Yoga Asanas Dictionary

asanas

Postures assumed in yoga practice to purify the body and mind; a seat.

(See also: asanas , Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

asana: (Sanskrit) "Seat; posture." In hatha yoga, asana refers to any of numerous poses prescribed to balance and tune up the subtle energies of mind and body for meditation and to promote health and longevity. Examples are the shoulder-stand (sarvangasana,"whole body pose") and the lotus pose (padmasana). Each asana possesses unique benefits, affecting the varied inner bodies and releasing energies in different parts of the nervous system.

While the physical science of hatha yoga can dramatically influence health and general well-being, it is primarily a preparation for the deeper yogas and meditations. Sivaya Subramuniyaswami has provided a system of 27 asanas to tune the nervous system for meditation and contemplation and to mitigate the burdensome karmas, known by the modern term "stress," built up through the interaction with other people. His 27 asanas are performed in a meditative sequence, not unlike a serene dance, accompanied by certain visualizations and pranayamas.

See: hatha yoga, raja yoga, yoga, yoga positions

(See also: Asana , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

hatha yoga: (Sanskrit) "Forceful yoga."

Hatha yoga is a system of physical and mental exercise developed in ancient times as a means of rejuvenation by rishis and tapasvins who meditated for long hours, and used today in preparing the body and mind for meditation.

Its elements are

1)    postures (asana),

2)    cleansing practices (dhauti or shodhana),

3)    breath control (pranayama),

4)    locks (bandha, which temporarily restrict local flows of prana) and

5)    hand gestures (mudra), all of which regulate the flow of prana and purify the inner and outer bodies.

Hatha yoga is broadly practiced in many traditions. It is the third limb (anga) of Patanjali's raja yoga. It is integral to the Saiva and Shakta tantra traditions, and part of modern ayurveda treatment. In the West, hatha yoga has been superficially adopted as a health-promoting, limbering, stress-reducing form of exercise, often included in aerobic routines.

Esoterically, ha and tha, respectively, indicate the microcosmic sun (ha) and moon (tha), which symbolize the masculine current, pingala nadi, and feminine current, ida nadi, in the human body. The most popular hatha yoga manuals are Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Gheranda Samhita.

See: hatha yoga, asana, kundalini, nadi, yoga, raja yoga.

(See also: Hatha yoga , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Asana: Originally an immobile body posture; a seat or sitting posture that was used for meditation and to help facilitate perfect concentration. Hatha yoga developed this practice into a series of asanas or postures.

(See also: Asana ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

raja yoga: (Sanskrit) "King of yogas."

Also known as ashtanga yoga, "eight-limbed yoga." The classical yoga system of eight progressive stages to Illumination as described in various yoga Upanishads, the Tirumantiram and, most notably, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

The eight limbs are as follows.

1)    yama: "Restraint." Virtuous and moral living, which brings purity of mind, freedom from anger, jealousy and subconscious confusion which would inhibit the process of meditation.

2)    niyama: (Sanskrit) "Observance." Religious practices which cultivate the qualities of the higher nature, such as devotion, cognition, humility and contentment- giving the refinement of nature and control of mind needed to concentrate and ultimately plunge into samadhi.

3)    asana: "Seat or posture." A sound body is needed for success in meditation. This is attained through hatha yoga, the postures of which balance the energies of mind and body, promoting health and serenity, e.g., padmasana, the "lotus pose," for meditation. The Yoga Sutras indicate that asanas make the yogi impervious to the impact of the pairs of opposites (dvandva), heat-cold, etc.

4)    pranayama: "Mastering life force." Breath control, which quiets the chitta and balances ida and pingala. Science of controlling prana through breathing techniques in which lengths of inhalation, retention and exhalation are modulated. Pranayama prepares the mind for deep meditation.

5)    pratyahara: "Withdrawal." The practice of withdrawing consciousness from the physical senses first, such as not hearing noise while meditating, then progressively receding from emotions, intellect and eventually from individual consciousness itself in order to merge into the Universal.

6)    dharana: "Concentration." Focusing the mind on a single object or line of thought, not allowing it to wander. The guiding of the flow of consciousness. When concentration is sustained long and deeply enough, meditation naturally follows.

7)    dhyana: "Meditation." A quiet, alert, powerfully concentrated state wherein new knowledge and insight pour into the field of consciousness. This state is possible once the subconscious mind has been cleared or quieted.

8)    samadhi: "Enstasy," which means "standing within one's self." "Sameness, contemplation." The state of true yoga, in which the meditator and the object of meditation are one.

See: yoga, asana, samadhi, raja yoga.

(See also: Raja Yoga , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Asana:

1)    A hatha yoga posture practiced to strengthen and purify the body and develop one-pointedness of mind.

2)  A seat or mat on which one sits for meditation.

(See also: Asana , Yoga, Yoga Dictionary, Siddha Yoga, Siddha Yoga Dictionary)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V X Y Z

Asanas: yogic postures

(See also: Asanas , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Asana:

yoga position or yoga pose, also called yogasana. A balanced position for smooth energy flow in specific areas of the body and mind.

(See also: Asana ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Asana - Seat; posture.

(See also: Asana ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

A Yoga Dictionary from Asanas to Zerosis

Note that all words in grey (like the following examples; Yoga, Kundalini, Enlightenment) in the dictionary are links to archives with articles related to that word or expression.

From "Easy Steps to Yoga" by Sri Swami Sivananda.

Asanas:

Various bodily postures practiced to strengthen the body and purify the nadis.

(See also: Asanas , Kundalini, Kundalini Yoga, Kundalini Dictionary)

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V X Y Z

Asana:

Asana: "Seat; posture." In hatha yoga, asana refers to any of numerous poses prescribed to balance and tune up the subtle energies of mind and body for meditation and to promote health and longevity. Examples are the shoulder-stand (sarvangasana, "whole body pose") and the lotus pose (padmasana). Each asana possesses unique benefits, affecting the varied inner bodies and releasing energies in different parts of the nervous system. While the physical science of hatha yoga can dramatically influence health and general well-being, it is primarily a preparation for the deeper yogas and meditations.

(See also: Asana , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Asana:

Asana ("seat"): a physical posture (see also anga, mudra); the third limb (anga) of Patanjali's eightfold path (astha-anga-yoga); originally this meant only meditation posture, but subsequently, in hatha yoga, this aspect of the yogic path was greatly developed

(See also: Asana ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

ASANA: A bodily pose or posture.

(See also: ASANA ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Siddha yoni asana:

the female counterpart of the siddhasana meditative posture, in which the left heel presses the entrance to the vagina

(See also: Siddha yoni asana ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Asanas:

Yoga body postures.

(See also: Asanas , Body Mind and Soul)

ASANA: bodily pose

(See also: ASANA , Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Asana: Posture: is to be seated in a position which is firm but relaxed. Asana means two things: the place on which the yogi sits and the manner in which he sits there. To take a position in which one can sit absolutely still and erect holding the chest, neck and head in a straight line but without strain. Holding the body erect helps in keeping the mind clear and present so that as the prana begins to flow more freely it is not stop by restrictions in the posture. Atman: God-within-the-creature is known; the Real Self; the Godhead within man; the Reality

(See also: Asana , Hinduism, Yoga, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Asana (Sanskrit). The third stage of Hatha Yoga, one of the prescribed postures of meditation.

(See also: Asana , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Asana:

Asana. a physical posture, or yoga related position

(See also: Asana , Tantra, Tantra Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)