ASANAS

Asana is the physical practice of yoga and the thing that comes to mind when we think about yoga. It is the most accessible branch of yoga and more often than not the one we head to first but in fact yoga asana is only the third limb of the eight-limbed path outlined in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali.

The eight limbs are:

1. Yamas (moral codes)

2. Niyamas (ethical codes)

3. Asanas (postures)

4. Pranayama (breathwork)

5. Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses)

6. Dharana (concentration)

7. Dhyana (meditation)

8. Samadhi (spiritual absorption).

Chapter 2, verse 46 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra states that asana should strike a balance between steadiness and ease (sthira-sukham asanam). Practice shouldn’t be painful.

Asana is a Sanskrit term which is often translated as “posture” or “pose.” They were originally a means of enhancing the capacity of the body and mind so that a person could sit in meditation for long periods with as few distractions as possible. Only when the body is healthy and the mind one-pointed and inward does a person have a chance to discover the inner dimensions of life. This self-discovery is the essence of spiritual practice. Today, people often go to “yoga” classes to enhance their physical fitness, and in most classes asanas are taught as a means of addressing the concerns of the body, with little or no attention given to cultivating this inner connection between body, breath, mind, and soul.

Yoga is the path of union, and yoga practices help you come to the realization that there is a connection among the different aspects of ourselves. Solely the physical level of asana practice is not yoga and does little to help you grow spiritually. It is a concise tool used to open the body, stretch and work the muscles to bring harmony between mind, body and breath. If we do not strike the balance between these 3 then it is no more than just physical exercise, without the breath it is not yoga. There is nothing wrong with this but it undermines the magic of yoga and doesn't allow us to grow n the way a regular asana practice can.