What's In A Name? Asana and Iyengar Yoga
Positioning ourselves
To pose is to assume a position. Posture means how we hold ourselves. Might it also be a bit more nuanced than that?
I wonder, for example, if we realise how much and how often, we position ourselves in cognising our world. Both positionality and relationality are frameworks the human mind turns to in our sense-making, almost unconsciously, and we’ve been doing it for millennia. Notice how we explain ourselves in relationship to others, such as, “Daughter to —,” “Father to —,” “Carer of —” and, “Partner of —,” etc. Maybe you’re first-born, or the fourth child in a family structure and that informs how you relate to siblings.
Politically, we also use positional phrasing in how we take on ideas. ‘I’m taking a stand on this issue.’ Or, we talk about people being ‘left-leaning,’ or representing the ‘far right.’
And, animalistic metaphors for how people hold themselves has entered our lexicon for concepts far beyond the natural world. Humans are told they’re being a ‘chicken,’ or identify themselves as being as ‘busy as a bee.’ There are ‘bull or bear’ economic markets, and people display ‘hawk or dove-ish’ sentiments.
I’m also pretty sure these days, that if you asked a person on a Sydney CBD street, “Can you do Downward Facing Dog?” they’d know what action you meant. So, for those of us interested in, and practitioners of Yoga, what can a reflection on the names of asana offer us? What more can we learn about asana and Indian philosophy that may positively impact our experience of Yoga?
Asana; more than a ‘pose,’ more than ‘posture’
A common English definition of the Sanskrit term, asana may well be ‘pose,’ or ‘posture,’ but it’s important as students of Yoga to widen our understanding of the term to inform our practice.
Instead of thinking about each asana as an object, it proves more fruitful to think about the processes we undertake to make the shape required when the teacher calls out, “Uttitha Trikonasana”. BKS Iyengar explains it this way: “Each asana in its methodology has certain measurements of its height, length, width and girth… there is direction to the movement and action of body which has to be followed properly” (Iyengar, 2018a, p.208).
Asana is more than mimicry; it’s about ‘going in,’ ‘being,’ and ‘going out’ of a set of movements. It requires more than the physical body.
The names of asana can therefore provide us a contemplative framework. The titles ascribed to asana are not something to be taken casually. Yoga literature is filled with explanations as to why certain poses have been linked to particular terms and insights from Indian Philosophy, including history and Hindu Myths, can help our study.
More cultural context is important. Briefly, the historical blossoming of philosophies, religions and sciences developed within the Indian region needs to be understood differently than what we might generalise as ‘Traditional Western,’ Occidental, or ‘Anglo-Celtic’ cultural mindsets. Instead of certain logics being seen as quite separate from one another, like that of scientific knowledge and theistic developments, in Indian history, there is a continual inter-relationship and dialogue.
Pandit Rajmani Tigunait writes, “The major Indian schools integrate into a single framework metaphysics, epistemology, logic, axiology, aesthetics, ethics, sociology, psychology and physiology. To Indian thinkers, these disciplines are so interrelated that they are looked upon as if residing in a single body whose members cannot be severed from the whole without losing their vitality.” (my emphasis) (Tigunait, 2018, p. 181).
Specifically too, according to Samkhya Philosophy (one of the recognised six orthodox schools of Hindu Philosophies within India; and of which the sage founder, Kapila, is recognised in the name of an asana himself) boundaries between nature, spirit and factual experience, or ecological evolution and epistemology are more porous. Examples of this permeability in Yoga Philosophy are that parts of the mind - what may be thought, in psychological terms, are seen as an inherent part of nature (i.e. not discreetly ‘logical’ in a scientific sense). Both Samkhya and Yoga Philosophy argues that the “Divine Spark” (Atman or Universal Self) is present within all humans (Iyengar, 2001, p.21).
The classical language of Sanskrit itself, as an ancient system of communication, is also characterised as being beyond linguistic convention. Prashant Iyengar (BKS Iyengar’s son and a current Director at RIYMI) explains that Sanskrit terms used for objects and concepts can be seen as literally ‘standing in’ as the sign. Therefore, more than signifying a concept, they are the concept itself. Sanskrit is seen as sacred. This makes words assigned, and the signal of verbalising terms carry its own significance. In addition, like many languages, when translated, one term in Sanskrit can be ‘read’ in a multitude of ways. The positionality of the term matters in its own context; so Pada - a term you’ll often hear in class - can mean ‘Foot’ or ‘Quarter’ or ‘Region’ (Easwaran, 2008).
As you can see, Indian Philosophy is complex and super interesting! Knowing this then helps to understand why BKS Iyengar defines asana as: “Archetypal icons using architectural elements within the frame of the body” (my emphasis) (Iyengar, 2018b, p. 58). The term ‘icon’ used here indicates that what we’re doing in an asana practice is not just making shapes; we’re attempting to honourably embody something. And, that embodiment is beyond words and logic - it must be experienced.
Asana is the third sequential branch within the Eight Limbs of Patanjali’s Yoga. It’s true that often we start Yoga with our bodies. What might come next is up to you.
Now that we’ve covered why asana are important (and, especially in a wholistic sense), how can we better understand the types of asana we learn in class? What do those Sanskrit terms mean? And how can we begin to comprehend what they might teach us by what they have been named?
Types of asana
In the Iyengar Yoga system, asana can be somewhat usefully categorised into a few types, which I bucket into three groups, see below (with sub-sections, and overlapping areas). Mostly, I’m focusing on highlighting some of the asana that you would practice regularly across Foundation and General classes at our school. (A copy of Light on Yoga will show you the more fulsome majority of asana practiced under the Iyengar system).
Group One: Geometrical shapes. These asanas include shapes, directions and human-made objects. Under this category we can include architectural structures such as a Boat, a Bow (as in, Bow and Arrow) or a Bridge:
Trikonasana - Triangle
Prasarita Padottanasana - Extended Feet
Parighasana - Beam For Shutting A Gate
Navasana - Boat
Dhanurasana - Bow
Setu Banda - Construction Of A Bridge
A philosophical mindset to Yoga will encourage you when doing to Dhanurasana to conceptualise what’s happening beyond being ‘a Bow;’ instead, you may ponder how this, and many of these object asana are also referenced in other key Philosophical texts like the Mundaka Upanishad (composed between 700 BCE to 1st Century BCE):
“Take the great bow of the sacred scriptures,
Place it on the arrow of devotion;
Then draw the bowstring of meditation” (Easwaran, 2008, p.190).
Objects become metaphors of spiritual endeavour.
Group Two: The natural world. As nature (Prakrti) is venerated in Yoga, many asana are named after animals, insects and nature.
There is a creation myth of the God Siva - often depicted as the first and greatest Yogi, making the shape of a camel with his body in practice, and then camels came into being in the world. Every asana he practiced birthed more species (e.g. Pattanaik, 2014, p. 6). Therefore in Yoga History it is sometimes explained that at one time there were asana for every living creature (Yogashastra, Tome 2, 2008, p. 20). The point here being that by taking the body into an asana signified as a living creature, the practitioner would cultivate respect for all creatures, and the “whole gamut of creation,” from the smallest creature to the Divine (Iyengar, 2001, p. 22 and Iyengar, 2018a, p. 46):
Ustrasana - Camel
Bhujangasana - Cobra
Salabhasana - Locust
Vrksasana - Tree
Tadasana - Mountain
Vajrasana - Thunderbolt
Makrasana - River Dolphin
Nakrasana - Crocodile
It’s also worth highlighting here the inclusion of magical animals like the Makara, which is known as a ‘river dolphin,’ shown at times to look like a crocodile, or also represented with the head of an elephant and the tail of fish (see image below). It is also the symbol of Capricorn in Indian Astrology (Pattanaik, 2014, p.127).
Group Three: Sages and Mythological Heroes. There are a number of asana which carry the name of respected seers and sages. Most of these poses are taught less regularly in the Foundation and General program - as many are deemed ‘advanced’ postures. (We could even say they show just how ‘supremely intelligent and wise’ the body and mind have to become to be able to undertake many of these contortions!).
A welcome exception to some of the more complicated sage poses is Bharadvajasana, a twisting asana we regularly practice. More about the Seer Bharadvaja is explained below.
Asana categories can overlap too. Garuda means both Eagle (as a general term), and also means the King of the Birds and God Visnu’s ‘vehicle.’ (The vehicle/mount, or Vahana, of Goddesses and Gods is perhaps a little like a Divine mascot, as well as an embodied animalistic metaphor to complement their superhuman counterparts.) There are also other mythological animals like Ananta who is the “Serpent of Eternity” and the massive snake on which the God Visnu reclines between the ages of the world (Doniger, 2004, p.221).
God Visnu himself also reincarnates and comes to earth in certain Avatara - meaning ‘descent’ and incarnation - some of these animals have become key yoga asana, like the Fish (Matsya), theTurtle (Kurma) and the Swan (Hamsa) (Pattanaik, 2014, p. 7):
Ananatasana - Serpant Ananta or Sesa
Garudasana - Eagle; King Of The Birds; Vehicle Of Visnu
Bharadvajasana - Sage
Sage Poses
Before we look at why sages, as in wise people, are integral to Indian Philosophy, it’s worth noting that Sanskrit terminology itself demonstrates a broad continuum in assigning names of people undertaking a spiritual path. The first two terms in this table below are also themselves asana we practice (Virasana and Siddhasana):
Vira - Hero
Siddha - Adept
Rishi - Seer / Saint
Tapasvin - Ascetic
Muni - Ascetic / Sage / Hermit / Saint
Sanyasin - Renouncer
Pandit - Priest
Yogin - ‘Sacred Technician’ (Feurestein, 2013)
The relationship of sages in both the cultural development and teaching of Yoga is essential. As Yoga Scholar Georg Feuerstein notes: “The Taittiriya Upanishad has preserved many archaic teachings … of those adepts who crafted early yogic technology. It is also in this scripture (2.4.1.) that we find the very unequivocal occurrence of the word yoga in the technical sense, apparently standing for the sage’s control of the fickle senses” (my emphasis) (Feuerstein, 2013, p. 132).
Given this Upanishad text has been dated to the 6th to 5th Century BCE, we see how unique is the long-lasting relationship of sages and Yoga.
Sages included in Iyengar’s Light on Yoga asana are:
Bharadvaja
Marichi
Vasistha
Visvamitra
Vamadeva
Kasyapa
Kapila
Note these sages are all men. However, Indian Philosophy and Myth does include female Adepts, and has a very robust devotion to the Goddess. Women Adepts aligned to asana is more difficult to investigate. An example may be that Parvata means Mountain; and also the Goddess Parvati is referred to as the daughter to the mountain Himalaya, making her the Princess of the mountains, as well as Siva’s wife/consort. Another Yogi, or to use the feminised terminology of Yogini, to note is Gaunika, Patanjali’s mother. Patanjali is the propounder of the Yoga Sutras (Iyengar, 2018c, p.298).
Why sages matter
Lineage matters in most Indian spiritual traditions. What is known as the Guru Sisya or Parampara tradition is integral because of the methodology of direct experience and therefore, of the apprenticeship preference. Knowledge, including sacred texts and Yoga asana, were transmitted orally as well as by demonstration, from teacher to student. That student was expected to then become the teacher to a new generation of students, etc. BKS Iyengar himself regularly paid homage to his own Guru and lineage.
It is a truism that learned people can help us to keep sight of our values, especially in challenging situations. Maintaining faith can be enacted by remembering wise counsel - with the Sanskrit term, Sraddha, sometimes translated as ‘this ‘faith.’ As BKS Iyengar notes: “Sraddha is one of three factors, namely, sravana - listening to the wisdom of wise people, manana - reflecting on their wisdom, and niddhyasana - meditating on that experienced wisdom” (my emphasis) (Iyengar, 2018e, p. 72).
As Yoga is about experiential knowledge - subjective insight gained through practice (not just intellect) - remembering seers can encourage people to remember the embodied nature of the knowledge process. There were other people who studied, who dedicated themselves to the ‘living laboratories’ of Indian wisdom.
Sage Bharadvaja and Bharadvajasana
The Sage Bharadvaja is referenced in a number of key Indian texts including the Upanishads, Ramayana and Mahabarata. He is included as one of the recognised Seven Seers - Saptarshi - in material from the Vedic era (1500-1000 BCE). Feuerstein says the Shrauta-Sutras named these seers as a set. Included in the Seven Seers are also the following sages recognised in asana: Visvamitra, Vasishtha and Kasyapa. India also holds a very special relationship to the development of Mathematics globally, and counting to categorise is a key tenet in numerous texts. Feuerstein argues the Seven Seers symbolise the five human senses, the ‘lower' mind (Manas) and ‘higher’ mind (Buddhi) (Feuerstein, 2013, footnote p. 426). Literally, as sages use meditation to gain control of their senses, here, they also act as a signal for us to be aware of how much our own senses demand our attention.
Indologist Wendy Doniger shares a mythic story of how the Seven Sages were saved by a giant Visnu incarnation of a Matsya / Fish to preserve knowledge for all the ages (Doniger, 2004 p.195). Sages care about Dharma or duty, and taking care of others (Pattanaik, 2014, p. 164).
Renowned Indian Economist and Philosopher, Amartya Sen highlights Bharadvaja’s efforts to promote equality for all people’s in the Mahabharata (completed around the 3rd century Common Era; a classical work about a fierce war between cousins), quoting a line he speaks: “We all seem to be affected by desire, anger, fear, sorrow worry, hunger” (Sen, 2006, p.10).
Due to the transliteration process of Sanskrit to Romanised/Latin text, Bharadvaja is also written as Bharadwaja. There are also different diacritic marks, or accents, used above letters to refer to Bharadvaja. Some stories indicate a father Bharadvaja and a son Bharadvaja (the son also known as Sukesha). In the Prashna Upanishads Bharadvaja says, “He who speaks untruth shrivels up to his very roots. Therefore, I cannot speak untruth” (Katz & Thomas, 2015, p. 84).
Satya, Truth, is one of the five Yama’s / Ethics in the first branch of Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga.
Bharadvaja plays a minor, but important role in the Ramayana, a beloved and classical story of the life of King Rama (written before the Mahabarata around the 1st Century CE). Here, Bharadvaja is a disciple of Valmiki, the revered poet who wrote the Ramayana itself, and Valmiki becomes a character who appears within the text as well. This is yet another example of pourous boundaries in Indian thought (Ramayana DK book, p.30). Bharadvaja begins with Valmiki as student, then becomes a teacher. King Rama, his wife Sita, and Rama's brother, Lakshmana, stay with Bharadvaja at his hermitage in the forest when Rama is first exiled from the city of Ayodhya. The hospitality of sages - even with meagre resources - is noteworthy (Parthasarthy, 2012 , p.28).
Bharadvaja is directly referenced in Iyengar texts briefly too. In Light on Yoga: Bharadvaja is highlighted as the Father of Drona. Drona is a key “military preceptor [i.e. teacher, instructor, guru]” in the Mahabarata. In Yogashastra (Tome 3) - a Children’s Book on Yoga produced by RIYMI, the author Sunita Parthasarthy writes that Sage Bharadvaja, by studying Yoga, became immortal, and this was after he had already lived 1000 years! Parthasarthy adds, “Bharadvaja also means the one who can feed and look after many people” (Parthasarthy, 2012, p. 28).
In terms of the asana itself, BKS Iyengar tells us that Bharadvajasana makes “the back supple" (Iyengar, 2001, p.203). It can be used to “cool” the body and mind (Iyengar, 2018e, p.334) and take our frame into a “neutral gear” after back-bending postures (Iyengar, 2018d, p.240).
Next time you are in an asana ask yourself, “What characteristics can I embody?”
Part of what I enjoy about Indian Philosophy is that it demonstrates how the whole is greater than the parts. Be that our body, our self-embodiment, or be it the whole world itself.
Reflecting on sages, BKS Iyengar writes: “The famous puranic hermit Dattatreya had sixty-four teachers. I took this clue and learnt right action in asana by looking at movements of men and animals.” (Iyengar, 2018e, p.309).
Observation and practice are repeatable experiences. Asana teaches us about physical, psychological and even spiritual directionality. Feuerstein notes, “The underlying idea [of Karma Yoga] is that we are what we are because of what we do or, rather, how we do it. In our actions, we express who or what we are (or presume ourselves to be)” (my emphasis) (Feuerstein, 2013 p. 49).
Like all those people before (and after) you - both the wise ones, and the laypeople - in taking our whole selves into asana, it becomes an invitation to experience parts coming together in an auspicious manner. So next time you hear the Sanskrit term, I wonder what it might ignite in you!
Jackie Ruddock
Jackie Ruddock has been practising Iyengar yoga since 2008, and joined Central Yoga School in 2018. She is a certified Level 1 teacher.
References
[1] Debroy, Bibek et al, Illustrated Ramayana: the timeless epic of duty, love and redemption, DK Publisher, 2022
[2] Doniger, Wendy, Hindu Myths: a sourcebook translated from the Sanskrit, New Edition, Penguin, 2004
[3] Easwaran, Eknath, The Upanishads, Nilgiri Press, 2009
[4] Feuerstein, Georg, The Yoga Tradition: It’s History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice, Third edition, Hohm Press, 2013
[5] Iyengar, BKS, Astadala Yogamala - Volume 2 Collected Works, Avant Publishing Services, 2018a
[6] Iyengar, BKS, Astadala Yogamala - Volume 3 Collected Works, Avant Publishing Services, 2018b
[7] Iyengar, BKS, Astadala Yogamala - Volume 4 Collected Works, Avant Publishing Services, 2018c
[8] Iyengar, BKS, Astadala Yogamala - Volume 6 Collected Works, Avant Publishing Services, 2018d
[9] Iyengar, BKS, Astadala Yogamala - Volume 7 Collected Works, Avant Publishing Services, 2018e
[10] Iyengar, BKS, Light on Yoga, Thorsons, 2001
[11] Katz, Vernon and Egenes, Thomas, The Upanishads: a new translation, Tarcher Cornerstone Editions, 2015
[12] Parthasarthy, Sunita, Yogashastra (Tome 3), Yog, Mumbai and Ramanani Iyengar Yoga Memorial Institute, 2012
[13] Pattanaik, Devdutt, Pashu: Animal tales from Hindu Mythology, Puffin, 2014
[14] Sen, Amartya, The Argumentative Indian: writings on Indian history, culture and identity, Penguin, 2006
[15] “Teachers of RIMYI” et al, Yogashastra (Tome 2), Yog, Mumbai and Ramanani Iyengar Yoga Memorial Institute, 2008
[16] Tigunait, Pandit Rajmani, Seven Systems of Indian Philosophy, Himalayan Institute Press, 2018.
Image Credits
[1] Sage Bharadwaja. Accessed Online British Museum Archive. Watercolour Painting, Artist Unknown, 19th Century
[2] Goddess Ganga with her Makara (River Dolphin) Vehicle (Vahana). Accessed Online V&A Museum Archive. Kalighat Painting, Artist Unknown, 1850-1860.