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Classification of asanas | Type of ASANAS

1/24/2022
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#Type of ASANAS: #Classification of asanas #yoga #Asanas #Meditative

Classification of asanas | Type of ASANAS

Classification of asanas

Classification is just dividing process that is based on physical and mental growth of human being.
Asanas are physical postures or poses in yoga that are used for variety of objectives, and various purposes.
Benifit of asanas such as strengthening mental acuity, promoting physical well-being, and fostering spiritual devevlopment.

We can be categorised in a number of different ways based on advantages, or degree of difficulty.
we can see details of Classification  of asanas :-

Swami Kuvalayananda has classified  Asanas in 2 main levels.The two main categories are Meditative and Cultural. Cultural also has sub classified viz. Relaxative. The Relaxative (medication or activity that promotes relaxation) posture are fatigue releasing posture.        

Type of ASANAS:-   

  1.      Meditative

  2.      Cultural

1. Meditation:-

  1. Padmasana - Padmasana is the Sanskrit name for a renowned yoga asana, otherwise known as Lotus Pose.

  2. Siddhasana -Siddhasana is a yoga posture meant for Meditation. It is one of the ancient yoga postures and similar to Padmasana.

  3. Svastikasana - Swastikasana is a meditation posture widely known as Auspicious Pose. It is an excellent alternative to padmasana .

  4. Samasana - In this asana the external structure of organs of the body are kept in such a way that they stand divided in to two, therefor the name of Samasan in Sanskrit 'sama' means equilibrium.

 

2.  Cultural:-

Cultural asanas are meant for culturing the body and mental health.

For a people who are doing Yogi, Physical health is very more important, and then only he will be able to practice his/her Sadhana.

Cultural postures are mainly aimed to Physical yoga i.e. culture and So they are  maintain the health of the body.
 

Below are two type  Classification of Cultural asanas :-

  1. Physical

  2. Relaxative

  • Physical:-

  1. Sirsasana :In Sanskrit the word ‘sirsha’ means "head and "asana" means pose.

     Sirsasana is considered the king of all asanas and is usually done at the end of the yoga asanas practices.

  2. Sarvangasana :-Shoulder stand or more fully Salamba Sarvangasana Supported Shoulder stand.

  3. Bhuangasana :-Bhujaṅgāsana or Cobra Pose is a reclining back-bending asana.

  4. Halasana :-  Halasana is a classic yoga pose  or asana in Sanskrit ,lough pose is an inverted asana in hatha yoga.

  5. Supta-Vajarasana - it is a  Sanskrit name  Supta means "reclining," vajra means  "thunderbolt" and asana means "pose."

  • Relaxative

  1. Shavasana   :-Shavasana is a Sanskrit word comprised of Shava means dead body and asana indicates means yoga or  posture.

  2. Makarasna -  in this pose to Feel the whole body touching the ground and the deep relaxation in all your muscles.

 

Traditional Types of Asanas:

  • Hatha Yoga Asanas
  • Vinyasa Yoga Asanas
  • Ashtanga Yoga Asanas
  • Iyengar Yoga Asanas
  • Bikram Yoga Asanas

 While doing Asanas, we should keep in mind -

That  is if Asanas are done merely by seeing here and there they will lead to several diseases. Therefore, some important points to be remembered, while performing asanas are:

  1. Asanas should not be practiced merely from books, the guidence of a teacher is also necessary.
  2. Asanas should not be performed with jerks, but slowly, step by step and gradually upto the final pose the return should be in the same way.
  3. The final posture should be maintained for some time, but in no case under tension.
  4. Do not practise beyond your limitation.
  5. There should not be a competitive attitude. This  is harmfull and should be avoided.
  6. Concentrate on the effect of Asanas on mind and the body.
  7.  Every Asan is to be followed by Shavasana. But is does not mean that it is harmful if you cannot practice Shavasana after every Asanas.
  8. If possible , maintain a dairy of Asanas showing the duration of the practice of each asanas.
  9. In case of an injury or illness the teacher should be consulted and followed.
  10. Never think about breathing and while doing asanas. The constitution of the whole body is such that the breathing is adjusted as per the situation e.g. when we put a thread into the needle or when we lift weight or when we do Salabhasana, Mayurasana the breathing is adjusted automatically. Hence, we should not mix breathing with postures. But during Pranayama people suffering from High B.P. Heart disease, Asthama , the teacher should be consulted.

The early morning is the best time to perform Asanas. It is to be kept in mind that after lunch up to 4 hours, no Asanas, Mudra or Pranayam should be practiced. but Vaman, Dhouti may be performed, if necessary. for people having weak gastric fire, even four hours gap is not sufficient. they sholuld start practice at least 5 to 6 hours after lunch.

Conclusion 

Asanas are categorised by Swami Kuvalayananda into two primary levels.
It's important to note that the classification of asanas can vary between different yoga traditions and schools.Yoga practitioners and instructors frequently select asanas based on their requirements.
 
The two primary groups are cultural and meditative. Relaxative is a subcategory of cultural. The postures that relieve fatigue are those associated with relaxation-inducing substances or activities.
 
Furthermore, including a range of postures from distinct categories can contribute to the development of a comprehensive yoga practice that addresses multiple facets of mental, emotional, and physical health.
 
We can define various ways based on their benefits, difficulty level, body positions, and intentions.



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