The difference between asanas/yoga and modern exercise

Asana is a sanskrit word that means "steady pose". Every yoga position has a name that ends with this word. Such as the pose krakasana, consisting of krak and asana meaning crow pose.

But what makes an asana an asana and not just a workout ? Take for example this upward plank. It’s not the posture itself (or a fancy name) that makes this a yoga exercise, it is the mentality behind it. When doing yoga, you train your thoughts just as much as you train your body. And to truly make it an asana, be steady in the pose, still and strong.

Yoga also differentiates from modern physical exercise in the sense that it doesn’t encourage sudden, violent movement of the muscles. How often do you actually observe and feel what your muscles are doing? Awareness of what is going on in your body is key!

Next time you’re working out, no matter what type of workout you’re doing, try and focus solely on your body. Forget about the tv in front of you, try and not sing along to the music in the background and don’t worry about what you’re going to have for dinner tonight. What muscles are you using? Which muscles are tensing. Do you really need to activate all the muscles you’re using now in order to hold that posture?

Try to check in with yourself once in awhile, it doesn’t even have to be when you’re working out. It’s never too late to get to know your body.

Love,
Tone