Types of Yogasanas

How many asanas are there in Yoga? Many have given different answers to this question. Some people have even mentioned that there are more than few million asanas, which can be practiced. So we can say that it is difficult to fix total no of asanas. May be this is why Patanjali (the founder of Ashtanga or Raja Yoga) has not mentioned the details of how many asanas are there or what are the names.

Asana is a state of being, and by definition there could be thousands of probable states, which one can achieve. Patanjali has defined asana as "Sthir Sukham Asanam" that is "Asana means steady and comfortable posture".

If one cannot achieve ideal position as described in texts, but if that position is stable and if he can maintain it for longer duration then it is asana. And if someone achieves ideal position but cannot maintain it, then it is not asana.

The first step in achieving this is relaxation; asanas should relax all the muscles in the body. Now when we work, the muscles either expand or contract depending upon the nature of work. This contraction and expansion consumes energy. This is necessary to perform the work but most of the times other muscles, which are not participating directly in that work, are also strained which is wastage of energy. Asanas help achieve relaxation and control of these muscles. When the body relaxes, it becomes comfortable posture and one can maintain it for longer duration, which is the purpose of Yoga.

We need to learn this relaxation of muscles even when we are performing our daily work. If all the muscles except those involved in direct work are relaxed then lot of our energy can be saved. This saved extra energy can be then utilized for other creative work. This is the aim of practice of asanas.

--Yogacharya Vishwas Mandlik