"Yoga is not merely physical exercise. It is a complete emotional process and spiritual elevation with mystical elements that offer a vision beyond your imagination."
~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Yoga is a pure science; it connects the body, mind, and spirit, as well as the Universe. It brings peace and bliss to everyone who practices it. A profound difference can be observed in one’s behavior and thoughts after beginning a yoga practice. Daily practice gives us more calmness, sensitivity, intuition, and self-awareness.
What are Yoga Asanas?
Our mind is like a pendulum, swinging from past to future, from guilt and anger to anxiety and fear, from joy to sadness. Yoga asanas help us maintain composure. A yoga asana is not just a workout or exercise!
As described in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali — “sthira sukham asanam” — this means that a yoga posture is a balance between effort and ease. We make an effort to get into the pose and then relax. Yoga asanas bring this balance into every aspect of our life. They teach us to make an effort and then let go — to detach from the end result. Yoga asanas increase our physical flexibility and expand our minds. Yoga should be practiced with breath and awareness. When we lift our arms in yoga, we first become aware of the sensation in the arm, then slowly lift it, synchronized with the breath. The transition from one pose to another is graceful, like a dance.
The key is to stretch a little beyond what feels comfortable in each asana and then relax. That small effort, which moves the body beyond its comfort zone, expands our consciousness.
Another Yoga Sutra of Patanjali states:
“Prayatna shaithilyaananta samapattibhyam” – Again repeating the same philosophy: make the effort, then relax, through which the Infinite enters your consciousness and it expands!
1. Standing Yoga Asanas:
| Bulgarian Name | Sanskrit Name |
|---|---|
| Side stance with one arm bent | Konasana |
| Side bend with both arms | Konasana 2 |
| Side twist of the spine | Katichakrasana |
| Forward bend (standing) | Hastapadasana |
| Backward bend (standing) | Ardha Chakrasana |
| Triangle pose | Trikonasana |
| Warrior pose | Veerabhadrasana or Virabhadrasana |
| Wide-legged forward bend | Parsarita Padotanasana |
| Tree pose | Vrikshasana |
| Reverse prayer pose | Paschim Namaskarasana |
| Eagle pose | Garudasana |
| Chair pose | Utkatasana |
2. Seated Asanas:
| Bulgarian Name | Sanskrit Name |
|---|---|
| One-leg forward bend | Janu Shirasasana |
| Two-leg forward bend | Paschimottanasana |
| Upward plank | Poorvottanasana |
| Seated spinal twist | Ardha Matsyendrasana |
| Butterfly pose | Badhakonasana |
| Lotus pose | Padmasana |
| One-leg pigeon pose | Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana |
| Camel pose | Ustrasana |
| Child’s pose | Shishuasana |
| Grinding pose (mill churn) | Chakki Chalanasana |
3. Prone Asanas (Lying on the Stomach):
| Bulgarian Name | Sanskrit Name |
|---|---|
| Side plank pose | Vasisthasana |
| Downward-facing dog | Adho Mukha Svanasana |
| Dolphin plank pose | Makara Adho Mukha Svanasana |
| Cat pose | Marjariasana |
| Bow pose | Dhanurasana |
| Cobra pose | Bhujangasana |
| Sphinx pose | Salamba Bhujangasana |
| Superman pose | Viparita Shalabhasana |
| Locust pose | Shalabhasana |
4. Supine Asanas (Lying on the Back):
| Bulgarian Name | Sanskrit Name |
|---|---|
| Boat pose | Naukasana |
| Bridge pose | Setu Bandhasana |
| Fish pose | Matsyasana |
| Wind-relieving pose | Pavanamuktasana |
| Shoulder stand | Sarvangasana |
| Plow pose | Halasana |
| Supine twist | Natrajasana |
| Lying on the side | Vishnuasana |
| Corpse pose | Shavasana |
