Asanajaya

Asanajaya is a Sanskrit word which means "to conquer or master the pose" or "victory over the pose".  It has been said that when one has mastered the practice of asana, then he is ready for the higher practices of yoga such as pranayama and meditation (Krishnananda, 1981).

Asana is one of the six categories of practices under the discipline of yoga (Gharote, n.d.).  Asanas (postures), pranayama (energy control through breathing exercises), bandhas (energetic locks) and mudras (gestures), kriyas (cleansing practices), pratyahara-dharana-dhyana (withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation), and yamas and niyamas (attitude training) comprise these six categories.

The purpose of asana practice is to prepare both body in mind for the higher practices of yoga.  The purpose of yoga is to make the mind still and peaceful so that the one who practices yoga becomes selfless and useful member of society.  Some of the goals of physical education is to develop an individual's personal and social behavior, and his understanding and respect for differences among people (National Alliance for Sports and Physical Education, 1992).  These goals are somehow similar to the goals of yoga.

Gharote (n.d.) identified two most common objectives of yoga and physical education: health and physical fitness, and emotional stability.  While yoga is somewhat limited to the six categories of practices mentioned above to fulfill these two objectives, physical education offers a wider variety of activities.  Health and physical fitness, and emotional stability can be achieved in the study and practice of dance, martial arts, sports, exercise, and recreational games.  It has been argued, however, that the method of physical education should be few because practicing many different methods will only disturb the body (Mao, 1917), hence, disturbing the the body-mind complex.

As a practitioner of yoga and a teacher of physical education, my goal is to be able to share my journey, experiences, and learnings, and hopefully become an inspiration to those who might come across this blog.

Conquering body and mind to let the spirit free.

Namaste.

References

Gharote, M.L. (n.d.).  Yoga Applied to Physical Education (p.19).  Lonavala, India: Kaivalyadhama Ashram.

Krishnananda, S. (1981).  The Yoga System (pp. 22-23).  Rishikesh, India: The Divine Life Society.  Retrieved from http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/yoga/Yoga_System.pdf

National Alliance for Sports and Physical Education (1992).  Moving Into the Future: National Physical Education Standards: A Guide to Content and Assessment.  Saint Louis, MO: Mosby-Year Bk.

Mao, T.T. (1917 April).  A Study of Physical Education.  Retrieved from http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-6/mswv6_01.htm