Yoga is an ancient Indian form of exercise that aims to integrate the body, mind and spirit of a person.YOGA is a sanskrit word which means UNION. It can be interpreted as union of body, mind and spirit of a person.On the physical level(body) yoga postures (asanas), are designed in such a way to tone and strengthen our body.These postures will help the spine agile and healthy and to promote blood flow to all organs, glands, and tissues,thus keeping the body healthy. On the mental level (mind), yoga uses breathing techniques (pranayama) and meditation (dyanam) to discipline our rather unfocused minds. According to Yoga masters (Yogi) this is a highly developed science of healthy living which has been tested and perfected for all these years. Yoga was first described by Patanjali in his book, Yogasutra. Artifacts detailing about various yoga postures have been found in India from 3000 B.C. But YogaSutra is considered to be the foundational text of Yoga. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra says yoga is an eight-limbed architecture. Only veterans in philosophy can explain about all 8 limbs of yoga ( ASHTANGA in sanskrit). What i inferred reading is each limb relates to an aspect of achieving a healthy and fulfilling life. The eight limbs of yoga are:
1.) Yama :- guidelines regarding moral behavior towards others
2.) Niyama :- Personal observances(includes cleanliness,sustained practice etc)
3.) Asana :- Body postures for physical well being.
4.) Pranayama :- Breathing exercises.
5.) Pratyahara :- Control of our senses.
6.) Dharana :- Concentration, ability to focus on something uninterrupted by any distractions.
7.) Dhyana :- Meditation
8.) Samadhi :- Sometimes translated as enlightenment.

                                        Asana is the focus in this article, because it is the most widely known aspect of yoga. There is a common misconception that asana is yoga, but actually its just a limb of yoga, which helps you to improve your physical fitness. Various body postures in asana is actually a preparation for meditation (7th limb). Asanas have an extraordinary capacity to repair, rejuvenate and bring the entire body into a state of balance.
A Few Basic Asana’s
1. Surya Namaskar(Sun Salutation):- Surya Namaskar means greeting or bowing the sun.All sessions of Yoga asanas begin with the ‘Surya Namaskar’.
2.Pavana Mukta Asana(Wind Releasing Pose):- Pavana means wind and Mukta means releasing.This asana assists in releasing trapped digestive gas from the stomach and intestines.It is also improves other gastrointestinal problems like upset stomachs and constipation by stimulating the abdominal region.
3.Bhujanga Asana (The Cobra):-’Bhujanga’ means snake. This asana is named after the king of the snakes, Cobra. It provides a youthful appearance and for women, makes child birth easy.
4.Shava Asana (Relaxation Posture):-’Shava Asana’ means posture of a dead body. Also known as ‘Yoga Nidra’ which means yogic method of sleep. It is an asana which claims to provide a satisfactory relaxation of both the body and the mind. This is exercised towards the end of the asanas, because it will help your body to relax.Eventhough it sounds easy to do this asana, it is amoung complex asanas, there are two common obstacles that can prevent you from doing this asana are sleepiness and a restless mind.

                        There are ‘N’ number of asanas in Yoga.The few mentioned over here won’t show you the way to a disciplined life, but surely these will show that ASANAs are great and following them will surely help you lead a better life. One thing you need to keep in mind, Yoga is a very old form of exercise and there are a lot of subtle things we need to take care of while doing Yoga-Asana, so if you are planning to do yoga, go find a yoga master first.

A few pics showing various Asana postures, dont try to do these with out proper guidance.

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