The 8 Limbs: Asanas

The 8 Limbs: Asanas

Welcome back, seekers! Today, we embark on a thrilling exploration of asanas—the captivating poses that breathe life into our yoga practice. Asanas, meaning postures or poses, hold the key to unlocking a profound transformation within.

But there's more to these poses than meets the eye. When it comes to meditation, choosing the right asanas is crucial. We seek stillness and comfort, avoiding any hint of discomfort that could distract our minds from the journey within.

Let's delve into a few recommended meditation poses that invite serenity and steady focus:

• Sukasana: The easy seated pose, reminiscent of carefree days.
• Ardha Padmasana: The half-lotus pose, a graceful blend of poise and tranquility.
• Padmasana: The lotus pose, an exquisite tapestry of balance and inner harmony.
• Siddhasana: The accomplished pose for men, where a hidden power resides within.
• Siddha Yoni Asana: The accomplished pose for women, awakening strength and grace.
• Swastikasana: The auspicious pose, inviting blessings and sacred alignment.

These poses, when embraced, pave the way for a profound meditation experience. But asanas offer more than just stillness—they hold therapeutic potential. Regular practice not only enhances meditation but also nourishes the body and soothes the soul. As tension dissolves, a symphony of physical and emotional well-being emerges, unlocking newfound energy and joy.

Remember, the body and mind dance together as one unified entity. Asanas weave the intricate threads of body and mind, unraveling their inherent connection. By releasing physical strains, we liberate ourselves from the burdens that hinder our true potential—a glorious somatic release!

Begin your transformative journey today, and witness the harmonious union of body and mind. Click now to embrace the magic of asanas and unlock the boundless treasures that await. 🎧✨

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Welcome back. We have been talking about Patanjali’s 8 limbs of yoga and this week we are up to limb number 3, Asanas. Now you’ve probably already heard this word before. Asanas are the poses that are done in yoga. Asana literally translates to “posture, seat or pose”. These are the physical shapes we make with our body.

From a meditation perspective, we want to consider the asanas that are appropriate for meditating. Now these don’t have to just be the run of the mill seated poses, you can meditate in all sorts of ways, however, any pose that is even slightly uncomfortable will prevent any serious porgies in meditation, because your mind will be so preoccupied with the discomfort you won’t be able to focus on anything else.

Meditation poses such as the following are the ideal ones recommended for meditation, at least from an authentic yogic perspective. These are ones that you should be able to be still and steady for extended periods of time. The spine should be straight without strain, and the pose should be held without conscious effort. We avoid savasana as we tend to drift off to sleep. For meditation we need rot remain awake and alert.
Ok here are some basic poses,
Sukasana, easy seated pose. Think of this as a basic legs crossed seated pose. Like you would have done at school at some point.
Ardha Padmasana, half lotus pose. Or lotus pose with one foot tucked into the thigh, hip fold.
Padmasana, lotus pose. Both feet are tucked into the opposite thigh, hip fold
Siddhasana, or accomplished pose for men. This is kind of like sukasana but the legs are stacked not crossed. And the heel of the bottom foot presses into the perineum
Siddha Yoni Asana, or accomplished pose for women is similar to siddhasana except the heel of the bottom foot presses into the yoni.
Swastikasana, or auspicious pose, is essentially the same as the above two, however there’s no contact between the heels and pubis.
These are the main ones that you see and think of for meditating. Of course there are more, one of my personal favourites is vipareeta karani asana, which is the lying on the back with your legs up the wall pose. This particular pose is useful in chakra meditations which will will get in in future episodes. Although, you have to be vigilant not to fall asleep!

Aside from the meditation poses, other asanas are known as therapeutic poses. These, when used regularly, allow the person to be better at meditation. Let me explain. If you are regularly performing therapeutic asanas you will find that the body begins to loosen up, the muscles and the nervous systems become more toned and these asanas can remove and prevent diseases in the body. They can introduce states of tranquility and gives us more energy and less emotional depression.

We must consider the body and mind as one, they are not separate. The gross form of the mind is the body, and the subtle form of the body is the mind. Practising asana integrates and harmonises the two. If you can consider that every mental or emotion strain has a corresponding physical placement and vice versa. The overall aim of asana practise is he release the strains and tensions in the physical body to free us the tension and strain in the mental, think of this as a somatic release.

Regular practise of asana maintains the physical body in such a great condition and can even improve the most unhealthy body. With this practise the dormant energy potential is released and can begin to be seen in all aspects of your life.