Parighasana or Gate Pose [1] is a kneeling asana in modern yoga as exercise.
Parighasana or Gate Pose [1] is a kneeling asana in modern yoga as exercise.
The name of the pose is from the Sanskrit परिघासन Parighāsana, in turn from परिघ parigha, meaning "gate" or "crossbar", and आस āsana, meaning "seat" or "pose". [4]
The asana is not known before the 20th century. Since, as yoga scholar Mark Singleton writes, it closely resembles a pose used in modern gymnastics, such as Niels Bukh's 1924 Primary Gymnastics, [2] it is likely that Krishnamacharya derived the asana from the general gymnastics culture of his time; there is no suggestion that he copied it directly from Bukh. [3]
The pose is entered from an upright kneeling position. One leg is stretched straight out to the side, the arms are stretched out sideways, and the body is extended to the side of the outstretched leg until the arm lies along the leg. The other arm may be stretched up alongside the head, and the hand may eventually lie on top of the other hand and foot. [5] [4] [6] [7]
Beginners may work in the pose with the ball of the foot of the straight leg supported on a folded blanket or sandbag, or by pressing the foot against a wall. [6]
Practitioners with a knee injury may work in the pose sitting on a chair, with one leg stretched out to the side. [6]
An asana is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose, and later extended in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise, to any type of position, adding reclining, standing, inverted, twisting, and balancing poses. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali define "asana" as "[a position that] is steady and comfortable". Patanjali mentions the ability to sit for extended periods as one of the eight limbs of his system. Asanas are also called yoga poses or yoga postures in English.
Pashchimottanasana, Seated Forward Bend, or Intense Dorsal Stretch is a seated forward-bending asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise.
Downward Dog Pose or Downward-facing Dog Pose, also called Adho Mukha Shvanasana, is an inversion asana, often practised as part of a flowing sequence of poses, especially Surya Namaskar, the Salute to the Sun. The asana is commonly used in modern yoga as exercise. The asana does not have formally named variations, but several playful variants are used to assist beginning practitioners to become comfortable in the pose.
Bālāsana, Child's Pose, or Child's Resting Pose is a kneeling asana in modern yoga as exercise. Balasana is a counter asana for various asanas and is usually practiced before and after Sirsasana.
Trikonasana or Utthita Trikonasana, [Extended] Triangle Pose is a standing asana in modern yoga as exercise. Variations include Baddha Trikonasana and Parivrtta Trikonasana.
Salabhasana or Purna Salabhasana, Locust pose, or Grasshopper pose is a prone back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise.
Tadasana, Mountain Pose or Samasthiti is a standing asana in modern yoga as exercise; it is not described in medieval hatha yoga texts. It is the basis for several other standing asanas.
Virasana or Hero Pose is a kneeling asana in modern yoga as exercise. Medieval hatha yoga texts describe a cross-legged meditation asana under the same name. Supta Virasana is the reclining form of the pose; it provides a stronger stretch.
Gomukhasana or Cow Face Pose is a seated asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise, sometimes used for meditation.
Virabhadrasana or Warrior Pose is a group of related lunging standing asanas in modern yoga as exercise commemorating the exploits of a mythical warrior, Virabhadra. The name of the pose derives from the Hindu myth, but the pose is not recorded in the hatha yoga tradition until the 20th century. Virabhadrasana has some similarity with poses in the gymnastics of Niels Bukh the early 20th century; it has been suggested that it was adopted into yoga from the tradition of physical culture in India at that time, which was influenced by European gymnastics.
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana or [One-legged] King Pigeon Pose is a seated back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. The Yin Yoga form of the asana is named Swan Pose, while the Aerial yoga variant, supported in a hammock, is Flying Pigeon Pose.
Utthita Parsvakonasana, Extended Side Angle Pose, is an asana in modern yoga as exercise. It is first described in 20th century texts.
Parshvottanasana or Intense Side Stretch Pose is a standing and forward bending asana in modern yoga as exercise.
Bidalasana or Marjariasana, both meaning Cat Pose in Sanskrit, is a kneeling asana in modern yoga as exercise. A variant with one leg held out is Vyaghrasana, Tiger Pose. A variant with the back lowered is Bitilasana, Cow Pose; this is often used as the counter-posture, and a widely used exercise is to alternate between Cat and Cow Poses repeatedly.
Marichyasana is a sitting twist asana in modern yoga as exercise, in some forms combined with a forward bend.
Prasarita Padottanasana or Wide Stance Forward Bend is a standing forward bend asana in modern yoga as exercise.
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, Standing Big Toe Hold or Extended Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose is a standing balancing asana in modern yoga as exercise.
Supta Padangusthasana, Reclining Hand to Big Toe pose, or Supine Hand to Toe pose is a reclining asana in modern yoga as exercise.
The standing asanas are the yoga poses or asanas with one or both feet on the ground, and the body more or less upright. They are among the most distinctive features of modern yoga as exercise. Until the 20th century there were very few of these, the best example being Vrikshasana, Tree Pose. From the time of Krishnamacharya in Mysore, many standing poses have been created. Two major sources of these asanas have been identified: the exercise sequence Surya Namaskar ; and the gymnastics widely practised in India at the time, based on the prevailing physical culture.
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