Angelica GovaertOwner/Founder, Yogalebrity · Online Yoga Empire Builder

200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training ONLINE starts March www.yogateachertraining.yoga

19 Feb 2023 · 1 min

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1:01

In this segment of a yoga teacher training video, the speaker passionately argues that teaching yoga in Sanskrit is essential. He uses the example of Vashistasana (side plank pose) to illustrate the deep cultural and historical roots of yoga practice. The speaker recounts the legend of the sage Vashista—celebrated for his wisdom, compassion, and mastery of ancient scriptures—who could hold the side plank pose longer and better than anyone, leading to the pose being named after him. Vashista is also noted as the guardian of sacred cows, underscoring his revered status. The speaker concludes that learning Sanskrit and its associated cultural narratives is crucial for authentic yoga instruction.

Chapters

A lot of yoga teachers and students are going to fight me on this, but teaching in Sanskrit is essential. This is why. Vashistasana, also known as side plank pose, is a popular yoga pose that has its roots in Indian tradition. According to legend, Vashista, this guy here, was a revered sage who had great wisdom and understanding around meditation and yoga. Specifically, he was known for his wisdom, compassion, and knowledge of ancient scripture. Here he is reading some of that scripture right now. It's said that he was able to perform the side plank pose for so long, and so much better than everyone else, that they named it Vashistasana. He's a little chunkier in this picture, but he was also the god who was in charge of taking care of the sacred cows. Which is a big deal. It's an important job. So yeah, it looks like learning the Sanskrit and the study of Sanskrit