Sanskrit

If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, you probably noticed that the word “OM” is used often. In fact, many Sanskrit words are often used in yoga to describe different poses and actions. But why do yoga teachers use this ancient language in today’s modern practice? The reason is that many words commonly used in yoga come from the Sanskrit language. So, let’s take a look at why we use Sanskrit in yoga and some other common uses of the ancient language today. What Is Sanskrit? Sanskrit is an Indo-Aryan language used in ancient India and neighboring areas. Scholars believe that the language first emerged around 1500 BCE. Sanskrit was the most widely spoken language in the Indian subcontinent until the 19th century CE when the British Empire pushed English as a language of gover...