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In yoga, mudrās are used in conjunction with pranayama (yogic breathing exercises), generally while seated in Padmasana, Ardhasiddhasana, Sukhasana or Vajrasana pose, to stimulate different parts of the body and mind, and to affect the flow of prana in the body.
Asanas, along with the breathing exercises of pranayama, are the physical movements of hatha yoga and of modern yoga. [17] [18] Patanjali describes asanas as a "steady and comfortable posture", [19] referring to the seated postures used for pranayama and for meditation, where meditation is the path to samadhi, transpersonal self-realization ...
A single asana is listed for each main pose, whether or not there are variations. Thus for Sirsasana (Yoga headstand), only one pose is illustrated, although the pose can be varied by moving the legs apart sideways or front-and-back, by lowering one leg to the floor, by folding the legs into lotus posture, by turning the hips to one side, by placing the hands differently on the ground, and so on.
Meditative postures or meditation seats are the body positions or asanas, usually sitting but also sometimes standing or reclining, used to facilitate meditation. Best known in the Buddhist and Hindu traditions are the lotus and kneeling positions; other options include sitting on a chair, with the spine upright.
The name Vajrasana denotes a medieval meditation seat, but its usage varied. The 15th century Hatha Yoga Pradipika called it a synonym of Siddhasana , where one of the heels presses the root of the repoductive organ; according to Yoga-Mimamsa III.2 p. 135, this explains the reference to the vajra weapon.
Pranayama is the fourth "limb" of the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga, as mentioned in verse 2.29 of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. [8] [9] Patanjali, a Rishi, discusses his specific approach to pranayama in verses 2.49 through 2.51, and devotes verses 2.52 and 2.53 to explaining the benefits of the practice. [10]
Lotus position or Padmasana (Sanskrit: पद्मासन, romanized: padmāsana) [1] is a cross-legged sitting meditation pose from ancient India, in which each foot is placed on the opposite thigh. It is an ancient asana in yoga, predating hatha yoga, and is widely used for meditation in Hindu, Tantra, Jain, and Buddhist traditions.
Siddhasana is one of the oldest asanas, being described as a meditation seat in the 10th century Goraksha Sataka 1.10-12. It states that along with lotus position, Siddhasana is the most important of the asanas (1.10), breaking open the door of liberation (1.11).