Within the practice of Yoga one of the most important parts are the asanas or postures that we passed during a session. These asanas can be isolated or can be done in sequence, linking with each other, as in the famous series of sun salutation, for example.
Not all asanas are the same and not all have the same goals or objectives: depending on the position of the body in each of them can be grouped into different categories or genres. These are the different types of asanas you can do during a Yoga session.
Asanas
They are the ones that are performed in standing position, the most basic of which is the mountain posture (standing, with the feet together facing forward and the arms on both sides of the body). These asanas help strengthen the muscles of the legs, back and abdomen and improve posture.
Within a group as large as the standing asanas, we can find some that are considered of balance (like the tree), of torsion (like the inverted triangle ) or of forward bending (like the clamp).
Posterior flexion asanas
In English you can find them as a backbend and involve a flexion of the back to back. This type of posture helps us to work the muscles of the back and abdomen, in addition to expanding the chest and facilitating inspiration. in this group we can find asanas as well known as the one of the sphinx, the camel or the bridge. It is recommended to combine them with the child’s rest position to relax the back after performing them.
Anterior flexion asanas
They are the asanas that imply a forward flexion of our body. By performing these asanas we are able to stretch the muscles of the back of our body, while arching the spine and creating space between the vertebrae. The anterior flexion asanas also strengthen the muscles of the back, and can be done both standing and sitting.
Among the most frequent are the asana of the middle clamp and that of the child, to which we have referred previously.
Torsion asanas
Within the torsion asanas we find the postures that involve a rotation of the vertebral column. This type of asanas stretch the muscles of the back and the one that is more related to the spine, in addition to flexibilizar the diaphragm and to improve our respiratory capacity. It is important that to realize these positions we have a good knowledge of our body and our limits, gradually overcoming them and progressively.
Within this family of asanas we can find the posture of the inverted triangle.
Balance asanas
This type of asanas can be done on a single foot, on the hands or on the head (in these last two cases, in addition, they would be investment asanas). Balance asanas can range from quite simple postures, such as the asana of the tree, to others quite complicated to carry out, which also require a lot of physical strength in the limbs (like the crow’s asana). In all these asanas, intramuscular coordination and the intense work of the stabilizing muscles of the torso are basic.
Investment Asanas
On the investment asanas and their benefits we have spoken on previous occasions. Both investment positions and medium investment require a correct control of our body and a certain technique when performing them to avoid possible injuries. Among its most interesting benefits is the regulation of hormones.
In the group of inversion and semi-inversion asanas we can find postures like the sail, the plow or the dog face down.
Relaxation asanas and meditation asanas
The asanas relaxation usually performed at the beginning and end of the session of Yoga and help us to get rid of accumulated tension in our muscles, either because of the very practice of physical activity or the flow of our daily lives. Although it is most often done lying or sitting (as in the case of the position of the corpse – lying on the top or the child), we can also carry them standing, as in the posture of the mountain.
The Asana meditation, in turn, facilitate concentration and breathing, leading to active relaxation. The meditation asana par excellence is the lotus posture, sitting on the floor with one leg crossed over the other, back straight and arms relaxed, letting your hands rest on your knees. This is an ideal posture as long as we are comfortable doing it: if we feel tension in the legs or if we do not have enough range of mobility in the hip to carry it out, we can always choose to sit down to the Indian, in a more comfortable.
