Yoga Asanas are a series of body postures which developed by ancient yogis, after observing animal and plant.

瑜伽体式是古代瑜伽士通过观察动植物后总结出的一系列身体姿势。

As per the Yoga Sutra, the definition of Yoga Asana is “Sthiram Sukham Aasanam”, means “the posture which is comfortable and steady”.

《瑜伽经》把瑜伽体式定义为“稳定舒适的姿势”。

Those Asanas are practiced to develop the ability to sit comfortably in one position for an period of time, an ability necessary for practice meditation.

练习这些体式能够长时间地保持一个坐姿，是练习冥想必须的一种能力。

Some Yogis through practicing Yoga Asanas to open the energy channels in the body, which called “Hatha Yoga”, and the energy called “Kundalini energy”.

有些瑜伽士练习瑜伽体式为的是打开体内的能量通道，叫作“哈他瑜伽”，而这种能力叫作“昆达里尼能量”。

According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, there are 8,400,000 asanas, which represent the 8,400,000 incarnations one person must pass through before attaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

根据《哈他瑜伽之光》，一共有八百四十万个体式，代表一个人在脱离生死轮回获得解脱之前要经历的八百四十万次转世。

Later the great rishis and yogis modified and reduced the number of asanas to a few hundred known today. Of it, only 84 asanas are most useful.

后来一些大师和瑜伽士将体式数量缩减到今天已知的几百个。 而其中只有84个体式最有用。

But modern Yoga Asanas are practiced for health purpose only, which more like a method of body excessing.

但是现代瑜伽体式锻炼的目的是健康，更像是一种健身运动。

基础词汇

Asana/（梵语）体式

Posture/姿势

Meditation/冥想

Hatha Yoga/（梵语）哈他瑜伽

Kundalini/（梵语）昆达里尼

Hatha Yoga Pradipika/（梵语）《哈他瑜伽之光》

Incarnation/化身、转世

Liberation/解脱

Cycle of birth and death/生死轮回