Asanas (आसनानि) - Revision history

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	Savasana is considered to be the most important asana and always follows and completes any asana practice. It helps relieve accumulated vata or stress, particularly at the end of asana practice, and cools down pitta as well.<ref name=":3" />		Savasana is considered to be the most important asana and always follows and completes any asana practice. It helps relieve accumulated vata or stress, particularly at the end of asana practice, and cools down pitta as well.<ref name=":3" />
		+
		+	Datey et al. (1969) studied the effect of śavāsana (lying down posture with awareness of breathing by attending to stomach movements) on hypertensive patients and found that a group of subjects who took no drugs showed a significant decrease in their blood pressure. They also reported that the patients experienced a sense of well-being and improvement in somatic symptoms after practicing śavāsana 30 min daily for about 30 weeks.<ref>K. Ramakrishna Rao & Anand C. Paranjpe (2016), Psychology in the Indian Tradition, India: Springer.</ref>

	== Advanced Asanas ==		== Advanced Asanas ==

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 Thus, all Yogasanas should be performed slowly by observing Stability (Sthira), Ease (Sukha), Effortlessness (Prayatna Shaitilya) and Boundless Happiness (Ananta Samapatti).<ref name=":1" /> For, an asana here is a constituent of Samadhi. And according to the oral tradition, an asana maintained for 3hrs 36mins in absolute stillness, without the minutest tremble anywhere and with a high level of awareness guides one effortlessly into Samadhi.<ref name=":2" />
 == आसनानां प्रयोजनानि ॥ Benefits of Asanas ==
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 * Promote flexibility of the spine leading to ease in forward bending, backward bending and side bending
 * Facilitate development of personality<ref name=":1" />
-The Asanas help keep the body supple and strong while energizing the mind and boosting self confidence. Practising asanas on a regular basis has shown to enhance brain wave coherence and improve functions such as memory and intelligence. It lowers the stress related hormones in the body and increases both mental and physical performance. They also contribute to emotional stability by increasing the amount of a neurotransmitter 'serotonin' in the body, which is known to induce good mood and a sense of happiness. Yogasanas can help to integrate every aspect of the nervous system, including emotional experience, sensation, cognition, motivation and samskara.<ref name=":5" />
+The Asanas help keep the body supple and strong while energizing the mind and boosting self confidence. Practising asanas on a regular basis has shown to enhance brain wave coherence and improve functions such as memory and intelligence. It lowers the stress related hormones in the body and increases both mental and physical performance. They also contribute to emotional stability by increasing the amount of a neurotransmitter 'serotonin' in the body, which is known to induce good mood and a sense of happiness. Yogasanas can help to integrate every aspect of the nervous system, including emotional experience, sensation, cognition, motivation and samskara. They have tremendous therapeutic effects on body, prana and mind ie the physical structure, vital energy and creative intelligence. And helps balance Vata, Pitta and Kapha that define the nature of the body.<ref name=":5" />
 More importantly, Yogasanas help those pursuing a spiritual life to prepare the body and mind for union with brahman. Infact, the health benefits of Yogasanas are ancillary to the ultimate goal of becoming one with brahman.<ref>Dharm P.S. Bhawuk (2011), [https://lakshminarayanlenasia.com/articles/Spirituality-and-Indian-Psychology-Lessons-From-the-Bhagavad-Gita.pdf Spirituality and Indian Psychology: Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita], New York: Springer</ref>
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 The upward moving heat of the sun in the navel works to reduce the activity of the moon in the soft palate. Putting the body regularly into the shoulder stand or plow pose protects the lunar principle from the depleting heat of the solar principle and creates coolness. Such postures help reverse the positions of the sun and the moon in the body, bringing balance. This is naturally beneficial for pittas. Spinal twists, like Matyendrasana, are also very good for protecting the lunar principle without redUcing agni or the power of digestion.
-Pitta people are benefited by postures that aim at releaSing tension from the mid-abdomen, the small intestine and liver, where pitta accumulates. Such are the bow pose, cobra pose, boat pose, and fish pose. These postures allow excess pitta to be eliminated from the body, particularly to flow downward through the digestive tract. Headstands create pitta and should not be done unless one knows how to balance out the heat that they create.
+Pitta people are benefited by postures that aim at releasing tension from the mid-abdomen, the small intestine and liver, where pitta accumulates. Such are the bow pose, cobra pose, boat pose, and fish pose. These postures allow excess pitta to be eliminated from the body, particularly to flow downward through the digestive tract. Headstands create pitta and should not be done unless one knows how to balance out the heat that they create.
 Forward bends are generally good for pitta because they bring more energy to the mid-abdomen and have a cooling and grounding effect if done in a gentle manner. Backbends tend to be heating and so should be done only with moderation and followed by cooling postures. Seated twists help clear the liver, detoxifying pitta. Pittas should come away from asana practice feeling cool, content and calm, with tension released from the mid-abdomen. Their minds should be clear and relaxed, their emotions at rest, with no feelings of competitiveness or irritation. Their awareness should be in a meditative mood, slightly diffused and not overly sharp.<ref name=":3" />

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 * Promote flexibility of the spine leading to ease in forward bending, backward bending and side bending
 * Facilitate development of personality<ref name=":1" />
 More importantly, Yogasanas help those pursuing a spiritual life to prepare the body and mind for union with brahman. Infact, the health benefits of Yogasanas are ancillary to the ultimate goal of becoming one with brahman.<ref>Dharm P.S. Bhawuk (2011), [https://lakshminarayanlenasia.com/articles/Spirituality-and-Indian-Psychology-Lessons-From-the-Bhagavad-Gita.pdf Spirituality and Indian Psychology: Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita], New York: Springer</ref>
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 Kapha people usually have slow digestion and low metabolism. To stimulate the digestive capacity, procedures having an action on the navel region (where agni is situated) are very useful (like nauli). The bow pose is the one of most beneficial of yoga postures for them because of this. The plow pose is one of the best for opening the lungs for kapha. Kaphas should come away from as ana practice feeling invigorated, warm and light, with their circulation energized, their chest and lungs open. Their mind and senses should be sharp and clear, with emotional heaviness released and forgotten.<ref name=":3" />
 {| class="wikitable"
-|+Asanas for different Dosha types<ref name=":3" /><ref>Ashish Pandey (2022), Lecture Presentation on Yoga and Positive Psychology for Managing Career and Life (Session 15 - Asanas as the Intervention for Managing Self and Career).</ref>
+|+Asanas for different Dosha types<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5">Ashish Pandey (2022), Lecture Presentation on Yoga and Positive Psychology for Managing Career and Life (Session 15 - Asanas as the Intervention for Managing Self and Career).</ref>
 !Type of Asana
 !Vata

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 |Short Savasana (Corpse Pose).
 |}
 == आसनानां वर्णनम् ॥ Description of Few Asanas ==

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 Kapha people usually have slow digestion and low metabolism. To stimulate the digestive capacity, procedures having an action on the navel region (where agni is situated) are very useful (like nauli). The bow pose is the one of most beneficial of yoga postures for them because of this. The plow pose is one of the best for opening the lungs for kapha. Kaphas should come away from as ana practice feeling invigorated, warm and light, with their circulation energized, their chest and lungs open. Their mind and senses should be sharp and clear, with emotional heaviness released and forgotten.<ref name=":3" />
 == References ==
 [[Category:Yoga]]

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 == आसनं प्रकृतिश्च ॥ Asana and Body Constitution ==
-Asanas are useful for all body constitutions and help balance the tridoshas in the body.<ref name=":3" />
+Asanas are useful for all body constitutions and help balance the tridoshas in the body. Infact, there are specific asanas that relate to particular body constitutions. However, for their benefits to accrue, they must also be performed appropriately and with due consideration to one's level of practice, particularities of individual bodily structure and organic condition.
 == References ==
 [[Category:Yoga]]

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 The agni of the food sheath is the digestive fire Gatharagni) which dwells in the abdomen, particularly in the small intestine where the main digestion of food occurs. The digestive fire breaks down the food we eat into the essence of the five elements. From its action arises the digested food mass that provides nourishment to all the tissues through the plasma. Through it we digest food, which gets transformed into the tissues of the body.
-The practice of asana or yogic postures serves to balance, stabilize and further enkindle the jatharagni or physical agni, which helps purify the physical body. When the physical body is still, relaxed and balanced, the digestive fire is also balanced and purified. Correct performance of asana results in good digestion and elimination, a regular and healthy but not excessive appetite. Various postures aid in the increase of the digestive fire, particularly sitting poses and uddiyana bandha.<ref>David Frawley (1999), [https://archive.org/details/yogaayurvedaselfhealingandselfrealizationdavidfrawley_757_/mode/2up Yoga & Ayurveda], Wisconsin: Lotus Press.</ref>
+The practice of asana or yogic postures serves to balance, stabilize and further enkindle the jatharagni or physical agni, which helps purify the physical body. When the physical body is still, relaxed and balanced, the digestive fire is also balanced and purified. Correct performance of asana results in good digestion and elimination, a regular and healthy but not excessive appetite. Various postures aid in the increase of the digestive fire, particularly sitting poses and uddiyana bandha.<ref name=":3">David Frawley (1999), [https://archive.org/details/yogaayurvedaselfhealingandselfrealizationdavidfrawley_757_/mode/2up Yoga & Ayurveda], Wisconsin: Lotus Press.</ref>
 == आसनानां वर्गीकरणम् ॥ Classification of Asanas ==
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 === Paschimottanasana ===
 Procedure: Sit on the ground. Stretch the two legs stiff like a stick. Catch the toe with the hands. Place the forehead on the two knees slowly. You can bend still further and keep the head between the thighs also. This reduces fat, and stimulates the digestive fire. This is useful in all diseases of the stomach, and for curing the enlargement of spleen.<ref>Swami Sivananda (2006), [https://archive.org/details/practice-of-yoga/mode/2up?view=theater Practice of Yoga], Shivanandanagar: The Divine Life Society.</ref>
 == References ==
 [[Category:Yoga]]

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 * To develop confidence, overcome shyness and become dynamic, it is advised to practice cultural asanas that involve back bending postures like the Chakrasana, Bhujangasana (cobra posture), Ardha Chakrasana (standing bending backward), Suptavajrasana, etc. These practices also strengthen the chest and shoulders.
 * For people who are egoistic, humility can be promoted by practicing front bending postures like Paschimottanasana, Shashankasana, Padahastasana, etc. Because, such people are observed to always hold their shoulders back and heads up. And these prescribed asanas help them overcome egotistic characters and develop a pleasing and warmer personality.<ref name=":1" />
 == References ==
 [[Category:Yoga]]