Say the word “yoga” and for most people in the West, the immediate image that arises is asana: a graceful natarajasana, balanced vrikshasana, bold virabhadrasana, or pretzel-legged padmasana.
Yet asana goes much deeper than physical poses. An understanding of asana in its more subtle aspects points towards the true goal of yoga, the revelation of the Self.
Sthira Sukham Asanam
Patanjali, considered the founder of classical yoga, outlined in his Yoga Sutras a system of ashtanga yoga, or yoga of eight limbs. (This bears little relation to Pattabhi Jois’ 20th-century ashtanga yoga, primarily an asana practice.)
The eight limbs or stages are:
- Yama
- Niyama
- Asana
- Pranayama
- Pratyahara
- Dharana
- Dhyana
- Samadhi
Asana falls third on the list, and while in the West, it is synonymous with yoga as a whole, Patanjali’s description of it is characteristically succinct:
“Asana is a steady and comfortable seated posture.
Perfection is accomplished through relaxation and contemplation upon the infinite.
Thereafter the yogi is undisturbed by duality.”
(Yoga Sutras, 2.46-48)
Asana literally means “seat,” and in Patanjali’s time (somewhere between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD), it was mainly just this: a posture for meditation. The earliest described asanas are simple seated poses, such as padmasana (lotus pose), svastikasana (auspicious pose), and bhadrasana (prosperous pose or cobbler’s pose).
Only in the 9th or 10th centuries did the classical asanas begin to appear as we know them today. Hatha Yoga as a complete system was not fully described until the writing of Hatha Yoga Pradipika in the 15th century.
Most asanas practiced today, including such beloveds as trikonasana (triangle pose) and the movements of surya namaskara, are much more recent additions. Though they may have been practiced earlier and passed on by oral tradition, they were only codified in the 20th century.
Immobility of the Body Which Induces Quietness of the Mind
In Hridaya Hatha Yoga, we take Patanjali’s recommendation of a firm and comfortable position quite seriously.
Except for surya namaskara, we don’t move between asanas but, having entered the pose, stay still and let the asana reveal its secrets in its own time.
The third of seven stages in the practice of each asana is kaya sthairyam, immobility of the body. This should never be a stiffness or rigidity but a conscious settling of the body that allows for relaxation, quietness of the mind, and transparency to inner light.
The asana should be firm in that you take care to align the body correctly, to protect the joints and muscles and allow for the most beneficial movement of energy. You keep a sense of alertness and centeredness, your aspiration towards the Divine, even while entering a profound state of relaxation.
In this quietness of the body, you may begin to experience the “inner asana,” the true nature of the body as a vast open space, filled with light.
Asana for Meditation
Depth in meditation requires being seated firmly.
First, sit well in the body. The back is straight, the chest is open, the eyes softly closed…
We receive these instructions at the beginning of every guided meditation. If you doubt their importance, try meditating slumped over or leaning back on the couch. Maybe it works; probably it doesn’t.
Sit well but not stiffly. Again, this is an experiment you can run for yourself. Sit up like a soldier saluting; hold your back like an iron rod; focus hard so you don’t lose your perfect posture.
How does your meditation go now?
So there is some middle path, a verticality and balance in the body matched with ease and relaxation. It’s almost as if your body were a coat that you drape over a hanger, and when you let go, it just stays there.
You don’t want to have to think about your body while meditating. Every once in a while, maybe you check and correct your posture if it’s gone off, but mostly, you should just let it be and focus on something more profound.
Your position should be comfortable enough to maintain for an extended time, whether that means sitting on any arrangement of cushions or a chair.
Then, sit well in the mind.
At first, it is very difficult to remain clear and steady in the mind without an object of concentration. If you try to just sit and stay in a state of pure, objectless awareness, you might succeed for a few seconds, but most likely, you will very quickly start following your thoughts and become immersed. Many yogic traditions, therefore, recommend using a mantra, visualization, or other object, until one’s concentration is stable and awareness is deep.
In Hridaya Meditation, the Heart Center is initially an object of concentration. Such an internal focus will naturally draw you into a state of pratyahara (interiorization of the senses, the next anga in Patanjali’s system) and point towards more profound experiences.
Of course, to touch the depth of meditation (progressing from dharana to dhyana), you must go beyond mere concentration. The Heart reveals itself as an organ of knowledge—the living, feeling, devotional core of your being—and eventually as the one true Reality.
What Is Your Meditation Sitting On?
What is the foundation of your meditation?
Are you interested in its little gifts? A meditation practice hands out many sweets along the way: mental peace, stress relief, psychological healing, creativity. It will help you feel better, work better, and enjoy your life.
Or is your heart set on something more?
Past a certain point, the depth of your meditation depends less on technique than on intention.
Of all the Beloved’s tricks, the most uncanny is that He fulfills all our desires. As long as you wish, on any level of your being, to remain in the dream of separation, to play at being the God of your own universe, this is granted.
When you desire Him and only Him, He gives Himself without hesitation.
At this point, you are praying like Rumi: “If I set my heart on anything but You, let fire burn me from the inside.”
There is a world of difference between meditation as a technique for self-improvement and meditation founded on an authentic commitment to Self-Inquiry, on a burning need to experience the true nature of reality.
And beyond that, it is in the hands of God.
By your power of concentration, will, and clarity of individual awareness, you can approach the final threshold. You can step your feet onto the welcome mat and glimpse some light leaking through the edges of the door—but you cannot open it. It opens only from the inside.
At this point, your only work is to surrender. Emptying yourself of yourself, you open the space for Grace to descend. At that moment, maybe it will, but even if it does not, your surrender remains all the same.
Naveen is a Hridaya teacher and a frequent contributor to our blog. You can read all of her posts here.
