Part I: Chapter II / II – (iii)

Asanas

The term asana denotes the seat and the pose, position or posture, in the performance of yogic discipline. It is another external aid in yogic practice. The asana should be steady, firm, pleasant and comfortable, so as to keep the body quiescent but alert during the yogic discipline.

In the Svetasvetara Upanishad it is said:

Keep the upper parts: the chest, the neck, and the head, erect, and subdue within the heart, the senses together with the mind. The wise with the raft of Brahman cross over all the powerful torrents of the world.

Chapter II, Shalok 8

Similarly, in Gita, Chapter VI, Shalokas 11-14, the procedure is laid down as under:

On a pure spot, he shall set for himself a seat, neither over-high nor over-low, and having over it a cloth, a deer’s skin, and kusha grass. On this couch, he shall seat himself with thought intent and workings of mind and sense instruments restrained, and shall for purification of spirit labour on the Rule. Firmly, holding the body, head and neck in unmoving equipoise, gazing on the end of his nose and looking not round about him, Calm of spirit, void of fear, abiding under the vow of chastity, with mind restrained and thought set on me, so shall he sit, who is under the Rule and given over to me.

The term asana literally means easy and comfortable. Patanjali enjoined a posture both simple and pleasant (Yoga Darshana II:46). That posture is the best which may enable a student of yoga to remain motionless for a long time – two to three hours at a stretch – with an effortless ease, the object being to eliminate bodily reactions and to dissolve the mind into contemplation. Steadiness in asana gives steadiness to the body, and in its turn, to the mind. Theoretically speaking, tradition tells us that there are as many asanas as there are species in the world and as such they run into 84,00,000¹, but out of these only 84 are important and four are generally accepted as basic and of great value:

1. Sukh Asana: It means easy and comfortable, as it is pleasant to practice. It consists in simply sitting cross-legged, by tucking the left foot under the thigh of the right leg and with open hands resting on the knees, making a circle with the tips of the thumb and the forefinger.
   
   
2. Sidh Asana: This term connotes a disciplined pose, or pose of perfection or attainment. It consists in sitting cross-legged and, in addition to the above, to place the right foot on the left foreleg with heels resting against the pubic bones, without exerting any pressure on the genitals, and palms resting one above the other.
   
   It is very useful for attaining siddhis or yogic powers and hence the name sidh asana. It purifies veins and arteries by supplying fresh blood. It strengthens the heart and lungs, makes breathing deep and slow, regulates the digestive system, and cures diseases like colds, fevers and heart disorders.
   
   
3. Padam Asana: It is a lotus-pose as the name itself implies. In this position, the feet form the petals of a lotus as they cross one over the other. It is rather a difficult pose for persons with stiff joints, but it is very essential for the practice of Hatha Yoga. It is also known as Anand Asana for it gives a foretaste of peace and bliss and inclines one to contemplation. It cures the man who practices it of all diseases and ailments, and frees the system from disorders of poisoning and toxins. It rids a person of laziness and languor and mental weakness.
   
   
4. Swastika Asana (the lucky or auspicious pose): It has all the virtues of its name.

For purposes of spiritual advancement, Sukha or Sidha Asana is admirably suited.

Besides these, some of the well-known asanas are: Gaoo asana (the cow pose), Simha asana (the lion pose), Vajra asana (the thunderbolt pose), Hal asana (the plough Posture), Sheersh asana (the head-stand pose), Sarvang asana (the shoulder-stand pose), Dhanur asana (the bow pose), Shava asana (the corpse pose), Markat asana (the monkey pose), Mayur asana (the peacock pose), Kukata asana (the cock pose), Garud asana (the eagle posture), Ushtr asana (the camel pose), Vatyan asana (the horse pose), Bhujang asana (the cobra pose), Salabh asana (the locust pose), Padahast asana, Trikon asana and Vriksh asana (the tree pose), etc. This shows the catholicity of the human mind to learn things even from animals and other objects.

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Explanation: 1) 84 lakhs (840,000). Lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system and is equivalent to the number 100,000 (editor's note, 2010).