| Meditative
Yogasanas |
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There are some postures which are considered
conducive to the practices of meditation.
An aspirant finds it easier to practice meditation i.e. Dhyana if he is comfortably stabilized in meditative postures like: |
- Siddhasana
- Padmasana
- Bhadrasana
- Muktasana
- Vajrasana
- Swastikasana
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| Relaxative
Yogasana |
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These are postures, which produce mental and physical relaxation such as: |
- Shavasana,
- Makarasana etc.
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| Cultural
Yogasana |
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| The aasanas like: |
- Simhasana
- Gomukhasana
- Virasana
- Dhanurasna
- Mrtasana
- Guptasana
- Matsyasana
- Paschimottanasana
- Matsyendrasana
- Gorakshasana
- Utkatasana
- Samkatasana,
- Mayurasana
- Kukkutasana
- Kurmasana
- Uttanamandukasana
- Ustrasana etc.
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Are practiced for physical culture. Various
aasanas appear to have been devised in such a way that they rehabilitate different organs and provide stable and comfortable states of the body
suitable for higher practices of Yoga like meditation and Samadhi. Usually the specific
aasanas have been named after different animals in view of the similarity of final pose of a particular asana with the appearance of a particular animal.
The yogasanas essentially provide an effective exercise of the muscles as well as their relaxation.
This produces an ability in the body to perform strong, stable and coordinated activity without causing tiredness. |
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| Sub-group (A):
Aasanas working on interoceptors |
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| Aasanas working on and through proprioceptors |
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These aasanas predominantly work on and through various proprioceptive mechanisms of the skeletal muscles of the body.
Stimulation of the proprioceptors give rise to stretch reflexes, e.g.
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- Baddha-padmasana
- Gomukhasana
- Matsyasana
- Vajrasana
- Trikonasana
- Bhadrasana
- Padahastasana
- Supta-vajrasana etc.
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| Aasanas working on and through visceroceptors |
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Visceral
organs are subjected to the pressure changes brought about in the
intra-abdominal cavity.
The visceroceptors in the walls of these organs, on stimulation,
send sensory impulses to autonomic nervous centers, e.g.
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- Yogamudra
- Paschimottanasana
- Mayurasana
- Ardyha-matsyendrasana
- Supta-vajrasana
- Halasana
- Pawan-muktasana
etc.
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| Sub
group (B): Aasanas working on vestibular organs |
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These aasanas predominantly work on and through the sense organs of
balance including vestibular organs.
These organs usually maintain the body balance.
The aasanas under this group are:
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- Shirshasana
- Sarvangasana
- Viparitakarani
- Garudasana
- Vrishchikasana
- Vrikshasana
- Kukkutasana
- Eakasana
- Padahastasana
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| They also
influence blood pressure mechanism and circulation. |
