Asanas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of physical postures practiced in yoga that aim to improve flexibility and strength while promoting relaxation
2. Specific body positions in yoga designed to enhance physical and mental well-being through controlled breathing and concentrated movement
3. Postural exercises in the yogic tradition that serve various purposes, including improving balance, building stamina, and facilitating meditation

Etymology: "Asanas" is the plural of "asana," a term for the physical postures practised in yoga. The word comes from Sanskrit "āsana," meaning "sitting down" or "seat," and that sense was built on the verb "ās," "to sit." Its earliest and most literal meaning was simply a place to sit or the act of sitting. Over time the word broadened from the seat itself to the posture one takes while sitting, and later to any bodily position held deliberately. Within yoga traditions, a posture was understood as a steady, comfortable seat from which meditation could proceed, which is why the word eventually came to stand for the whole range of poses. English adopted the term from this yogic usage, so modern readers encounter it in its extended sense rather than its original meaning of a simple seat.

Synonyms: poses, postures, positions