Yoga Poses Chart: English and Sanskrit Names by Category
A yoga poses chart pairs each posture with its English and Sanskrit names so you can follow any class, book, or video without guesswork. Below you will find the most commonly taught poses organized by category — standing, seated, balancing, backbends, twists, and resting poses — plus a short guide to decoding Sanskrit names yourself, which turns hundreds of pose names into a handful of reusable word parts.
How Sanskrit pose names work
Almost every pose name ends in asana, meaning posture or seat. The rest of the name is usually a simple description — an animal, an object, a body part, or a direction. Learn these building blocks and most names decode themselves:
| Sanskrit element | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| asana | pose, seat | Every pose name |
| adho / urdhva | downward / upward | Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog) |
| mukha | face | Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog) |
| eka pada | one foot or leg | Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon) |
| ardha | half | Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon) |
| supta | reclined | Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle) |
| utthita | extended | Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle) |
| parivrtta | revolved, twisted | Parivrtta Trikonasana (Revolved Triangle) |
Standing poses
| English name | Sanskrit name | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Mountain Pose | Tadasana | Beginner |
| Standing Forward Fold | Uttanasana | Beginner |
| Chair Pose | Utkatasana | Beginner |
| Warrior I | Virabhadrasana I | Beginner |
| Warrior II | Virabhadrasana II | Beginner |
| Triangle Pose | Trikonasana | Beginner |
| Extended Side Angle | Utthita Parsvakonasana | Intermediate |
| Garland Pose (Yogi Squat) | Malasana | Beginner with props |
For a deeper look at one of these, see our full guide to Garland Pose.
Seated and floor poses
| English name | Sanskrit name | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Easy Pose | Sukhasana | Beginner |
| Staff Pose | Dandasana | Beginner |
| Seated Forward Bend | Paschimottanasana | Beginner |
| Bound Angle (Butterfly) | Baddha Konasana | Beginner |
| Hero Pose | Virasana | Beginner |
| Lotus Pose | Padmasana | Advanced |
| Pigeon Pose | Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (prep) | Intermediate |
Balancing poses
| English name | Sanskrit name | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Tree Pose | Vrksasana | Beginner |
| Eagle Pose | Garudasana | Intermediate |
| Half Moon Pose | Ardha Chandrasana | Intermediate |
| Warrior III | Virabhadrasana III | Intermediate |
| Crow Pose | Bakasana | Intermediate–advanced |
| Dancer Pose | Natarajasana | Advanced |
Backbends, twists, and core
| English name | Sanskrit name | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Cobra Pose | Bhujangasana | Beginner |
| Sphinx Pose | Salamba Bhujangasana | Beginner |
| Bridge Pose | Setu Bandha Sarvangasana | Beginner |
| Camel Pose | Ustrasana | Intermediate |
| Bow Pose | Dhanurasana | Intermediate |
| Half Lord of the Fishes (seated twist) | Ardha Matsyendrasana | Beginner–intermediate |
| Plank Pose | Phalakasana | Beginner–intermediate |
| Boat Pose | Navasana | Intermediate |
Plank deserves special attention because it underpins so many transitions — our Plank Pose guide covers alignment and progressions in detail.
Resting and transition poses
| English name | Sanskrit name | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Child’s Pose | Balasana | Beginner |
| Downward-Facing Dog | Adho Mukha Svanasana | Beginner |
| Cat–Cow | Marjaryasana–Bitilasana | Beginner |
| Legs-Up-the-Wall | Viparita Karani | Beginner |
| Corpse Pose | Savasana | Beginner |
Downward-Facing Dog doubles as both a resting position and a transition hub — it is probably the single name worth learning first.
How many poses do you actually need to know?
The numbers you'll see — 12, 7, 26, 10 — answer different questions, not the same one. A common beginner set of 12 poses roughly matches a Sun Salutation. Some trainings use 7 foundational categories instead of fixed names. Bikram/hot yoga alone has a genuinely fixed count: 26 postures plus two breathing exercises, always in the same order. The 10 poses on most "popular" lists (Mountain, Downward-Facing Dog, Warrior II, Tree, Triangle, Child's Pose, Cobra, Bridge, Seated Forward Bend, Corpse Pose) are already above. New to this? Our beginners guide narrows it to a first sequence.
How to actually learn pose names
- Learn poses in sequences, not in isolation. The twelve or so poses inside a Sun Salutation cover a large share of what most classes use, and repetition cements the names.
- Pick five names per week. Trying to memorize a full chart at once does not stick; a handful at a time does.
- Decode instead of memorizing. Use the word-part table above — once you know that parivrtta means revolved, every revolved pose name becomes obvious.
- Say the Sanskrit out loud in class. Hearing and using the names is faster than reading them.
- Keep a chart visible. A printed chart near your practice space works better than one buried in your phone.
Want a printable version? The tables above print cleanly from your browser — no PDF needed. See our guide on using a yoga poses chart, or browse the yoga poses library for each pose explained individually.
If you are brand new and the names feel like a second job, ignore the Sanskrit for the first month and focus on safe basics — our yoga for beginners guide lays out a sensible first-week plan.
Frequently asked questions
There is no fixed number. Classical hatha texts describe a few dozen postures, while modern catalogs list hundreds once variations are counted. In practice, most classes draw from a core vocabulary of roughly 30 to 50 poses, which is why a well-chosen chart covers nearly everything you will encounter.
No. Teachers in the U.S. almost always give English names and physical cues alongside any Sanskrit. Knowing the Sanskrit simply makes classes, books, and videos easier to follow and connects you to the tradition behind the practice.
English names are translations, and different lineages translate differently — the same posture may be called Yogi Squat or Garland Pose, and Bound Angle or Butterfly. The Sanskrit name is usually the more stable reference point when sources disagree.
A practical starter set: Mountain, Downward-Facing Dog, Child’s Pose, Cat-Cow, Warrior II, Tree, Bridge, and Savasana. These eight appear in almost every beginner class and build the alignment habits the rest of the catalog relies on.
A traditional Bikram class runs a fixed sequence of 26 postures plus 2 breathing exercises — specific to that style, not a general yoga standard; other classes vary the number and mix of poses.
Have a correction? Contact us.
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