No tags yet.
Asanas (Yogic postures)
The performance of physical postures is called asana. The most commonly known aspect of yoga is for those not familiar with the other seven limbs. 'Asana' literally means to stay in certain posture. Asana is one of the ways by which one can feel the oneness of body and mind. Asana is defined as simple, comfortable, as well as firm posture. In foreign, the Asana is commonly called as "posture". Asana is prescribed for relaxation and firmness during meditation and pranayama.
Asana is a dynamic state, in which practitioners are better prepared for activity and non-activity. It helps to maintain, mental balance between movement and stability. In fact, Patanjali teaches that every posture reflects a mental attitude, whether that attitude is like surrender, like a forward-leaning posture, or a strengthening of desire, a backward bent, or the creation of physical faith.
The Yoga Sutra states that when we manage to perform asana, we can handle the contradiction. Being able to handle aversion does not mean going out naked in the winter or wearing warm wool in the summer. This means that we will become more sensitive. We learn to adapt because we know our bodies well. We know how our bodies react to different situations.
In practice, you should be able to stand easily for a few minutes; you should easily be able to sit for a while. One of the benefits of a posture study is that it helps us to adapt to different situations and is able to cope with different demands. For example, if we want to perform pranayama, we need to hold sitting posture for some time. Asana pranayama helps to focus on the breath rather than the body during study. If we can sit comfortably and easily, there is nothing to distract our attention from the concentration on the breath.
The posture is a two-way street. Once a mental attitude has developed, it can be spontaneously expressed as asana; if one takes on the external form of the inner attitude, then that attitude soon comes from the body to the mind and thus it is created there. Asana is a preparation for meditation.
Another benefit of asana is that it is straight. It provides temporary peace and tranquility. It quietly encourages the individual's mental functions as it allows the intuitive aspects of the mind to play free. This soothing effect on the brain has been investigated through EEG data from the brain during testing of a person performing meditation.
Patanjali suggests that asanas and pranayama practices will bring about the desired state of health; the control of the breath and the control of the bodily actions will help in smoothing the flow of energy in the organism, thus creating a fertile area for the evolution of the soul.