What are Yoga Postures/Asanas?

March 24th, 2007 | admin

Yoga postures or yoga asana is the third limb of astanga yoga after yama and niyama. It is yoga postures or yoga poses that bring mind and body to tandem. The power of mind is concentrated on the body and the two units –mind and body– can work as a single unit. It is not to say such a tandem working condition is impossible outside yoga practice, but yoga asana repeatedly brings mind and body together in many different forms and prepares them to work together to tackle everyday problems and to solve your specific life problems.

Yoga postures are specially designed physical poses and movements that facilitate circulation, soothe nervous system and mind, give strength and flexibility to joints and body and control breathing pattern. Practicing yoga postures acts as the best measure of mind-body combination.

The yoga postures or asana are mutually beneficial to mind and body. While the breathing is calmed down and regulated, mind also becomes stress free. When mind becomes peaceful, the body produces less stress hormones. This leads to better physical health. Diseases are also kept away.

The yoga postures are exercises for mind and body at the same time. While you concentrate on physical movement and breathing, matters of worry don’t come to your mind. Yoga postures thus act like a stress buster. The physical movements also help in strengthening muscles, joints, ligaments, diaphragm, lungs, pancreas, stomach, intestines and heart. The yoga postures enhance blood circulation and bring more nourishment to brain, spine and all parts of body.

Each yoga pose has specific advantages. Many yoga postures are not suited for everyone. For example people with hernia or ulcer problems are not indicated for practicing stretching exercises that put much pressure on abdomen –bow pose (dhanurasana) and boat pose (naukasana) are examples.