Asanas (आसनानि)

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Asanas (Samskrit: आसनानि) refer to Yogic Postures that are one of the eight important aspects in Ashtanga Yoga or the eightfold path in the practice of Yoga given by Maharshi Patanjali. Asanas are also integral to Hatha Yoga, a system of practices inspired by Yoga Darshana and developed as part of the Yoga tradition with a view to rejuvenate the body and prolong life. The article elaborates on the meaning, types, objectives and benefits of Asanas.

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

Based on the observation of nature, the ancient Rishis of Bharata devised a number of Asanas or postures. So, it is not by mere chance that in Hatha Yoga terminology, all the postures are named after different animals. And each posture or pose has a purpose of its own.

Asana literally means 'seat'. In Yoga, an asana refers to a body posture. Originally a sitting pose for meditation, later reclining, standing, inverted, twisting and balancing poses were added to the meditative posture.

Maharshi Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras says,

स्थिरसुखमासनम् ॥४६॥ प्रयत्नशैथिल्यानन्तसमापत्तिभ्याम् ॥४७॥ ततो द्वन्द्वानभिघातः ॥४८॥ sthirasukhamāsanam ॥46॥ prayatnaśaithilyānantasamāpattibhyām ॥47॥ tato dvandvānabhighātaḥ ॥48॥

Meaning: A Posture is that which is stable and easeful which is effected through relaxation of effort and a coalescence with the endless or endlessness. And thereby, one is no longer affected by pairs of opposites like heat and cold.

It refers to the position of the body in which a person experiences ease ie. non-production of discomfort and pain. And stability here is marked by absence of movement. Furthermore, the essential qualities of asanas are described as follows:

1. Sthira - stable
2. Nishchala - motionless
3. Nishkampa - devoid of tremble
4. Anudvejaniya - not subject to agitations
5. Sukha - easeful
6. Sukhavaha - bringing about comfort

Invariably, these also address the problems a beginning practitioner of meditation encounters in the form of

1. involuntary movements of the body like swaying and general shifting about (countered by Nishchalatva of asanas).
2. trembling of limbs (countered by Nishkampana of asanas).
3. excitation and agitation caused by internal reasons such as nervous twitch and jerking or by external stimuli causing sudden movements or the urge to abandon the meditation seat (countered by anudvejanatva of asanas).

Thus, all Yogasanas should be performed slowly by observing Stability (Sthira), Ease (Sukha), Effortlessness (Prayatna Shaitilya) and Boundless Happiness (Ananta Samapatti). 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.

आसनानां प्रयोजनानि ॥ Benefits of Asanas

The Asanas are a gift to humanity by ancient seers. It is said that regular practice of Asanas endows one with a long and healthy life. However, performance of these asanas requires one to focus on the pose and learn to align the body correctly in relation to how it functions; guiding each limb to observe the degree appropriate for the pose. Alignment, balance and strength are key factors of all asanas.

In this context, one basic theory of Asana needs to be understood. The primary human personality consists of the body from waist to the head. The arms and legs are known as Upangas. In the practice of meditation, the position of the primary part that is most important. That is what is meant to be maintained in a straight and balanced position.

The common benefits of asanas are that they

• Help maintain flexibility and strength of muscular-skeletal system
• Increase concentration and focus by calming the mind
• Improve function of vital organ systems
• Promote flexibility of the spine leading to ease in forward bending, backward bending and side bending
• Facilitate development of personality

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.

Asanas and Jatharagni

Yoga conceives human existence in the form of five sheaths or Koshas viz. annamaya kosha, prāṇamaya kośha, manomaya kosha, vijnānamaya kosha and Anandamaya kosha. Each of the five koshas or encasements of the atman has a different form of agni responsible for its development.

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.

आसनानां वर्गीकरणम् ॥ Classification of Asanas

It has already been mentioned that all asanas have a purpose and some of them even help culture one's personality. There are primarily two methods prevalent in the classification of Asanas. They are,

Classification of Asanas

Method 1 - Composition of the Posture	Method 2 - Purpose of the Asana
Standing Asanas - Where body is supported by soles of the feet. Sitting Asanas - Where body is supported by the rear. Prone Asanas - Where one lies face down and body is supported on the stomach. Supine Asanas - Where one lies down with face upwards and body is supported by the back.	Relaxation - For eg. Shavasana, Makarasana (the crocodile posture), Shithila Tadasana and Shithila Dandasana. Meditative - For eg. Padmasana, Siddhasana, Vajrasana and Sukhasana. Cultural - All the remaining postures. They are meant essentially, to develop the personality.

Cultural Asanas and Personality Development

It is said that every cultural Asana has been designed to build personality. For eg.

• 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.

A Few Asanas

Padmasana

Padmasana means 'lotus-pose'. This is known as Kamalasana. Padmasana and Siddhasana are best suited for purposes of Japa, meditation and for the practice of Pranayama.

Procedure: Sit on the ground by spreading the legs forward. Then place the right foot over the left thigh and the left foot over the right thigh. Keep the hands on the knee-joints. You can make a finger- lock and keep the locked hands over the left ankle. Face the north or east.

Siddhasana

Next to Padmasana comes Siddhasana in importance. If you get mastery over this Asana, you will acquire many Siddhis. Young Brahmacharins who attempt to get established in celibacy should practise this Asana.

Procedure: Place one heel at the anus and keep the other heel at the root of the generative organ. The feet or legs should be so nicely arranged that the ankle-joints should touch each other. Hands can be placed as in Padmasana.

Books on Hatha Yoga eulogise the merits and advantages of Padma and Siddha Asanas to a very high degree. He who sits on any one of the Asanas even for 15 minutes daily with closed eyes, concentrating on God, destroys all sins and gets Moksha. These Asanas are useful to cure rheumatism and to keep the system in proper order. They purify and strengthen the nerves of the legs and thighs. They are suitable very much for maintaining Brahmacharya.

Sirshasana

Procedure: Spread a fourfolded blanket. Sit on the two knees. Make a finger-lock by interweaving the fingers and place it on the ground upto the elbow. Keep the top of your head on this finger-lock or between the two hands. Slowly raise the legs till they become vertical. Stand steadily as long as you can and then slowly bring the legs down. Do the Asana very slowly without any jerks. While standing on the head, breathe slowiy through the nose and never through the mouth.

When you begin to learn this Asana, you can place the palms on the ground one, on each side of the head. You will find this easy to practise. When you have learnt balancing, then you can take to finger-lock method. Ask your friend to assist you to keep the legs steady or get the help of a wall, in the beginning stage of your practice.

Pundit Raghunath Shastri at Badari Narayana says that this leads to natural Pranayama and Samadhi by itself. No other effort is necessary. If you watch the breath, you will notice that it becomes finer and finer. ln the beginning of practice there will be slight difficulty in breathing. As you advance in practice, this vanishes. You will find real pleasure, exhilaration of spirits in this Asana. Sri P.V. Acharya finds this highly beneficial for meditative purposes because the brain centres are supplied with a large quantity of blood. In this Asana alone the brain can draw plenty of Prana and blood. You can hear the Anahata sounds quite distinctly while practising. Mark these sounds carefully. Words will fail to describe adequately the beneficial results and effects. This is a panacea, a cure-all, a sovereign specific for all diseases. Memory admirably improves. It heightens the psychic faculties. Great benefit is derived by sitting for meditation after Sirshasana. It transmutes the sex-energy into Ojas-Sakti, spiritual energy. It energises, invigorates and vivifies. In Yogatattva Upanishad it is said: "On the first day, the Yogi should stand on his head with the feet raised up for a moment. He should increase this period gradually every day. Wrinkles and greyness of hair will disappear within 3 months. He who practises only for a period of 3 hours every day conquers time."

It helps Brahmacharya a lot. It ·awakens the Kundalini Sakti. It relieves congestion in the seminal bags and checks wet-dreams, spermatorrhoea. Eyesight improves. All diseases of the eye, ear, nose, head, throat, stomach, genito-urinary system, liver, spleen, lungs are removed. It removes deafness, gonorrhoea, diabetes, piles, asthma, consumption, pyorrhoea, constipation, renal colic, syphilis, etc. It is a powerful blood-purifier, brain and nervine tonic. It augments the digestive fire, Jatharagni.

Sarvangasana

This is another important Asana.

Procedure: Lie on the back flat. Slowly raise the legs quite vertical. Support the back with the two hands. This is an easy Asana. Sirshasana is a little more difficult. Concentrate the mind on the thyroid in the neck. Practise this Asana from 5 to 20 minutes, twice daily. Press the chin against the chest. Then slowly bring down the legs.

Sirshasana, Sarvangasana combined with Paschimottanasana can keep you in perfect health. You need not take any long walk or physical exercise. Physical exercise draws the Prana out. Asanas send the Prana in. Asana distributes Prana quite evenly throughout the different systems of the body. So the effects are different in two cases. Asana is not only physical but also spiritual, as it awakens the serpent power, Kundalini Sakti, and as it forms the third Anga of the Raja Yoga. A particular Asana removes a particular disease. Mark the wonderful power of Asanas. Sarvangasana centralises the blood in spinal column and nourishes beautifully all the spinal roots of nerves. But for this Asana, there is no scope for these nerve-roots to draw a sufficient blood-supply.

In this practice, the thyroid gland which is situated a little above the root of the neck is nourished properly. Thyroid gland is a ductless endocrine gland with a mysterious internal secretion which is absorbed directly into the blood. Thyroid takes a wonderful part in metabolism of the body, in growth, structure and development. Metabolism is the sum total of constructive and destructive changes which go on, in the body. This thyroid operates in conjunction with other ductless glands, such as pituitary, pineal in the brain, supra-renal above the kidneys, liver, spleen, testes, etc. If this thyroid is diseased, all other glands suffer. A vicious circle is formed. Sarvangasana keeps a healthy thyroid. Healthy thyroid means healthy functioning of all the organs of the body. Sarvangasana keeps the spine very elastic. Elasticity of the spine means everlasting youth. Sarvangasana awakens Kundalini, checks wet dreams, removes constipation, helps digestion, exhilarates the heart, purifies the blood, tones the nerves and brain and removes all diseases. Sarvangasana energises, invigorates and vivifies. A course of Sirsho-Sarvanga powerfully rejuvenates the body and dispenses with monkey-gland grafting.

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.

आसनं प्रकृतिश्च ॥ Asana and Body Constitution

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.

Asanas done slowly, steadily and gently generally reduce Vata, those done with coolness, diffusion of energy and relaxation are know to reduce Pitta and those done with quickness, heat and effort are known to reduce Kapha. However, the application of asanas relative to different doshic types cannot be reduced to rigid rules and require adaptation. But, though each doshic type requires emphasis on some asanas more than others and practising them in a manner that aims to treat the dosha out of balance, a complete practice should cover the full range of bodily motions and all main types of asanas.

Yoga Postures for Vata Prakrti

Vata rules over the bones so vata types suffer most from arthritis, particularly after the age of fifty. They tend to be cold, with dry skin and cracking joints, along with poor circulation. They are also prone to scoliosis (abnormal lateral curvature of the spine). Vatas, being somewhat brittle and prone to excessive movement, are also most likely to be injured by wrong practice and' too strong asanas. Vatas must approach as ana carefully as they can easily hurt themselves.

Vatas need to perform asanas in a way that reduces vata, starting with the right mental attitude. Asana practice for vata types should emphasize the pelvic region and colon, the main sites of vata. They should aim at releasing tension from the hips, lumbar spine and sacroiliac joints.

Sitting postures are good for vata, particularly those that create strength and stillness in the lower abdomen like siddhasana (lotus pose) and vajrasana. These postures help develop calm, increase groundedness and control apana vayu.

Since vata tends to accumulate in the spine, making it stiff, vatas should focus on keeping the spinal column supple by practicing spinal bending in every direction. Spinal twists like matsyedrasana are excellent, removing vata from the nervous system.

Forward bends afford immediate relief for excess vata, producing calm and stillness. They are excellent for releasing vata in the back where it builds up as stiffness and tension. They remove excess vata out of the body through the joints. But they cannot remove all vata unless combined with backbends.

Backbends are excellent for reducing vata but must be done gently and slowly to be effective. Backbends, if well grounded and done moderately, strengthen the vata's feelings of centeredness and have a warming effect, strengthening apana and the colon. Small backward bends, like cobra and locust, are the safest in this regard. More complete backbends can be done once profiCiency in these is gained.

Standing postures that emphasize strength, stability and calm are very good for vata, particularly those that aim at developing stillness and balance like the tree pose (vrksasana).

After asana practice, vatas should make sure to rest and relax through the practice of the corpse pose. Vatas should come away from asana practice feeling stable, warmed and calm, with tension released from the lower abdomen.

Yoga Postures for Pitta Prakrti

Pitta people are often overly ambitious, irritable or driven. Yoga postures should be used to cool them down both on the physical and emotional levels. This helps them direct their intelligence within, where they can use it to understand themselves.

Pittas should perform asanas in a way that is cooling, nurturing, expansive and relaxing. This requires relaxing breaths and quiet sitting between strong asanas to release any stress that is developing.

According to the yogic understanding of the body, the solar principle is centered around the navel, the place of the digestive fire that brings heat to the body. The lunar principle is located in the region of the soft palate, where salivary secretions constantly take place that have a cooling and moistening effect.

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.

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.

Yoga Postures for Kapha Prakrti

Kapha types possess stocky builds and hold weight easily. However, kaphas must strive to avoid overweight, which is to hold a moderate body weight. Overweight in kapha types results in accumulation of fat, particularly in the stomach and thighs. Kapha also creates mucus in the region of the chest which then moves to different sites in the body, particularly downward. Such excess kapha causes swollen glands, benign cysts, and bone spurs. Many kaphas develop arthritis as a complication of such overweight or poor circulation. As kaphas are prone to heart disease and high cholesterol, care must be taken not to overstrain their hearts in any exercise program.

Kaphas benefit by exercise that causes them to sweat, even profusely, and pushes them beyond what they think is the limit of their exertion (unless they are severely overweight, in which case caution is required).

Sitting asanas, like any condition of reduced movement, causes kapha to increase. Kaphas easily feel tired or fall into daydreaming when holding seated postures. To benefit by sitting postures, which is necessary for meditation, kaphas must practice pranayama of a warming nature.

Vinyasas, like the sun salutation with its constant activity, are stimulating to the kapha constitution. Standing postures in general are good for them, particularly as combined with movement and stretching. Virabhadrasana and its variations are good, particularly aimed at opening the chest, the place in the body where kapha accumulates. Backward bends are generally good for kaphas because they open the chest and increase circulation to the head, where mucus easily builds up for them, blocking the senses and dulling the mind. Forward bends, which tend to contract the chest, are not as good for them except when they are caught up in emotional distress and seek some short term calming influence.

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.