Asana | 84

This loss of the definitive "list" is, in itself, a teaching. It suggests that the 84 asanas are not a rigid curriculum to be checked off a list. They are a fluid spectrum. The number 84 stands as a reminder that the human experience has 84,000 shades, and we must find the postures that speak to our specific era, our specific body, and our specific karma.

Postures like Tadasana (Mountain Pose) and Dhanurasana (Bow Pose) are practiced to improve blood circulation and remove "negative blocks" or toxins from the body.

When we assume these ancient forms, we do not just stretch muscles; we stretch the fabric of time. We align our temporary bones with the eternal axis of the world. That is the deep power of the 84. 84 asana

While different lineages list variations of the 84, certain "King" and "Queen" poses are universal staples:

The number 84 appears repeatedly in Indic spirituality. It is said there are 84 lakh (8.4 million) species of life in the cosmic cycle of reincarnation—from stones and microbes to plants, animals, humans, and gods. This loss of the definitive "list" is, in itself, a teaching

Often cited as the most important for meditation.

: www.yogawisdom.co.za +1 No. Asana (Sanskrit Name) English Common Name 1 Siddhasana Accomplished Pose 2 Padmasana Lotus Pose 3 Bhadrasana Gracious Pose 4 Muktasana Liberation Pose 5 Vajrasana Thunderbolt Pose 6 Svastikasana Auspicious Pose 7 Simhasana Lion Pose 8 Gomukhasana Cow Face Pose 9 Virasana Hero Pose 10 Dhanurasana Bow Pose 11 Mritasana Corpse Pose (Shavasana) 12 Guptasana Hidden Pose 13 Matsyasana Fish Pose 14 Matsyendrasana Lord of the Fishes Pose 15 Gorakshasana Cowherd Pose 16 Paschimottanasana Seated Forward Bend 17 Utkatasana Chair Pose 18 Sankatasana Dangerous Pose 19 Mayurasana Peacock Pose 20 Kukkutasana Rooster Pose 21 Kurmasana Tortoise Pose 22 Uttanakurmakasana Extended Tortoise Pose 23 Uttanamandukasana Extended Frog Pose 24 Vrikshasana Tree Pose 25 Mandukasana Frog Pose 26 Garudasana Eagle Pose 27 Vrishasana Bull Pose 28 Shalabhasana Locust Pose 29 Makarasana Crocodile Pose 30 Ushtrasana Camel Pose 31 Bhujangasana Cobra Pose 32 Yogasana Staff Pose (Dandasana) Spiritual Significance The number 84 is not chosen at random; it represents The number 84 stands as a reminder that

Different lineages claim different sets. For example:

Namaste.

The legend says that Shiva assigned one asana for each of the 84,00,000 "yonis," or forms of birth. This means that every creature—from the crawling insect to the soaring eagle, from the heavy elephant to the thinking human—has a specific posture, a specific relationship with gravity and spirit. The 84 asanas chosen for the human body are, therefore, a distillation of the entire animal kingdom. When we practice the Peacock ( Mayurasana ) or the Crow ( Kakasana ), we are not mimicking a bird; we are channeling the essence of that consciousness. We are traversing the evolutionary ladder, housing the spirit of the universe within the architecture of our skin.