Yoga recently lost BKS Iyengar, the man credited with bringing the practice to the Western world. In his youth, he suffered from tuberculosis and other serious illnesses, but his yoga training helped him regain his strength. He took that knowledge around the world, and his passing marks the loss of one of the last great yoga gurus. Namaste.
So where do baby names come in? Prenatal yoga is an excellent way to prepare your mind and body for the birth of your child. It relieves stress, soothes anxiety and aides in development of good breathing techniques. And maybe gives us a few fun ideas for baby names.
Soothing baby names inspired by yoga and meditation
You might have to open your mind a lot to appreciate some of these out there yoga baby names, but we found a few sneaky contenders.
Ananda: from Ananda Balasana, happy baby pose
Asana: posture
Aura: a spiritual halo
Cat: a kneeling yoga pose
Dhyana: stage of meditation
Ida: the nadi that lies to the left of the spine
Lilias: for Lilias Folan, the First Lady of Western yoga
Lola: from Lolasana, pendant pose
Lotus: a seated yoga pose
Nadi: the channels through which consciousness flows
Padma: from Padma Pinyamayurasana, peacock feather pose
Samadhi: the final stage of yoga
Shanti: part of meditative chanting
Surya: for Surya Namaskar, the sun salutation
Tula: means "balance" in Sanskrit
Sanskrit baby boy names
Sanskrit is the language of yoga. If you have Indian roots, a baby boy name in this tradition might appeal to you. Be careful with Rohan -- its ties to Lord of the Rings might give people the wrong idea.
Asha: protector of fire
Chanda: shining moon
Dev: divine; god
Evak: equal
Farook: moral
Hari: tawny
Indira: splendid
Jai: victorious
Kiran: beam of light
Marut: a storm god
Nandin: named for Shiva's bull
Pitri: father
Raj/Raja: king; rule
Rama: seventh incarnation of Vishnu
Ramos: pleasing
Ravi: sun
Rohan: ascending
Roshan: shining light
Taj: crown
Varun: infinite
Sanskrit baby girl names
Many Sanskrit names for girls sound familiar to American ears. We love the gorgeous flow of Kalinda, and Veda reminds us of Anna Chlumsky's charming character in My Girl.
Aja: goat
Avasa: independent
Candra: of the moon
Carma: fate
Chandria: of the moon
Chaya: life
Devi: divine
Devika: little goddess
Dhana: wealthy
Jayne: victorious
Kalinda: sun
Kama: love
Kashmir: the name of a state in India
Lalita: pleasant; playful
Layla: born at night
Meena: fish; the wife of Shiva
Opaline: jewel
Tara: shining
Upala: jewel
Usha: dawn; mythological daughter of heaven and sister of the night
Veda: understanding
More baby name ideas
Baby girl names inspired by famous sisters
Baby names that mean happy
Relaxed baby names