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Introduction to Yogasana
In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali there is a concise definition of Iyogasanas: "Sthiramsukhamaasanam", meaning 'that position which is comfortable and steady'. In this context, asanas are practised to develop the ability to sit comfortably in one position for an extended period of time, an ability necessary for meditation. Raja yoga equates yogasana to the stable sitting position.
The hatha yogis, however, found that certain specific body positions, asanas, open the energy channels and psychic centres. They found that developing control of the body through these practices, enabled them to control the mind and energy. Yogasanas became tools to higher awareness, providing the stable foundation necessary for the exploration of the body, breath, mind and higher states. For this reason, asana practice comes first in hatha yoga texts such as Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
In the yogic scriptures it is said that there were originally 8,400,000 asanas, which represent the 8,400,000 incarnations every individual must pass through before attaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death. These asanas represented a progressive evolution from the simplest form of life to the most complex: that of a fully realised human being. Down through the ages the great rishis and yogis modified and reduced the number of asanas to the few hundred known today. Through their practice, it is possible to side-step the karmic process and bypass many evolutionary stages in one lifetime. Of these few hundred, only the eighty-four most useful are discussed in detail.
