A lot has been said and written about yogasanas as part of Yoga.In fact, unfortunately, to man, yoga still means just asanas. Pity, for Yoga is a way of life comprising eight limbs leading to holistic living.
The word asana is derived from its Sanskrit root ‘asa – upaveshane’, literally meaning, ‘to sit’. From which it follows that initially the yogasnas was meant for meditative purposes. Over time though, various rishis and connoisseurs of yoga discovered various ways and means of implementing meditation in a variety of postures in daily life. Not just that, as time passed, they even came to realize the therapeutic benefits of this limb of yoga.

The comprehensive list of asanas was not compiled by any one individual. And even though the sage Patanjali is credited with being the father of Ashtanga yoga and many, if not all people, attribute the entire body of yoga to him, it would be a fallacy to fall for. Truth is, yoga evolved over centuries and many great seers and sages contributed their mite to the subject. When and how exactly it came to be compiled in one volume still remains ambiguous, but today we at least have a comprehensive text, the Hathayoga Pradipika of Svatmarama that contains a more or less complete list and description of the whole body of asanas, pranayamas and yogic kriyas, give or take a few.
Yoga Maharshi Patanjali, in his Yogasutras has defined Yoga as ‘Steady and comfortable state means Asana’. (Sthirsukham Asanam).

In Sanskrit, the word “pose” is “asana” (pronounced as “ah-sah-nah”). Each asana helps you become more aware of your body, mind, and environment. While beginning your yoga exercises, experiment with the poses, moving in and out as you feel comfortable. If you approach the poses with playful curiosity, feeling of frustration and competitiveness will not enter your mind. While practicing your yoga exercises, make sure that you don’t feel any discomfort or pain.

Breathing is an essential part of practicing yoga exercises. You should never hold your breathe during a pose. Also make sure that your breath is never forced or strained. Labored breathing is sign that you you’re working too hard and should come out of the pose slightly.

When one starts practicing yoga, one can hold for three full breaths through most yoga poses. If you feel comfortable in the pose, hold for longer, if uncomfortable, you should come out of the pose immediately.

Types of Yoga Poses

Seated poses – Seated poses are useful for practicing breathing exercises and relaxation or meditation techniques. Seated poses are also often used as a warm up or as a starting point for other poses. Performing seated poses can help improve your posture and open your hips.

Standing poses – Standing poses are often used as warm up or as a starting point for other poses. Standing poses are beneficial for strengthening your legs, opening your hips and improving your sense of balance.

Inversions – Inversions are excellent poses to perform to improve your blood circulation, quiet your mind and improve your overall health. Inversions are also believed to reverse the ageing process and reduce the effect of the gravity on your body.

Relaxation and restorative poses – It is important to take time to perform relaxation or restorative poses at the end of each yoga practice. You can use this time to relax your body and mind and allow energy released by the poses in your practice to move freely throughout your body.

Counter poses – A counter pose is a yoga pose that stretches your spine in the opposite direction from a previous pose or returns your spine to a neutral position.

Twists – You can perform twists to stretch and strengthen your back and abdominal muscles, increase the flexibility of your spine and improve your circulation. Twists improve the functioning of your internal organs by providing them with a fresh supply of blood as you twist and release your body.

Balancing poses – Balancing poses are great for improving your balance and coordination as well as developing your ability to remain grounded in a pose. Keeping your body balanced encourages you to focus, quiet and balance your mind.

Forward bends – Forward bends stretch the entire back of your body, especially your hamstrings. Forward bends are also often used to release tension, calm your mind and soothe your nervous system. Similar to back bends, forward bends help keep your spine strong and supple.

Back bends – Back bends are among the most challenging poses in yoga. Bending backward helps strength your back and keep your spine strong and supple. Back bends also open the front of your body, especially your chest.