Yoga asanas are not exercises, but techniques which place the physical body in positions that cultivate awareness, relaxation, concentration and meditation. Part of this process is the development of good physical health by stretching, massaging and stimulating the Pranic channels and internal organs
Yoga asanas cover the basic positions of standing, sitting, forward bends, twists, inversions, back bends, and lying down.
There is more to practising asana correctly than merely the physical aligning of the body. The classical poses, when practised with discrimination and awareness, bring the body, mind, intelligence, nerves, consciousness, and the self together into a single, harmonious whole. Asanas may appear to deal with the physical body alone but, in fact, different asanas can affect the chemical messages sent to and from the brain, improving and stabilising mental state. Yoga's unique ability to soothe the nerves - the medium between the physiological body and the psychological body - calms the brain, makes the mind fresh and tranquil, and relaxes the entire body.
Standing, sitting, forward bends, twists, inversions, back bends, and lying down. The regular practice of these asanas stimulates and activates all the organs, tissues, and cells of the body. The mind can become alert and strong, the body healthy and active.
The anatomical body comprises the limbs and actual parts of the body. The physical body is made up of bones, muscles, skin, and tissues. The physiological body is composed of the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, pancreas, intestines, and other organs. Nerves, brain, and intellect make up the psychological body. To practice asanas correctly, you we have to learn to bring all these levels together.
Stages of Learning Yoga
Newcomers to yoga approach asanas with "uncultured" minds. They have to learn that at first asanas are practised at the level of the anatomical body alone.
The stages are called Arambhavastha. This beginners’ stage is important and should not be hurried through. In order to learn these asanas, beginners should be primarily concerned with getting their movements right. In the step-by-step instructions to the asanas, it is the important motions and movements in the pose that you need to take note of. Beginners have to grasp the whole posture, and not lose themselves in the finer details. It is more important to start by striving for stability within a pose. This provides a strong foundation. You will then enter the intermediate stage known as Ghatavastha, in which the mind is affected by changes in the body. When you reach this stage, you are practising the movements correctly, your body is under control, but the next stage is to push the mind to touch every part of the body.
At this stage yoga students must practice the asanas with reflective and meditative attention. We must become aware of our tissues, organs, skin, and even individual cells. Our mind must follow along with all of these parts.
Parichayavastha, or the advanced stage, comes next. This is the stage of intimate knowledge, when our mind brings our body in touch with our intelligence. Once this happens, the mind ceases to be a separate entity, and the intelligence and the body become one. Our adjustments are more subtle and discriminating now, and are in the realm of the mental and physiological body, rather than merely in our muscles, bones and joints.
The final stage, Nishpattyavasha, is the state of perfection. Once the intelligence feels the oneness between flesh and the skin, it introduces the Atman - the self or soul. This frees the body and integrates it with the soul in the journey from the finite to the infinite. Then the body, mind and self become one. At this stage Yoga postures become meditative and spiritual. This may be turned "dynamic meditation".
What is an Asana? (Posture)
An asana is not a posture that we assume mechanically. It involves a thoughtful process at the end of which a balance is achieved between movement and resistance. Your weight has to be evenly distributed over muscles, bones, and joints, just as our intelligence must be engaged at every level. We have to create space in our muscles and our skin, fitting the fine network of our entire body into the posture. This helps the organs of perception (the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin) to discern the subtlety of each movement. This conjunction between the organs of action and organs of perception occurs when the student reaches a subjective understanding of a posture, and begins, through instinct as well as knowledge, to adjust his or her movements correctly. Practice with dedication. Be completely absorbed by the posture.
Once both sides of the body become symmetrical, undue stress is removed from circulatory, respiratory, digestive, reproductive, and excretory systems. In each posture, different organs are placed in different anatomical positions, and are squeezed and spread, dampened and dried, heated and cooled. The organs are supplied with fresh blood, and are gently massaged, relaxed, and toned into a state of optimum health.
SITTING POSTURES
All sitting postures bring elasticity to the hips, knees, ankles, and muscles of the groin. These poses remove tension and hardness in the diaphragm and throat, making breathing smoother and easier. They keep the spine steady, pacifying the mind and stretching the muscles of the heart. Blood circulation increases to all parts of the body.
STANDING POSTURES
Standing postures strengthen the leg muscles and joints, and increase the suppleness and strength of the spine. Owing to their rotational and flexing movements, the spinal muscles and inter-vertebral joints are kept mobile and well-aligned. The arteries of the legs are stretched, increasing the blood supply to the lower limbs, and preventing thrombosis in the calf muscles. These postures also tone the cardio-vascular system. The lateral wall of the heart is fully stretched, increasing the supply of fresh blood to the heart.
FORWARD BENDS
In forward bends, the abdominal organs are compressed. This has a unique effect on the nervous system: as these organs relax, the frontal brain is cooled, and the flow of blood to the entire brain is regulated. The sympathetic nervous system is rested, bringing down the pulse rate and blood pressure. Stress is removed from the organs of perception and the senses relax. The adrenal glands are also soothed and function more efficiently. Since the body is in a horizontal position in forward bends, the heart is relieved of the strain of pumping blood against gravity, and blood circulates through all parts of the body easily. Forward bends also strengthen the paraspinal muscles, inter-vertebral joints, and ligaments.
TWISTS
These postures teach us the importance of a healthy spine and inner body. In twists, the pelvic and abdominal organs are squeezed and flushed with blood. They improve the suppleness of the diaphragm, and relieve spinal, hip, and groin disorders. The spine also becomes suppler, and this improves the flow of blood to the spinals nerves and increases energy levels.
INVERSIONS
Some people fear that if they practice inverted poses, their blood pressure will rise, or their blood vessels burst. These are complete misconceptions. After all, standing for long periods can lead to thrombosis and varicose veins, but no one is going to stop standing up! Standing upright is a result of evolution. Just as the human body has adjusted to an upright position, it can also learn to perform inversions without any risk or harm. In contrast to the twisting postures, inverted postures have a drying effect on the pelvic and abdominal organs, while vital organs like the brain, heart and lungs are flushed with blood. The health of our body and mind greatly enhanced by inverted postures.
BACK BENDS
All back bends stimulate the central nervous system and increase its ability to bear stress. They help to relieve one from stress, tension, and nervous exhaustion. These postures stimulate and energise the body, and are invaluable to people suffering from depression, and liver and spleen are fully stretched and can therefore function more effectively.
RECLINING POSTURES
Reclining postures are restful poses which soothe the body and refresh the mind. As they help relax the body and strengthen the joints. They give the body the required energy for the more strenuous postures.
"Brain" OF THE POSE
In each posture, a specific part of your body is the "brain" of the pose or the centre of balance in the pose. When we practice, observe this specific part of your body carefully and focus on it. Bring firmness and a steadiness to it. This will then spread to the rest of your body and bring it under your control. Gradually we will be able to experience the pose at the physiological, and not merely the physical level.
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