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The term asana denotes the seat and the pose, position or posture, in the performance of yogic discipline. It is another external aid in yogic practice. The asana should be steady, firm, pleasant and comfortable, so as to keep the body quiescent but alert during the yogic discipline. In the Svetasvetara Upanishad II : 8 it is said: Keep the upper parts: the chest, the neck, and the head, erect, and subdue within the heart, the senses together with the mind. The wise with the raft of Brahman cross over all the powerful torrents of the world. Similarly, in the Bhagavad Gita VI: 11-14 the
procedure is laid down as follows: On a pure spot, he shall set for himself a seat, neither over-high
nor over-low, an having over
it a cloth, a deer’s skin, and kusha
grass. On this
couch, he shall seat himself with thought intent and workings of mind and sense
Instruments restrained, and shall for purification of spirit labor on the Rule. Firmly,
holding the body, head and neck in unmoving equipoise, gazing on the end of his
nose and looking not round about him, Calm of
spirit, void of fear, abiding under the vow of chastity, with mind restrained
and thought Set on me, so shall he sit, who is under the Rule and given over
to me. The term asana literally
means easy and comfortable. Patanjali
enjoined a posture both simple and pleasant (Yoga Darshana II:46).
That posture is the best which may enable a student of yoga to remain
motionless for a long time—two to three hours at a stretch—with an effortless
ease, the object being to eliminate bodily reactions and to dissolve the mind
into contemplation. Steadiness in asana
gives steadiness to the body, and in its turn, to the mind. Theoretically speaking, tradition tells us
that there are as many asanas as there are species in the world and as such
they run into 8,400,000, but out of these only 84 are important and four are
generally accepted as basic and of great value: (i)
Sukh Asana: It
means easy and comfortable, as it is pleasant to practice. It consists in simply sitting cross-legged,
by tucking the left foot under the thigh of the right leg and with open hands
resting on the knees, making a circle with the tips of the thumb and the
forefinger. (ii)
Sidh Asana: This term connotes a disciplined pose, or
pose of perfection or attainment. It
consists in sitting cross-legged and, in addition to the above, to place the
right foot on the left foreleg with heels resting against the public bones,
without exerting any pressure on the genitals, and palms resting one above the
other. It is very useful for attaining siddhis
or yogic powers and hence the name sidh asana. It purifies veins and
arteries by supplying fresh blood. It
strengthens the heart and lungs, makes breathing deep and slow, regulates the
digestive systems, and cures diseases like colds, fevers and heart disorders. (iii)
Padam Asana: It is
a lotus-pose as the name itself implies.
In this position, the feet form the petals of a lotus as they cross one
over the other. It is rather a
difficult pose for persons with stiff joints, but it is very essential for the
practice of Hatha Yoga. It is
also known as Anand Asana for it gives a foretaste of peace and bliss
and inclines one to contemplation. It
cures the man who practices it of all diseases and ailments, and frees the
system from disorders of poisoning and toxins.
It rids a person of laziness and languor and mental weakness. (iv)
Swastika Asana (the
lucky or auspicious pose): It has all
the virtues of its name. For purpose of
spiritual advancement, Sukha or Sidha Asana is admirably suited. Besides these, some of the well-known asanas are: Gaoo asana (the cow pose), Simha asana (the lion pose), Vajra asana (the thunderbolt pose), Hal asana (the plough Posture), Sheersh asana (the head-stand pose), Sarvang asana (the shoulder-stand pose), |