There are six classical meditation asanas. That is: Padmasana; Siddhasana (for men) Siddha yoni asana (for women) Swastikasana; Ardha Padmasana; Vajrasana; If you find these asanas uncomfortable, begin with Sukhasana or Veerasana. But, keep working on the hips, legs and back; that you can sit effortlessly in a meditation asana.
Meditative asana helps to provide a firm support to the posture and also maintains the posture of the body for a longer duration. Meditative poses help in regulating the flow of blood to the legs, thus making more blood available in the pelvic region as well as the lower abdominal area. The poses also maintain a certain calmness in the mind.
This of course begs the query “What are meditative asanas?”
Meditative Asanas are essentially designed to aid one’s meditation and concentration, and formed the basis for several other Asanas in creating a complete physical culture.
If you find these asanas uncomfortable, begin with Sukhasana or Veerasana. But, keep working on the hips, legs and back; that you can sit effortlessly in a meditation asana. Why can’t we use other asanas for Meditation?
What is asana in yoga?
Asana is traditionally defined as the seated posture, used for meditation, from the Sanskrit meaning “seat.” The term is now commonly used to refer to any physical Hatha yoga posture, found in all styles of yoga practice, such as Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Restorative and Bikram.
What is Asana According to Patanjali?
In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, asana is defined as a ” steady, comfortable posture. “. The sutras do not specify any particular poses, but require simply that in practicing asanas, a position which is both steady and comfortable should always be sought.
Meaning of Asana: The Sanskrit term an “Asana” is derived from the root term “asi” means “to be”. Simply, an Asana is a seat, a pose, or a posture.
This of course begs the inquiry “What is the root word of asana?”
One way to consider this is the Sanskrit word “asanam – आसनम्” is derived from the root word “aas – आस्” which means to sit or rest in one place. In the classical yoga texts (Hatha Yoga Pradeepika and Gherand Samhita, for example), there are several meditative asanas described.
You might be wondering “What are the different types of yoga asanas?”
Some of the more commonly practiced asanas are – sukhasana, padmasana, swastikasana, siddhasana, vajrasana, virasana etc. The word asana, in addition to its meaning as the sitting posture, it is also applied to the seat on which one sits. So, if you are sitting on a yoga mat for meditation, then the mat is also called an asana.
What are meditative poses and how can they help you?
Meditative poses help in regulating the flow of blood to the legs, thus making more blood available in the pelvic region as well as the lower abdominal area. The poses also maintain a certain calmness in the mind.