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RYT-200 trained in Rishikesh, India.
Born and raised in Oklahoma, USA.
India travel, yoga philosophy, Sanskrit language, and more.

Friday, August 15, 2014

Sanskrit Friday: Camel (उष्ट्र)

Hi! Happy Sanskrit Friday!



Today's word is उष्ट्र. It's pronounced euh-shtra in English and means camel, but it also means buffalo. Hmm! You see this word used in combination with असन (asana, or pose) to make उष्ट्रासन ustrasana, or camel pose.

There are two "sh" sounds in sanskrit. The "sh" sound here is like an English "sh" sound but made more in the back of the mouth.
Say it with me now — ustrasana. Ustrasana
!

Ustrasana
is a moderately difficult pose and requires much attention to form. A good camel pose involves lengthening the spine up and back and not pushing your hips and glutes forward. Focus on making the spine very long, the chest very open. Place your fists into your lower back and lean up and back from there. When you're ready you can reach for your ankles behind you. You can also keep your head in line with the spine rather than dropping the head back.


Thanks for reading. You've got another Sanskrit word under your belt! For tips on learning how to read and write in Sanskrit in its native script, read my post here.

Thank you! Until next week.

नमस्ते,

Tyler

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