Asana – yoga postures or poses

The Sanskrit word “Asana” is mostly translated as pose or posture. In my opinion, this definition doesn’t take justice to the term because it does not contemplate the thinking and conscience that should follow each movement and asana, not going further into the intrinsic relationship and connection of the body, breath and mind.

In reality, the final posture is achieved when we obtain the correct alignment of the body along with the breath, with full conscience and intelligence.

Presently, some say there are 84.000 known asanas, of these 84 are the most significant, 32 crucial and 7 basic into the yoga practice. The majority of postures are associated with or connected to nature, symbols or animals.

We can see how long we came when we look back into the ancient book Hatha Yoga Pradipika (the oldest Hatha yoga text written), that only contemplated and discussed 16 poses in detail, where 6 of these were sitting poses in order to prepare the body to meditation. Traditionally, asanas were practised to feel comfortable, steady and at ease in seated postures, in order to improve health and keep the practitioners feeling light on the body.

The yoga postures promote the toning and cleaning of the inner and exterior body, massage the internal organs, strength and align the spine, promote blood circulation, increase physical strength, flexibility and balance.

In a mentally level, they calm and free the mind, maintain the nervous system and help to reduce stress and anxiety.

We can classify the asanas taking into consideration the position of the body in a yoga posture.

Yoga poses categories

• Standing poses;
• Sitting Poses;
• Forward bending poses;
• Twisting poses;
• Backbends;
• Supine and prone poses;
• Inverted poses;
• Balancing poses;
• Reclining and relaxation asanas.

Standing Poses
Standing asanas tend to be more energetically uplifting and opening, creating the foundation for our practice, building strength, flexibility, power, refreshing the body and mind by removing tension, aches and pains, providing stability in our legs and building the muscle actions required for more advanced asanas. They also relieve digestion and constipation, regulate the kidneys, detox the heart and lungs, improve circulation and breathing, mobility and spatial awareness.
Another reason why beginners should first practice this type of poses is to learn how to use the legs in order to activate the lower torso (when we extend the muscles of the legs we get free movement of the legs, giving a free space to extend the spine) and to use the arms to activate the upper torso (so that the shoulders retain flexibility and the chest is opened, improving breathing, circulation, agility and lightness of the body and mind).

"Standing poses teach us to activate and integrate all of our elements: we get rooting and grounding from our feet (earth); we sense flow and movement within us (water); we generate and release energy and enthusiasm (fire); we open the chest and relax our skin to enable continuous, uninterrupted breathing and bring lightness (air); and we develop awareness of our inner organs and the space within us (ether)."

-  Shifroni, Eyal, in "Props for Yoga: A Guide to Iyengar Yoga Practice with Props"

Sitting asanas
These postures are essential for the yoga practice because they not only prepare the body for meditation, pranayama and the mind at the beginning of a class in a calming and nurturing way, but they also allow long sitting stays with stability and balance. 
They remove fatigue, provide healthy sleep, refresh the brain and soothe the nervous system, improve circulation and also give vitality when practised with the correct alignment of the pelvis and spine.

Forward bending poses
Forward bends give us a deeper internal awareness and as the previous asanas are also calming and soothing to the nervous system.
They work and open the hamstrings, lower back and the backside of the body, they also release tension, detox the liver and intestines, improve digestion, constipation and massage internal organs and finally they increase circulation providing fresh blood and oxygen to the brain.

Twisting asanas
Twists help us to alleviated headaches, backaches and stiffness in the shoulders and neck, the spine becomes more flexible and the hips move more freely. When we turn the trunk, we activate and exercise the kidneys and abdominal organs, improving, therefore, the digestion, detoxifying the glands and organs.
Twists are stimulating if they are done after forward bends and cooling and soothing if you do it after backbends.

Backbends
These type of postures are strengthening, heating and rejuvenating, therefore they should not be practice close to the time for sleep. They give courage, energy and battle of depression for the reason that they release held emotional energy. They open the chest, upper back, front groin, make the spine flexible, and the arms and shoulders become more strong.
After backbends, we should practice cooling asanas like twists or forward bends to allow the realignment of the spine.

Supine and prone poses
Increase mobility in the spine and hips, open the groins and stretch the abdomen. They also strengthen the back, arms and legs and could be also restful asanas.

Inverted asanas
The inverted poses revitalize the whole system since they reverse the effects of gravity. So by inverting the inner organs they activate parts that function in a slower way, improve circulation and tone the glandular system, strengthen the upper body, nervous system, improve digestion and constipation, help with concentration and are a wonderful aid to sleep.
This type of asanas should not be practised during menstruation or pregnancy.

Balancing poses
The balancing poses require focus, stamina and strength as they develop lightness, poise, coordination, concentration and agility. With these poses, we achieve muscle tone and an enormous control over the body.

Reclining and relaxation postures
These asanas are usually done at the end of the practice in order to allow the body to cool down and give peace to the body and mind. They balance the nervous system, decrease fatigue and at the same time increase mental clarity.