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

Sanskrit Friday: Locust (शलभ)

Hello! Happy Sanskrit Friday!

Today's word is शलभ. It's pronounced shuh-lub in English and means locust. You see this word used in combination with असन (asana, or pose) to make शलभासन shalabhasana, or locust pose. The "bh" sound is like a regular "b" sound but you breathe out more while you speak. Say it with me now — shalabhasana. Shalabhasana!

शलभ (shalabh) means locust, but it also means cricket, grasshopper, and moth. It's as confusing as the word is in English, where it can also mean cicada or grasshopper. I've taken the usage for grasshopper, since the word usage to mean cicada didn't start until the last two hundred years. There's a great explanation on Wikipedia about its etymology if you're interested.

Shalabhasana is a difficult pose, as its a strong back bend using your arms. A good tip is to place your hands palm-up underneath you, using your fingers to prop up your thighs to come deeper into the pose.

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

Correction 8/11/14: The pronunciation guide in the infographic has been fixed!