Asana can give us diverse benefits if we utilize all the domains of yoga

By Dr. Ganesh Mohan July 7, 2026May 30, 2026

There is so much emphasis on asana in modern yoga. Much of the time, it is being done as exercise. This is not wrong—after all, asana can also be exercise. But asana is only a relatively small part of the path of classical yoga. What makes asana special is that it can be much more than exercise.

In any asana, we can ask, what all can we do with it? If we consider not just the shape of the asana, but its function—in various domains of movement, breathing, relaxation, attention and more—so many options emerge.

For instance, consider an asana that all yoga practitioners are familiar with: the simple standing forward bend, labeled uttanasana in Sanskrit.

Physically, you can focus on stretching your hamstrings or your back.
You can enjoy the feeling of releasing and relaxing as you bend forward, make it a conscious act of letting go of stress.
You can use the forward bending action, and the compression of the front of your abdomen and chest to deepen and lengthen your exhalation.
As you move your arms and head towards the ground, you can touch the surface below you with your hands or fingers, and connect with the earth physical and emotionally.
You can use the semi-inverted position of your upper body to prepare for deeper inversion postures.
You can do it after a spinal or hip extension (what we may generally call a back bend), to create balance in your body.
You can work on the functions in your lower abdominal region, termed the apana region in traditional yoga and ayurveda.
As you are looking down and towards your own body, away from the world, as you bend forwards, you can cultivate the choice to draw your senses and attention inward.
You can make the act of bending forwards one of offering your heart to the Divine, with love and trust.

Asana need not be just movement. It need not even be just movement with breathing and awareness. It can be a lot more if we use all the domains of the Svastha Yoga pathway—a full knowledge of the spectrum of yoga!