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History of Asanas

The document discusses the history and philosophy of yoga postures (āsanas), referencing key texts such as the Pātañjala Yoga Śāstra and Haṭha Pradīpikā. It outlines various traditional postures and their significance in yoga practice, including therapeutic effects and historical context. Additionally, it highlights the evolution of āsana teachings through different texts over the centuries.

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94 views33 pages

History of Asanas

The document discusses the history and philosophy of yoga postures (āsanas), referencing key texts such as the Pātañjala Yoga Śāstra and Haṭha Pradīpikā. It outlines various traditional postures and their significance in yoga practice, including therapeutic effects and historical context. Additionally, it highlights the evolution of āsana teachings through different texts over the centuries.

Uploaded by

pablo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Yoga Philosophy: History and Culture

History of Āsanas

Dr. Mark Singleton


Naada Yoga, Montreal
Week 2, Unit 3
Please do not circulate any of this material.
Solely for the personal use of participants!
Pātañjala Yoga Śāstra
(c.450 CE)
Āsana in the Yoga Sūtras
l 2.46 A steady and comfortable posture […]
l [47] [arises] from the cessation of effort or the
[meditative] attainment of infinity (samāpatti).
l (Roots of Yoga, p.99)
Āsanas of the PYŚ
1. "Lotus" (Padmāsana), 9. “Seated elephant"
2. “Hero” (Virāsana), (hastiniṣadana),
3. ”Good fortune" (bhadrāsana) 10. ”Seated camel"
4. ”Lucky mark" (svastikāsana), (uṣṭraniṣadana),
5. ”Stick" (Dandasana), 11. "Symmetrical"
6. "Supported" (sopāśraya), (samasaṃsthāna),
7. ”Couch" (paryaṅka), 12. ”Steadily serene"
8. ”Seated crane" ( (sthitaprasrabdhi),
krauñcaniṣadanaṃ) 13. ”Whatever is comfortable"
(yathāsukham),

“Et cetera”.
Seated Buddha (Gandhara 0-200
CE)
Alexander the Great (356–323 BCE)
and the Gymnosophists

l ‘…fifteen men standing in different postures, seated or


lying down naked...The other stood on one leg […] and
thus continued the whole day’.
Posture as Tapas (Oman 1903)
Postures of the Sthānāṅgasūtra
Kāyotsargāsana
5.1.396 (Jaina, 3-4ème apr.JC) Jainism

Motionless austerities
are considered to burn
away existing karma
and prevent new
karma from arising.

In the practice of
sallekhanā, the
practitioner assumes a
seated or standing
posture and fasts until
death.
Kāmaśāstra and Āsanas (Images from Khajuraho, India)
Haṭha Pradīpikā 1.17-18

17. Posture, being the first auxiliary (aṅga) of


haṭha is taught first. It gives firmness, good health
and lightness in the body.
18. I will describe certain postures accepted by
munis like Vasishta and yogis like Matsyendra.
Haṭhapradīpikā 1.33-34

84 postures have been taught by Śiva. From


among them, I will describe the four most
important:
Siddhāsana
Padmāsana
Siṃhāsana
Bhadrāsana
Haṭhapradīpikā: first text to teach non-seated
postures as part of Hatha
(see Roots of Yoga 3.8)

5. Kukkuṭāsana
6. Uttānakūrmāsana
7. Dhanurāsana
8. Matsyendrāsana
9. Paścimatānāsana
10. Mayūrāsana
11. Śavāsana
Therapeutic effects of postures in
HaṭhaYoga

‘The splendid peacock posture rapidly takes away all diseases of


the spleen and stomach and overcomes imbalances of the
humours’ (HP 1.31)
The Baḥr al-ḥayāt
16th century, teaches 22 postures
Yogacintāmaṇi (1660)
Yogacintāmaṇi (1660): first text to
teach complete set of 84 āsanas
Haṭhapradīpikā (version longue,
1708), 95 āsanas
l JOGPRADĪPAKĀ
(1737)

Devotes 314 of its 964 verses to āsanas


Yogāsana-Jaina
(Bikaner, Rajasthan.
19è??)
l Haṭhābhyāsapaddhati
(Pune, ?18th
century?)

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