental quality that yoga instructors should foster in their students through poses that build strength and stability.
Bandhas: Energy locks, including Mula Bandha (root lock), Uddiyana Bandha (abdomen lock), and Jalandhara Bandha (throat lock), used to control energy flow in the body.

Chakras: Energy centers in the body that yoga can help balance. Knowledge of the seven chakras allows instructors to guide students in understanding energy flow.
Cueing: Verbal instructions that guide students into and out of poses. Effective cueing helps create a clear and accessible experience for the class.
Class Sequencing: The arrangement of asanas in a class to create a balanced flow, focusing on muscle groups, energy, and theme.

Dharma: One’s purpose or duty, which in yoga teaching, refers to leading students with integrity and mindfulness.
Dhyana: Meditation or focused awareness. Yoga instructors often incorporate dhyana to deepen students’ connection to their practice.
Dynamic Flow: A fast-paced class style where poses are linked with breath in a continuous flow. Vinyasa is an example of this style.

Eka: Meaning “one.” For example, Eka Pada (one-legged) as in Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose).

- Energetic Adjustments: Adjusting a student’s energy using guidance, props, or cues without physical touch to enhance their practice.
- Ethics of Teaching: The responsibilities and moral considerations instructors should keep in mind, including respecting students’ boundaries and promoting inclusivity.

Foundation: Refers to the base of the body in each pose. Teaching students how to ground their foundation helps create stability.
Focus Point (Drishti): A point of gaze that students focus on to improve balance and concentration during asanas.
Flow: A seamless transition between postures. A flow class is a class in which the poses are linked with breath.

Grounding: A term that refers to the practice of feeling connected to the earth, enhancing stability and focus.
Guided Meditation: A type of meditation where the instructor provides verbal cues to guide the student’s awareness.

Hatha Yoga: A style of yoga that focuses on physical postures and breathwork, often seen as a foundational practice for beginners.
Hands-On Adjustments: Physical touch or assist given by the instructor to guide students into better alignment or deepen their practice.
Holistic Approach: Teaching yoga with the understanding that it benefits the whole person: body, mind, and spirit.

Intention Setting: The practice of setting a personal or collective intention at the beginning of a class to bring focus and mindfulness to the practice.
Inversions: Poses where the head is below the heart (e.g., headstand, shoulder stand). These poses should be taught with care, especially for beginners.
Insight Meditation (Vipassana): A form of meditation focused on mindfulness and understanding the nature of reality, often used in yoga classes.

Journaling: Encouraged as a way for students to reflect on their practice, both mentally and emotionally.
Joint Stability: Understanding and teaching students how to engage muscles to stabilize joints in asanas to avoid injury.

Kundalini: A form of energy said to lie dormant at the base of the spine, which can be awakened through specific yoga practices, often linked to breathwork and chanting.
Karma Yoga: The yoga of selfless service; instructors can incorporate this by offering classes for a cause or teaching in underserved communities.

Lower Back Care: Essential knowledge for instructors, as the lower back is a common area of tension and injury in students.
Lunge Variations: Essential in many classes for building strength and flexibility. Proper alignment and cueing are key in lunges to protect the knees.

Mantra: A word or phrase repeated during meditation to aid focus. Instructors may use mantras to enhance students’ meditation practices.
Modifications: Adjustments to poses to make them more accessible for different levels of students.
Mindfulness: Being fully present and aware, which yoga encourages both in physical postures and throughout life.

Nadi Shodhana: Alternate nostril breathing, a pranayama technique used to balance the mind and calm the nervous system.
Non-Attachment (Aparigraha): The concept of letting go of expectations, which can be a valuable teaching in yoga practice and life.

Props: Tools like blocks, straps, and bolsters used to enhance a student’s practice, especially for beginners or restorative classes.
Pranayama: Breath control techniques. Pranayama is key to energizing the body and calming the mind.
Pose Progressions: Teaching students how to safely move from simpler to more complex versions of a pose.

Quieting the Mind: Helping students quiet their mental chatter, often through breathwork, meditation, or mindful movement.
Quick Transitions: Ensuring students move safely and smoothly between poses, maintaining fluidity and control.

Restorative Yoga: A gentle, healing style of yoga using props to support the body in passive poses, helping students relax deeply.
Repetition: Repeating poses or sequences to deepen awareness and understanding.
Rinse: A term used to describe movements or stretches that release tension, often seen in a cool-down section of class.

Savasana: The final resting pose, where students lie on their backs to relax. It’s an important moment for integration and reflection.
Sequence: The structure of a yoga class, including the flow of poses and transitions.
Sankalpa: A personal resolve or intention set during a yoga practice, guiding a student’s focus and growth.

Tension Release: The process of guiding students to release both physical and mental tension during yoga practice.
Tadasana: Mountain pose, one of the foundational standing poses that teaches alignment and grounding.
Therapeutic Yoga: Yoga practices specifically designed to address injuries or health concerns.

Ujjayi Breath: A breathing technique used to create heat and focus, often referred to as “victorious breath.”
Upliftment: The feeling of emotional, spiritual, or physical elevation gained through practice and guidance.

Vinyasa: A flowing sequence of poses linked with breath. Vinyasa yoga is often dynamic and fast-paced.
Vairagya: Detachment or non-attachment, teaching students to release expectations and judgments.
Verbal Cues: Clear instructions that guide students into correct alignment, deepen their practice, and enhance their experience.

Warrior Poses: A series of poses that build strength and stability, including Warrior I, II, and III. These are foundational poses for building endurance.
Wrist Care: Important to avoid strain and injury, especially in weight-bearing poses like Downward Dog.

Yoga Nidra: A deeply restorative practice of conscious relaxation, often referred to as “yogic sleep.” It’s a guided meditation practice to help with stress relief and deep rest.
Yamas: Ethical guidelines for yoga, including non-violence (Ahimsa), truthfulness (Satya), and non-possessiveness (Aparigraha).