22 Jul 2021 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
Asana, or postures, are a physical help for concentration. They are often associated with gymnastics, keeping fit, or body-building techniques, but this is completely wrong. Asanas bring about physiological changes within the body so they should be practiced with care and not as gymnastic exercises.
Asana means a state of being in which you can remain steadily, calm, quiet and comfortable with your physical body and mind totally aware. In the classical yoga text by Sage Patanjali called Raja Yoga Sutras or Ashtanga Yoga, yogasana is clearly defined: Sthiram sukham asanam or ‘asana is that position which is comfortable and steady’.
Other classical yoga texts, such as the Gheranda Samhita and Hatha Yoga Pradipika, describe many asanas for curative or preventive health reasons. The gentle stretching of muscles, massaging of internal organs, toning of nerves, and increase in glandular secretions throughout the body ensure the physical well-being of the practitioner.
History of Asana
Yogasanas are mentioned in the oldest known literature of mankind, The Vedas, but it is believed by some that the science of yoga is older than Vedas.
In the archaeological excavations made at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, which is now Pakistan, many statues found depict Lord Shiva and Parvati (his spiritual wife) in different yogasanas. These civilizations were from the pre-Vedic age, before the Aryan civilization in the Indus subcontinent.
According to ancient Indian legends and scriptures, Lord Shiva created all the 84,000 asanas and taught them to his first disciple, Parvati, for maintaining human health and attaining a higher degree of self-knowledge.
Throughout the centuries, the great rishis and yogis modified and reduced the number of asanas, so that today only a few hundred are known. Among these, eighty-four are discussed in detail, and about thirty are commonly taught and practiced as being useful to modern man.
The first historically recorded exponent of yogasana was the great yogi Gorakhnath. During his time the science of yoga was not popular so he taught the asanas to his close disciples, far away from society in the mountains and forests, where they led a life of seclusion and austerity.
Animals were great teachers for the yogis because they lived natural lives, free from disease and worldly problems. Animals don’t rely on doctors or drugs to cure ailments; nature is their only helper. By observing and imitating these animals, yogis developed many natural and effective techniques for curing disease. Children, starting around the age of eight, were taught practices like Surya Namaskar (a salute to the sun), nadi shodhana pranayama (alternate nostril breathing), and the Gayatri mantra (an invocation for light and brilliance).
Yogasanas are performed slowly, with relaxation and concentration, influencing both the external and internal systems. This encourages the nervous system, endocrine glands, internal organs, and muscles to function properly. Asanas have physical and psychosomatic effects that are highly beneficial in curing infirmities. Both healthy and unhealthy individuals, young and old, can practice them. They are also especially useful for concentration and meditation. Unlike other physical culture systems, which increase toxins in the body, yogasanas help reduce toxin levels.
General benefits
Physically, asanas control and regulate the important endocrinal system, ensuring the correct secretion of hormones from all the glands in the body. This impacts both our physical well-being and our mental attitude towards life. Even if one gland malfunctions, a noticeable decline in health can occur. For this reason, maintaining this system in peak condition is crucial. Diseased organs can be repaired, rejuvenated, and encouraged to perform their normal functions. The muscles, bones, glandular system, nervous system, respiratory, excretory, and circulatory systems are coordinated to support each other rather than oppose one another.
Asanas make the body flexible, allowing it to adjust easily to changes in the environment. They stimulate digestive functions, ensuring the correct amount of digestive juices flow. The sympathetic and parasympathetic systems are balanced, so the organs under their control remain neither too active nor underactive. Asanas maintain the physical body in its optimum condition and help an unhealthy body become healthy.
Asanas strengthen the mind, making it capable of enduring pain and unhappiness. They develop determination and concentration, while equilibrium and vitality become the normal state of mind after regular practice. With this practice, you can face sorrow, anxieties, and problems with peace, without being disturbed. Asana practice develops stability of mind, making life easier and turning difficulties into stepping stones for perfect mental health. It releases dormant potential, allowing a person to radiate confidence and inspire others through speech, behavior, and actions.