Syllabus Asanas, Pranayamas and Mantra

These are the asanas (poses), pranayamas and mantras on the syllabus with (pronunciations) and English translations.

Asanas

• Adho Mukha Svanasana (adho mukha shwvanarsana) - Down face dog.

• Adho Mukha Vrksasana (adho mukha vrksharsana) - Face down tree.

• Anantasana (anantarsana) - The serpent couch of the Lord Vishnu, also meaning the eternal one.

• Ardha Chandrasana (ardha chandrarsana) - Half moon pose.

• Ardha Baddha Padma Pascimottanasana (ardha badda padma pashimottarnarsana) - Half-bound western stretch.

• Ardha Matsyendrasana (ardha matsyendrarsana) - Ardha means half, while Matsyendra or Matsyendranath was the Lord of the Fishes, the first teacher to mankind. He was a fish who overheard Shiva explaining yoga to his consort and so Shiva caused him to take on divine manifestation and thereafter spread the knowledge of yoga.

• Astavakrasana (ashtarvakrarsana) - Asta means eight and vakra is bend, also astavakra was the nane of a sage.

• Baddha Konasana (baddha konarsana) - Bound angle.

• Bakasana and Parsva Bakasana (bakarsana/ parshva’ bakarsana) - A crane and the sideways or flankside version of it.

• Bharadvajasana I and II (bharadvajarsana) - Name of sage from Mahabharata.

• Bhujapidasana (bhujapeedarsana) - Bhuja means arm and pida means pressure.

• Bhujangasana (bhujangarsana) - Snake, cobra.

• Caturanga Dandasana (chaturanga dandarsana) - Four limbs, parts, staff.

• Dandasana (dandarsana) - Staff or walking stick (support).

• Dhanurasana (dhanurarsana) Bow.

• Dvi Pada Viparitta Dandasana (dwvi parda vipareeta dandarsana) - Two, feet inverted, staff.  

• Eka Hasta Bhujasana (eka hasta bhujarsana) - One hand, arm or elephant trunk.

• Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (eka parda rarjakapotasana) - One leg, foot king pigeon.

• Garudasana (garudarsana. The , ‘d’ is pronounced with tongue curled back hitting upper palate.) - Mythical eagle/man deity.

• Gomukhasana (gomukharsana) - Cow face.

• Janu Sirsasana (jarnu sheershasana) - Head to knee.

• Jathara Parivartasana (jathara parivartarsana) - Stomach abdomen turning around.

• Kapotasana (kapotarsana) - Pigeon (preparation using block/s which is more similar to Paryankasana).

• Kurmasana (koomarsana) - Tortoise.

• Krauncasana (krauncharsana) - A heron.

• Lolasana (lolarsana) - Swinging back and forth, can also be a pendant or earring.

• Malasana (marlarsana) - Garland.

• Maricyasana I and III (mareechyarsana) - Marichi was the name of a sage, according to some accounts he was the son of brahma the creator and the grandfather to surya the sun god.

• Matsyasana (matsya) - Fish.

• Mayurasana (mayoorarsana ) - A peacock.

• Padmasana (padmarsana) - Lotus.

• Parighasana (pareegharsana) - A cross bar or gate.

• Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana (parivitta jarnu sheesarsana) - Revolving/ knee head.

• Parivrtta Trikonasana (parivritta trikonarsana) - Reversed, revolved triangle.

• Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana (parivritta ardha chandrarsana) - Revolved half moon.

• Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (parivritta parshvakonarsana) - Revolved side angle.

• Paripurna Navasana (paripoona navarsana) - Full boat.

• Parivrtta Upavista Konasana (parivrtta oopavista konarsana) - Revolved side seated angle.

• Parsva Upavista Konasana (parshva) - Side seated angle.

• Parsvottanasana (parshvottarnarsana) - Side/flank, intense.

• Pasasana (parshasana) - Noose.

• Pascimottanasana (pashchimottarnarsana) - Intense ‘western’ stretch (back extension), pascima is the back, uttana is extension. Also known as Ugrasana or Brahmacharyasana, meaning formidable, and Brahmacharyasana meaning religious study, refined mind-states and self restraint.

• Pinca Mayurasana (pincha mayoorarsana) - Tail feather, a peacock.

• Prasarita Padottanasana (prasarita pardottanarsana) - Spread out/expanded, foot/leg, extended/stretched.

• Purvottanasana (poorvottanarsana) - Purva means earlier than former/previous/prior and refers to the front of the body as the ‘earlier’ part of the body. The part that comes first it is often referred to as the east of the body, just as the back is referred to as the west. This is also connected with where the sun first appears and sets.

• Savasana/mrtasana (shavarsana/mreetarsana) - Corpse.

• Salamba Sarvangasana (sarlamba sarvarngarsana) - Supported, all parts of the body. Sarva on its own means all or whole, anga is parts or limbs.

• Salamba Sarvangasana (on chair)

• Salamba Sirsasana (sarlamba sheesharsana) - Supported head.

• Salamba Sirsasana II

• Setu Bandhasana (setoo bandarsana) - Bridge formation.

• Siddhasana (siddharsana) - A sage/ seer or prophet, also great purity and holiness.

• Sphinx pose - A version of maricyasana chair stretchs/prayer and groin stretch.

• Sukhasana/swastikasana (sookharsana) - Sweetness bliss, cross legs.

• Supta Virasana and Virasana (supta veerarsana) - Supine hero/brave.

• Supta Baddha Konasana (supta baddha konarsana) - Supine bound angle.

• Tadasana/samasthithi (tardarsana/samastiti) - Mountain/steady and firm, stability.

• Trianga Mukhaikapada Pascimottanasana (trianga mukhaikaparda pashchimottarnarsana) - Three parts (buttocks, knees and feet) face (over) one foot intense western or back stretch.

• Ubhaya Padangustasana/Urdhva Mukha Pascimottanasana (ubayha pardarngushtarsana/oodhva mukha pashchimottarnarsana) - Both big toes/upwards facing western stretch.

• Upavista Konasana (oopavishta konarsana) - Seated angle.

• Urdhva Prasarita Padasana (oordhva prasarita pardarsana)

• Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (oodhva mukha shwvanarsana. The ‘v’ is almost a ‘w’ very soft) - Head up dog.

• Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana (oodhva prasarita eka padasana) - Upwards spread out/expanded one foot or leg.

• Urdhva Dhanurasana (oordhva dhanurarsana) - Upwards bow.

• Ustrasana (ushtrasana) - Camel.

• Utkatasana (utkatarsana) - Powerful, mighty.

• Uttanasana (uttarnarsana) - Extension deliberate, intense tana is stretch.

• Utthita Trikonasana (utthita trikonarsana) - Extended triangle.

• Utthita Parsvakonasana (utthita parshvakonarsana) - Extended side, flank angle.

• Utthitta Hasta Padangusthasana (utthita hasta pardarngustarsana) - Extended hand (to) big toe.

• Viparita Karani and all variations of legs up the wall (vipareeta
  Karani) - Inverted/a kind of practice.

• Virabhadrasana I (veerabhadrarsana) - A legendary warrior (story told by Sanskrit playwright Kumarasambhava).

• Virabhadrasana II

• Virabhadrasana III 

• Vasisthasana (vasishtharsana) - Vasistha is the name of a sage who authored several vedic hymns.

• Vrksasana (vreeksharsana) - Tree.

Pranayamas

• Bharmari (bhrarmaree) - Large black bumble bee.

• Puraka and rechaka (pooraka/rechaka) - Inhalation and exhalation.

• Ujjayi pranayama (ujjaryee prarnaryama) - Ud is upwards superior, also blowing/expanding. It also connotes power; jayi is conquering, triumph, success.

• Viloma (as written) - Loma means hair and vi denotes negation.

• Anuloma (as written) - Anu means along with and loma is hair (or natural order).

• Pratiloma (as written) - Prati means opposite or against and loma means hair.

Mantras

• Aum 

• Aum Santi (aum/om/ome shanti)

• Aum mani padme hum/hung (written both ways pronounced like a combination of both closer to second) - Everything/jewel/lotus/the heart the centre, the essence. Or all praise to the jewel at the heart of the lotus.

• Om Tare tu Tare Ture Svaha (om tare tu tare ture swvaha. ‘V’ is almost a ‘W’ sound) - No direct translation, different ways to say Tara’s name. There are other interpretations that add further levels of depth to the mantra, see Vesantara’s Female Deities in Buddhism.