NESTA Sport Yoga key terms

A style of practice in which breath and movement are linked so that each inhale or exhale accompanies a transition between postures, often within a flowing sequence.

A deliberate breathing technique that narrows the throat passage to create a soft, audible sound, used to pace movement and sustain steady concentration during practice.

The branch of yoga concerned with regulating and extending the breath through structured techniques, used to build focus, calm the nervous system, and prepare the body for movement or rest.

A classical Sanskrit text attributed to Patanjali that organizes yoga into eight limbs and defines practice as stilling the fluctuations of the mind.

The eight-part framework from Patanjali's Yoga Sutras covering ethical restraints, observances, posture, breath control, sense withdrawal, concentration, meditation, and absorption.

A physical posture or seat held with stable effort and ease; in modern sport yoga it refers to the individual poses that make up a practice.

An athletic application of yoga that emphasizes physical performance, mobility, strength, and recovery for active people, while retaining breath control and mindful alignment.

A linked series of forward folds, plank, upward-facing posture, and downward-facing dog performed in a repeating cycle to warm the body and connect breath with movement.

An inverted posture with hands and feet on the floor and hips lifted high, forming an inverted V that lengthens the spine and loads the shoulders and hamstrings.

The most demanding posture a class is built toward, with earlier poses chosen to prepare the joints and muscles it requires.

A posture placed after a demanding movement to reverse its direction of loading, restore range of motion, and reduce strain on the tissues just worked.

The deliberate ordering of postures, transitions, and rest within a class so that warm-up, progressive loading, peak work, and cool-down follow a coherent plan.

The opening portion of a class that raises tissue temperature and rehearses joint ranges and movement patterns the session will later load more heavily.

The spoken instructions a teacher uses to direct attention, alignment, and timing, typically combining action words, breath cues, and spatial references.

A precise spoken instruction that helps a student change position without physical contact, such as directing them to rotate the thigh or soften the ribs.

A physical touch used to guide a student's alignment or support a posture, requiring clear consent, sensitivity, and awareness of injury or discomfort.

Showing a posture or transition visually so students can copy the shape, usually paired with verbal cues and kept brief so the teacher can keep observing the room.

Facing students and using the opposite side of the body so their left and right match the teacher's movements, reducing confusion during guided sequences.

The boundary of what a yoga instructor is trained and legally permitted to do, which excludes diagnosis, medical treatment, and prescribing rehabilitation programs.

A condition, injury, or circumstance in which a posture or technique may be unsafe or must be modified, such as recent surgery or uncontrolled high blood pressure.

An adaptation of a posture or transition that changes leverage, support, or range so a student can practice safely at their current capacity.

Equipment such as blocks, straps, bolsters, or blankets used to bring the floor closer, support a limb, or reduce demand in a posture.

The extent to which a joint can move through its available arc, influenced by joint structure, soft tissue flexibility, and neuromuscular control.

A joint action that decreases the angle between two body segments, such as bending the elbow or drawing the knee toward the chest.

A joint action that increases the angle between two body segments, such as straightening the elbow or lifting the thigh behind the body.

The coordinated movement in which the shoulder blade rotates so its outer edge lifts, allowing the arm to raise overhead without pinching the shoulder joint.

Forward gliding of the shoulder blade around the rib cage, often used in plank and push-up transitions to distribute load across the upper back.

A straight-line support posture on hands or forearms and toes that trains trunk stiffness and shoulder stability while the body resists sagging.

Co-contraction of the deep trunk and pelvic muscles that stiffens the spine before and during load, improving force transfer and protecting the lower back.

A spinal position that preserves its natural curves without excessive rounding or arching, used as a reference for safe loading in many postures.

A movement pattern in which the hips travel backward while the spine stays long, loading the hamstrings and glutes rather than the lower back.

A posture that flexes the hips and spine so the torso lowers toward the legs, lengthening the hamstrings and calming the nervous system when held.

The timing relationship between an inhalation or exhalation and the number of movements or counts it covers, used to keep a flow paced and controlled.

A fully supported, long-held shape that requires minimal muscular effort, used to downshift the nervous system and close a practice.

A short, personally chosen focus stated at the start of practice that directs attention and gives the session a purpose beyond physical shape.

Clear agreement obtained before physical contact or a demanding practice, given after the student understands what will happen and why.

Coverage that protects an instructor against claims of injury or negligence arising from teaching, commonly required alongside current certification and CPR training.