Disclaimer:

 

Any videos referenced in this document are provided for the sole purpose of practicing pronunciation.  I do not claim to agree or disagree with any asana instructions or opinions in said videos.

 

Sources/Resources:

 

Yoga to Master the Mind by Anjani Gharpure

 

Sanskrit Dictionary 

 

Sanskrit Pronunciation Guide from The Yoga Sūtras Patañjali by Satchidananda

 

Yoga 108 – A Yoga App with Diacritical Marks and audio pronunciations

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Acknowledgment and Gratitude:

Most of these links are the work of Anjani Gharpure, author of Yoga to Master the Mind.  She has created many wonderful teachings on asana pronunciation, as well as many other lessons, guided meditations and mantra chanting.  Anjani has kindly given me permission to share her lessons on my media. You can visit her YouTube Channel directly.

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I compiled this list for ease of seeing the terms with their diacritical marks, my interpretation of the diacritical marks, and links to Anjani's YouTube offerings.  Her work is the real work.  When I could not find a term in her lessons, I tried to find another link.

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Before we get to Āsana, let’s practice the Yamas and Niyamas.

 

Yama

Abstinences.  

Pronounced: YUH-muh .

 

Yama - The 8 Limbs of Yoga - Ashtānga Yoga Sanskrit pronunciations

 

Niyamas

Observances.  

Pronounced: NEE-yuh-muh

 

Niyama - The 8 Limbs of Yoga - Ashtānga Yoga Sanskrit pronunciations

 

Yoga Āsana

Yo-guh AH-suh-nuh

The “guh” is almost silent.

Pronounce the words “Yoga” and  “Āsana”:  Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

Yoga meaning union, to yoke, connection

 

Adho Mukha Śvānāsana 

Downward Face Dog Pose

uhd(h)O  MUK(h)a shvah-NAH-suh-nuh

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - The Right Way to Yoga

 

Adho Mukha Vṛkṣāsana

Downward Facing Tree Pose, a.k.a. Handstand

uhd(h)O  MUK(h)a v(l)rick-SHAH-suh-nuh

Sanskrit pronunciations for Yoga - Vṛkṣāsana

 

Agnistambhāsana

Fire Log Pose

UG-ni-stum-B(H)AH-suh-nuh

Pronunciation Lesson -- Yoga with Anjani - The Right Way to Yoga

Pronunciation & Instruction:  Siddhi Yoga

 

Ānjaneyāsana

AHN-juh-nay AH-suh-nuh

Ānjaneya means Son of Anjanā - one of many names for Lord Hanumān

Pronunciation Lesson -- Yoga with Anjani - The Right Way to Yoga

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Ardha Candra Cāpāsana

Sugarcane Pose

ARD-huh CHUN-dra chuh-PAH-suh-nuh

Ardha means half.  Candra means moon.  Cāpa means Bow.  The Goddess Lalita had a bow made of sugarcane.  Sugarcane Pose 

Pronunciation Lesson -- Yoga with Anjani - The Right Way to Yoga
 

Bakāsana (Crane) and Kakāsana (Crow)

Crane Pose - Sanskrit pronunciations for Yoga

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Cakrāsana aka Ūrdhva Dhanurāsana

Ūrdhva Dhanurāsana means upward facing Bow.  Cakrāsana means Wheel.  

Oord(h) vuh Dhuh nuu RAH suh nuh or Chuh KRAH suh nuh

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

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Baddha Koṇāsana

Bound Angle Pose

BUH-d(h)uh Ko-NAH-suh-nuh

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

 

Bhekāsana

Frog Pose

b(he)-KAH-suh-nuh

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga
 

Camatkārāsana

Wild Thing Pose aka "Rockstar"

chuh-mut-kuh-RAH-suh-nuh

Cs always sound like ch

Camatkāra means surprise, astonishment, show

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

 

Caturaṅga Daṇḍāsana

Catur (Four)  aṅga (limb). daṇḍa (staff) āsana (pose)

CHUH-tur-UHNG-ga duhn-DAH-suh-nuh

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - The Right Way to Yoga

 

Eka Pāda Rājakapotāsana, Kapotāsana, Sālamba Kapotāsana

Pigeon Pose Variations

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AY-kuh PAH-duh RAH-juh-ku-po-TAH-suh-nuh

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

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Garuḍāsana

Eagle Pose 

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga
 

Jānu Śīrṣāsana

Knee Head Pose

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

 

Mālāsana

Garland Pose / Squat Pose 

 

Mālā is Garland.  The original Mālāsana in Light on Yoga–the arms are like a garland wrapped around the legs.  I was taught that any squat with the knees wide apart is a variation of Garland.

Anjani says that squat pose is not Mālāsana, but rather, Malāsana–Mala means Dirt.

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malasana

 

Mārjāryāsana

Cat/Cow Poses

Mārjārī - Female Cat   āsana = pose

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

 

Namaste

 

I no longer use the word Namaste in my classes because the word has been misused and mispronounced for decades.  Many people from South Asia and of South Asian descent find the misuse of the word offensive.  If you choose to use the word, please note that the word is often used as “hello” –so it is not appropriate to use at the end of a yoga class.  It is also used in special situations for elders, not necessarily in casual settings.  

Rina Desphande teaches pronunciation

To read more, I have a blog post

 

Nāvāsana

Boat Pose 

Pronounce:  Nah-VAH-suh-nuh

 

Parivṛtta Trikoṇāsana

Rotated Triangle Pose 

Puh-ree-V(L)RIT-uh Tree-koh-NAH-suh-nuh

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

Pronunciation & Instruction:  Siddhi Yoga
 

Pārśvakoṇāsana

utthita meaning "extended", parsva meaning "side or flank", kona meaning "angle" and asana meaning "posture or seat".

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

Pronunciation & Instruction:  Siddhi Yoga

 

Pārśvōttānāsana

colloquially called Pyramid Pose

Diacritical marks & translation from Iyengar

Pārśva = side or flank

Ut = intense

Tan= to stretch, extend, lengthen

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

Pronunciation & Instruction:  Siddhi Yoga

 

Paścimottānāsana

PUH-shchi-mo-tahn-AH-suh-nuh

Paschimottanasana comes from the Sanskrit words paschima (पश्चिम, paścima) meaning "west" or "the back of the body";[3] uttana (उत्तान, uttāna) meaning "intense stretch" or "straight" or "extended";[4] and asana (आसन, āsana) meaning "posture" or "seat"

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

 

Piñcha Mayūrāsana

Peacock Feather Pose

Colloquially known as Forearm stand

PIN-chuh muh-yoo-RAH-suh-nuh

Piñcha =  feather  Mayūra = peacock

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

 

Prasārita Pādottānāsana

Yoga Asana Sanskrit pronunciation for - Wide-legged forward bend

 

Śalabhāsana

Locust Pose

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

Pronunciation & Instruction:  Siddhi Yoga

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Śavāsana

sh-VAH-suh-nuh

Corpse pose

 

Tāḍāsana

Tāḍa = Mountain.  Āsana = pose

Taa-DAA-suh-nuh

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - The Right Way to Yoga

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Upaviṣṭa Koṇāsana

Wide Seated Forward Bend

Upavista means open, Kona means angle

Pronunciation & Instruction - Shakti Shilpa - The Yoga Space
 

Ūrdhva Dhanurāsana, aka Cakrāsana 

Ūrdhva Dhanurāsana means upward facing Bow. 

Cakrāsana means Wheel.  

Oord(h) vuh Dhuh nuu RAH suh nuh

Chuh KRAH suh nuh

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga 

Ūrdhva Mukha Śvānāsana

 

Ūrdhva = Upward, mukha = face, śvāna = dog, āsana = pose

OORd(h)-va mukha shvah-NAH-suh-nuh

Sanskrit pronunciation for Yoga - ūrdhva mukha śvānāsana

 

Ūrdhva Prasarita Eka Pādāsana

Standing Split Pose

Ūrdhva=upward. Prasarita = spread out. Eka = One  Pāda = Foot Āsana = pose

OORd(h)vuh  pruh-SAH-(l)rituh AY-kuh pah-DAH-suh-nuh

Pronunciation Guide

 

Uṣṭrāsana 

Camel Pose

oosh-T(l)RAH-suh-nuh

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

 

Utkaṭāsana

OOT–kuh–TAH–suh-nuh

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

 

Utkata Koṇāsana

(Goddess Pose, Devi Pose)

OOT–kuh–tuh ko-NAH–suh-nuh

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

 

Utthān Pṛisṭhāsana

colloquially known as Lizard Lunge Pose

Utthān or Utthāna?  Sources differ.  Light on Yoga says Utthāna means intense stretch.

utthāna pṛshṭhāsana - Yoga pose meaning & pronunciation https://www.tummee.com/yoga-poses/lizard-pose

“In Sanskrit, ‘uttan’ = ‘stretch deep out’, and ‘pristha’ = ‘back of the body’, and ‘asana’ = ‘posture’. Utthan Pristhasana, is also called Lizard Pose. Lizards have a great flexible upper body and hence the back of the body in this posture resembles the stretched out lizard. And the practice of the same is said to bring the very same flexibility and suppleness in the back and the various muscles involved.

Lizard Pose is considered a base pose as lizard pose variations can be derived from this pose.Lizard Pose helps boost energy in the body and hence can be included in flow yoga sequences.” Tummee

 

Sanskrit dictionary says prstha is page

https://www.learnsanskrit.cc/translate?search=page&dir=au

 

I heard it was called lizard because lizards often walk with same side arm and leg, but then I see youtube videos of lizards walking contralateral

Where did this pose come from?  I can’t find it in Light on Yoga

 

Uttānāsana

Ut= Intense.  tān=stretch, lengthen.  āsana=pose

UT-ahn-AH-suh-nuh

Pronunciation Lesson:  Yoga with Anjani - The Right Way to Yoga

 

Utthāna Śīśoḥsāsana

Puppy Pose

According to this dictionary,  Śiśu or śiśuḥ= the young of any animal

According to this dictionary Śiśoḥ means baby

I am guessing that the diacritical marks would be Śīśoḥsāsana

Pronunciation:

ooh-TAH-nuh  SHEE-shosuh-nuh

Pronunciation & Instruction:  Siddhi Yoga

According to Light on Yoga, Utthāna means intense stretch

 

Utthita Hasta Pādāṅguṣṭhāsana

Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose 

oo-TEET-(h)uh  huh-stuh  pah-daan-goosh-TAH-suh-nuh

T with the dot under it is like “paint house”.  You hit the t a little harder.  S with the dot under it is an SH sound.  A is always like the a in soda, unless there is a line atop, in which case it is like the ah in father.

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga
 

Vinyāsa

To place in a special way

Vin-YAH-suh

 

Vasiṣṭhāsana

Side Plank Pose

VUH–sish–T(h)AH-suh-nuh

According to wikipedia

The name of the pose comes from the Sanskrit उत्थित Utthita extended, वसिष्ठ Vasiṣṭha, a sage,[1] and आसन āsana, "posture" or "seat".[2][3]

The pose is not described in the medieval hatha yoga texts. It appears in the 20th century in the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga of Pattabhi Jois.[4]

I scanned light on yoga and couldn’t find it in the pose list

Pronunciation Lesson - Yoga with Anjani - the Right Way to Yoga

 

Vīrāsana

Hero Pose

Supta Virasana (Reclining Hero Pose) Benefits, How to Do by Yogi Tara - Siddhi Yoga

 

Vīrabhadrāsana I, II, III

Warrior Pose I, II, III

Pronunciation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiyVqxugkFA

I copy and pasted a virabhadrasana article from yoga international onto a google doc to discuss the story of Virabhadra

Also here is another account  https://jivamuktiyoga.com/fotm/warrior-poses/

 

Vṛkṣāsana

Tree Pose

v(l)rick-SHAH-suh-nuh

Sanskrit pronunciations for Yoga - Vṛkṣāsana