What Are Asanas?
In yoga, an asana is a posture in which a practitioner sits. In the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali defines asanas as “to be seated in a position that is firm, but relaxed”. Patanjali mentions the ability to sit for extended periods as one of the eight limbs of yoga, known as http://www.divinitymagazine.com/the–eight–limbs–of–yoga“>Ashtanga Yoga. Asanas are also performed as physical exercises where they are sometimes referred to as “yoga postures” or “yoga positions”. Some asanas are performed just for health purposes. Asanas do promote good health, although in different ways compared to physical exercises, placing the physical body in positions that cultivate also awareness, relaxation, and concentration.
Types of Asanas
- Forward bends
- Back bends
- Side bends
- Twists
- Stretches
- Inversions
- Balancing postures
- Relaxing poses
- Meditative poses
Benefits of Yoga
Physically, the practice of asanas is considered to:
41 Yoga Asanas for Beginners
- Bharadvaja’s Twist
- Bridge Pose
- Cat Pose
- Chair Pose
- Child’s Pose
- Cobra Pose
- Conqueror Breath
- Corpse Pose
- Cow Face Pose
- Cow Pose
- Downward Facing Dog
- Easy Pose
- Extended Puppy Pose
- Extended Side Angle Pose
- Fish Pose
- Garland Pose
- Gate Pose
- Half Lord of the Fishes Pose
- Happy Baby Pose
- Hero Pose
- High Lunge Pose
- High Lunge, Crescent Variation
- Intense Side Stretch Pose
- Legs Up the Wall Pose
- Lion Pose
- Locust Pose
- Low Lunge
- Mountain Pose
- Plank Pose
- Reclining Bound Angel Pose
- Salutation Seal
- Seated Forward Bend
- Tree Pose
- Warrior Pose
- Warrior II Pose
- Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend
- Wide-Legged Forward Bend