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Kriyas Asanas Pranayamas Mudras & Bhandanas Kundalini Surya Namaskaras Yoga Modules Kriya Pranayam
There are two ways of practising an Asana. The dynamic practice repeats the movement into the asana and out
again in rhythm with the breath. In static practice,we move into and out of the pose in the same way as with the
dynamic practice, but instead of staying in continual movement with the breath, we hold the pose for a certain
number of breath cycles, directing our attention toward the breath, certain areas of the body, or both, depending on
the goals we have for performing that particular Asana.
Standing postures prepare your endocrine glands that secrete hormones into the blood stream, take care of the
spine. Sitting postures on excretory, reproductive and digestive systems. Prone postures on digestive, respiratory
and circulatory systems. Supine postures to take care of respiratory, thyroid parathyroid, autonomous nervous
system and pituitary gland. And, Inverted postures to take care of your penial gland, hypothalamus centre, blood
circulation to brain and autonomous nervous system. The order enables us to move from excretory system to central
nervous system.
Traditional Yoga on Face
1. Excretory System - Mooladhara Chakra (the Solid element)
2. Reproductive and Urinary System - Swadishtana Chakra (the Liquid element)
3. Digestive System - Manipura Chakra (the Fire element)
4. Circulatory and Respiratory – Anahata Chakra (the air element)
5. Autonomous Nervous System - Visudhi Chakra (the Space element)
6. Pituitary , Penial - Agna chakra
7. Central Nervous System- Sahasrara Chakra (on the 10 trillion neurons)
ASANA SEQUENCE BASED ON ENERGY FLOW SYSTEM FROM GROSS TO SUBTLE ENERGY CENTRES.
TERMS:
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1. STANDING POSTURES:
I. TADASANA VARGA
Stand straight with your spine stretched but relaxed. Keep your hands to sides and keep your eyes closed.
Stand straight on toes. Stretch your arms above your head with palms together in pranamudra ( pranamudra =
hands in namaste). Feel the stretch (upwards) in all the parts of your body.
BENEFITS: Helps in increasing the height. (12 to 18 years). Spine is strengthened. Stomach and intestines are
cleaned and fat accumulation is removed in these parts.
Stand straight with feet together. Bend to the side with right arm curving over head and the other arm at your side.
Repeat with the other arm.
-Variant 1: Arms out straight in front, bend knees and sit down to crouching position.
-Variant 3: The same posture but with feet in straight line and knees split apart.
-Variant 1: stand on a left leg, heel to the perineum, knee outwards sideways. Repeat with right leg.
-Variant 2: stand on left leg, with one arm up straight and right knee folded so that your foot is pressed to your
buttock. Repeat with other leg.
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-Variant 4: stand on left leg, right knee folded sideways and right heel to above genitals, right knee folded over left
knee. Bring your arm behind your back and hold your right foot from behind.
-Variant 5: Same posture then bend over and touch the mat with both hands.
–Variant 1: Stand on left leg and bend at the waist so body is parallel with floor, extend right leg straight out parallel
to floor and left arm out straight in front.
-Variant 2: Repeat the same posture but extend both arms straight in front, hands clasped in linga mudra
Stand on left leg with knee slightly bent and twist right leg around left leg, toes facing forwards. Extend right arm,
bent at elbow and twist left arm around right arm with hands in pranamudra.
BENEFITS: Prevents cramps in the calf muscles and legs and relaxes stiffness in the shoulders.
–Variant 1: Stand on left leg, right leg extended in front parallel to the floor ( you can progressively raise the leg up
as you gain flexibility). Hold your foot or toes with hand. Repeat with the other leg.
-Variant 2: Counterbalance. Stand on left leg, right leg out straight sideways, parallel to floor, holding foot with hand.
Left arm extended sideways to balance.
–Variant 1: ( simple trikonasan) Spread legs apart in triangle and stretch the body to the left, moving from the pelvis
extending over the left leg. Both arms are perpendicular to the floor with the left hand on the floor or grasping the
left ankle and right hand reaching up straight. Repeat with other leg.
-Variant 2: (Ardha chandrasan) Repeat but bring right hand down to the mat, lift left leg up straight . Repeat with
other leg.
-Variant 3: Warrior pose 2. Keep your trunk straight, bend knee so right thigh is parallel to ground. Arms extended at
right angle to body.
-Variant 4: Warrior pose 1: Same as above but arms sideways in flight mode, then bring arms up straight above, then
bend at waist, hands to the ground. Come up, with arms extended straight in front, then sideways in flight mode,
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Parsvatrikonasan
–Variant 1: Spread legs apart in triangle right foot forward, and stretch left arm up so that it is parallel to body, knee
bent and thigh perpendicular to the floor, right arm behind back. Look at the extended hand above.
-Variant 2: Repeat but this but bend at the waist and place right hand on the floor next to right foot.
–Variant 3: Repeat and this time bring your right foot to your left foot so that both legs are straight, balancing on
right hand.
-Variant 4: Extend left leg up straight in the air, progressively will be able to hold left toes with left hand .
Forward splits. Right leg extended forwards and left leg extended behind, legs split apart. Hands upwards above
head in pranamudra.
–Variant 1: Begin with arms sideways in flight mode, right foot forwards, then bring left hand down to the right side
of the right foot, right arms up in straight line with left arm. Repeat the other way.
-Variant 2: Keep your hands in pranamudra, twist body turning right and bring left shoulder to right knee and look
back over right shoulder. Repeat the other way.
–Variant 3: Back pranamudra (hands palm to palm between shoulder blades), forward bend, forehead to knee.
-Variant 4: Back pranamudra, fold knee and bring left shoulder to right knee and turn back to look over right
shoulder. Repeat the other way.
-Variant 5: Chalana ( with movement) Hands clasped in linga mudra and arms extended forwards. First bend left
knee and keeping right leg extended straight, sit down to the mat. Repeat the other way. This movement should be
repeated left to right minimum 10 times. Inhale up, exhale down.
–Variant 1: Both the legs stretched sideways in extended triangle and touch alternate toes with opposite hands,
bending forwards. Repeat 10 times.
-Variant 2: Legs in same position, bend forward with hands up straight behind back clasped in ling mudra.
–Variant 3: Legs in same position, hands flat on mat and forehead down, then lift hands behind back.
2. SITTING POSTURES
I. PACHIMOTANASANA VARGA
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Pachimotanasan
–Variant 1: Sitting with legs extended sideways (forming V-Shape), bend to left and hold left foot with both hands.
Repeat the other way.
-Variant 2: Chalana, one hand behind back touch alternate foot with opposite hand. Repeat the other way.
–Variant 3: Hold left foot with left hand and right foot with right hand, bend forward, forehead to ground.
-Variant 4:Fold knee sideways, with heel to perineum, other lend extended sideways ( in V shape) and bend
sideways to opposite leg. Repeat the other way.
Mahamudra
Left leg extended straight in front, right heel to perineum. Bend forwards forehead to knees. Repeat the other way.
Vishwasasana
Sitting straight with legs stretched out and place your palms one upon the other in the front.
Sit down with legs extended straight out. Stretch the upper body from the pelvis, arms over the head. The upper
body bends forward with the hands reaching towards the feet.
Row forwards, taking hands to feet in front then pulling back and leaning back so that head almost touches mat.
Forward rowing then reverse rowing. Inhale when moving forward, exhale when moving back. In reverse rowing
exhale forward and inhale backward.
–Variant 1: rotate arms clockwise and then anticlockwise as if grinding in a large pestle and mortar. First small
diameter, then increase to medium diameter and then to full diameter, almost touching ground when you lean back.
Keep the legs over the arms which are outstretched on either side of the body with chest and shoulders on the floor.
Next the hands are brought behind the body with palms facing upwards.BENEFITS: Suggested for high blood
pressure and for calming down the mind.
Works on the digestive system, liver and stomach. Sacroiliac joint, kidneys and intestines
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Sit in vajrasan then place feet on left side beside hips, left foot on top of right foot. Extend the hands outwards on
the floor and twist the body to the right and look over right shoulder. Try to hold both feet with both hands. Start
with hands extended further away from body then reduce gap as you progress.
Vakrasan
–Variant 1: Sit up straight with left leg extended and right knee close to chest. Twist body to right so that right hand
is in line with left leg at the back and left hand is next to right hip. Look over right shoulder.
-Variant 2: Repeat the same but twist the other way, right hand next to left hip and left hand in line with right leg at
the back.
–Variant 3: Bring right hand around right knee and clasp hands from behind.
Ardhamatsendriyasana.
Sit in vakrasan, then cross right leg over left leg so that right foot is next to left thigh. Twist the body to the right
with the right arm passed around the bent knee of the right leg, with hands clasped behind the back. Turn the head
to the left to look over right shoulder.
Bend the left knee and sit on the left foot. Place right thigh over left thigh. Fold the right leg over the left so that the
knees are one above the other and feet out sideways. Raise the right arm over the head and bend it onto your
back. Then fold the left arm behind you and lock the fingers of both the hands.
Padangushtasana
Sit in gomukhasana and lift body onto fore foot and balance it with hands in namaste. Here you are sitting on ankle
with fore foot lifted up.
Moves energy from the coccygeal plexus to the solar plexus. Works on the pelvic, knee and hip joints
Sit cross-legged, feet resting between calf and thighs with your soles facing upwards.
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Padmasana (Lotus)
Sit with legs crossed and feet resting on the thighs with soles facing up. The spine is erect and hands should be
either on the knees palms facing upward or in the lap.
Parvatasana
Sit in padmasana. Stretch your arms up with your palms joined in pranamudra or with fingers locked and palms
facing upwards
Yogamudrasana
Sit in padmasana Stretch your arms up with your palms joined in pranamudra or with fingers locked and palms
facing upwards and bend forward in exhalation with the forehead touching the ground. This also can be done by
interlocking knuckles and keeping them in abdomen and then bending forward after exhalation.
Karmukhasana
Sit in padmasana. Hold your left toe with right hand and right toe with your left hand.
Karmukhamatsyasana
Matsya means fish. Sit in padmasana. From this position lie down on your back with only shoulders and head
touching the ground. The neck or your back should not touch the ground. The spine should be arched.
Sit in Padmasana. Extend your arms with palms on the floor (fingers facing inwards), and stand on the knees
pushing the pelvic region downwards. Breathe through the mouth with tongue extended and retracted.
Sit in Simhasana and then bring your elbows to your naval and lift your legs up, balancing on elbows.
Sitting in padmasana, put your hands on the ground (palms firm on the ground) lift the whole body and swing your
lotus balancing on your arms..
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Mahavetha mudra
Sit in lotus and drop you seat onto the mat, beating seat up and down.
Sit in padmasana then insert your hands through the gap between the calf muscles and thighs. With palms firm on
the ground lift your body with the whole weight on the hands.
Sitting in kukkutasana on ground, holding ears with hands with lotus close to chest.
Assume garbha pindasana then close ears listen to sound of anahath (the sound of earth rotation) roll onto back.
Dissolves impurities in lower abdominal area. Energy moves coccygeal to cardiac plexus
1. Pull and push the leg, using your hands to move it.
3. Holding your right leg over the right shoulder wobble your foot like a fan.
4. Move the leg right to left and then try to bring right foot to touch left shoulder
Stretch your legs forward and put your leg on the neck.
Stretch your legs forward and then put both the legs on the neck with both the ankles locked.
Lifting body with both feet over head while in Bhekanasana lift the whole body with palms firm on the ground.
Hastabhujasana
Lift both the legs (parallel to the ground). Pass the hands from below the knees and hold the neck with both hands.
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Stretching legs aside and lifting body with supporting hands on ground. Repeat the same on other side.
Thithaliasan (Butterfly).
Bring heels to perineum, clasp feet with hands and flap knees up and down.
Samyuktapadasana/Bhadrasana/Baddhakonasana
Sit straight. Bring both soles together so that the knees spread sideways. Hold the feet with hands. Try to touch the
feet with the forehead by bending forward. Do it slowly.
V. VAJRASANA VARGA
Sit straight with your legs folded and heels pressing the buttocks and ankles resting on the floor.
Veerasan
Similar to vajrasana but with feet facing out sitting and seat resting on ground.
Sputa veerasan
Shashankasana
Sit in vajrasana. Raise both hands above head without bending the elbows. Bend forward with hands stretched out
and palms to the ground, chin touching the kneecaps and forehead touching the ground.
Suptavajrasana
Sit in vajrasana. Beginners can keep the knees apart. With the support of the elbows, bend backwards with hands
stretched out above the head and palms facing upwards. Feel the stretch in the body.
Sit in vajrasana and lift the body into kneeling up posture (trunk and thighs at 90 degree angle to lower legs). Then
lean back with hands up in the air and laugh as you go back.
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-Variant 1: Stand up on knees (as above). Take hands above head with hands clasped and sway right and left
stretching upwards to relax spine.
-Variant 2: Bend trunk backwards and hold right heel with right hand, left arm up. Then repeat with other hand,
-Variant 3: Repeat as above but hold both heels with both hands, left hand to left heel and right hand to right heel.
Arch backwards pushing waist into the front.
Sit in Khanjanasana. Keeping your palms on the floor (fingers towards you), stretch your legs outward (back) with
toes touching the floor. Then move the body forward with the naval on the elbows so that the whole body is in the
air and parallel to the ground balancing on hands.BENEFITS: Good for digestion, diabetics. Purifies the blood.
In this pose, the hands and arms support the weight of the body. The legs are bent, the shins resting on the backs of
upper arms, the feet together below the buttocks and off the ground.BENEFITS: Good for reproductive organs.
Hamsa means swan. In this posture, the palms are on the floor with thumbs touching, the hands facing forward.
With elbows bent and supporting the diaphragm. The body is lifted up parallel to the floor.BENEFITS: Good for
digestion and abdominal organs.
CHANGEOVER POSTURES
Knees down, heels to seat, hands extended forward, push waist backwards.
Go onto hands and knees, body parallel to ground. Arch waist up keeping chin to throat pit ( camel). Then push
waist downward, lift chin up. Inhale up, exhale down.
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On hands and knees, wag hips from side to side and then clockwise rotation and anticlockwise rotation.
Prasaritamajalasan
On hands and knees, stretch right arm out straight and left leg out straight so that they are parallel to the ground
and the trunk. Repeat the other way.
Adhomukaswanasan
Go into mountain/ down dog posture. Lift right leg up backwards into the air. Repeat with the other leg.
Khanjanasana
Sit in Vajrasana with knees apart (forming V-Shape) touching the ground.
3. PRONE POSTURES
Bhujanga means serpent. With palms flat on the floor below the shoulders. The spine is lengthened and genitals to
the ground as the head and chest are slowly lifted. The elbows stay close to the body and the eyes look up.
BENEFITS: Backache is relieved. Slip disc is corrected. Good for bronchial asthma, relieves arthritic pains. Neck pain is
released.
Niralambanasan
Sphinx
Lie down on stomach. Spread the legs and the feet apart with heels facing opposite. The thighs, abdomen and
chest should touch the ground with arms folded one over the other and the forehead resting on the arms.BENEFITS:
Good for digestion and asthma.
Ekapadashlabasan
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Lift right leg up and left hand up , turn face to the right. Repeat the other way.
Adhvasana
Lie down on stomach with hands to your sides with chin touching the ground. Relaxing posture.
Be in adhvasana. Keep both hands under the thighs with palms facing upwards and lift both the legs upwards. The
chin should touch the ground. Do not bend your knees. Gradually lift your legs over 30, 45, 90 and 180 degrees. A
beginner can lift up to 45 degrees.
Vrishchika means scorpion. Be in shalabhasana. The legs are raised up and bent at the knees and the feet should be
lowered slowly over the back until they rest on the crown of the head.
Second variant shalabasan Clasp hands behind back and lift legs and chest.
Adhomukhanaukasan
Bekasana/Mandukasana
-Variant 1: (Frog Posture)Beka/Manduka both mean frog. Lie in adhvasana. Bend your legs at knees and hold the
heels with your hands or palms and press down to buttocks and lift the chest.
-Variant 2: Chalana, lift chest up and down with heels pressed to buttocks.
- Variant 1: Lie in bekasana and lift the legs holding the ankles with your hands. Lift head and chest up. Feet should
be together.
BENEFITS: Good for diabetics.CAUTION: People with lumbar spondilitis should be careful.
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Lifting front trunk like in bujangasana and resting the waist region on ground and lifting fore legs from back and
then trying to touch the feet to head
Fold one leg in front and one leg straight extended back and then bend your back and lift your fore leg from back
and touch feet to head in bend position. Repeat the same with another leg.Benefits: It strengthens reproductive
system and thyroid gland.
4. SUPINE POSTURES
I. HALASANA VARGA- Moves energy form the cardiac plexus to the cavernous plexus and solar plexus to
pharyngeal plexus
Jyestikasana
Lie down on your back with hands stretched outwards above your head. Feel the stretch in the whole body by
stretching the legs downward and hands upward.
Variant 1: 5 degrees Lie on your back. Lift your legs at 5 degrees (without any bend in the legs). Stretch your arms
and lift the upper back. Forehead, hands and feet should be in straight line.
Variant 2: 45 degrees
Variant 3: 75 degrees
Variant 4: 90 degrees. Suptapadasana. Lie down in jyestikasana with hands on the sides. Lift right leg, toes pointing
upwards (perpendicular to the body or ground). Repeat with the left leg.
Variant 5: (Chalana) As above but with both legs moving in rotation, first clockwise then anticlockwise.
Lift both legs together with toes pointing upwards (perpendicular to the ground or body).
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Start in dwipada suptapadasana. Lower the legs towards the head keeping the knees straight and toes touching the
ground above the head. Then try to touch the toes with your hands.Rock back and forth between paschimotanasan
and halasan.
Start in halasana. Rest the knees beside the ears with your ankles locked above the head.
Yoganidrasana
Be in the first part of karnapindasana. Then lift the upper back with your ankles resting on neck and hands across
the lower back with fingers locked, only mid spine touching the ground.
BENEFITS: Stones in kidneys dissolve. Tones liver, spleen, intestines, gall bladders, prostates. Good for reproductive
system.
Lie down on your back. Keep both palms on either side of the ears with fingers pointing towards the feet. Bend the
legs at knees with the soles resting on floor. Lift the body on the hands and feet forming an arch with naval as the
top most point.
II. CHAKRASANA VARGA- Moves energy solar to pineal plexus and pituitary to cavernous plexus
As flexibility is gained full wheel posture can be practiced. Bring your hands and feet closer together so they are
touching to create full circle.
Lie down on your back. Bend legs at knees (legs together) and bring the legs onto your chest. Lift your shoulders so
that the chin touches the knees. Then lock your hands around the knees or fingers around the soles.
CAUTION: People with cervical spondilitis and neck pain should be careful.
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Lie on your back. Lift your legs at 75 degrees and hips at 45 degrees. Supporting the hip portion with your palms
and the toes pointing towards the forehead. Concentrate on heart center.
III. SARVANGASANA VARGA- Works on the CNS. Moves entire energy into the brain and hypothalamus centre.
Sarvangasana (Sarva means whole, entire. Anga means limb or body. Commonly known as shoulder stand) Be in
Veerakati with hands on the waist and lift the legs and torso to a vertical position with the weight on the shoulders
and head. This asana is called as the “mother of the asanas”.
BENEFITS: Relieves from asthma and constipation. Preventive for piles, epilepsy and insomnia.
Be in sarvangasana. Then cross your legs in lotus in the air keeping body straight.
Sarvangapindasana
Be in sarvangasana and support the waist with palms and then lower the legs and let the soles touch the ground.
Breathe in and out 10 times in bastrika, exhale pull abdomen in, inhale and push abdomen out.
Lie on your back with feet apart and hands away with palms facing upwards. Keep observing your breath.
5. INVERTED POSTURES
Keep the forearms on the floor, the hands clasped and cupped to form a place for the head to rest. The legs are
raised perpendicular to the floor, the spine lengthened, and the weight evenly distributed on the arms and head. Do
not do it with front part of the head. This asana is called the “King of the asanas”.
Urdvasamyuktapadasana
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Be in shirsasana. Bring your heels to the perineum (soles touching together) and legs are bent at knees sideways.
Urdvapadmasana
Urdvasirapadasana
Be in shirsasana. Bend either of the legs with the heel touching the perineum and sole touching the other thigh
Stand straight on right leg and balance on right leg and lift left leg from back and hold the left foot toe with left
hand extend your right hand in front at the level of left leg.
Please check out TY's Module-1, Module-2, Module-3 to learn more about Asanas.
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