The asanas are described in great details in the Hathayoga. The asanas have also been dealt with in physiology. The asanas have been even prohibited in the Buddhist system of sadhana. The asanas are prohibited in the Vipashyana (analytical introspection of the nature of mental and physical phenomena) Camps. First of all, the practice of asana is thought in Prekshadyana Camp. The renowned scholar of the Buddhist philosophy, Dr. Nath Mai Taria said, "The practice of the asanas at the Prekshadhyana camps has been borrowed from the Hathayoga." I replied, "We can take any good thing from wherever it can be found. But the asanas have been described in details in the Jain Agamas not in one place but several places. What posture should be adopted for the purpose of meditation? In which posture should we sit for the pratima sadhana? In what posture should the ascetic sit?”
A large number of people who do not know how to sit create problems for themselves.
Mahavira mentioned five ways of sitting:
Utkatukasanika | Sitting with the support of the feet without letting the heels touch the ground. |
Godohika | Sitting like a cow or sitting in the posture of milking a cow. |
Samapadaputa | Sitting with both the feet and the soles touching. |
Paryanka | Padmasana or lotus-posture. |
Ardhaparyanka | Semi lotus-posture. |