Thestanding asanas are the yoga poses orasanas with one or both feet on the ground, and the body more or less upright. They are among the most distinctive features of modernyoga as exercise. Until the 20th century there were very few of these, the best example beingVrikshasana, Tree Pose. From the time ofKrishnamacharya inMysore, many standing poses have been created. Two major sources of these asanas have been identified: the exercise sequenceSurya Namaskar (the salute to the sun); and thegymnastics widely practised in India at the time, based on the prevailingphysical culture.

The origin of standing asanas has been controversial sinceMark Singleton argued in 2010 that some forms of modern yoga represent a radical reworking ofhatha yoga, in particular by adding standing asanas and transitions (vinyasas) between them, and by suppressing most non-postural aspects ofyoga, rather than a smooth continuation of ancient traditions. These changes enabled yoga to be practised as a flowing sequence of movements rather than as static poses, and in turn this allowed sessions to focus onaerobic exercise.

Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. Itsspiritual and philosophical goal was to unite the human spirit with theDivine; its practices were mainly meditative.^[2] The branch of yoga that makes use of physical postures in addition to other practices such as meditation and purifications ishatha yoga; it flourished from the 11th century. The term "Yoga" in the Western world often denotes a modern form of hatha yoga,yoga as exercise, consisting largely of the postures calledasanas. The earliest asanas were cross-leggedmeditation seats; other postures were gradually added.^[3]

Among the few standing poses definitely practised inhatha yoga before the 20th century isVrikshasana, tree pose. It is described in the 17th century hatha yoga textGheraṇḍa Saṃhitā 2.36.^[4] It may be far older than that; a 7th-century stone carving inMahabalipuram appears to contain a figure standing on one leg, perhaps indicating that a pose similar to Vrikshasana was in use at that time. It is said thatsadhus disciplined themselves by choosing to meditate in the pose.^[1]

Some other standing poses have been suspected of having medieval origins, without reliable evidence. One difficulty is naming; the existence of a medieval pose with the name of a current standing pose is not proof that the two are the same, as the names given to poses may change, and the same name may be used for different poses. For example, the nameGarudasana, Eagle Pose, is used for a sitting pose in theGheraṇḍa Saṃhitā, 2.37.^[4] The name Garudasana is given to a pose close to Vrikshasana in the 19th centurySritattvanidhi; the modern standing pose named Garudasana is not seen until the 20th century.^[6][7]

Another issue is the use that is made of a pose; the existence of a pose in medieval times is not proof that it was used in hatha yoga. For example,Natarajasana, the pose of DancingShiva, is depicted in 13th - 18th centuryBharatnatyam dance statues of the EasternGopuram,Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram, implying, according to Ananda Bhavanani, that the pose was used in medieval hatha yoga and that there was a cultural interchange between yoga and dance.^[8] However,Elliott Goldberg observes that Natarajasana is not found in any medieval hatha yoga text, nor is it mentioned by any pre-20th century traveller to India, nor is it found in artistic depictions of yoga such as theSritattvanidhi or the Mahamandir near Jodhpur. Goldberg argues that the pose was among the many introduced into modern yoga byKrishnamacharya in the early 20th century, and taken up by his pupils such asB. K. S. Iyengar, who made the pose a signature of modern yoga.^[5]

Another case isUtkatasana, sometimes called chair pose, though its name,Utkata, means "fierce". In modern yoga, it is indeed a challenging squatting pose with the thighs approaching the horizontal,^[9] whereas in the 19th centurySritattvanidhi it is illustrated as a low squatting pose with the buttocks resting against the heels; theGheraṇḍa Saṃhitā 2.27 is similar, but the heels are raised.^[10]

Standing asanas such asAdho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dog),Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose) andTrikonasana (Triangle Pose) are a conspicuous feature of the yoga practised around the modern world. Nearly all the standing poses now practised were unknown inhatha yoga until the 20th century. Many are described in Iyengar's 1966Light on Yoga.^[11] Some, such asTadasana, appear in the 1896Vyayama Dipika, a manual ofgymnastics, as part of the "very old" sequence ofdanda (Sanskrit for "staff" or "stick") exercises.Norman Sjoman suggests that it is one of the poses adopted into yoga in Mysore by Krishnamacharya and forming the "primary foundation" for hisvinyasas, the flowing movements between poses. The pose would then have been taken up by his pupilsPattabhi Jois and Iyengar.^[12]

In 1924,Swami Kuvalayananda founded theKaivalyadhama Health and Yoga Research Center inMaharashtra.^[14] He and his rivalYogendra began to combine asanas with Indian systems of exercise and modern European gymnastics, having according to the scholarJoseph Alter a "profound" effect on the evolution of yoga.^[15][16] Krishnamacharya, known as the father of modern yoga,^[17][18] studied under Kuvalayananda in the 1930s and created in hisMysore yogashala "a marriage of hatha yoga, wrestling exercises, and modern Western gymnastic movement, and unlike anything seen before in the yoga tradition."^[19]Norman Sjoman argues that Krishnamacharya drew on theVyayama Dipika^[20] gymnastic exercise manual to create the Mysore Palace system of yoga.^[21] Sjoman further observes that whereas many traditional asanas are named for objects (likePadmasana, lotus pose), legendary figures (likeMatsyendrasana, the sageMatsyendra's pose), or animals (likeKurmasana, tortoise pose), many of Iyengar's asanas have names that simply describe the body's position (likeUtthita Parsvakonasana, "Extended Side Angle Pose"); these are, he suggests, the ones developed in the 20th century.^[22] The yoga scholarMark Singleton argues that Krishnamacharya was familiar with thephysical culture of his time, which was influenced by Scandinaviangymnastics such as the system ofNiels Bukh;^[23][a] Krishnamacharya's experimentation with asanas and his innovative use of gymnastic jumping between poses may well explain, Singleton suggests, the resemblances between modern standing asanas and Scandinavian gymnastics.^[19]

The origin of standing asanas has been controversial^[24][25] since Singleton's 2010 bookYoga Body argued that some forms of modern yoga represent a radical reworking of hatha yoga, in particular by adding standing asanas and transitions (vinyasas) between them, and by suppressing most non-postural aspects ofyoga, rather than a smooth continuation of ancient traditions. The addition of vinyasas enabled sequences consisting mainly of standing asanas to be practised in a continuous flow. Such a sequence could be performed quickly if desired, making foraerobic exercise, possibly at the expense of a moremeditative practice.^[26]

Some standing asanas with origins and dates

Asana	English	Described by	Date	Image
Vrikshasana	Tree pose[27]	Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā[4]	17th C.[4]
Garudasana	Eagle pose[28]	Sritattvanidhi[6]	19th C.[6]
Parsvakonasana	Side angle pose[29]	Light on Yoga[29][b]	20th C.[29]
Trikonasana	Triangle pose[30]	Light on Yoga[30][b]	20th C.[30]
Utkatasana	Chair pose[31]	Light on Yoga[31][b]	20th C.[31]
Ardha Chandrasana	Half moon pose[32]	Light on Yoga[32][b]	20th C.[32]
Viparita Virabhadrasana	Reversed warrior pose[33]	Yoga Journal[33]	21st C.[33]

Surya Namaskar is a major source of standing asanas. In its modern form, it was created and popularised by theRajah ofAundh,Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi, early in the 20th century. It was offered as a separate practice (not then described as yoga) from Krishnamacharya's yoga, and taught in the next-door hall of the Mysore Palace.^[34][35][36]

Surya Namaskar was not recorded in any Haṭha yoga text before the 19th century.^[37] Its standing poses, integral to modern internationalyoga as exercise and thevinyasas used in some styles to transition between the asanas of Surya Namaskar, vary somewhat between schools. In Iyengar Yoga, other poses can be inserted into the basic sequence.^[38] InAshtanga Vinyasa Yoga, the basic sequence incorporates the lungingAnjaneyasana and the sitting poseDandasana; other lunges such asAshwa Sanchalanasana are also often incorporated.^[39]

• Alter, Joseph (2004).Yoga in Modern India: the body between science and philosophy.Princeton University Press.ISBN 978-0-691-11874-1.
• Bharadwaj, S. (1896).Vyayama Dipika, Elements of Gymnastic Exercises, Indian System. Bangalore: Caxton Press. (no OCLC)
• Bukh, Niels (2010) [1924].Primary Gymnastics. Tufts Press.ISBN 978-1446527351.
• Iyengar, B. K. S. (1991) [1966].Light on Yoga. London: Thorsons.ISBN 978-0-00-714516-4.
• Mallinson, James (2011). Knut A. Jacobsen; et al. (eds.).Haṭha Yoga in the Brill Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Vol. 3. Brill Academic. pp. 770–781.ISBN 978-90-04-27128-9.
• Mehta, Silva;Mehta, Mira; Mehta, Shyam (1990).Yoga: The Iyengar Way.Dorling Kindersley.ISBN 978-0863184208.
• Singleton, Mark (2010).Yoga Body : the origins of modern posture practice. Oxford University Press.ISBN 978-0-19-539534-1.
• Sjoman, Norman E. (1999).The Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace. Abhinav Publications.ISBN 81-7017-389-2.

• Standing Poses (29 images) by Witold Fitz-Simon

• Standing asanas

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