Have you ever heard your yoga teacher use words that sound like they’re a different language? Me too! This is because many of the names of poses and terms we use are from Sanskrit, the ancient Indian language that yogis would originally have spoken. Historic yogic texts like the Vedas and Yoga Sutras are also written in Sanskrit.

In new places, jobs or experiences, if we become more familiar with the language and lingo being used we start to feel more comfortable and confident; and like we belong.

So whether you’re brand new to yoga, or you’ve been practicing for a while, here are 15 yoga terms to help you get a deeper understanding of the lingo used at your local or online yoga studio.