Yoga as exercise in the context of "Split (gymnastics)"

An āsana (Sanskrit: आसन) 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.

The 10th or 11th century Goraksha Sataka and the 15th century Hatha Yoga Pradipika identify 84 asanas; the 17th century Hatha Ratnavali provides a different list of 84 asanas, describing some of them. In the 20th century, Indian nationalism favoured physical culture in response to colonialism. In that environment, pioneers such as Yogendra, Kuvalayananda, and Krishnamacharya taught a new system of asanas (incorporating systems of exercise as well as traditional hatha yoga). Among Krishnamacharya's pupils were influential Indian yoga teachers including Pattabhi Jois, founder of Ashtanga (vinyasa) yoga, and B.K.S. Iyengar, founder of Iyengar yoga. Together they described hundreds more asanas, revived the popularity of yoga, and brought it to the Western world. Many more asanas have been devised since Iyengar's 1966 Light on Yoga which described some 200 asanas. Hundreds more were illustrated by Dharma Mittra.

Human positions refer to the different physical configurations that the human body can take.There are several synonyms that refer to human positioning, often used interchangeably, but having specific nuances of meaning.

• Position is a general term for a configuration of the human body.
• Posture means an intentionally or habitually assumed position.
• Pose implies an artistic, aesthetic, athletic, or spiritual intention of the position.
• Attitude refers to postures assumed for purpose of imitation, intentional or not, as well as in some standard collocations in reference to some distinguished types of posture: "Freud never assumed a fencer's attitude, yet almost all took him for a swordsman."
• Bearing refers to the manner of the posture, as well as of gestures and other aspects of the conduct taking place.

Pranayama (Sanskrit: प्राणायाम, "Prāṇāyāma") is the yogic practice of controlling the breath in Hinduism. It is described in Hindu texts such as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita; in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, it is one of the eight limbs of yoga. In classical yoga, the breath is associated with the life energy or prana. Later, in Hatha yoga texts, it meant the complete suspension of breathing. The pranayama practices in modern yoga as exercise differ from those of the Hatha yoga tradition, often using the breath in synchrony with movements.

Chakrasana (Sanskrit: चक्रासन, romanized: Cakrāsana, lit. 'Wheel Pose') or Urdhva Dhanurasana (Sanskrit: ऊर्ध्वधनुरासन, romanized: Ūrdhvadhanurāsana, lit. 'Upward-Facing Bow Pose') is a backbending asana in yoga as exercise. The one-legged variant is often chosen by yoga practitioners who wish to advertise themselves.

Matsyendrasana (Sanskrit: मत्स्येन्द्रासन; IAST: Matsyendrāsana), Matsyendra's Pose or Lord of the Fishes Pose is a seated twisting asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise. The full form is the difficult Paripurna Matsyendrasana. A common and easier variant is Ardha Matsyendrasana. The asana has many variations, and in its half form is one of the twelve basic asanas in many systems of hatha yoga.

Navasana (Sanskrit: नावासन; IAST: nāvāsana), Naukasana, Boat Pose, or Paripurna Navasana (Sanskrit: परिपूर्णनावासन; IAST: paripūrṇanāvāsana "Full Boat Pose") is a seated asana in modern yoga as exercise.

Scorpion pose or Vrischikasana is an inverted asana in modern yoga as exercise that combines a forearm balance and backbend; the variant with hands rather than forearms on the floor, elbows bent, is called Ganda Bherundasana. Light on Yoga treats both forearm and hand balance forms as variants of this pose. It is a part of the headstand cycle in some yoga traditions.

A similar pose, Pincha Mayurasana or Feathered Peacock pose, is a forearm balance with the body raised and the legs straight, giving some resemblance to a peacock's tail. Its preparatory pose is variously called Ardha Pincha Mayurasana or Dolphin pose.

Dhanurasana (Sanskrit: धनुरासन, romanized: Dhanurāsana, lit. 'Bow pose') is a back bending asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise.

Natarajasana (Sanskrit: नटराजासन, romanized: Naṭarājāsana), Lord of the Dance Pose or Dancer Pose is a standing, balancing, back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. It is derived from a pose in the classical Indian dance form Bharatnatyam, which is depicted in temple statues in the Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram. Nataraja, the "Dancing King", is in turn an aspect of the Hindu God Shiva, depicted in bronze statues from the Chola dynasty. The asana was most likely introduced into modern yoga by Krishnamacharya in the early 20th century, and taken up by his pupils, such as B. K. S. Iyengar, who made the pose his signature. Natarajasana is among the yoga poses often used in advertising, denoting desirable qualities such as flexibility and grace.