Asana is a body position in Yoga. It can mean where a person sits, and the way that they sit. It helps to balance the mind and body. It is meant to be firm, yet comfortable.
All the many different body positions in Yoga are Asanas: they all have their own names and every name ends with asana, such as savasana (correct lying). Many have names of animals, such as bujangasana (cobra). Others have names that describe the position, such as shirshasana (head).
According to some researchers and yoga masters, the Mohenjo-Daro Seal 420 is the oldest representation of an asana (the Mulabandhasana). Historical depictions of yoga postures from antiquity and the Middle Ages are still too little researched, so that no valid statements can be made. A well-known example is the large relief "Descent of the Ganga" in Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu) from the 7th century; among other things, it shows a man in the Vrikshasana, a well known yoga posture.
In Patanjali's Yogasutra, the asanas form the third stage of ashtanga yoga. The text does not list individual asanas, but only says in general terms:
"sthira-sukham-āsanam"
"The sitting posture should be firm and comfortable."
- Patanjali: Yogasutra 2.46
This passage is usually interpreted as meaning that Patanjali meant any meditation seat. Vyasa (6th century), the first commentator of the Yogasutra, mentions ten asanas by name in verse 2.46 without describing them. The Gorakshashataka (10th century), the oldest Hathayoga scripture, mentions two asanas, the Yogayajnavalkya (13th century) describes eight, the Hathapradipika (14th century) 15 and the Gherandasamhita (17th century) 32 asanas.
Medieval Hathayoga scriptures say that Shiva taught 8,400,000 asanas, one for each form of life. According to the Gherandasamhita, 84 of these are excellent; however, only 32 asanas are described as being useful to humans. The Hatharatnavali, written at about the same time, lists 84 asanas, most of which are described. In the 20th century the mystical number of 84 asanas was taken up by various schools. Bishnu Charan Ghosh, for example, taught 84 asanas, though there are considerable differences from the asanas listed in the Hatharatnavali. His student Tony Sanchez, founder of the U.S. Yoga Association, still teaches these 84 asanas today with only minor modifications. Bikram Choudhury, another student of B.C. Ghosh, shortened the sequence to 26 asanas in his Bikram Yoga.
The Mysore school, made famous by Tirumalai Krishnamacharya taught over 120 asanas. Pattabhi Jois and B.K.S. Iyengar, who emerged from this tradition, also taught a larger number of asanas.
Other modern traditions have systematized the asanas to a lesser extent and also do not specify the exact number of asanas taught.
