What Are Yoga Asanas?
Asana is a Sanskrit term which is often translated as “posture” or “pose.” Asana can also be translated as “a steady, comfortable seat” particularly for the purpose of meditation. Many people equate asana with the act of performing fancy, advanced poses.
Why Practice Postures?
In the contemporary world where many of us are perpetually on the go, practice can slow us down and help us bridge disconnections between the body, mind, and breath.
- Scientific research suggests that a regular practice can provide the following benefits: Relieving chronic pain, Teaching you to control your respiration, Improving sleep and self-reported quality of life
Pose Names
Many poses have Sanskrit names and these pose names often describe the pose’s appearance.
- Don’t feel too overwhelmed by the Sanskrit. You don’t have to know the Sanskrit name of each pose or any Sanskrit at all to practice them.
- Allow your teacher to guide you through the experience.
Starting Your Practice
At Yoga International, our goal is to inspire your practice with in-depth articles, courses, classes, and challenges.
- We’re devoted to sharing yoga with the world and inspiring students and teachers to connect, and we firmly believe in respecting all styles and forms of practice.
Styles of Practice
Tirumalai Krishnamacharya is credited for reviving hatha practices in India, and he was the teacher of some of the most influential yogis of the 20th century
- T.K.V. Desikachar (his son), Pattabhi Jois, and B.S. Iyengar
- Both he and his son took a fully customizable approach to asana by adapting their teachings to suit the individual and providing one-on-one instruction
Philosophical Background
Yoga asana is the third limb of the eight-limbed path outlined in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali
- The eight limbs are: the yamas and niyamas (moral and ethical codes), asanas (postures), pranayama (breathwork), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (spiritual absorption)
- Chapter 2, verse 46 of Patananjali’s yoga Sutra states that asana should strike a balance between steadiness and ease (sthira-sukham asanam).
- Practice shouldn’t be painful.