Asanas

Asana is the third limb of Ashtanga Yoga. An asana is a posture held in harmony with one's inner consciousness. Its classical aim is the attainment of a sustained and comfortable sitting posture — one steady and easy enough to be held for a long time so that it facilitates meditation. Because the inner practices of concentration and meditation require the body to stay still and at ease, a steady, comfortable posture is essential groundwork for them.

Beyond preparing the body for meditation, asanas also help balance and harmonise the basic structure of the human body. By working the muscles, joints, spine and internal organs in a gentle, controlled way, they keep the body supple, well-aligned and healthy — which is why asanas also have a wide range of therapeutic uses, helping to prevent and relieve many physical complaints.

In the eightfold path, then, Asana is the limb through which Yoga acts most directly on the physical body: it makes the body a fit, steady and healthy instrument, ready for the breath-control and inner discipline of the limbs that follow.

From comfortable seat to therapeutic tool

Classically, "asana" referred above all to a seated meditation posture — Patanjali's own definition is simply sthira sukham asanam, "a steady and comfortable posture". Over centuries this core idea expanded into the hundreds of standing, sitting, prone, supine, twisting and inverted postures practised today (several of which, such as Tadasana, Bhujangasana and Pawanmuktasana, are named in the stress-management protocol later in this unit), each designed to work a different part of the body while still cultivating the same steadiness and ease.

How asanas work on the body

• They stretch and strengthen muscles and connective tissue in a controlled, non-jerky way, improving flexibility without the strain risked by fast, ballistic movement.
• They apply gentle pressure and movement to the internal organs and glands, which supports digestion, circulation and the working of the endocrine system.
• They correct posture and spinal alignment, since several named asanas specifically target the spine.
• They calm the nervous system, because holding a posture steadily, with even breathing, naturally slows the heart rate and settles the mind — a direct preparation for Pranayama and meditation. …