What are Asanas?
- Michelle Rae Sobi
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Asanas are the physical postures of yoga.
Asanas
(Lesson — Edge Yoga School Educational Library)
🌿 Overview
Asanas are the physical postures of yoga. They prepare the body for meditation, steady the mind, and support the nervous system. Yoga is called a practice because there is no finish line—only continued exploration. Each posture has many expressions, and as a teacher, your role is to help students discover the version that feels right for them.In yoga, there is no “right or wrong,” only awareness.
🧘 What Are Asanas?
The original definition of asana in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is simply:
“A steady, comfortable seat.”
The Sutras do not prescribe specific poses. Instead, asana was originally the posture taken for meditation. Over time, especially in modern Western culture, the term expanded to mean the full range of yoga postures we practice today—standing poses, seated poses, inversions, twists, forward folds, backbends, and restorative shapes.
🌸 What Does Asana Mean to You?
Asana can take on different roles throughout your life:
a form of exercise
a pathway to spiritual connection
a grounding ritual during stressful seasons
a place to return when life feels overwhelming
Many practitioners describe asana as the moment in the day where the noise settles, and the mind reconnects with breath and presence.
🌱 Bringing Asana Into Daily Life
Life does not always offer the space for a full 60-minute practice—and that’s okay. Asana can support you in many small, meaningful ways throughout your day:
Morning
A gentle 10-minute practice can awaken the body and align the mind before stepping into the world.
Midday
In moments of stress, asana can help reset the mind:
Strong shapes like arm balances can channel intensity.
Restorative poses like Child’s Pose or forehead-to-mat shapes soothe the nervous system.
Afternoon Reset
Viparita Karani (legs up the wall) can refresh your energy when a nap isn’t possible.
Evening
A soft, intentional asana practice prepares the body for rest and supports deeper sleep.
✨ Benefits of Asana
Physical Benefits
Increased strength
Improved balance
Greater flexibility
Enhanced circulation, immune response, and digestion
Mental Benefits
Enhanced focus
Increased mindfulness
Support for meditation practice
Energetic Benefits
Asana is said to support the flow of prana, helping open the chakras and energetic pathways (nadis).
Supported by Scientific Research
Evidence suggests regular asana practice may help:
reduce chronic pain
improve respiratory function
support healthy sleep
enhance overall quality of life
reduce anxiety and depression
Asana is both ancient and modern, intuitive and structured—meeting the practitioner exactly where they are.
Students enrolled in our program may send a Slack DM to Michelle or those interested in enrolling are invited to send a CHAT to begin a conversation.
