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 Traditional Asana
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Homage to the Source

Four classic Hatha Yoga manuals were consulted for this sequence: Gheranda Samhita (GS, late 17th century CE), Hatha Ratna Avali (HRE, mid-17th century CE), Shiva Samhita (SS, late 17th century CE), and Hatha Yoga Pradipika (HYP, mid-14th century CE).

Gheranda asserts there are eight hundred and forty thousand asanas, “as many as there are species of living beings.” Of these 84 are pre-eminent, and of these 32 are “useful in the world of mortals.” The following sequence is based on these 32 asanas. Twenty-three of the original 32 have been retained. The nine substitutions include: five asana-like seals (mudra) described by Gheranda, three postures from the HRA, and one posture adapted from the SS. Many of  the postures also have preliminary practices or variations, mostly taken from the HRA and the Shri Tattva Nidhi (STN), a 19th century encyclopedia that illustrates about 120 asanas.

KEY:
* = posture also described by HYP                
▼= Nasa agra drishti (stare at nose tip)
● = Kantha bandha (Throat Bond)
▲ = Bhru madhya drishti (stare at mid-brow)

Sanskrit
English Equivalent
Iyengar Equivalent
Comment
Method
1. TADAGI MUDRA Pond None Destroys old age and death “Draw the belly backwards so as to make it look like a pond” (Gheranda).

Variations:
-KANDUKA

 Ball    
From supine, roll into “ball”

-DRISHADA

Stone     In Kandukasana, roll side to side

-MARJARI UTTANA

Extended Cat     Supine, clasp hands behind neck, elbows pressed by drawn up inner knees
2. VAJRA Diamond None Bestows powers Sit on your heels with the tops of the feet on the floor.

Variations:

      1. Lean back, press the hands to the floor slightly behind the feet, lift the chest
2. Sit with the toes turned under
3. In either (1) or (2), lift the buttocks off the heels
3. SIMHA*▼●  Lion Similar Destroys disease, facilitates the three major bandhas (mula, uddiyana, kantha) In the Iyengar version, the knees are close together. Another version has the knees spread very wide.
4. MANDUKA Frog Like wide-knee virasana   Toes together, heels apart, sit on the inner feet. Spread your knees at least as wide as, or wider than, the hips.
5. UTTANA MANDUKA Extended Frog     “Hold the head by the elbows, and stand up like a frog” (Gheranda). Sit in Mandukasana, raise the arms, bend the elbows, hands press scapulas. In one version the hands are placed on the same- side shoulder blades; in another the forearms are crossed and the hands placed on the opposite shoulder blades.

Variations:

      Cross the forearms above the head, hold the elbows 
6. BHADRA*▼● Auspicious, Happy Baddha konasana Destroys disease, gets rid of fatigue  

Variations:

      Lean forward and lay the torso between the inner thighs.
7. SVASTIKA* Fortunate, Prosperous None   Usually a simple cross-shin posture. Gheranda says to sit “straight,” and keep both hands “under the thighs.” In this sequence perform it as a “loose” cross-leg stretch. Place the left heel to the outside the right hip, and cross the right leg on top, with the right ankle to the OUTSIDE of the left knee (so the right sole is perpendicular to the floor). If you want more stretch slide the left shin forward to bring both shins parallel. Then reverse.

Variations:

      Lean forward and lay the torso on the inner thighs.
8. GOMUKHA* Cow Face Similar Gheranda doesn’t describe the customary arm position.  

Variations:
-SANKATA

      Like Gomukha, sit on heels
9. PADMA*▼● Lotus Same Destroys disease, awakens Kundalini Experienced beginners perform Half Lotus (ardha padmasana)

Variations:
-BADDHA PADMA        

Bound Lotus Same    
-YOGA▼ Union  None   Lay the backs of open hands on the floor.
10. KUKKUTA* Cock Same   Beginners can substitute either lolasana or tolasana.
11. VIRA* Hero Similar to the leg position for bharad-
vajasana II. 		   
TRANSITION (dedicated to the Yoga Sutra)
DANDA Staff Same Source: Vyasa, commentary on YS (2.46), 5-6th century CE.  
12. UGRA Stern Upavishtha konasana Stimulates prana, destroys dullness Source: SS; pose adapted, ugrasana is probably just another name for paschimottanasana.
13. MAHA MUDRA*▲● Great Seal   Cures all disease, destroys death, confers siddhis  
14. PASHCHIMOTTANA* Intense-Stretch- of-the-West (i.e. the back of the body) Same Directs breath through sushumna, increases appetite, reduces obesity, cures diseases  

Variation:
-SHAYITA PASHCHIMOTTANA

Reclining Intense-Stretch- of-the-West    Urdhva Mukha Pashchimottta nasana II    

Preliminary:
-HRI JANU SAMYOGA

      Sitting, cradle foreleg in arms
15. DHANU (1) Bow Same, but called akarna dhanurasana Source: HRA. “The big toes are held with the hands and are pulled upto the ears (alternately). Thus one assumes the shape of a stretched bow.”
16. MATSYENDRA*▲ Lord of Fish      
17. BHUJAN GA Serpent, usually called Cobra Same Increases body heat, destroys disease, awakens Kundalini  
18. SHALABHA Locust, Grasshopper Similar leg position only   Place your hands below your chest, “touching the ground with the palms.” Raise your legs “one cubit [18-21 inches?] high” (Gheranda).

Variation:

       Put the fists under the lower abdomen, just inside the hip points, and lift the legs.
19. MAKARA Sea Monster, Dolphin Same Increases body heat  
20. DHANU* (2) Bow Same    
21. USHTRASANA Camel Similar to dhanurasana (2)   From dhanurasana (2), cross the ankles and hold each with opposite hand, lift the head and upper torso, thighs stay on floor. Draw in the belly and the mouth (Gheranda).
22. MARKATA Monkey Like uttanasana Source: HRA  

Variations:
- KULALA CHAKRA

Potter’s Wheel     Stretch out, rotate hands

-MUSALA

 Pestle     Standing, repeatedly raise arms

-USHTRA

       Stand on balls of feet, stretch arms up

-BALALINGA

 Child Hug     Standing, hug one knee to chest

-KAPOTA

 Pigeon     Standing, bring hands down backward to knees
Preliminary to 23 and 24 (Source: HRA):
PADAPIDA Foot Press     Stand on one leg, bend other knee, raise heel to buttock, hold ankle with both hands.
23. UTKATA Superior, Hazardous     Squat on the balls of the feet, buttocks supported on the raised heels. Stretch your arms straight forward, parallel to the floor, raise them perpendicular to the floor, or touch the palms in anjali mudra.
FOUR VARIATIONS (Source: HRA: a, b, d):

-SAURA

 Divine, Celestial     Extend one leg forward, sit on single heel. Reverse

-DHUNA

 Shaking     From Saura, reach out for extended foot. Reverse.

-VIMALA

 Pure     Squat on one raised heel, place free foot on bent knee

-ANGUSHTHA

 Big Toe     Touch the knees to the ground.
24. VRIKSHA Tree Same    
25. VIPARITA KARANI MUDRA (1) Inverse-Action Seal Shirshasana Destroys decay and death; the adept “does not  perish,” even at the dissolution of the universe        “Place the head on the ground, with hands spread, raise the legs up, and thus remain steady” (Gheranda). There are two interpretations of these instructions, one comparing the pose to shirshasana, the other to sarvangasana. So perform VKM (1) as Headstand, VKM (2) below as Shoulderstand.
26. MAYURA* Peacock Same Removes abdominal disorders, digests bad food, destroys poisons, all diseases  
27. VAJROLI MUDRA Diamond in the Womb Like paripurna navasana Awakens Shakti, extends life, gives perfection and emancipation; retention of seed is obtained “Place the two palms on the ground, raise the legs in the air upward, the head not touching the earth” (Gheranda). There are different instructions for this mudra. In this sequence perform it like Full Boat, except with the palms pressed to the floor slightly behind the hips.
28. VIPARITA KARANI MUDRA (2) Sarvangasana      
29. VICHITRA KARANI Wonderful (or Brilliant, Charming, Amusing) Action Same, but called halasana Source: HRA  
30. MATSYA Fish Same Destroys disease The photo in Light on Yoga shows the legs in Lotus. In this sequence, perform the posture with the legs in a simple cross. Be sure to cross the legs both ways, and spend an equal length of time in each cross.
31. SIDDHA*▲ Accomplished, Perfect Same Opens door to salvation, purifies nadis  
32. SHAVA* Corpse Same Destroys fatigue, calms mind
  

Six excluded postures (from GS): MUKTA (Liberated), GUPTA (Hidden), GORAKSHA (Cow Herd), KURMA (Tortoise), UTTANA KURMA (Extended Tortoise), GARUDA (Devourer or Eagle); three included as variations: SANKATA, VRISHA, YOGA.
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