Why are yoga poses called asana?
Asana is
Sanskrit for “seat.” It traditionally referred to the seated posture
used during meditation. Patanjali,
the Indian Sage who authored the Yoga Sutras,
outlined asana as one of the Eight
Limbs of Yoga. He defined asana as physical postures that helped to train
the body to focus and to help take care of the physical self.
Today, the term asana is used to describe any physical posture of Hatha
yoga, including those in Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Restorative yoga, and Bikram yoga. You’ll
find that almost every yoga pose in our directory has asana as a suffix of the pose
name.
What is a drishti? Why does each pose have one?
Drishti is
Sanskrit for “sight,” it refers to the point a yogi should gaze at while
doing a yoga pose. There are nine different drishtis in yoga. They are used to help
improve balance and promote focus.
Each of the poses in our directory list the corresponding drishti
for that pose. For example, the drishti for downward-facing dog is the nabhichakra,
which is the drishti corresponding to the navel. This means that a yogi should focus
their gaze towards or on their navel while they practice this pose.
How many yoga poses are there?
The exact amount of yoga poses is still debated. The yogic texts of Hatha
yoga outline 84 asanas. However, other texts and scriptures suggest there are as
many asanas as there are organisms in the universe, which would be about 8.7 million
poses. In more modern times, Sri
Dharma Mittra, a distinguished yoga teacher of Iyengar yoga, Ashtanga yoga
and Sivananda yoga, catalogued 1,300 yoga poses.
As new styles of yoga continue to be developed, the number of asanas
increases. There are now aerial versions of poses, partnered poses, acrobatic poses
and even poses designed for doing yoga on paddleboards. It is possible that the
number of asanas will only keep growing as yogis continue to experiment and explore.
Which yoga poses should I do?
One of the best things about yoga is that there are poses for every level
and every body. The poses you choose to do will depend on which areas you’re
looking to focus on. We recommend using the filters in our directory to help narrow
down the list of asanas based on what types of poses you want to practice and your
yoga level.
If you’re a beginner, you should begin with gentle and simple asana
to help build flexibility and strength before moving on to more intermediate and
advanced yoga postures. Trying yoga poses that your body is not ready for may lead
to injury. Always listen to your body; if a yoga pose causes you pain, it is best to
avoid this asana or adapt an easier variation of the pose.
What are the best yoga poses?
The answer to this question will vary from yogi to yogi, and from each yogi’s
day to day. Each yoga pose targets different areas of the body in different ways.
The best yoga pose could depend on which parts of the body you are looking to
strengthen, stretch, energize or relax. The best yoga poses can also depend on what
poses feel best to you. Each yogi develops favourite postures that simply feel good
to practice.
All in all, there aren’t really any “best” yoga poses.
Each yogi gets to determine which yoga poses are best for them, and that answer will
likely vary based on the day and how the yogi is feeling physically and mentally.
If you’re looking for yoga poses or yoga sequences for a specific
body area, check out our Asana
Tips articles for more information.
Arm Balances:
Arm balancing postures involve balancing your body weight onto a portion of
your arms or hands. As the majority of the body weight is being held up by the arms
and hands, these poses help build upper body strength, core strength and balance.
Backbends:
Backbends involve bending the spine backwards. Backbending poses help to
stretch and strengthen the spine and open the chest and the hips. Back bending yoga
poses are invigorating and strengthening.
Balancing Poses:
Balancing poses are postures that cause the practitioner to focus on
keeping balanced. These poses can vary greatly from one another; some balancing
poses require the practitioner to balance on the hands, toes, feet, butt, head or a
combination of these. Balancing yoga poses help improve balance, strengthen and
elongate muscles, and develop core strength. Balancing can also help improve mental
focus.
Binds:
Binds refer to any yoga pose when one part of the body holds onto another
part and pulls against it, or when two body parts are intertwined. The most common
yoga binds require the practitioner to link their hands or wrists together. Binds
help to massage the internal organs and can help a practitioner to relax into a
pose.
Chest Openers:
Chest openers are poses that stretch and expand the chest. Chest openers
help to stretch and lengthen the chest muscles, as well as the torso and the front
of the shoulders. Chest opening poses can also help to strengthen the
back.
Core Strengthening Poses:
Core strengthening poses require engagement of the core muscles. These yoga
poses help strengthen the core of the body and improve alignment. They also help
build focus and resolve.
Forward Bends:
Forward bends, also commonly called forward folds, are yoga poses that
require the practitioner to fold forward from the hips. Forward bends can be done
standing or seated. Forward bend yoga poses can help increase lower-body
flexibility, improve alignment, keep the spine strong and flexible, and help reduce
stress, anxiety and fatigue.
Hip Openers:
Hip openers are yoga poses that stretch the hips and the surrounding
muscles. Hip opening yoga poses increase flexibility, range of motion and
circulation in the hips, low back and lower body. This can improve range of motion
and reduce pain in the low back, as well as release pent up emotions, leading to an
energetic shift.
Inversions:
Inversions are yoga poses that place the practitioner’s head below
their heart. While some inversions require the yogi to be completely upside down,
not all do. Inversions help to reduce blood flood, thus improving circulation.
Inversions also help improve balance and strengthen and energize the body.
Restorative:
Restorative poses focus on helping the body relax and soften. These are
gentle yoga poses aimed at lengthening and relaxing muscles and helping the body to
recover.
Seated Poses:
Seated yoga poses are those that require the practitioner to be seated on
the floor. Seated yoga poses vary widely, but they are designed to improve
flexibility and alignment and promote grounding.
Standing Poses:
Standing yoga poses require the practitioner to be standing on at least one
foot or on their toes. Standing yoga poses vary widely, but they are designed to
build strength, balance, focus and alignment.
Supine Poses:
Supine poses are poses that require the practitioner to be lying on their
back. Supine yoga poses vary widely, but they can be used to improve alignment,
flexibility or increase relaxation.
Twists:
Twists are poses that require the practitioner to twist their body either
from their core or their torso. Twisting yoga poses, or twists, help improve
flexibility, stimulate digestion and detoxification, and tone abdominal muscles.
Regular twisting can help reduce back pain as well stress and anxiety.