When I started Yoga 20 years ago, I was curious about how some yoga teachers would use this unusual language in class. I learned that this unusual language was called Sanskrit. Initially, I found Sanskrit kind of “cute,” but it wasn’t for me to learn or attempt to use. However, as time passed and I got deeper into the Yoga Practice, my appreciation and translation of Sanskrit yoga terms to english grew.
My appreciation of Sanskrit yoga terms and their translation to english grew in several ways, and here are just a few.
- It’s a universal language no matter where you practice or teach Yoga.
- The pronunciation and tone, primarily when used in a chant or mantra, have a mediative physical and mental effect.
- It’s efficient because one Sanskrit word can replace many words or sentences in English.
- Using Sanskrit connects us to the deeper meanings and the lineage of Yoga.
So, to learn more about Sanskrit, I created this Sanskrit to English translation dictionary, which covers many words and numbers used by yoga teachers, lineages, and Ayurveda Practitioners. Further, at the bottom of this post I’ve included external resources on how you can learn Sanskrit to English translation.
For those looking to translate yoga poses, I created a separate article, “Sanskrit Yoga Poses: How to Translate Asanas and Why,” that goes deeper into the subject.
