6 types of yoga asanas every practitioner should know
Yoga poses can be quite overwhelming if you just wander into a class. If you have a sports background, you may be familiar with some of the stretching poses that’s done during warm up and cool down. Here, we will look at the 6 basic types of asanas practiced in yoga and their benefits.
1. Standing asanas (Utistha Sthithi)
Standing poses breaks the lazy, (innate) lazy nature of the body and brings activeness in the practitioner. These poses also correct the structure and the posture of a person by improving the sense of balance. It forces the practitioner’s body to enhance proper weight distribution. It’s also a foundation for most of the yoga asanas. Standing asanas build base intelligence for other poses and strengthens the body and improves stamina. The active nature of the poses stimulates the body and creates heat in the body.
2. Sitting asanas (Upavistha) stithi
These are introduced after the standing asanas as they give rest and reduce strain on the legs. They create freedom in the movements of the knees, groins, ankles and feet. It’s always better to work on the gluteus before attempting forward extension, as origin of action in forward extension is in the gluteus area. The pain in forward extension can be from lack of movement in the gluteus. Doing standing and seated forward extension asanas can bring freedom of movement, in sacral, coxigial, gluteus muscle can help with improving flexibility.
Furthermore, wide-legged forward fold and triconasana (triangle pose) are helpful poses to stretch the hamstring before attempting forward fold.
3. Forward extension (paschima pratana)
The heart faces the floor in all the forward extensions. This gives rest and helps one recover from fatigue. Forward extension also brings calmness and quietness to the mind. It’s a passive pose compared to other yoga poses. These poses can build endurance and mental strength. If you find your mind to be agitated, forward extensions could help you calm it down.
4. Lateral extension (parivarta)
These asanas are introduced after achieving the concave and forward extensions of the spine. The rotational extension of the spine gradually brings it to a neutral position, from forward as well as backward extensions.
5. Backward extension
These poses should be introduced gently, with simple asanas such as down dog. It’s ideal for down dog to be taught before back extension, so that freedom is created in the lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal region. In advanced backward extensions, freedom in the dorsal, lumbar and sacrum is the primary and essential requirement. Here, the adrenal glands are activated / stimulated, which is opposite to forward extension.
6. Inversions
Inversions maintain the hormonal balance. They also stimulate pituitary and thyroid glands that maintain the hormonal balance. The variations of headstand or supported headstand and supported shoulder stand are done along with the main asanas as inversions. Variations of shoulder stands and plough, pacifies the system, cools the body and relaxes the nerves. One should not do asanas, that activate or stimulate the body or mind, immediately after these asanas; as this may irritate the nerves, and agitate the mind, breaking the inner peace. One can however, continue with forward, lateral or supine extension poses.
These are the main types of asanas used in yoga. Listen to your teacher and pay attention to your body when you start your yoga practice. Never be in a rush to get into a pose or come out of a pose. Practice patience and be gentle with your body to avoid injury.