Do you need a dictionary?

In the past month, thanks to a great Groupon I bought, I was able to practice for a very affordable price at a highly priced yoga studio. One month unlimited, yay!! But that's gonna be discussed more in detail in another post ;)

Besides the variety of teachers and styles that I was able to try and enjoy, one thing that caught my attention was the language used in all classes. It was English, of course, but all teachers also used Sanskrit. And not all of them did it properly. That's why it bothered me so much!!!

I'm no expert in the subject, but as a Yoga Instructor, I've done my homework and studied the basic terminology and pronunciation. That's why I know when something isn't right. I'm all for using the sacred language during classes, but do it properly and showing the respect that it deserves.

If you don't know how to pronounce it, then don't say it, until you know for sure how to. In Chile we have a saying: "El tuerto es el rey en el mundo de los ciegos" (the one eyed man is the king in the world of blinds), which would apply for a teacher that is leading a beginner's class, or that is certain that he/she knows more about the name of the asanas than anybody else in the room. But how do you know for sure when these options apply? Are you gonna ask your students one by one? You need to be on top of your game. When you have students that are knowledgeable, advanced practitioners and experienced yogis/yoginis, then you need to step up and be the Guide they need you to be. With your practice, with your cues and with your words.

And if you don't know any Sanskrit and you want to start learning, here are some basic words, with their English translation and pronunciation:

Asana (ah-sah-nnah) = Pose

Savasana (sah-vah-sah-nnah) = Corpse pose   

Tadasana (tah-dah-sah-nnah) = Mountain pose

Utkatasana (oott-kah-tah-sah-nnah) = Depending of the yoga style the translation (chair, fierce, thunderbolt, awkward)

Uttanasana (oott-tah-nah-sah-nnah) = Forward fold (stretched out) pose

Balasana (bah-lah-sah-nnah) = Child pose

If you wanna learn more, I recommend "The Language of Yoga". You can find it used or new in internet.