Yoga asana names with pictures and benefits for beginners
ASANA: THE YOGA POSES
Asana refers to sthiram sukham aasanam. It implies a position that is comfortable and steady. Similarly, according to many scripts, yoga asana names describe the act of sitting in a comfortable position or posture for an everlasting period.
Thus, the ability to sit comfortably for an extended period in a position is called asana. While performing asana, our organ and gland functions influenced. Moreover, they become more efficient and lead to improving the health of the body and mind.
Asanas are the easiest way to focus our minds. Similarly, ancient yoga practices provide brilliant mind benefits and body benefits, including strength, flexibility, and stress relief.
Further, asanas effectively cure many diseases. Yoga asana names are all about postures that involve different types of stretch.
Talking about belly fat and weight loss, asanas like Surya Namaskar, Dhanurasana, Bhujangasana, Kapalbhati pranayama are accepted worldwide to reduce obesity.
Since the benefits of yoga require consistency, there must be constant patience to achieve its benefits. It also needs dedication and hard work to get results.
However, losing weight demands physical exercise with a balanced diet. Diets like intermittent fasting, low carbs are considered beneficial when combined with such physical practices.
It is vital to practice physical exercise regularly to accomplish mindful eating. As a beginner, one should prefer simple warm-ups and stretches at first. So, stretching and yoga asanas can serve you with several advantages.
ASANA PRACTICE
There are four ways to provide a direction to our consciousness:
I) Body
As you practice asana, moving your focus on different body parts and their movements is restorative. Not only has it provided a good interaction of your mind and other body parts, but it also improves coordination among legs, hands, abdomen, neck, etc.
II) Mind
Focusing our mind does not include concentrating on our thoughts. It involves drowning deep in your mind, which you can observe your thoughts. You can easily see what your thoughts are about without being involved in it. It helps improve your hold over distractions.
III) Breathe
Focus your breathing pattern serves as the combination of the above-stated concentration of body and mind. As you breathe, your body movements and mind will concentrate on breaths, follow slow and conscious changes.
It promotes external and internal consciousness. Such asana practice provides awareness and relaxation physical as well as mental.
IV) Sound
This concentration involves movement of body parts, attaining a posture, along with deep enhanced breathes and releasing breathe with the sound of Om. Likewise, sound study or concentration develops coordination among every part of our body, mind, and breath with the sound.
TYPES OF ASANAS
Yoga asanas names have the following broadly described classes:
1. Meditative Asanas
Padmasana, sidhasana, and savasana are yoga poses that enhance the meditation of an individual. Hence the yoga asana names fall under this category.
We get the pertinence of these asanas during meditation. It improves blood circulation and provides relaxation while meditating. Moreover, such yoga asanas are beneficial when practiced in a quiet and peaceful environment.
2. Relaxative Asanas
Relaxation Asanas are effective in relieving stress, anxiety, and depression. Shavasana and Makarasana are some yoga asana names of relaxative asanas.
Such a kind of asana effectively removes fatigue and provides physical and mental stability.
Therefore, its practice every day can reduce the emotional strain and relaxes your mind. Moreover, it also improves energy flow.
3. Corrective Asanas
As the yoga asana names suggest, they improve your posture and lead to healthy body functioning. These asanas are prominent and provide a flow of energy throughout the body.
Therefore, they are found helpful in regulating the activities of organs. Corrective yoga asana names include Shirsasana, Sarvangasana, Matasyasana, Halasana, Bhujangasana, Shalabhasana, Dhanurasana, Chakrasana, Mayurasana and Singhasana.
These corrective asanas can improve your posture and can cure several strain problems in the body. Thus, they are influential in healing some acute body aches.
4. Sitting asanas
Sitting asanas stretch the spine and relieve back pain, which could be a result of spinal compression. Also, it enhances the flexibility of an individual.
The yoga asana stimulates the digestive system and aids abdominal organs. It effectively removes stiffness in the neck and shoulders. Thus, they are considered relaxative asana for your upper body parts.
5. Standing asanas
Standing asanas proves to be very useful for people who have continued hours of sitting. There can be stiffness in joints due to prolonged sitting periods.
Therefore, it can help improve balance and develop body strength. Several times we feel uncoordinated in our movements.
REQUIREMENT OF WARM-UP
Warming up is crucial to regulate blood circulation and increase heart rate to reduce the risk of injury and deformation.
However, performing sun-salutation serves the best body warm-up and increases heart rate to the optimum level. You can also perform some more asanas to increase temperature and blood flow through each muscle.
COOLDOWN YOGA
As our body requires a warm-up, cooling exercises are also crucial to get back to the pre-yoga position. Cooldown yoga decreases muscle stiffness. It lowers body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure.
Performing yoga or any other physical exercises like cardio, weight lifting, or other strength training exercises result in excessive secretion of lactic acid in the body muscles. Cooling down after a solid workout removes lactic acid and clears the tissues.
A minimum cooldown of 10-15 minutes provides relaxation and prevents useless thoughts in the brain. These stress-relieving postures provide you transition from an intensive workout session to routine works.
BENEFITS OF YOGA ASANAS
By performing asanas regularly, we can improve our physical, mental, and emotional health.
1. Bones and joints become potent
Performing asanas regularly strengthens your bones, ligaments, and cartilage. Additionally, there is a list of yoga asana names to improve the fitness of an individual. The joints become powerful and capable of bearing more pressure.
Practicing asana improves flexibility of joints and spine. Thus, asanas provide relief from several aches like back pain, joint pain, muscle strain, etc. Asanas are found efficient in correcting the postural malformation of a person.
2. Improves blood circulation
Regular practice of yoga asanas improves the efficiency of the cardiac muscles. As a result, our stroke value and cardiac health improve.
Yoga asana practices improve blood circulation and normalize blood pressure. It also reduces the cholesterol level in the blood and improves health.
When we regularly perform asanas, the removal of lactic acid and phosphate takes place from the muscles, which results in decreased fatigue.
3. Increases volume breaths
Yoga asanas practice increases breath volumes. It strengthens the lungs and increases the rate of breathing. Plus, they affect the size of the chest and lungs favorably.
Moreover, it improves individuals will power and helps them develop a strong and charismatic personality. Numerous yoga asana names in this list can prevent diseases like asthma, cough, and cancer of the trachea.
Furthermore, our immunity boosts when we perform yoga asanas daily. Consequently, we become unaffected by several transmittable diseases like a virus, diarrhea, etc.
4. Recover digestive system
Yoga asanas tend to increase the efficiency of our organs and results in better functioning. Similarly, asana improves our digestive system.
It also improves the ability to absorb and excrete products so that the organs can perform their functions effectively.
Regular yoga practice makes our body secrete an efficient amount of enzymes and catalysts to reduce the deficiency and improve health.
Asanas provide strength to muscles and the stomach and increase hunger. Moreover, complications like constipation, indigestion, and gastric problem diminishes.
5. Reinforce the nervous system
The nervous system is highly essential for our body as it connects several systems and organs. Practicing yoga consistently strengthens and calms our nervous system.
Further, yoga practice improves the efficiency of our neuromuscular coordination and braces with the help of asanas.
Synapse becomes more efficient. It also influences mental power and provides mental and emotional stability.
6. Proper secretion of glands
Several deficiencies are a result of the inappropriate secretion of hormones. Asanas performed to balance glandular secretion ensures proper health.
A balanced secretion also improves our digestion and emotional health. Therefore, we should indulge in physical exercises to improve our overall health status.
Glands are supposed to produce excessive hormones, used in dire requirement. Maintain insulin and thyroid secretions for the proper development of the body.
YOGA ASANA NAMES LIST FOR REGULAR PRACTICE
1. Tadasana – The Mountain Pose
Tadasana is also known as mountain pose as it indicates the shape of a mountain. The asana provides a stretch to the hands, back, spine, and whole body.
Tadasana involves standing erect on the mat. Take a deep breath, stretch your arms in the air, and move your weight to your toes. And as you exhale, get back on your heels and repeat the movement for 4-5 deep breaths.
It is also beneficial for those who want to increase their height. Tadasana serves as a healthy morning message that refreshes the whole body.
It is a full-body stretching yoga. Importantly, do not perform any asana just after eating a meal. There should be almost a 4-5 hours gap between your lunch and yoga practice.
2. Trikonasana – The Triangle Pose
Trikonasana serves as a muscle-stretch exercise. Stand your feet apart. Now, try to touch your leg with the corresponding hand. Look up to your other hand up in the air. It also improves our body functions. Trikonasana can effectively reduce blood pressure, stress, and anxiety.
3. Ardha Matasyendrasana – The Half Twist Pose
Ardha Matasyendrasana increases flexibility and proper blood circulation that results in better oxygen flow. It removes stiffness from the upper body and stretches back muscles and the spinal cord.
While performing Ardha Matasyendrasana, sit with cross legs (one leg over the other). Your one foot should touch your opposite-side hip, while your corresponding hand should support the spine. And, another elbow should reach the opposite knee joint. Look at the back, performing the asana.
People, who practice Ardha Matsyendrasana regularly, can cure diabetes, constipation, and urinary tract disorder.
4.Sirsasana – The Headstand Pose
Sirsasana also decreases the spinal problem and promotes sound sleep. It is considered reliable for better brain functions and memory because it helps increase blood circulation in the brain.
Since this asana is prone to injury, you must practice under the supervision of experts. Moreover, people suffering from liver, low blood circulation can perform Sirsasana and increase their health rate.
5.Sarvangasana – The Shoulder Stand
Sarvangasana is a beginner asana that heals back pain. It also improves resistance power and consequently strengthens the body.
Therefore, these detoxification features provide a glow to the face and skin. Sarvangasana improves the functioning of the pancreas and effectively controls blood sugar. It serves best when practiced empty stomach in the morning.
6.Paschimottanasana – Forward Bend Pose
Paschimottanasana is a stretching exercise for the whole body. Sit your legs straight at the front with your back erect. Inhale and bow down to touch your head with your knees.
And, hold your feet with your hands. Keep this position for some time to relax your spine and stretch leg muscles.
Paschimottanasana reduces belly fat. Being a complete stretching exercise, it introduces flexibility in the spine and the whole body. Additionally, its regular practice strengthens back muscles and helps increase height.
7.Halasana – The Plough Pose
Halasana is also a great stretching exercise for back muscles. Lie in a supine position and raise your legs until it touches the floor behind your head. It provides flexibility to the body. And, regular practice decreases the stress level.
Moreover, it heals the digestive system and relieves constipation. Halasana is a preferred asana for diabetic patients as it improves insulin levels in the blood.
Additionally, it reduces the symptoms of menopause. Practicing halasana requires proper guidance as it has a high risk of injury in your neck and back.
8.Uttanapadasana – The Raised Leg Pose
Uttanapadasana is also helpful for strong abdominal muscles. Thus, it cures stomach disorders and also provides relief in back pain.
9.Shavasana – The Corpse Pose
This asana involves a corpse posture, and lying in this position for a long improves the mind’s focus. And, Shavasana removes several unnecessary thoughts.
The posture involves lying in a supine position and focus on breathing. It is a purely relaxing asana that clears your mind.
10.Natrajasana – Lord of the dance pose
Natrajasana is one among yoga asana names to denote one of the avatars of lord shiva. Besides, he is the origin of dance forms and yoga.
As the yoga asana name suggests, it resembles the pose of the lord of the dance. Since dance requires excellent balance, this posture improves your body balance.
Along with posture formation, it helps reduce the weight of an individual. Thus, it is an overall pose to achieve all the benefits of an asana.
11.Ardha Chakrasana – Half wheels pose
You should perform it with proper guidance until you have a good practice. The pose can improve your muscles if you are practice consistently.
12.Ushtrasana – Camel Pose
Ushtarasana resembles a pose like a camel. The yoga asana name in Sanskrit is a camel. People suffering from back problems can find this asana very helpful in relieving the pain.
Additionally, this asana relaxes the mind and promotes blood circulation in the body. It also increases the breathing volume and improves the respiratory system.
Ushtrasana introduces flexibility in the chest, abdomen, and neck.
The asana proves to be beneficial for the endocrine and nervous systems. Moreover, it efficiently reduces stomach fat.
13.Naukasana- Boat Pose
The yoga asana name Nauka refers to a boat in Sanskrit and indicates a pose like a boat. This asana mainly works on the lungs, liver, and pancreas.
Practicing this asana also reduces belly fat. It improves the functioning of the kidney, thyroid, and prostate glands.
14.Marjariasana- Cat Pose
Being a very great stretching exercise, Marjariasana improves flexibility in the spine and relieves us from back pain.
Moreover, the yoga asana provides blood circulation in the body and stimulates the digestive system.
This asana works best for the abdomen and also tones the abdominal muscles. It also relaxes our minds.
15.Balasana- Child Pose
Balasana is considered a useful relaxative asana. It aids the neck, back, and hip strain.
Sit your legs folded and your feet flat. Stretch your arms in the air.
This asana slows and regulates breathing rate. Besides, it provides a complete stretch to arms and hips. Balasana practices calm the mind and body.
16.Sukhasana – Easy Pose
Sukhasana provides meditative benefits. It lowers the level of anxiety and introduces calmness.
Furthermore, this yoga asana provides relief from menstrual pain and stretches lower body parts.
Be sure to straighten your spine as this position benefits your mind and helps to focus.
16.Vrikshasana – Tree Pose
Stand on your one leg, while the other feet, resting at the opposite thigh. Now, creating the balance, join your hands, providing the position of a tree.
17.Mayurasana – Arm Balance
Mayurasana is an advanced form of yoga poses that requires arm balancing. This asana helps you with the blood circulation in the body.
Moreover, it keeps your mind calm and provides strength to the arms. As a beginner, you may find it hard to attain such a position.
Do not mind taking support from a wall or bench, as the yoga pose will remain beneficial in this way too.
18.Hastapadasana – Forward bend pose
The asana is useful for better blood circulation in the body along with the flow of energy.
However, it can be practiced as many times and at any time you want, which results in instant glowing skin.
Though, pregnant women or people with abdominal problems are not allowed to perform such asana.
Inhale as you stretch your arms overhead and then hold it. Bend forward to touch your toes and exhale.
19.Uttanasana – forward bending pose
Uttanaasana is a forward bending pose, including arm bind. It provides a complete shoulder stretch and reduces stress, anxiety.
This asana relaxes the shoulder and stretches the legs. Moreover, it also provides blood flow through the brain and improves its functions.
20.Garudasana – Eagle Pose
The asana includes twisting of hands and legs with each other. It requires a bit of flexibility and balance.
Though, it seems a difficult task to hold the position for some time. Moreover, the posture is simple to perform once you gain a grip over it.
This asana removes extra fat in arms and thighs and improves our body balance.
WEIGHT GAIN YOGA ASANA NAMES
As obesity is a threat to your health, likewise remain lean is a sign of poor health. There are a bunch of factors that could be responsible for abnormal weight.
These could be inept metabolism, inadequate appetite, and weak digestion. However, some asanas can help you maintain them and gain weight.
Asanas balance your physical, mental, and emotional functions to increase body weight. Thus, it is a healthy way to become fit and active.
Further, yoga can improve several health conditions through weight gain asanas. Like, dramatically increase your appetite to gain weight.
There is no doubt that asanas can improve stamina, posture, good health, and mental state.
1. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
Bhujangasana, also known as cobra pose, stretches your muscles of shoulder, chest, and abdomen. Lie in a prone position, keeping hands beneath your shoulders.
Now, raise your upper body part without the support of your hands. And look straight in the air. This pose is effective in improving digestion and blood circulation in the body.
Moreover, it also influences the secretion of the thyroid gland, which is responsible for better metabolism.
Bhujangasana is a Sanskrit word, which implies a snake pose. As its yoga asana name, it indicates the raised hood of a cobra.
The asana is most effective when practiced in the morning with an empty stomach. However, you can also practice it in the evening or at any flexible time.
2. Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand)
Salamba Sarvangasana, or the shoulder stand, is considered powerful among all the yoga asanas. The pose is an advanced asana and is called the queen of all yoga asanas. Holding it for 30 to 60 minutes improves your digestion.
Salamba Sarvangasana also helps reduce anxiety and stress levels. The pose introduces blood flow in the abdominal area, which also helps improving its function and digestion.
3.Vajrasana (Diamond Pose)
In this pose, you have to sit your legs flexed with your hands on your knees. Keep your arms straight and rest over your ankles.
Vajrasana, or the diamond pose, is major practiced in meditation. This yoga asana is required to sit in during meditating.
The pose helps relieve constipation and improve digestion. It stretches the muscles of the thighs and calves.
4. Pavanmuktasana (Wind Relieving Pose)
Pavanmuktasana, as the yoga asana name suggests, relieves the trapped gases in your body. Practice this asana empty stomach in the morning when it provides better results and relieves pressure.
Firstly, lie on your back along your feet together. Now, fold your legs such that it touches your chest. Hold your knees with your arms.
Repeat the process with your right leg and also both the legs together.
Adequately, it should be practiced up to a minute or two to receive its advantages. The pose also stretches the abdominal muscles.
Consequently, Pavanmuktasana improves the metabolism rate. It removes the problems like indigestion, constipation, acidity, and flatulence.
5. Matsyasana (The Fish Pose)
Matsyasana resembles the posture of a fish. This yoga asana name refers to Lord Vishnu, who saved people from the great flood in his Matsya avatar.
The asana name implies fish pose, which works for upper body flexibility. It refreshes the organs of your belly.
Additionally, it relieves tension in your neck and shoulder, improving your postural deformities. Correction in your body posture provides confidence and improves your body image as well.
The pose is simple to perform for a beginner. Furthermore, it strengthens your spine and serves best when practiced empty stomach.
6. Dhanurasana (The Bow Pose)
Are you interested in weight loss? This yoga asana can be helpful in your weight loss program. Dhanurasana is considered very powerful for weight loss, especially belly fat.
Lie on your mat in the prone position. Hold your feet with your corresponding hands. Now, pull your arms and attain the position as shown.
Dhanurasana removes postural deformities and improves the functioning of many body parts. It effectively works for the kidney, pancreas, liver, and intestines.
Consequently, the posture improves digestion and reduces gastric problems. However, people suffering from migraines or frequent headaches should not prefer this asana.
7. Chakrasana (The Wheel Pose)
Chakra is one of Sanskrit yoga asana names that resemble a wheel. When you bend backward, you form a wheel-like posture named chakrasana.
However, it is a backward bending posture. Stretch your arms straight in the air and take a deep breath, bend backward. Touch the floor such that your body will be stretched and attains a position of wheel or chakra.
If you are a beginner, you may find it hard to bend backward. However, you may try an alternate method where you should lie down on your back. Keep your palms and feet in touch with the floor and raise your body from the abdomen.
It will help you attain the same position. Once you master that, bending backward is not a difficult task to perform. However, try such stuff on a soft mattress and in guidance to avoid any injury.
Chakrasana introduces flexibility and provides energy flow through the body. It provides hormonal balance and improves body functions.
When you practice chakrasana, your blood is purified as it removes all kinds of waste material. It takes your oxygenated blood to every organ and boosts metabolism. A few minutes of practice is enough to provide a pack of perks for your health.
PRECAUTIONS YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOGA PRACTICE
There are some points you should keep in mind while practicing yoga poses. Because they can help you get the best out of what asanas you perform.
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- Performing yoga asana is like meditation. So, you must select a quiet place for yoga asana.
- Choose loose and comfortable clothes. It will help you stretch and make you more involved in the practice.
- While performing yoga asanas, always have a mat with you. Practice yoga asanas on a mat prove to be significant.
- Hydration is necessary to focus on during the overall session of asanas. So, be hydrated suitably to fulfill the requirements of the body.
- Decide a specific time interval between yoga exercise and meal to avoid practice just after having a diet. This activity can ruin your health condition.
- Postures, including swirl, twist, or strain, should be prevented in case of injury or abdominal problems.
- In the case of an acid problem, one should avoid bending below the stomach asanas.
- Whether you are suffering from any injury or not, it is helpful to consult your doctor or any fitness advisor to flourish your health.
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