Asanas can be divided into four groups:

  1. Lifeless Forms
    1. Occur majorly in Ashtanga Yoga and represent lifeless forms in the asanas. Ex: Trikonasana [Triangle Pose]
  2. Animal/Plant Forms
    1. Postures named after animals and some embodiment of the characteristics of that animal are expected along with just the physical shape. Ex: Shalabasana [Shalaba – Locust], Kapotasana [Kapota – Pegion]
  3. Human Forms
    1. Postures said to have dedicated to ancient Rishis and the positions in which they are said to have attained enlightenment. Ex: Marichyasana [Marichi: Ancient sage in Hindu tradition, born inside the mind of Lord Brahma and considered one of the Saptarshis. Also, grandfather of Surya [Sun God]]
  4. Divine Forms
    1. Dedicated to Divine forms. Ex: Natarajasana [Nataraja – Lord of the Dance], Hanumanasana [Hanuman – Chief of the monkey army. One of Rama’s greatest devotees who came to his aid. Hanuman made huge leaps across the sea- first to find Sita and then to save Rama’s brother]

ANIMALS

KurmaTurtle
MatsyaFish
SvanaDog
MakaraCrocodile
KapotaPegion

OBJECTS

AsanaPose/Posture
DandaStaff
DhanurBow
HalaPlough
MudraSeal
Nava/NaukaBoat
PadmaLotus
SetuBridge
VrikshaTree

CHARACTERISTICS

AdhoDownward
ArdhaHalf
BaddhaBound/Join
KonaAngle
NirlambaUnsupported
ParivrttaRevolved/Twisted
PidaPressure
PoornaFull
PrasaritaSpread out/Wide
SalambaSupported
SamasEqual
SuptaReclining/Sleeping/Supine
UttanIntense Stretch
UtthitaExtended/Lifted
UrdhvaUpward
ParsvaSide

ANATOMY

AngaLimb
AnghustaBig Toe/Thumb
AnguliFingers
BhujaShoulders
GarbaWomb
HastaHand
JanuKnee
KarnaEar
MukhaFace
PadaFoot/Leg
PaschimaWest (back side of the body)
PindaEmbryo
PurvaEast (front side of the body)
SarvangaWhole body (all limbs)
ShavaCorpse
SirsaHead
EXAMPLE
Using the above reference, we can break down almost all the asanas. For example,
Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana
Ardha+Baddha+Padma+Paschim+Uttan+Asana (to make the sounds flow better, when uttan is joined with other words it becomes ottan.)
Ardha – Half
Baddha – Bound
Padma – Lotus
Pachim – West (Back side of the body)
Uttan – Intense Stretch Asana – Posture

NUMBERS

Ekamएकम्One
Dve द्वे Two
Treeniत्रीणिThree
Chatvaariचत्वारि Four
Panchaपञ्चFive
Shatषट्Six
Saptaसप्त Seven
Ashtaअष्ट Eight
NavaनवNine
Dashaदश Ten
Ekaadashaएकादश Eleven
Dwaadashaद्वादशTwelve
Trayodashaत्रयोदशThirteen
Chaturdashaचतुर्दशFourteen
Panchadashaपञ्चदशFifteen
ShodashaषोडशSixteen
Saptadashaसप्तदशSeventeen
Ashtaadashaअष्टादशEighteen
NavadashaनवदशNineteen
VimshatiविंशतिःTwenty
Shatamशतम्Hundred
aṣṭādhikaśataअष्टाधिकशतOne Hundred and Eight
Sahasraसहस्रThousand

ASANAS IN CULT RYT200 COURSE

S. NoAsanaSanskrit ScriptEnglish NameExplanationCategory
1vṛkṣāsanaवृक्षासनTree Posevṛkṣ : Tree 
2MālāsanaमालासनGarland PoseMālā: Garland[Arms hanging from the neck like a garland] 
3Pādāṅguṣṭhāsanaपादाङ्गुष्ठासनThe Big Toe Posepāda (foot), aṅguṣṭha (the thumb) 
4utthita trikoṇāsanaउत्थित त्रिकोणासनExtended Triangle PoseUtthita (extended), tri (three), koṇa (angle)Lifeless
5utthita pārśvakoṇāsanaउत्थित पार्श्वकोणासनExtended Side Angle Pose Utthita (extended), parsva (side or flank), Kona (angle)Lifeless
6Pārśvottānāsanaपार्श्वोत्तानासनाPyramid Pose(parshva (side), ुत (ut) (intense), tan (to extend) 
7 Utkata koṇāsana उत्कट कोणासनGoddess Pose/ Kaliasana Utkaṭa (उत्कट) meaning “wild, frightening, above the usual, intense, gigantic, furious, or heavy; kona (angle)Divine
8 Naṭarājāsana नटराजासनDancing Pose Lord of the Dance Pose
नटराज Naṭarāja (Dancing King)		Divine
9 Vīrabhadrāsana – 1 वीरभद्रासनWarrior – 1Virabhadra: The great warrior, incarnation of Shiva who sprang out of his hair to Shiva’s aid to seek revenge on his father-in-law [Vir- Warrior, Bhadra – Friend]Divine
10 Vīrabhadrāsana – 2 वीरभद्रासनWarrior – 2 Divine
11 Vīrabhadrāsana – 3 वीरभद्रासनWarrior – 3 Divine
12 mārjārīāsana – bitilāsana मार्जरीआसन – बितिलासनCat – Cow Pose mārjārī (cat), bitila (cow)Animal
13 Uṣṭrāsana उष्ट्रासनCamel Pose  उष्ट्र Uṣṭra (camel)Animal
14 ardha chandrāsana अर्धचन्द्रासनCresent Moon Pose अर्ध ardha (half), चन्द्र chandra (moon)Divine
15 Utthan pristhasana Lizard Pose utthan (stretch out) pristha (page of a book) or (back of the body)Animal
16  Knee Bending Pose Lifeless
17 paścimottānāsana पश्चिमोत्तानासनSeated Forward Fold Pose पश्चिम, paścima (west) or (the back of the body) Lifeless
18  Dynamic Back Stretch Pose  
19  Upward Plank Pose  
20  Bound Angle Pose  
21jānu śīrṣāsanaजानु शीर्षासनHead to Knee Posejānu (Knee), śīrṣa (Head) 
22  Revolved Head to Knee Pose  
23Ardhamatsyendrāsanअर्धमत्स्येन्द्रासनHalf Spinal Twist Pose/Half Lord of the Fishes Poseardha (half) Matsyendra (name of a yoga teacher/Matsya [Fish], Indra[Lord/King]) 
24BhujaṅgāsanaभुजंगासनCobra Posebhujaṅga (Snake/Cobra)Animal
25DhanurāsanaधनुरासनBow PoseDhanura (bow) 
26Sarpāsanaसर्पासनSnake PoseSarpa (snake) 
27ŚalabhāsanaशलभासनLocust PoseShalabh (Grasshopper) 
28Setu Bandha Sarvāṅgāsanaसेतु बन्ध सर्वाङ्गासनBridge PoseSetu (Bridge) All limbs locked in a bridge pose 
29Matsyāsanaमत्स्यासनFish PoseMatsya (fish) 
30Chakrāsanaचक्रासनWheel PoseChakra (wheel) 
31nāvāsanaनावासनBoat PoseNāva (boat) 
32KākāsanaकाकासनCrow PoseKāka (crow)Animal
33Caturचतुर स्वानासनDolphin Pose  
34sarvāṅgāsanaसालम्ब सर्वाङ्गासनSupported Shoulder Stand PoseSalamba (supported), Sarvāṅga (all limbs, i.e. the whole body) 
35halāsanaहलासनPlough PoseHala (Plough) 
36Karṇāpīḍāsanaकर्णापीडासनKnee to Ear Posekarṇa (ear), āpīḍa (pressure) 
37śīrṣāsanaशीर्षासनHeadstand PoseŚīrṣa (Head) 
 Below Asanas are covered as part of Surya Namaskar, Chandra Namaskar, Ashtanga A & B, Pranayama & Others
   Chair PoseUtkata (Fierce, proud, immense, difficult or frightening). Challenging standing posture that builds strength in lower body