Yoga is an ancient practice that connects the mind, body and spirit through physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation. Practicing yoga regularly can lead to improved flexibility, strength, balance, and an overall sense of well-being. While yoga often focuses inward, it also builds community and connection. Riddles and puzzles about yoga can be a fun way to engage students and get them thinking creatively on their mats.
Yoga Riddles to Get Started
Here are some introductory riddles about yoga to get your students pondering:
Q: I focus on your breath, though I’m not your lungs. I help create space between each vertebrae. What am I?
A: The diaphragm
Q: I’m a bending pose named after an animal. You might see me when downward dog is done. What am I?
A: Cat pose
Q: I’m a seated pose, both knees bent and feet together. A perfect place to find your center. Who am I?
A: Butterfly pose
Q: Triangle is my name, laterals my game. I stretch the sides from hip to arm. What pose am I?
A: Triangle pose
Q: Don’t be confused, it’s not a cartwheel you do. Hands and feet firmly on the ground, curving up like a bridge you’re bound. What am I?
A: Wheel pose
Q: I’m a balancing pose, standing tall on one leg. My name’s the same forward as it is in reverse. What pose am I?
A: Dancer’s pose
Intermediate Yoga Riddles
Move your students deeper with these intermediate yoga riddles:
Q: Fingers interlaced behind your back in an open chest. A backbend pose to really put flexibility to the test. What am I?
A: Camel pose
Q: A seated twist, one arm binds, the other lifts. Deep rotation for the spine as you shift. What pose am I?
A: Half Lord of the Fishes
Q: Triangle’s cousin, extended side stretch is my aim. Hand to foot, rib to thigh, in one straight line you’ll gain. What pose am I?
A: Extended side angle pose
Q: Not for resting, though to the ground I go. Press up to plank, then lower down with control. What am I?
A: Chaturanga or four-limbed staff pose
Q: A seated posture, legs crossed and wrapped around. Hold on to toes and lift up off the ground. What am I called in yoga?
A: Boat pose
Q: Don’t be fooled, it’s not downward dog I resemble. Hands and knees, hips up high, a different back stretch I assemble. What am I?
A: Puppy pose
Advanced Yoga Riddles
Challenge your students with these advanced yoga riddles:
Q: I’m an arm balance requiring core strength within. One leg extends back, the other stays bent. What pose am I?
A: Side crow
Q: My name sparks images of a Leader of India. I strengthen the arms, chest and abdominals. What pose am I?
A: Gandhi pose
Q: I’m a backbend named for a master of yoga in history. Hands grab heels behind you, an intense spinal twist you’ll see. What pose am I?
A: Rajakapotasana or King Pigeon pose
Q: An inversion pose, legs up the wall I go. Calms the mind and reverses blood flow. What am I?
A: Legs up the wall pose
Q: I’m a balancing posture named for a winged creature in flight. One leg to the sky, steady your core with all your might. What pose am I?
A: Eagle pose
Partner Yoga Riddles
Get your students connecting with these partner yoga riddles:
Q: Face-to-face we meet, hands pressing palm to palm. Pushing and pulling in a mirrored form. What are we?
A: Double palm press pose
Q: Back-to-back with my friend, arms interlocked securely. Bending forward together, opening the chest brightly. What are we doing?
A: Partner back bend
Q: One friend sits tall, the other circles around. Body like a chain as we link to the ground. What is this posture called?
A: Partner neck stretch
Q: I’m an inversion requiring total trust. One partner lifts while the other goes skyward, they must! What pose am I?
A: Partner handstand
Q: One friend extends leg high while lying on their side. The other holds steady, keeping balance allied. What pose is this?
A: Partner leg lift
Kids Yoga Riddles
Get little yogis giggling and wiggling with these kids yoga riddles:
Q: Flutter my wings across the big blue sky. Now fold them in, landing gracefully, oh my! What animal am I?
A: Butterfly
Q: I’m an animal who loves to curl up so very small. In a round little ball I sit, that’s all! What am I?
A: Turtle
Q: I’m an animal who lives in the sea, swimming with grace and agility. Form a wave with your body, can you guess what I’ll be?
A: Dolphin
Q: Two hands, ten fingers, waving hi to the sun. Bend those knees and fold forward for some fun! What’s my name?
A: Tree
Q: Sit up very tall, try not to sway. Take a big breath in, now roar, grr, hooray! What jungle animal are you today?
A: Lion
Yoga Riddles for Class Themes
Tailor your yoga riddles to specific class themes with these ideas:
Balance Focus
Q: One leg rooted, the other flies high. Arms spread wide, steady your core, don’t be shy. What balancing pose am I?
A: Tree pose
Q: One hand rooted, the other leg high. Parallel to the floor, don’t ask why! What pose could this be?
A: Half moon pose
Hip Opening Emphasis
Q: Butterfly flutters by, then switches shape with a sigh. Straddle your legs out wide, just like me! What hip opener am I?
A: Straddle pose
Q: I’m a seated twist, knee bent and pressed. Rotate your torso around it, opening your chest. What pose liberates hips galore?
A: Twisted lizard lunge
Heart Opening Focus
Q: Shoulder to shoulder, open hearts shine. Palms press together in this posture divine. What am I?
A: Anjali mudra
Q: Hands wrap around, hug your shins with care. Heart lifts to the sky in this seated prayer. What pose am I?
A: Cow face pose
Strength Building Theme
Q: Pull in your core, legs straight up to the sun. Control your breathing, this posture’s not done! What strengthening pose could it be?
A: Leg raises
Q: Push up tall, then lower down near the floor. Triceps, chest and core will all ask for more! What plank variation is in store?
A: Chaturanga
Yoga Riddles for the Classroom
Engage students before or after yoga with these classroom riddles:
Q: I help provide guidance and wisdom each day. You can flip through my pages and read what I say. What am I?
A: Textbook
Q: I’m not a laptop, notebook or pen. But you write and type on me time and again. What am I?
A: Desk
Q: With numbers and shapes I’m labeled from front to back. You store your supplies inside me for what you might lack. What am I?
A: Pencil case
Q: Round as can be with a ticking heart inside. I tell you the time – the hours can’t hide! What am I?
A: Clock
Q: Chalk or marker in hand, the teacher writes with care. Lessons and notes displayed up there. What is it?
A: Whiteboard/Blackboard
Yoga Philosophy Riddles
Inspire inner reflection with riddles about yoga philosophy and history:
Q: Said to remove impurities, I’m one of yoga’s limbs. Practiced before meditation, pranayama rescinds. What am I?
A: Breathing exercises
Q: I am one of the yogic seals. With concentration and care, perfection this pose reveals. What posture am I?
A: Mula Bandha/Root Lock
Q: Patanjali wrote down my teachings, the eightfold path. From ethics to insight, freedom my students hath. What am I?
A: The Yoga Sutras
Q: Union is my aim, the mind, body and soul I free. An ancient tradition, developed in India, just like me! What practice am I?
A: Yoga
Q: I’m yoga’s most widely known text from ancient times. A collection of fables, lessons conveyed in rhymes. What classic scripture am I?
A: Bhagavad Gita
Anatomy Riddles for Yoga
Help students learn anatomy with these yoga-themed riddles:
Q: Flex me to release your hamstrings with care. I’m the big muscle at the back of your thigh pair. What am I?
A: Hamstrings
Q: I rotate your arm to turn your palm skyward. Part of the shoulder, my name might sound weird. What muscle am I?
A: Supraspinatus
Q: Downward dog and up dog strengthen me with grace. I’m the muscle that moves your arm into place. What am I called?
A: Deltoid
Q: Aid in your breathing and protect your precious cores. We’re the muscles found under your ribs…there are four! What are we?
A: Intercostal muscles
Q: I extend and rotate your thigh outward with care. Sitting bone to knee, I move your leg there. What muscle am I?
A: Piriformis
Yoga Trivia Riddles
Test students’ yoga knowledge with these fun trivia riddles:
Q: June 21st celebrates the longest day of sun. Salute its light with Surya Namaskar, oh what fun! What’s the name of this day?
A: International Day of Yoga
Q: This yoga guru pioneered Vinyasa flow. His unique style is Ujjayi breath, you know. Who is he?
A: Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
Q: I introduced yoga to the western world wide. Wrote books like Light on Yoga that spread far and wide. Who am I?
A: B.K.S. Iyengar
Q: The tree, half-moon and dancer are all found within. Increase focus and balance is what I can win. What style of yoga could this be?
A: Ashtanga yoga
Q: Hot humid room and Vigorous flow. Sweat it out deeply with poses you know. Which yoga style thrives in the heat?
A: Bikram yoga
Health Benefits of Yoga Riddles
Highlight yoga’s positive effects on wellness with these riddles:
Q: Stronger, more flexible muscles are what I achieve. Oxygen circulating freely that you can believe. What benefit is this pose providing?
A: Improved circulation
Q: A clear and peaceful state of mind. Less stress and anxiety you will find. What benefit does yoga bring?
A: Mental calm/clarity
Q: With yoga the aches slowly abate. Bones and joints feeling better of late. What’s improving for students in pain?
A: Reduced inflammation
Q: Sleep that is deeper and waking up fresh. Energy levels high with less fatigue and mess. How’s yoga improving your rest?
A: Better sleep
Q: Improved posture and spine aligned tall. Back pain subsides, no slouching at all! What benefit is being described overall?
A: Better posture
Yoga Jokes and Puns
Add some humor and laughter into your yoga practice with these funny jokes and puns:
Q: Why did the yoga teacher have to stop the class?
A: Because it was getting out of hand!
Q: My yoga instructor says I have a spineless Crow Pose. What should I do?
A: Grow a backbone!
Q: Why do yogis make bad hotel guests?
A: Because they’re used to sleeping on mats!
Q: Why did the yoga student ride his bike to class?
A: It helped him warm up his hamstrings before Wheel Pose!
Q: Why was the yoga teacher so good at baseball?
A: Because she had perfect pitcher pose!
Q: Why do yogis always know the exact time?
A: They can look at the sun and do some Sun Salutations!
Conclusion
Incorporating yoga riddles, jokes and puzzles into your classes engages students creatively on and off the mat. Riddles that relate to yoga poses, philosophy, anatomy, history and health benefits enrich the learning experience. Most importantly, remember that yoga is meant to be joyful – so have fun coming up with your own creative yoga riddles and sharing a few laughs together!
