What Does the Word Asana Mean?
The word "asana" is commonly used in yoga practices in Western civilizations, but what exactly does this word mean? Asana is an ancient word with a rich history and a popular misconception.
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Definition
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"Asana" is a word used in toga that means body positions or poses. "Asana" refers to the place of the body as well as the form the body is in.
Misconceptions
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In the English language today, the word "asana" is a singular word to mean one body position, and "asanas" when pluralized. However, in the original Sanskrit, "asan" is the singular word, while "asana" is actually the pluralized version.
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Asana Names
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Asana are named after animals, flora, and objects that the poses reflect. Some examples are the asana "plow,", "dolphin" and "bridge."
History
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Asana have been used for thousands of years in the practice of meditation. Cave drawings from around 3000 B/C/ depict people in the lotus asan.
Common Asana
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The most well known asan in Western culture is the lotus position. The headstand position is also very popular.
Number of Asana
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Ancient scripture tells of 84 lakhs asana. One lakh is equal to 100,000, therefore the total number of asana is about 8,400,000.
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References
- Photo Credit www.sxc.hu
