Asana

Sarvangasana, a commonly practiced Asana

Asana (Sanskrit आसन sitting down < आस to sit down) is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, intended primarily to restore and maintain a practitioner's well-being, improve the body's flexibility and vitality, and promote the ability to remain in seated meditation for extended periods. In the context of Yoga practice, asana refers to two things: the place where a practitioner (yogin (general usage); yogi (male); yogini (female)) sits and the manner (posture) in which s/he sits. In the Yoga sutras, Patanjali suggests that asana is "to be seated in a position that is firm, but relaxed". As the repertoire of postures has expanded and moved beyond the simple sitting posture over the centuries, modern usage has come to include variations from lying on the back and standing on the head, to a variety of other positions.In the Yoga sutras, Patanjali mentions the execution of an asana as the third of the eight limbs of Classical or Raja yoga.

The word asana in Sanskrit does appear in many contexts denoting a static physical position, although, as noted, traditional usage is specific to the practice of yoga. Traditional usage defines asana as both singular and plural. In English, plural for asana is defined as asanas. In addition, English usage within the context of yoga practice sometimes specifies yogasana or yoga asana, particularly with regard to the system of the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. That said, yogasana is also the name of a particular posture that is not specifically associated with the Vinyasa system, and that while "ashtanga" (small 'a') refers to the eight limbs of Yoga delineated below, Ashtanga (capital 'A') refers to the specific system of Yoga developed by Sri Krishnamacharya at the Mysore Palace.

Third of the eight limbs

In the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali describes asana as the third of the eight limbs of classical, or Raja Yoga. Asanas are the physical movements of yoga practice and, in combination with pranayama or breathing techniques constitute the style of yoga referred to as Hatha Yoga. In the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali describes asana as a "firm, comfortable posture", referring specifically to the seated posture, most basic of all the asanas. He further suggests that meditation is the path to samadhi; transpersonal self-realization.

The eight limbs are, in order, the yamas (restrictions), niyamas (observances), asanas (postures), pranayama (breath work), pratyahara (sense withdrawal or non-attachment), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (realization of the true Self or Atman, and unity with Brahman (the Hindu and Vedantic interpretation of God, also the Taoist Supreme Ultimate, the Judaic Yahweh, the Islamic Allah, or simply the Godhead, etc.)).

Pranayama, or breath control, often accompanies Asana and is the Fourth Limb of ashtanga yoga, as set out by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra. Patanjali describes pranayama as the control of the enhanced "life force" that is a result of practicing the various breathing techniques, rather than the exercises themselves. The entirety of breathing practices, those classified as pranayama, and other is called svarodaya, or the science of Breath. It is a vast practice that goes far byond the limits of pranayama as applied to asana.

Variety of asanas

In his Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga, Swami Vishnu-devananda published a compilation of 66 basic postures and 136 variations of those postures. Sri Dharma Mittra suggested that "there are an infinite number of asanas." when, in 1975, he set out to catalogue the vast number of asanas in the Master Yoga Chart of 908 Postures, as an offering of devotion to his guru, Swami Kailashananda Maharaj. Through this effort, he compiled 1300 variations, derived from gurus, and yogis, as well as both ancient and contemporary texts. Although it is impossible to establish a complete and exact set of yoga postures, this work is considered a leading collection by students and yogis alike.

Surya Namaskara, or the Sun Salutation, is a form of worshiping Surya, the Hindu solar deity by concentrating on the Sun, for vitalization. The physical aspect of the practice links together twelve asanas in a dynamically expressed series. A full round of Surya namaskara is considered to be two sets of the twelve poses, with a change in the second set where the opposing leg is moved first. The asanas included in the sun salutation differ from tradition to tradition.

Common practices

In the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali suggests that the only requirement for practicing asanas is that it be "steady and comfortable". The body is held poised, and relaxed, with the practitioner experiencing no discomfort.

When control of the body is mastered, practitioners free themselves from the duality of heat/cold, hunger/satiety, joy/grief, which is the first step toward the unattachment that relieves suffering. This non-dualistic perspective comes from the Sankya school of the Himalayan Masters.

File:Students doing yoga.jpg

Students in Utthita Ashwa Sanchalanasana (High lunge)

Listed below are traditional practices for performing asana:

• The stomach should be relatively empty.
• Force or pressure should not be used, and the body should not tremble.
• Lower the head and other parts of the body slowly; in particular, raised heels should be lowered slowly.
• The breathing should be controlled. The benefits of asanas increase if the specific pranayama to the yoga type is performed.
• If the body is stressed, perform Corpse Pose or Child Pose
• Some claim that asanas, especially inverted poses, are to be avoided during menstruation. Others deny this view.
• Asanas are generally not performed on floor, but on Yoga mats instead.

Benefits of practice

The physical aspect of yoga, the asanas, has been much popularized in the West, and devoted celebrity practitioners like Madonna and Sting have contributed to the increased visibility of the practice. Physically, of the practice of asanas is considered that it improves:

• muscle flexibility
• tendon strength
• stamina
• better functioning of respiratory system
• empiric evidences suggest it helps control blood pressure and other issues related to the functioning of the circulatory system
• improvement in health problems related to stress.

The emphasis on the physical part has given rise to the perception that yoga consists only of asana practice. A more esoteric intention is to facilitate the flow of prana (vital energy; qi in Chinese; ki in Japanese) to aid in balancing the koshas (sheaths) of the physical and metaphysical body.

Depending on the level of mastery, the practitioner of asanas is supposed to achieve many supernatural abilities. For instance, a yogi who has mastered Mayurasana will not be affected by eating any poison.

Some common asanas

• 

  Uttanasana
  Standing Forward Bend

• 

  Paschimottanasana
  Intense stretch of the west

• 

  Adho Mukha Svanasana
  Downward Facing Dog

• 

  Bhujangasana
  Cobra

• 

  Dhanurasana
  Bow

• 

  Halasana
  Plow

• 

  Urdhva Dhanurasana
  Upward Bow

• 

  Ardha Padmasana is an intermediate seated posture

• 

  Shirsasana
  Head Stand

• 

  Shavasana
  Corpse Pose

• 

  Vajrasana
  Diamond Pose

• 

  Vrksasana
  Tree Pose

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Dasgupta, Surendranath. 1973. A History of Indian Philosophy, Vol. I. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 8120804120
• Patañjali, & B. S. Miller, (1996). Yoga discipline of freedom: the Yoga Sutra attributed to Patanjali ; a translation of the text, with commentary, introduction, and glossary of keywords. Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press. ISBN 0520201906
• Patanjali, and B. K. S. Iyengar. 2002. Light on the yoga sutras of Patanjali. London: Thorsons. ISBN 0007145160
• Radhakrishnan, Sarvepalli and Moore, Charles A., eds. A Sourcebook in Indian Philosophy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1973. ISBN 0691019584
• Sharma, Chandrahar. 2003. A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 8120803647
• Sivananda, Swami. Raja Yoga. reprint ed. Kessinger Publishing, 2005. ISBN 978-1425359829
• Thakar, Vimala. Glimpses of Raja Yoga: An Introduction to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras (Yoga Wisdom Classics). Rodmell Press; 1st North American Pbk. Ed edition, 2004. ISBN 978-1930485075
• Villoldo, Alberto. 2007. Yoga, power, and spirit Patanjali the Shaman. Carlsbad, Calif: Hay House, Inc. ISBN 9781401910471
• Vivekananda,Swami. Raja-Yoga. Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center; Pocket Rev edition (June 1980. ISBN 978-0911206234
• Zimmer, Heinrich Robert. 1951. Philosophies of India. Bollingen series, 26. [New York]: Pantheon Books.

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