Here's a question that lies close to the heart of what we are doing as yoga practitioners. How do we define asana? Patanjali defines it as sthirasukhamasanam, often translated as 'alert and relaxed' or 'steady and comfortable.' How do you define it personally so that the significance of asana resonates strongly with you. Here's mine...
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Asana is an embodied state of vibrant calm in which we experience a sublime sense of interconnectivity within all of our motions and our stillness.
The most basic expressions of asana are standing, lying down, walking and breathing. Chopping vegetables, turning the pages of a book, and reaching for a cup of tea can all be sublimed into beautiful expressions of asana.
(Visit my tribe blog for a more in depth exploration)
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Asana is an embodied state of vibrant calm in which we experience a sublime sense of interconnectivity within all of our motions and our stillness.
The most basic expressions of asana are standing, lying down, walking and breathing. Chopping vegetables, turning the pages of a book, and reaching for a cup of tea can all be sublimed into beautiful expressions of asana.
(Visit my tribe blog for a more in depth exploration)
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Re: What is an Asana?
Wed, April 9, 2008 - 7:57 AMAsana are comfortable postures that help us
be more mindful of our bodies and spirit,
healing and placing what needs to
be re-harmonized or simply diffused.
ML.
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Re: What is an Asana?
Wed, April 9, 2008 - 10:34 AMAsana means postures.
They are a beginning to the study of the relationship between the body, the breath, the mind, and the spirit.
Beyond that is more than I can ever say. I explore and study with them every day.
It improves the quality of my life.
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