List of asanas

An asana (Sanskrit: आसन, IAST: āsana) is a body posture, used in both medieval hatha yoga and modern yoga.^[1] The term is derived from the Sanskrit word for 'seat'. While many of the oldest mentioned asanas are indeed seated postures for meditation, asanas may be standing, seated, arm-balances, twists, inversions, forward bends, backbends, or reclining in prone or supine positions. The asanas have been given a variety of English names by competing schools of yoga.^[2]

Padmāsana, lotus pose, used for meditation. Gilt bronze statue of Bodhisattva Manjusri and Prajnaparamita, Nepal, c. 1575

The traditional number of asanas is the symbolic 84, but different texts identify different selections, sometimes listing their names without describing them.^[3][a] Some names have been given to different asanas over the centuries, and some asanas have been known by a variety of names, making tracing and the assignment of dates difficult.^[5] For example, the name Muktasana is now given to a variant of Siddhasana with one foot in front of the other, but has also been used for Siddhasana and other cross-legged meditation poses.^[6] As another example, the headstand is now known by the 20th century name Shirshasana, but an older name for the pose is Kapalasana.^[3][7] Sometimes, the names have the same meaning, as with Bidalasana and Marjariasana, both meaning Cat Pose.^[8][9]

Affixes

Variations on the basic asanas are indicated by Sanskrit affixes including the following:

English	Sanskrit	Meaning	Example
Adho	अधो	downward	Adho Mukha Shvanasana (downward [facing] dog)
Ardha	अर्ध	half	Ardha Padmasana (half lotus)
Baddha	बद्ध	bound	Baddha Konasana (bound angle)
Dvi	द्वि	two	Dvi Pada Kaundinyasana (two-legged Kaundinya)
Eka	एक	one	Eka Pada Shirshasana (one-legged headstand)
Parsva	पार्श्व	side	Parsva Bakasana (side crane)
Parivritta	परिवृत्त	revolved	Parivritta Trikonasana (reverse triangle)
Prasarita	प्रसारित	spread out	Prasarita Padottanasana (wide stance forward bend)
Salamba	सालम्ब	supported	Salamba Shirshasana (supported headstand)
Supta	सुप्त	supine, reclining	Supta Virasana (reclining hero)
Upavishta	उपविष्ठ	seated	Upavishta Konasana (wide-angle seated forward bend)
Urdhva	ऊर्ध्व	upwards	Urdhva Dhanurasana (upwards bow)
Utthita	उत्थित	extended	Utthita Parsvakonasana (extended side angle)
Viparita	विपरीत	inverted	Viparita Dandasana (inverted staff)

Asanas

A single asana is listed for each main pose, whether or not there are variations. Thus for Sirsasana (Yoga headstand), only one pose is illustrated, although the pose can be varied by moving the legs apart sideways or front-and-back, by lowering one leg to the floor, by folding the legs into lotus posture, by turning the hips to one side, by placing the hands differently on the ground, and so on. Iyengar's 1966 Light on Yoga lists 15 variations on the basic headstand, including for instance the combined variation Parivrttaikapada Sirsasana in which not only are the hips revolved but the legs are apart front-and-back.^[10] Since then, variations of many other poses have been created; their names are not listed here.^[11] Yin Yoga names are for the equivalent Yin variants; these are usually somewhat different from the conventional (Yang) poses.

Indian texts are "notoriously difficult to date".^[12] The table shows the approximate date and abbreviated title of the earliest document or authority to describe that asana (not only naming it), as follows:

• AS = Ahirbudhnya Saṃhitā, c. 7th century
• BaH = Bahr al-Hayāt, 17th century
• DU = Darśana Upaniṣad, c. 4th century
• GhS = Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā, 17th century
• GS = Gorakṣaśataka, 10th century
• HAP = Hațhābhyāsapaddhati, 18th century
• HR = Haṭha Ratnāvali, 17th century
• HY = Hemacandra's Yogaśāstra, 11th century
• HYP = Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā, 15th century
• JP = Joga Pradīpikā, 18th century
• LoY = Light on Yoga, 1966
• PL = Post-Light on Yoga^[b]
• PSV = Pātañjalayogaśāstravivaraṇa, 8th century
• ShS = Śiva Saṃhitā, 14th century
• ST = Śrītattvanidhi, 19th century
• TB = Theos Bernard, 1950
• TK = Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, c. 1940
• V = Vimānārcanākalpa, 10th century
• VM = Vivekamārtaṇḍa, 13th century
• VS = Vāsiṣṭha Saṁhitā, 13th century

Asana	Sanskrit	English	Type	Effect on spine	Suitable for meditation	Described[c]	Yin Yoga variant[13][d]	Image
Adho Mukha Shvanasana[14]	अधोमुखश्वानासन	Downward-Facing Dog	Standing	Forward bend		20th C. TK[15] 18th C. HAP (in dynamic pose "Gajāsana")[16]
Adho Mukha Vrikshasana[17]	अधोमुखवृक्षासन	Downward-Facing Tree, Yoga Handstand	Balancing			18th C. HAP[18]
Akarna Dhanurasana[19]	आकर्णधनुरासन	Shooting bow, Archer, Bow and arrow	Sitting			19th C. ST[20] (as Dhanurāsana)
Anantasana[21]	अनन्तासन	Ananta's pose, Vishnu's Couch pose	Reclining			20th C. LoY[22]
Anjaneyasana[23]	अञ्जनेयासन	Crescent Moon[24]	Standing	Backbend		20th C.[24]	Dragon
Ardha Chandrasana[25]	अर्धचन्द्रासन	Half moon	Standing			20th C. LoY[26]
Ashtanga Namaskara[15]	अष्टाङ्ग नमस्कार	Eight-Limbed Salutation Caterpillar	Reclining			20th C. TK[15]
Astavakrasana[27]	अष्टावक्रासन	Aṣṭāvakra's pose, Eight-angled	Balancing			20th C. LoY[28]
Baddha Konasana[29] Bhadrasana[30]	बद्धकोणासन	Bound angle, Cobbler's pose	Sitting		Meditation[30]	15th C. HYP[30] 17th C. GhS[30]	Butterfly
Bakasana[31] Kakasana[32]	बकासन, ककासन	Crane (arms straight) Crow (arms bent)	Balancing			17th C. HR[33]
Balasana[34]	बालासन	Child	Sitting			20th C. TK[35] 19th C. ST Ananda Balasana (as Kandukasana)[36]	Child's
Bhairavasana Ankushasana[37]	भैरवासन अण्कुशासन	Formidable	Reclining			19th C. ST[37]
Bharadvajasana[38]	भरद्वाजासन	Bharadvaja's twist	Sitting	Twist		20th C. LoY[39]	Seated Twist
Bhekasana[40]	भेकासन	Frog	Reclining	Backbend		20th C. LoY[41]
Bhujangasana[42]	भुजङ्गासन	Cobra	Reclining	Backbend		17th C. GhS 2.42[43][44]	Seal, Sphinx
Bhujapidasana[45]	भुजपीडासन	Arm-pressing posture	Balancing			20th C. LoY[46]	Snail
Bidalasana[8] Marjariasana[9]	बिडालासन मार्जरीआसन	Cat	Kneeling	Backbend		20th C. T.K.V. Desikachar, Satyananda Saraswati[9]
Chaturanga Dandasana[47]	चतुरङ्गदण्डासन	Four-Limbed Staff Low Plank	Reclining			20th C. TK[48]
Dandasana[49]	दण्डासन	Staff	Sitting			8th C. PSV[50]
Dhanurasana[51]	धनुरासन	Bow	Reclining	Backbend		15th C. HYP 1.27
Durvasasana[52]	दुर्वासासन	Durvasa's Pose	Standing, Balancing			19th C. ST (as 'Trivikramasana')[53]
Garbha Pindasana[54]	गर्भासन	Embryo in Womb	Sitting			17th C. BaH[55]
Garudasana[56]	गरुडासन	Eagle	Standing, Balancing			19th C. ST[57][e]
Gomukhasana[58]	गोमुखासन	Cow-faced	Sitting		Meditation[59]	4th C. DU 3.3–4[60][61] 7th C. AS[61] 10th C. V[62] 15th C. HYP 1.20 17th C. HR 3[63][64][61]	Shoelace
Gorakshasana	गोरक्षासन	Cowherd Gorakhnath's pose	Sitting		Meditation	14th C. ShS 3.108-112 15th C. HYP 1.28-29 17th C. GhS 2.24-25
Halasana[65]	हलासन	Plough	Inversion	Forward bend		19th C. ST[66] (as Lāṇgalāsana, plough) 20th C. TB[67]
Hanumanasana[68]	हनुमनासन	Hanuman's Pose	Sitting			20th C. TK[69]
Janusirsasana[70]	जानुशीर्षासन	Head-to-Knee	Sitting	Forward Bend		20th C. TK[71][72]
Jathara Parivartanasana[73]	ञटर परिवर्तनासन	Belly twist	Reclining	Twist		20th C. LoY[73]
Kapotasana[74]	कपोतासन	Pigeon	Kneeling	Backbend		20th C. LoY[75]
Karnapidasana[76]	कर्णपीडासन	Ear-pressing	Inversion	Forward bend		20th C. TB[77] (as variant of Halasana); LoY[78]
Kaundinyasana[79]	कौण्डिन्यसन	Kaundinya's pose	Balancing			20th C. LoY[80]
Kraunchasana[81]	क्रौञ्चासन	Heron	Sitting			17th C. HR[33]
Kukkutasana[54]	कुक्कुटासन	Cockerel	Balancing			7th C. AS[55] 13th C. VS[82] 15th C. HYP 1.23 17th C. GhS 2.31[57]
Kurmasana[83][84]	कूर्मासन	Tortoise	Sitting	Forward bend		7th C. AS[55]
Lolasana[85]	लोलासन	Pendant	Balancing			20th C.[f][g]
Makarasana[88]	मकरासन	Crocodile	Reclining			17th C. GhS 2.40[h]
Malasana[90]	मालासन	Garland	Squatting	Forward bend		20th C. LoY[90]
Mandukasana	मन्दुकासन	Frog	Sitting			17th C. GhS[43]
Marichyasana[91]	मरीच्यासन	Marichi's Pose	Sitting	Twist		20th C. TK[92]
Matsyasana[93]	मत्स्यासन	Fish	Reclining	Backbend		17th C. GhS 2.21	Fish
Matsyendrasana[94]	मत्स्येन्द्रासन	Lord of the Fishes Matsyendra's pose	Sitting	Twist		15th C. HYP 1.28-29 17th C. GhS
Mayurasana[17]	मयूरासन	Peacock	Balancing			10th C. V[62] 15th C. HYP 1.33
Muktasana[6]	मुक्तासन	Liberated	Sitting		Meditation	10th C. V[62][i]
Natarajasana[95]	नटराजासन	Lord of the Dance Dancer Nataraja's Pose	Standing	Backbend		20th C. TK[96]
Navasana Naukasana[37]	नावासन, परिपूर्णनावासन नौकासन	Boat	Sitting	Forward bend		19th C. ST[37]
Padmasana[97]	पद्मासन	Lotus	Sitting		Meditation[98]	4th C. DU[99] 8th C. PSV[50]
Parighasana[100]	परिघासन	Gate	Standing			20th C. TK[48]
Parshvakonasana[101]	पार्श्वकोणासन	Side angle	Standing			20th C. TK[48][71]
Parshvottanasana[102]	पार्श्वोत्तनासन	Intense side stretch	Standing			20th C. TK[48][71]
Pashasana[103]	पाशासन	Noose	Squatting	Twist		19th C. ST[44]
Paschimottanasana[104]	पश्चिमोत्तानासन	Seated Forward Bend	Sitting	Forward Bend		15th C. HYP 1:28[20] 17th C. GhS 2:26[20]	Full Forward Bend, Caterpillar
Pincha Mayurasana[105]	पिञ्चमयूरासन	Feathered Peacock	Balancing			20th C. LoY[106]
Prasarita Padottanasana[107]	प्रसारित पादोत्तानासन	Wide Stance Forward Bend	Standing	Forward bend		20th C. TK[48][71]
Rajakapotasana[108]	राजकपोतासन	King Pigeon	Sitting	Backbend		20th C. LoY[109]	Swan, Sleeping Swan
Shalabhasana[110]	शलभासन	Locust	Reclining	Backbend		20th C. TB[111]
Sarvangasana[112]	सालम्बसर्वाङ्गासन	Shoulder Stand	Inversion			20th C. (this name); 19th C. as Viparita Karani in JP; 15th C. HYP
Samakonasana[113]	समकोणासन	Side splits	Sitting			20th C. TK[71]
Shavasana[114]	शवासन	Corpse	Reclining			15th C. HYP 1.32[115]	Corpse
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana[116]	सेतुबन्धसर्वाङ्गासन	Shoulder supported bridge	Inversion	Backbend		19th C. ST, called Kāmapīṭhāsana[117]
Siddhasana (men), Siddha Yoni Asana (women)[118]	सिद्धासन	Accomplished, The Adept's Pose	Sitting		Meditation[118]	10th C. GS 1.10-12
Simhasana[119]	सिंहासन	Lion	Sitting		Meditation[119]	4th C. DU[99] 10th C. V[62]
Shirshasana[120] Kapalasana[121]	शीर्षासन	Headstand, Yoga Headstand	Inversion			11th C. HY[122](called Duryodhanāsana or Kapālīkarana) 14th C. ShS 4.45-47 (as Viparita Karani)[123] 15th C. HYP 3.78-81 (ditto)[123] 17th C. GhS 3.33-35 (ditto)[123] 18th C. JP (as Kapala āsana)
Sukhasana[124]	सुखासन	Easy	Sitting		Meditation[125]	4th C. DU[126]	Easy
Supta Padangusthasana[127]	सुप्त पादाङ्गुष्ठासन	Big toe supine	Reclining			20th C. TK[48][71]
Surya Namaskar[128][129]	सुर्य नमस्कार	Salute to the Sun Sun Salutation	Standing	Forward bend, backbend sequence		20th C. Rajah of Aundh,[130] then TK[15]
Svastikasana[131]	स्वस्तिकसन	Auspicious Lucky mark	Sitting		Meditation[131]	8th C. PSV[50]	Square
Tadasana[132]	ताडासन	Mountain	Standing			20th C. TK[48]
Tittibhasana[133]	टिट्टिभासन	Firefly	Balancing			19th C. ST[44] (as Mālāsana)
Trikonasana, Utthita Trikonasana[134]	त्रिकोणासन, उत्थित त्रिकोणासन	Triangle	Standing			20th C. TK[135]
Trivikramasana[136]	त्रिविक्रमासन	Trivikrama's pose Standing splits Supta Trivikramasana (reclining variant)	Standing, Balancing			13th - 18th C. in Bharatnatyam dance statues of Eastern Gopuram, Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram[137]
Tulasana[138]	तुलासन	Balance / Scales	Balancing			20th C. LoY[139]
Upavishta Konasana[140]	उपविष्टकोणासन	Open Angle	Sitting			20th C. TK[71]	Dragonfly
Urdhva Dhanurasana[141] Chakrasana	ऊर्ध्वधनुरासन, चक्रासन	Upwards-facing bow, Wheel	Inversion	Backbend		19th C. ST[142] (as Paryaṇkāsana)
Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana[143]	ऊर्ध्वमुखश्वानासन	Upward-Facing Dog	Reclining	Backbend		20th C. TK[48]
Ushtrasana[144]	उष्ट्रासन	Camel	Kneeling	Backbend		20th C. LoY[145]
Utkatasana[146]	उत्कटासन	Awkward or Powerful	Standing			15th C. HYP (squatting)[147] 17th C. GhS[43] 20th C. TK[148] (chair-like)
Uttanasana[149]	उत्तानासन	Standing Forward Bend	Standing	Forward bend		20th C. TB (as Padahastasana)[150]; TK[48][71]
Utthita Hastapadangusthasana[151]	उत्थित हस्तपादाङ्गुष्ठासन	Standing Big Toe Hold (I: leg to the side; II: leg to the front[151])	Standing			20th C. TK[48][71]
Vajrasana[152]	वज्रासन	Thunderbolt	Kneeling		Meditation[153]	17th C. GhS[43] (may mean Virasana[115])
Vasishtasana[154]	वसिष्ठासन	Vasishta's pose, Side plank	Balancing			20th C. TK[155]
Viparita Dandasana[156]	विपरीत दण्डासन	Inverted Staff	Inversion	Backbend		20th C. TK?, LoY[156]
Viparita Karani[157] Uttanapadasana (variant)	विपरीतकरणि	Inverted practice Legs up the wall	Inversion			13th C. VM for pratyahara[158] 14th C. ShS 4.45-47[123] 15th C. HYP 3.78-81[123] 17th C. GhS 3.33-35[123] and other texts[135][j]	Legs-Up-the-Wall
Viparita Virabhadrasana[159]	विपरीतवीरभद्रासन	Reversed Warrior[k]	Standing			21st C. PL[159]
Virabhadrasana I[160]	वीरभद्रासन	Warrior I	Standing			20th C. TK[161][162]
Virabhadrasana II[163]	वीरभद्रासन II	Warrior II	Standing			20th C. TK[161][162]
Virabhadrasana III[164]	वीरभद्रासन III	Warrior III	Standing			20th C. TK[161][162]
Virasana,[165] Dhyana Virasana[166]	वीरासन, ध्यान वीरासन	Hero, Hero's Meditation	Kneeling		Meditation[166][167]	4th C. DU[99] 8th C. PSV[50] (these may refer to a different meditation pose)
Vrikshasana[168]	वृक्षासन	Tree	Standing, Balancing			17th C. GhS[43]
Vrischikasana[169]	वृश्चिकासन	Scorpion	Inversion	Backbend		20th C. LoY[170] (13th - 18th C. in Bharatnatyam dance statues of Eastern Gopuram, Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram but not yoga[137])
Yoganidrasana[171] Pasini Mudra	योगनिद्रासन	Yogic sleep Noose Mudra	Reclining	Forward bend		17th C. HR 3.70 17th C. GhS 3.84 as a Mudra 18th C. painting, Mysore[172]

See also

• Mudra – yoga gestures
• Pranayama – yoga breathing techniques
• Surya Namaskar – a foundational sequence of asanas

Notes

1. 84's symbolism may derive from its astrological and numerological properties: it is the product of 7, the number of planets in astrology, and 12, the number of signs of the zodiac, while in numerology, 7 is the sum of 3 and 4, and 12 is the product, i.e. 84 is (3+4)×(3×4).^[4]
2. PL, Post-Light on Yoga poses, are marked as '21st C.' to sort late 20th as well as 21st century asanas after TK and LoY.
3. Sjoman notes that the names of asanas have been used "promiscuous[ly]", making their history difficult to trace: the presence of matching names is not proof of continuity, since the same name may mean a different pose, and a pose may have been known by other names at different times.^[5] The dates here are therefore based on documents which provide actual descriptions of the asanas.
4. The Yin Yoga variants are similar but not identical to their 'Yang' equivalents.^[13]
5. GhS uses the name Garuḍāsana for a different pose.
6. Not yet yoga in 1896 as Jhūla pose in Vyayama Dipika gymnastics book^[86]
7. LoY has the legs as in Gomukhasana, not in Padmasana.^[87]
8. LoY quotes and interprets GhS 2.40 as meaning a variant of Salabhasana, the legs stretched out and raised, the arms as GhS states on the head, also raised;^[89] Saraswati has the head supported with elbows on the ground;^[88] a widespread modern form has feet and head on the ground.
9. Several sitting meditation poses have been called Muktasana.
10. Viparita Karani is an inverted practice rather than an asana; the ShS, HYP and GhS descriptions suggest the actual posture used was a headstand.
11. This is a well-documented example of a post-Light on Yoga (1966) pose, created as a variation of the 20th century Warrior poses. Hundreds of less common variations of other poses have been created in the same time frame.