You can use the word “asana” interchangeably with the words position, pose, and posture. All four terms are correct.
Yoga: An Overview of Asanas
The word “asana” is a Sanskrit word. When you do Hatha yoga asanas, you join millions of other people around the world in practicing the centuries-old tradition of yoga.
Correct Sequence for a Hatha Yoga Class
A typical Hatha yoga class consists of several series of asanas in the following sequence:
- Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)
- Standing forward bends
- Standing balance asanas
- Seated forward bends
- Back bending asanas
- Twisting asanas
- Inverted asanas
History of Hatha Yoga Asanas
Hatha yoga asanas come from a book written in the 15th century called the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. It is the oldest known yoga book, and yogis consider this sacred text as yogic scripture.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika contains information on 8,400,000 Hatha yoga asanas. Wow, 8 million! It says a yogi must perform all 8 million asanas before being freed from being reborn into the endless cycle of reincarnation – a core belief of the Hindu religion.
Over the centuries, yogi’s simplified these 8 million Hatha yoga asanas down to a few hundred. The following are the poses you typically find in modern yoga classes.
Hatha Yoga Asana Basics
Here are a few yoga asana basics every student and aspiring teacher should know:
- To do a Hatha yoga asana, move into the described position following the breathing protocol specific to the pose.
- Yogis typically hold the final pose of the asana between 30 seconds and 2 minutes, but this is not “written in stone.”
- How long you hold a given pose and the order of the poses are the principal differences between styles of yoga, including Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and Sivananda.
Hatha Yoga Asanas vs. Exercise
Modern yoga students commonly have the initial intention of taking Hatha yoga classes as exercise. Yoga is not traditionally considered exercise, but both do help build:
- strength
- flexibility
- endurance
Ancient yogi’s actually created Hatha yoga asanas as a path to increased awareness, deeper relaxation, and better concentration, with the ultimate goal of enhancing one’s ability to meditate. “Why is meditation so important to yogis?” Because yogis reach their ultimate goal of enlightenment by meditating.
Reference for Yoga: An Overview of Asanas – Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha. S.l.: Satyananda Yoga-Zentrum, 2010.
Photo credit: Ramnath Baht
