ASANAS

The third limb of Yoga is the most important Yogic physical exercise in promoting the health and efficiency of the vital internal organs of our body. According to traditional belief, Lord Shiva is said to have demonstrated 84lakhs of asanas, as many as are the living species, so as. However, a selective course of 15 to 20 asanas are enough to maintain or reestablish our perfect health.

Asanas are practiced to develop the ability to sit comfortable in one position for an extended period of time, ability and necessary for meditation.

Classification of Asanas:

            Different schools of yoga classified asana in different types. On the Basic of the movements and final pose, the asanas are classified as follows:

Asanas are classified on the basis of the difficulty of the asanas as:

Another method of classification is on the basis of the starting position of the asanas. This is the major type of classification. Asanas are classified according to their initial or starting position of the particular asana. Thus the given asanas are classified into five types:

LONG SITTING POSITION:

 Position: Sit on the floor, with the legs extended forward. The toes and heels are pointed together. The body should be kept erect. Hands should be placed on the floor nearer the knees.

Yogic practices are mainly concerned about the control of body and the mind. Asanas play a vital role to achieve this purpose. Sitting asanas are intended for bringing the mind to a relaxed state. The meditative postures are all dine from this position. These asanas not only develop the mental health but also stimulate the physiological functions of our systems.

   
      The asanas included in the sitting position have all possible movements of the vertebral colums like erect, forward bend, backward bend and twisting postures. The following asanas can be practiced from sitting position.

Ø Padmasana(Lotus Posture)

Ø Sukhasana(Easy Posture)

Ø Paschimottanasana(Back-Stretching Posture)

Ø Ardha matsyendrasana(Half Sinal Twist Posture) etc.,

 SUPINE POSITION:

            Position: Lie on the floor with face facing upward. Keep the legs straight. The heels and toes should be joined together. The toes should point upward. Hands should be placed close to the body, with palm facing downward.

            May asanas are there to perform from the supine position. They provide essential movements on the various joints in the body particularly for the vertebral column. These asanas also provide sufficient amount of workouts to the internal organs as well as to the endocrine system. The following asanas can be practiced from supine position.

Ø Savasana(Corpse Posture)

Ø Sarvangasana(Shoulder Stand Posture)

Ø Halasana(Plough Posture)

PRONE POSITION:

            Position: Lie on the floor with face downward. Keep the legs straight. Join the heels and toes together, point the toes outward. Place the hands close to the body with palm facing downward.

            The asanas included in the prone position mainly emphasis the backward band at the vertical column. One who practices these asanas should keep it in mind that the supine position asanas should be followed to get the proper opposite movement and the balance to the spine. In prone position also prone position also, number asanas are available for practice. The selected asanas provides all possible and necessary movements for an individual in this position. The following asanas can be practiced from prone position.

Ø Makarasana(Crocodile Posture)

Ø Salabasana(Locust Posture)

Ø Bhujangasana(Cobra Posture)&

Ø Dhanurasana(Bow Posture)

STANDING POSITION:

Position: Stand in normal position with the heels joined together, with the toes split apart. Keep the hands close to the body.

Every man needs the balancing power in his body. In order to increase or to develop the existing balancing power in the body, asanas can be practiced from a standing position.

Ø Tadasana(Mountain Posture)

Ø Vrikshasana(Tree Posture)

Ø Trikonasana(Triangle Posture)

KNEELING POSITION:

Fold the legs and stand on the knees. The knees are placed as shoulder width. Place the hands close to the body sideward.

Guidelines for Practicing Asanas:

            We have to keep in mind that while going in for asana practice we have to adhere to general conditions with regard to dress, time of practice, place of practice etc., so as to achieve the maximum benefits.

Dress: What is the dress proper for the asanas? The minimum possible dress is recommended. More area of our body should be exposed to the atmosphere. The dress should be loose and preferably elastic in nature prefer cotton materials to other kinds.

Time: It can be practiced both in the morning and in the evening. The morning session will be good, because during the mornings the atmosphere is pure and calm and it is very easy to focus our mind in a desired direction.

Place: The place of practice is very important. While in practice you should not be disturbed by other external factors. So your place that you are free from disturbance can select pooja room or separate hall or better if you have open terrace. The place should have proper ventilation, free from pollution, free from dust, ants and quite calm in nature.

Body: Body should be clean, particularly our stomach, and intestine should be empty. Finish your morning routines, take your bath , and after 15 minutes, practice the asanas. The important instruction, the body should be light and fresh. Hence the asanas are done during in the early morning hours or during the evenings.

Sequence:Usually the Yogic asanas are done along with pranayama and meditation practices in the following sequence. Complete the asanas first, then follow it with pranayama and go for meditation the last.

Spread: The asana is done on a flat- horizontal surface covered with a clean blanket preferably a cotton cloth.

Age Limit: According to Yoga literature, both male and female can practice the asanas right from the age of twelve. However, the children should not remain in their final pose for long duration as adult’s do.

Priority: For good asana practice should begin with Savasana. This helps the body to attain normal metabolism level which is a suitable stage for beginning the practice.

Concentration: During the asana practice the concentration is a must. It is easily achieved when you attempt to see the tip of the nose with your eyes or try to see with your eyes the centre of your forehead.

Initiation: Yogic asanas practice needs initiation from a teacher. That is in the initial stage the learning should be from an experienced ‘Guru’ is essential.

Diet: There is no specific dietary rule for the asanas practitioners. However, as far as possible, natural foods that are in light and easily digestible condition, should be included in our daily diet. For any Yoga practitioner regulation of food is very much essential. He should never take a stomach full of food. Yoga teachers insist that two quarter of the stomach volume alone should be filled with food, one quarter with water and the remaining quarter should be kept empty.

During performing the asanas care should be taken to adhere to the following:

À      Start with simple to complex asanas in a progressive manner.

À      Do the asanas in pairs. That is forward bend followed by backward bend and vice versa, similarly on right and left side.

À      Make the movements only with tolerable pain or discomfort.

À      Don’t jerk your body unnecessarily.

À      Keep the breathing rate normal.

À      Keep the body in complete relaxed position. Don’t be tensed.

À      Avoid any kind of talk. Don’t swallow anything including saliva. If you feel like sneezing dismantle the asanas and do it.

À      Don’t practice the asana when you are ill.

À      Women should not practice during periods.

The Yogic practice is a scientific system. We must understand the proper method of doing each asanas through a guru or from a qualified Yoga teacher.

Practice of Asana....