Reading Asana – Breath & Repetition

A post I hope to publish soon will include a sample practice. I just realized, as I am working on a repository of posture illustrations, that I have taken for granted that everybody knows how to relate to these illustrations. So I paused to write something about reading of yoga asana illustrations.

I feel it’s important to note that illustrations are not to be used to study asana. Asana have many variations and modifications that can be utilized for different people, needs and circumstances. These details and qualities are not adequately represented in illustrations. Study asans with a Yoga teacher. The illustrations are merely maps to remember practice sequences.

With that said, let’s have a look at a simple illustration for a very simple sequence:

This illustration says:

• on inhale raise your arms above your head
• on exhale lower them back down
• repeat this 4 times.