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Āsana
Āsana (Skt. ‘sitting’, ‘posture’). A posture assumed for the practice of yoga; the third ‘limb’ of Patañjali's ‘eight-limbed’ (aṣṭāṅga) or rāja yoga. Āsana keeps the body still, regulates physical processes, and so allows the yogin to concentrate his mind. In Haṭha-yoga, āsana takes on central importance, and Haṭha-yoga and Tantric texts describe and give lists of different āsanas. Perhaps the most famous is the ‘lotus posture’ (padmāsana) in which the yogin sits with the right foot placed on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh, soles facing upwards, with the hands placed between the thighs palms facing up. The eyes are directed to the tip of the nose and tongue placed at the root of the front teeth.
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JOHN BOWKER. "Āsana." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Āsana." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-sana.html JOHN BOWKER. "Āsana." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-sana.html |
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Asanas
AsanasThe physical positions, or postures, of hatha yoga. Many of these are named after living creatures, e.g., cow, peacock, locust, cobra, lion. Early yoga treatises state that there are 8.4 million asanas, of which 84 are the best and 32 the most useful for the health of mankind. Hatha yoga should properly be combined with spiritual development. Sources:Hittleman, Richard L. Richard Hittleman's Yoga for Total Fitness. New York: Bantam Books, 1983. Kuvalayananda, Swami. Popular Yoga Asanas. Rutland, Vt.: Charles E. Tuttle, 1971. |
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"Asanas." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Asanas." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3403800335.html "Asanas." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology. 2001. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3403800335.html |
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āsana
āsana (Skt.). A yogic posture which provides a seat for meditational practice. The most common example is the ‘lotus posture’ (padmāsana) in which both feet rest on top of the thigh of the opposite leg.
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DAMIEN KEOWN. "āsana." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. DAMIEN KEOWN. "āsana." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-sana.html DAMIEN KEOWN. "āsana." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-sana.html |
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asana
asana see yoga . |
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Cite this article
"asana." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "asana." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-asana.html "asana." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 26, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-X-asana.html |
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