Mayurasana

Mayurasana

Mayurasana

Hand-balancing posture in hatha yoga

Mayūrāsana (Sanskrit: मयूरासन) or Peacock pose[1] is a hand-balancing asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise with the body held horizontal over the hands. It is one of the oldest non-seated asanas.

Mayurasana
Mural depicting a Nath yogi in Mayurasana at the Mahamandir temple, Jodhpur, India, c. 1810
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Etymology and origins

Mayurasana in an illustrated manuscript of the Jogapradipika, 1830

The name comes from the Sanskrit words mayūra (मयूर) meaning "peacock"[2] and āsana (आसन) meaning "posture".[3]

Mayurasana is one of the oldest non-seated asanas used in hatha yoga; it is first described in the 10th century Vimānārcanākalpa. The Vāsiṣṭha Saṁhitā 1.76-7 states that it destroys all sins.[4]

Description

In this asana the body is raised like a horizontal stick holding the floor with both palms while the body is supported by the elbows.[5]

Variations

Hamsasana (Swan Pose) is identical to Mayurasana except that the hands are placed with the fingers pointing forwards.[6]

Padma Mayurasana

Padma Mayurasana (Lotus in Peacock Pose) has the legs crossed as in Lotus Position.[7]

See also

References

  1. [1]
    "Yoga Journal - Peacock Pose". Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  2. [2]
    "Mayurasana - AshtangaYoga.info". Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  3. [3]
    Sinha, S. C. (1 June 1996). Dictionary of Philosophy. Anmol Publications. p. 18. ISBN 978-81-7041-293-9. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  4. [4]
    Mallinson, James; Singleton, Mark (2017). Roots of Yoga. Penguin Books. pp. 100–101, 105. ISBN 978-0-241-25304-5. OCLC 928480104.
  5. [5]
    Iyengar 1979, pp. 282–284.
  6. [6]
    Iyengar 1979, pp. 284–285.
  7. [7]
    Ramaswami, Srivatsa; Krishnamacharya, T. (3 June 2005). The complete book of vinyasa yoga: an authoritative presentation, based on 30 years of direct study under the legendary yoga teacher Krishnamacharya. Da Capo Press. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-56924-402-9. Retrieved 9 April 2011.

Sources
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