asana and mudra

 (i) Dhyanasanas (Meditative postures): For practice of meditation one is required to sit in such a posture where the trunk, the head and the neck remain erect and perpendicular to the floor. Steadiness, ease and erection of the trunk and the head are very important in meditation. The asanas in which these features are prominent and which facilitate meditation are called Dhyanasanas (Meditative Postures) . The Dhyanasanas are- Sukhasana ,Swastikasana, Siddhasana, Padmasana, Vajrasana and Veerasana. Bhadrasana and Gomokhasana may also be used as meditative asana. When they are used for meditation, they are termed as meditative postures; otherwise, they are termed as cultural postures;
 

(ii) Visranti Asanas (Relaxative or Resting postures) : These asanas are meant for relaxation of the body. These are used for taking rest after practicing the cultural postures. In these asanas, all the limbs and muscles of the body are fully relaxed. The mind is also made tension- free and relaxed. Shavasana and Makarasana are the two important relaxing postures. In these asanas, particularly in Savasana, breathing rate of the lungs, heart-rate and the metabolic activities in the cells, all become slow; the frequency of the brain-waves come down to the minimum. The body and mind get maximum relaxation, which facilitates conservation of energy. The body-mind complex is so rejuvenated that it can start working with new zeal and enthusiasm.
 

(iii) Swasthyasanas (cultural postures): Living aside the Dhyasanas and Visranti Asanas, all other asanas are called Swasthyasanas (cultural postures). These asanas are mostly concerned with the health and culture of the limbs of the body. The cultural postures may be divided, on the basis of body position at the time of starting the asanas, as – standing postures, sitting postures, lying-down postures. Lying on floor postures may be divided into supine posture and prone-on postures. Some examples
of these postures are as follows:
Standing postures : Tadasana, Vrikasana, Padahastasana, Ardha-kati chakrasana,Trikonasana, Parsva-konasana etc.
Sitting Postures : All meditative postures, Pachimottanasana, Yoga mudra, Akarna – Dhanurasana, Ustrasana, Chandrasana, Sasangasana etc.
Lying on (spine) Postures : Viparit karani mudra, Sarvangasana, Halasana, Uttan padasana, Pavan-Muktasana, etc.
Lying on (Prone-on) postures: Bhujangasana, Salabhasana, Dhanurasana, Naukasana etc.
Basing upon the way of bending of the spinal column, asanas may, again, be divided into forward-bending asanas, backward-bending asanas, sideward- bending asanas and spine-twisting asanas. Example of these categories are as follows:

Forward-bending asanas : Padahastasana, Pachim-uttanasana, Halasana, Sasanga- sana, Sira-Padangusthasana etc.

Backward-bending asanas : Bhujangasana, Dhanurasana, Chakrasana, Setubandh-asana, Ustrasana, Supta-Vajrasana, Naukasana etc.

Sideward bending asanas : Ardhakati Chakrasana Trikonasana, Parsva-konasana etc.
Spine-Twisting asanas : Parivarta Parsvakonasana, Vakrasana, Matchyendrasana, Markatasana etc.
 

Some asanas are termed as Balancing asanas. For example : Vriksasana, Veera Bhadrasana, Mayuarasana, Sirsasana, Vyaghrasasana etc.
 

Some other asanas are called Topsy-turvy asanas viz- Sirsasana, Viparit Karani Mudra, Sarvangasana etc.