Asana

Asana literally means seat - originally referring to the stable seated posture for meditation. Patanjali defines asana simply as sthira sukham asanam: the posture should be steady (sthira) and comfortable (sukham). This describes any position where the body can remain motionless without distraction.

The modern proliferation of asanas developed later in the hatha yoga tradition, where physical postures became a complete system for purifying the body and preparing it for subtler practices. Even so, the purpose remains the same: preparing the body so it doesn’t distract the mind during meditation.

In the eight-limbed system, asana is the third limb - coming after ethical preparation (yama, niyama) and before breath control (pranayama). The body must be disciplined before energy can be managed. Mastery of asana means the body becomes an aid to practice rather than an obstacle.