NESTA Sport Yoga flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Eight limbs of yoga

Patanjali's eight-part path: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi. Asana is only the third limb; the rest address ethics, breath, and mental training.

Yamas and niyamas

The yamas are five social restraints such as non-harming and truthfulness; the niyamas are five personal observances such as contentment and self-study. Together they form yoga's ethical foundation.

Vinyasa meaning

Sanskrit for arrangement or placement; in modern practice it means linking postures in a flowing sequence synchronized with breath, usually one movement per inhale or exhale.

Citta vritti nirodha

Patanjali's definition of yoga: stilling the fluctuations of the mind. It frames yoga as a mental discipline, with physical postures serving as preparation rather than the goal.

Sport yoga definition

A modern hybrid that keeps breath-linked vinyasa flow while emphasizing athletic goals such as strength, mobility, and recovery. It borrows classical structure but not classical renunciation.

Four paths of yoga

Karma (action), bhakti (devotion), jnana (knowledge), and raja (meditation). Teachers use these to source class themes and to explain yoga's breadth beyond physical postures.

Three cue types

Verbal cues use words, visual cues use demonstration, and tactile cues use hands-on contact. Tactile cueing requires explicit consent and stays within scope of practice.

Cue sequencing order

Cue the base of support first, then the joint stack, then the action. Students can only refine alignment after the foundation is stable and understood.

Breath-cue pairing rule

Inhale cues expansion, lifting, or lengthening; exhale cues folding, twisting, or grounding. Pairing breath with movement mechanics makes transitions smoother and more sustainable.

Mirror-side demonstration

Facing the class and demonstrating on the side that mirrors students, while naming left and right from the student's perspective rather than your own.

Chaturanga transition sequence

The standard vinyasa: plank, low push-up, upward-facing, downward-facing. Teach the transition itself, since most strain happens between postures rather than in them.

Parallel modification options

Offering option A and option B side by side lets students self-select difficulty without feeling corrected. It preserves autonomy and keeps mixed-level classes coherent.

Cue pacing rule

Keep each cue to one or two sentences and leave two to three breaths of silence between instructions. Over-cueing prevents students from processing and feeling the movement.

Three planes of motion

Sagittal for flexion and extension, frontal for abduction and adduction, transverse for rotation. Most asanas combine all three planes simultaneously.

Forward fold load

Forward folds load the lumbar spine; cue hinging at the hip crease with a soft knee bend to shift stretch toward the hamstrings and reduce spinal strain.

Chaturanga shoulder load

Chaturanga places high demand on the anterior shoulder. Keep elbows over wrists and shoulders above elbows to limit anterior capsule strain and protect the joint.

Flexion plus rotation risk

Combining spinal flexion with rotation under load stresses discs and posterior structures. Avoid deep loaded twists at end range, particularly while flexed.

Wrist extension load

Plank and downward-facing dog load the wrist near ninety degrees of extension. Offer fist or forearm variations for students with wrist sensitivity or prior injury.

Inversion screening

Screen for uncontrolled hypertension, glaucoma, and recent neck injury before headstand or shoulderstand, since inversions raise intracranial and intraocular pressure.

Diaphragmatic breathing effect

Slow diaphragmatic breathing increases vagal tone and lowers resting heart rate. Rapid breathing does the opposite, so match pranayama style to the class intention.

Contraindication screening

A structured conversation about injuries and conditions, not a diagnosis. Ask, note, modify, and refer out when symptoms suggest medical evaluation.

Peak-pose arc

Class structure: warm-up, sun salutations, standing sequence building toward the peak, peak pose, counterpose, cool-down, and savasana. Each stage prepares the next.

Warm-up duration rule

Allow five to ten minutes of mobility and breath work before loading end-range positions. Cold tissues tolerate less range and are more prone to strain.

Counterpose principle

Follow a strong backbend with a gentle forward fold, and deep flexion with extension. Counterposes balance the direction of load within a sequence.

Sixty-minute class budget

Roughly eight to ten minutes warm-up, thirty to thirty-five minutes main sequence, eight to ten minutes cool-down, and five minutes savasana.

Single-theme rule

Set one theme or intention in the first three minutes, echo it once mid-class, and return to it at close. Multiple themes dilute the class's coherence.

Savasana minimum

At least three to five minutes in a sixty-minute class. Rest allows parasympathetic downshift and consolidates the nervous system effect of practice.

Voice projection mechanics

Cue on your own exhale, project from the diaphragm, and vary volume and pace to signal intensity changes. This preserves vocal stamina across multiple classes.

Hands-on consent script

Name the assist, ask permission, offer an opt-out, and never assist the neck or push to end range. Consent is requested each time, not assumed once.

Scope-of-practice language

Use phrases like notice, explore, and if it feels right instead of this fixes or this cures. Language signals that yoga complements rather than replaces medical care.

Incident response order

Stop class, assess the student, call emergency services if needed, document facts objectively, and notify your insurer and employer. Document before memory fades.

Inclusive cueing

Cue function and sensation, such as feeling a stretch in the back of the leg, rather than body shape or appearance. This reduces comparison and body-image pressure.