Yoga Cheatsheet
Terminology
- Asana: Physical posture or pose
- Pranayama: Breathing exercises
- Chakra: Energy centers in the body
- Bandha: Body locks to control the flow of energy
- Mudra: Hand gestures to facilitate the flow of energy
Basic Poses
- Mountain Pose (Tadasana): Stand tall with your feet together, shoulders back, and arms at your sides.
- Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana): Begin on your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Lift your hips up and back to form an inverted V-shape.
- Child’s Pose (Balasana): Start on your hands and knees, and then lower your hips back towards your heels. Reach your arms out in front of you and rest your forehead on the ground.
- Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I): From Mountain pose, step your left foot back, keeping your right knee bent. Turn your left foot out to a 45-degree angle and raise your arms up overhead.
- Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): From Warrior I, open up your hips to the side, keeping your arms at shoulder height and gazing out over your front hand.
- Triangle Pose (Trikonasana): From Warrior II, straighten your front leg and reach your right hand forward, lowering it down to your shin or a block. Extend your left arm up towards the ceiling.
Breathing Exercises
- Ujjayi breath: Inhale and exhale deeply through your nose while constricting the muscles in the back of your throat.
- Nadi Shodhana: Alternate nostril breathing. Use your right thumb to close off your right nostril and inhale through your left nostril. Then close your left nostril with your right ring finger and exhale through your right nostril. Inhale through your right nostril and exhale through your left. Repeat for several cycles.
Yoga Styles
- Hatha Yoga: Focuses on physical postures and breath control.
- Vinyasa Yoga: A flowing sequence of movements, synchronized with breath.
- Ashtanga Yoga: A set sequence of poses, performed in the same order each time.
- Bikram Yoga: Practiced in a hot room, with a set sequence of 26 poses.
- Iyengar Yoga: Emphasizes precise alignment of the body in poses, often using props such as blocks, blankets, and straps.
Resources