Yoga in autumn: poses to practice and French vocabulary
In Provence, autumn arrives gently. The mornings become cooler, the light changes, the vineyards take on new colors, and the days grow shorter.
It is also a time of year when I like to adapt my yoga practice. I am a French teacher for non-native speakers and also a certified yoga teacher. These two worlds can actually come together very naturally: following instructions, naming different parts of the body, breathing, moving, listening… these are all ways of practicing French too.
Today, I would like to share a few yoga poses that I enjoy practicing in autumn, along with some useful French words and expressions. The idea is not to achieve the perfect pose, but to take the time to notice how your body feels and move at your own pace.
Which yoga poses can you practice in autumn?
Vriksasana – Tree pose
Standing upright, place one foot against the inside of the opposite leg and gradually find your balance. Keeping your gaze focused on one point in front of you can help you stay steady.
I particularly enjoy this pose in autumn because it naturally brings to mind the idea of grounding: your feet are connected to the floor while your upper body reaches upward.
A few French words to remember: un pied (a foot), une jambe (a leg), l’équilibre (balance), le regard (the gaze), respirer (to breathe), s’ancrer (to ground yourself).
Paschimottanasana – Seated forward bend
In this pose, sit with your legs extended in front of you, then gradually lean your upper body forward without trying to go further than feels comfortable.
The seated forward bend stretches the back of the body. It may look quite simple, but above all, it is an invitation not to force anything and to notice how far your body feels like going that day.
A few French words to remember: s’asseoir (to sit down), les jambes (legs), le dos (the back), se pencher (to bend forward), s’étirer (to stretch), relâcher (to release).
Balasana – Child’s pose
Kneeling on the floor, bring your hips back toward your heels and lower your upper body toward the ground. Your arms can extend in front of you or rest alongside your body.
Balasana is a pose I like to use when I want to pause during a practice. You can stay here for a few breaths and simply notice the movement of your breathing.
It is also a good opportunity to learn some very simple instructions in French: mettez-vous à genoux (come onto your knees), relâchez les épaules (relax your shoulders), posez le front (rest your forehead), fermez les yeux (close your eyes), respirez tranquillement (breathe calmly).
Ardha Matsyendrasana – Half Lord of the Fishes pose
This seated pose introduces a twist through the upper body. Begin by lengthening your spine before gradually turning your torso. Again, there is no need to aim for a deep twist. You can simply explore the movement and notice what you feel in your back, shoulders and upper body.
A few useful French words: tourner (to turn), le dos (the back), la colonne vertébrale (the spine), une épaule (a shoulder), le buste (the upper body), regarder derrière soi (to look behind you).
Anjaneyasana – Low lunge
Place one foot forward while keeping the opposite knee on the floor. Lift your upper body and, if comfortable, raise your arms toward the sky. After several poses closer to the ground, I like the change that this lunge brings. It also stretches the front of the hips.
A few French words to remember: un genou (a knee), une hanche (a hip), avancer (to move forward), reculer (to move back), lever les bras (to raise your arms), redresser le buste (to lift your upper body).
Supta Baddha Konasana – Reclining butterfly pose
We finish on the floor. Lying on your back, bring the soles of your feet together and allow your knees to open out to either side, finding a comfortable position. You can stay here for a few moments without trying to do anything in particular. Your body is supported by the floor, and your attention can simply return to your breath.
A few French words to remember: s’allonger (to lie down), le dos (the back), les pieds (feet), les genoux (knees), ouvrir (to open), fermer (to close), respirer (to breathe), se détendre (to relax).
Learning French yoga vocabulary
When learning a language, we often think about vocabulary lists, grammar exercises or conversations. But you can also learn through movement.
During a yoga practice in French, words are immediately connected to a movement or a sensation. If I say levez les bras (raise your arms), pliez le genou (bend your knee), relâchez les épaules (relax your shoulders) or inspirez profondément (breathe in deeply), you have not simply heard a French expression: you have put it into motion.
It is another way to remember.
Here are some words you will often hear during a yoga practice: la respiration (breathing), le souffle (the breath), une posture (a pose), un étirement (a stretch), l’équilibre (balance), le dos (the back), la colonne vertébrale (the spine), les épaules (shoulders), les bras (arms), les jambes (legs), les pieds (feet), les genoux (knees), inspirer (to breathe in), expirer (to breathe out), se concentrer (to concentrate), se détendre (to relax), relâcher (to release).
What if your French lesson took place on a yoga mat?
This is precisely what I love about immersion: French does not stay inside the classroom.
Of course, we work together in a structured way. But French is also practiced while preparing lunch, visiting a market, going on an excursion, hiking… and why not during a yoga session?
If you enjoy yoga, we can include a practice during your immersion week. The session itself can become an opportunity to learn French. For a few minutes, you no longer need to search for words to keep a conversation going. You listen to an instruction in French, try to understand it and turn it into movement.
Levez les bras. Pliez le genou droit. Tournez doucement le buste. Inspirez. Expirez.
French becomes something you actually do.
And for me, that is exactly what immersion is about: learning the language through real and varied situations, and gradually becoming more confident in your ability to understand and speak French.
Yoga through the seasons
I do not necessarily practice yoga in the same way throughout the year. What I feel like doing can change with the seasons, the time of day or simply with how I feel.
That is why I have also written articles about yoga in winter and yoga in spring. You will find other poses there, as well as more opportunities to expand your French vocabulary.
And if you come and join me in Provence for a French immersion, simply let me know if you enjoy yoga. We can roll out our mats and practice together.
After all, living French also means sometimes stepping outside the classroom to learn differently.
Comments