108 Asanas

                                                         

Intro to the 108 Asanas

       This list of yoga poses (asanas) represents what we might call the “industry standard” insofar as these are the poses you will generally find taught at most studios around the world today. And the names given here are also more or less the standard names that are used for the poses. Of course there is and will always be different names, both in English and Sanskrit, for these asanas, but presented here are the most common names.

 

As for the poses themselves, these poses are what we might call “intermediate” in the sense that each of these poses has numerous spinoff poses that could make the pose easier (“modifications”), or harder (“variations”). Certain poses might have been included in this list, such as the famous favorite “Rag Doll,” except for the fact that it is really just a kind of modification of uttanasana, or Standing Forward Bend. And of course, there are even so many more poses that might have been included (tradition has it that there are no less than 8,400,000 asanas!), but this list is meant really for students and teachers who just want to get a solid grounding in the basics.

 

The asanas are alphabetically listed in two separate listings, the first according to the Sanskrit name, the second following the English name. The reason for this is that some might find it easier to look up the English name, while others might prefer searching by the Sanskrit. As for the Sanskrit, all efforts were made to write the words phonetically for ease of reading, which means you might see slight variations of spelling in other places.

 

This document is just the beginning. A future document will provide the different name variations, the modifications and variations of the poses, benefits, contraindications, and so on. But this will suffice for now. Hope it is helpful!

 

108 Asanas

Sanskrit to English

 

1)    Adho Mukha Shvanasana downward facing dog pose

2)    Adho Mukha Vrikshasana handstand (downward facing tree pose)

3)    Agnistambhasana firelog pose

4)    Ananda Balasana happy baby pose

5)    Anjaneyasana low lunge pose

6)    Anuvittasana standing backbend

7)    Apanasana wind pose

8)    Ardha Chandrasana half moon pose

9)    Ardha Matsyendrasana half seated twist pose

10)  Ardha Uttanasana standing half forward bend (halfway lift/flat back)

11)  Ashta Chandrasana crescent warrior

12)  Ashtanga Pranam bowing with 8 limbs pose

13)  Ashtavakrasana  crooked sage

14)  Baddha Konasana bound angle pose

15)  Baddha Virabhadrasana humble warrior

16)  Bakasana crane pose

17)  Balasana child’s pose

18)  Banarasana crescent moon

19)  Bharmanasana table top pose

19)  Bhekasana frog pose

20)  Bitilasana Marjaryasana cat cow

21)  Bhujangasana cobra pose

22)  Bhujapidasana shoulder pressing pose

23)  Chamatkarasana (Camatkarasana) wild thing

24)  Chaturanga low push-up

25)  Dandasana staff pose

26)  Dhanurasana bow pose

27)  Dwi Pada Shirshasana legs behind head pose

28)  Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana upward facing two-foot staff pose

29)  Eka Hasta Bhujasana elephant trunk pose

30)  Galavasana flying pigeon pose

31)  Ganda Bherundasana chin stand

32)  Garbhasana (also Parshva Garbhasana) fetal pose

33)  Garudasana eagle pose

34)  Gomukhasana cow face posture

35)  Halasana plow pose

36)  Hanumanasana/ Ardha Hanumasana flying split pose/ half flying split pose

37)  Hindolasana baby cradle pose

38)  Janu Shirshasana head to knee pose

39)  Jathara Parivartasana supine twist pose

40)  Kakasana crow pose

41)  Kapotasana pigeon pose

42)  Koundinyasana koudinya’s pose

43)  Krounchasana heron’s pose

44)  Kukkutasana upward cock pose

45)  Kurmasana tortoise pose

46)  Lolasana & Tolasana scale pose

47)  Makarasana crocodile pose

48)  Maksikanagasana dragonfly pose

49)  Malasana low squat pose

50)  Marichyasana  sage marichi’s Pose (A, B, C, D)_

51)  Matsyasana fish pose

52)  Mayurasana peacock pose

53)  Natarajasana dancer pose (lit. “lord of the dance pose”)

54)  Navasana boat pose

55)  Pada Hastasana gorilla/foot to hand pose

56)  Padangushtasana big toe pose

57)  Padmasana lotus pose

58)  Parighasana  gate pose

59)  Parivritta Parshvakonasana ~ prayer twist pose

60)  Parivritta Surya Yantrasana compass

61)  Parshva Balasana  thread the needle pose

62)  Parshva Urdhva Hastasana standing side bend

(upward salute side bend pose)

63)  Parshvottanasana side forward bend

64)  Paschimottanasana seated forward bend

66)  Pavana Muktasana wind-relieving pose

67)  Phalakasana (or “Dandasana”) plank pose

68)  Pincha Mayurasana feathered peacock pose

69)  Prasarita Padottanasana wide angle standing split pose

70) Purvottanasana upward plank pose

71)  Salamba Bhujangasana sphinx

72)  Sarvangasana shoulder stand

73)  Setu Bandhasana bridge pose

74)  Shashankasana hare pose

75)  Shalabhasana locust pose

76)  Shavasana corpse pose

77)  Shirshasana headstand

78)  Shishulasana dolphin pose

79)  Simhasana lion’s pose

80)  Sukhasana easy sitting pose

81)  Surya Namaskara A-C sun salutation

82)  Svarga Dvijasana bird of paradise

83)  Tadasana mountain pose

84)  Titthibhasana firefly pose

85)  Utkatasana chair pose

86)  Upavishta Konasana wide-angle seated split pose

87)  Urdhva Dhanurasana upward bow pose (wheel)

88)  Urdhva Hastasana upraised arms

89)  Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana upward facing dog pose

90)  Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana standing split

91)  Ushtrasana camel pose

92)  Utkatasana chair pose

93)  Uttanasana standing forward bend

94)  Utthan Prishthasana lizard pose

95)  Utthana Shishosana puppy pose

96)  Uttitha Parshvakonasana extended side angle

stretch pose

97)Uttitha Trikonasana extended triangle pose

98) Vajrasana thunderbolt pose

99) Vashishtasana side plank pose

100)       Viparita Karani legs up the wall pose (shoulder stand modification)

101)       Viparita Virabhadrasana ~ exalted or reverse warrior

102) Virabhadrasana I-III warrior pose series

103) Virasana hero’s pose

104) Vishvamitrasana  pose of sage Vishvamitra

105) Vrikshasana tree pose

106) Vrishchikasana scorpion pose

107) Vyaghrasana tiger pose

108) Yoga Mudra yogic seal pose

 

 

108 Yoga Poses

English to Sanskrit

 

Baby Cradle Pose hindolasana

Bird of Paradise svarga dvijasana

Boat Pose navasana

Bound Angle Pose baddha konasana

Bowing with 8 limbs Pose ashtanga pranam

Bow Pose dhanurasana

Bridge Pose setu bandhasana

Camel Pose ushtrasana

Cat Cow bitilasana marjaryasana

Chair Pose utkatasana

Child’s Pose balasana

Chin Stand ganda bherundasana

Cobra Pose bhujangasana

Compass Pose parivritta surya yantrasana

Corpse Pose shavasana

Cow Face Posture gomukhasana

Crane Pose bakasana

Crescent Moon banarasana

Crescent Warrior/High Lunge Warrior ashta chandrasana

Crocodile Pose makarasana

Crooked Sage Pose  ashtavakrasana

Crow Pose kakasana

Dancer Pose natarajasana

Dolphin Pose shishulasana

Downward Facing Dog Pose adho mukha shvanasana

Dragonfly Pose maksikanagasana

Eagle Pose garudasana

Easy Sitting Pose sukhasana

Elephant Trunk Pose eka hasta bhujasana

Extended Side Angle Stretch Pose uttitha parshvakonasana

Extended Triangle Pose uttitha trikonasana

Feathered Peacock Pose pincha mayurasana

Fetal Pose garbhasana (also, parshva garbhasana)

Firefly Pose titthibhasana

Firelog Pose agnistambhasana

Fish Pose matsyasana

Flying Pigeon Pose galavasana

Flying Split Pose hanumanasana

Foot to Hand Pose (aka, Gorilla) pada hastasana

Frog Pose bhekasana

Gate Pose parighasana

Half Moon Pose ardha chandrasana

Half Seated Twist Pose ardha matsyendrasana

Handstand adho mukha vrikshasana

Happy Baby Pose ananda balasana

Hare Pose shashankasana

Head to Knee Pose janu shirshasana

Headstand shirshasana

Hero’s Pose virasana

Heron’s Pose krounchasana

Humble Warrior baddha virabhadrasana

Koundinya’s Pose koundinyasana

Legs Behind Head Pose dwi pada shirshasana
Legs Up the Wall Pose viparita karani

Lion’s Pose simhasana

Lizard Pose utthan prishthasana

Locust Pose shalabhasana

Lotus Pose padmasana

Low Lunge Pose  anjaneyasana

Low Push-up chaturanga

Low Squat Pose malasana

Mountain Pose tadasana

Peacock Pose mayurasana

Pigeon Pose kapotasana

Plank Pose phalakasana (aka,  “dandasana”)

Plow Pose halasana

Prayer Twist Pose parivritta parshvakonasana

Puppy Pose utthana shishosana

Reverse Warrior Pose viparita virabhadrasana

Sage Marichi’s Pose marichyasana (A, B, C, D, etc.)

Scale Pose lolasana & tolasana

Scorpion Pose vrishchikasana

Seated Forward Bend/Fold paschimottanasana

Shoulder Pressing Pose bhujapidasana

Shoulder Stand sarvangasana

Side Forward Bend parshvottanasana

Side Plank Pose vashishtasana

Sphinx Pose salamba bhujangasana

Staff Pose dandasana

Standing Backbend anuvittasana

Standing Forward Bend uttanasana

Standing Half Forward Bend (aka, Halfway Lift/Flat Back) ardha uttanasana

Standing Side Bend parshva urdhva hastasana
Standing Split Pose urdhva prasarita eka padasana

Sun Salutation A-C surya namaskara A-C

Supine Twist Pose jathara parivartasana

Table Top Pose bharmanasana

Thread the Needle Pose parshva balasana

Thunderbolt Pose vajrasana

Tiger Pose vyaghrasana

Tortoise Pose kurmasana

Tree Pose vrikshasana

Upraised Arms Pose urdhva hastasana

Upward Bow Pose urdhva dhanurasana

Upward Cock Pose kukkutasana (aka, urdhva kukkutasana)

Upward Facing Two-Foot Staff Pose dwi pada viparita dandasana

Upward Facing Dog Pose urdhva mukha shvanasana

Upward Plank Pose purvottanasana

Vishvamitra’s Pose vishvamitrasana

Warrior Poses I-III virabhadrasana I-III

Wide-Angle Seated Split Pose upavishta konasana

Wide Angle Standing Split Pose prasarita padottanasana

Wild Thing chamatkarasana (aka, camatkarasana)

Wind Pose apanasana

Wind-Relieving Pose pavana muktasana

Yogic Seal Pose yoga mudra