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What is an Asana?
“Asanas are not merely gymnastic exercises; they are postures. To perform them one needs a clean airy place, a blanket and determination . . . By practicing them on develops agility, balance, endurance, and great vitality.“Asanas have been evolved over the centuries so as to exercise every muscle, nerve and gland in the body. They secure a fine physique, which is strong and elastic without being muscle-bound and they keep the body free from disease. They reduce fatigue and soothe the nerves. But their real importance lies in the way they train and discipline the mind.”
B.K.S. Iyengar
Light on Yoga (1966)
"The asanas each have a distinct form and shape. To execute them, exact stretches, counter-stretches, and resistances are needed. These align the skin, flesh, and muscular structure of the body with the skeleton.
“There are postures and cycles of postures that give a variety of different effects: stimulating, calming, energizing, building stamina or concentration, promoting sleep, internally soothing, and so on. These benefits come as a side effect of Yoga through correct practice. Thus the standing poses give vitality, the sitting poses are calming, twists are cleansing, supine poses are restful, prone poses are energizing, the inverted poses develop mental strength, balancings bring a feeling of lightness, backbends are exhilarating and the jumpings develop agility.
“Relaxation is a separate art. The quality of relaxation depends on the intensity of postures that precede it.
“Many common physical ailments and defects, including chronic disorders, can be improved by the practice of Yoga postures. They work on specific areas of the body such as the joints, the liver, kidneys, and heart. The movements and extensions in the postures, including the positioning of the inner organs in the inverted sequences have a profound effect on how they function. The body is oxygenated and filled with healthy blood, decongested and rested. Stamina, lung capacity, heart performance, muscle tone, circulation and respiration all improve.”
Silva, Mira and Shyam Mehta
Yoga: the Iyengar Way (1990)