The Eight Limbs of Yoga Pt 2

The third limb of Yoga is Asana. Asana has two meanings: “the place where a Yogi sits” and “how the Yogi sits there”. It is very important for a Yogi to have a straight spine, finding length through the spine, and to have the abdominals engaged to protect the spine. The poses and postures build from here.

There are many different Asanas (poses) practiced all over the world in many different sequences. The most common series of Asanas are found in the Sun Salutations. These are also the Asanas that help the Yogi master proper posture of the back (lengthened spine, engaged abdominals). Each Asana targets and strengthens the abdominals, provided the Yogi holds their posture correctly. Some Asanas target specific muscle groups, and others target the entire body. Some Asanas are designed to build strength, and some are designed to grow length, but the thing I love most about Yoga is that most Asanas are designed to do both! A great resource for these poses is '2100 Asanas' by Daniel Lacerda.