Learn the English words and expressions you need to talk about Yoga,
understand instructions and describe what your body is doing
and how a movement feels.
Learning English through Yoga vocabulary
If you already know something about Yoga, you already have
something valuable to talk about. The next step is learning the
English you need to express that knowledge.
Yoga is particularly useful for language learning because
it connects words with actions, positions, sensations
and experiences.
Words such as bend, stretch, breathe, balance,
relax and turn are not abstract vocabulary.
They describe things you can actually do and feel.
Raise your arms.
Bend your knees slightly.
Breathe in slowly through your nose.
Try to keep your balance.
This makes the vocabulary easier to understand and remember.
Instead of simply learning that stretch means
dehnen, you connect the English word with the physical
experience of stretching your arms, legs or back.
Yoga also gives us many opportunities to use everyday English.
We can describe where different parts of the body are, give
instructions, describe movements and explain how a position feels.
We can talk about difficulty and comfort, compare the left
and right sides of the body and explain how our movement changes.
As your English develops, the language can become more detailed.
Raise your arms.
Slowly raise your arms above your head while keeping your shoulders relaxed.
And eventually, Yoga vocabulary becomes the starting point
for much more complex conversations about movement, breathing,
health, concentration, relaxation and philosophy.
The aim is therefore not simply to memorise a list of Yoga words.
It is to make those words part of the English you can
understand, use and talk with.
Six important areas of Yoga English
1
The Body
head · neck · shoulders · chest · back · spine · hips ·
arms · elbows · wrists · hands · legs · knees · ankles · feet