Gita in 6.11-12 says,
“शुचौ देशे प्रतिष्ठाप्य स्थिरमासनमात्मन: | नात्युच्छ्रितं नातिनीचं चैलाजिनकुशोत्तरम् ||”
It means, “In a clean, pure place, having established a firm seat (sthiram-asanam) for oneself; neither too high nor too low, covered with a cloth, antelope skin and kusa grass.”
Over 2000 years, this meaning has evolved into an ‘exercise posture’ (both seated & standing), as we know it today.
The Wikimedia image by Sarah Welch shows the Narasimha avatar in an asana from the ruins of Hampi.
Source: Harvard Divinity School, “Contesting Yoga’s Past : A Brief History of Asana”

The word yoga derives from the Sanskrit ‘yuj’ meaning ‘to unite.’ Yoga is a spiritual discipline of bringing harmony between mind and body. Patanjali (200BCE-200CE) compiled the teachings into a compact format. His Yoga Sutras are the most referenced text on yoga.
Patanjali described yoga as a discipline to attain command over self, therefore called Raja Yoga. His ‘ast-anga’, eight limbs are : Yama (restraints), Niyama (observances), Asana (posture), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (directing the sense inwards), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) & Samadhi (unified consciousness).
Yoga Sutra 2.46 states, “sthiram sukham asanam:” The posture for yoga meditation should be steady, stable, and comfortable.
The Wikimedia image by Sarah Welch is from the 16th cent CE Achyutaraya temple in Hampi depicting an asana. The temple has other depictions of asanas too.
Source: Rahul Dev Mondal, “Astanga Yoga”, Rabindra Bharati University

ha means vital force, tha means– mental force. Hatha Yoga stresses mastery of the body as a way of attaining spiritual perfection.
Hatha Yoga traces its origins to Gorakhnath, the legendary 11th-century founder of the Kanphata Yogis. Goraksha Sataka (hundred verses of Rishi Goraksha) is an early 11th-12th cent CE text. It describes Hatha Yoga techniques without using the name.
Hatha Yoga focuses on asana (exercise) along with the six shatkarmas (physical & mental detox), mudras & bandhas (energy release) and Pranayama (pranic awakening).
Other ancient forms of yoga include, Raja Yoga (classical Patanjali yoga), kriya yoga ( focused on mental techniques) & kundalini yoga (based on tantra) and others.
The Wikimedia image by Ashok Modvadia shows a depiction of Gorakhnath at Odadar temple in Porbandar.
Source: https://www.yogapoint.com/info/typesofyoga.htm

Yogatattva Upanishad (early CE as per some) says that asanas equal number of species in the universe. Rudra Yamala (traditionally dated earlier than tantras) puts asanas as 100 crores. The important Tamil text Thirumandiram (likely early CE) mentions 126 asanas. The most famous Hatha Yoga text, HathaYoga Pradipika (15th cent CE) mentions 84 asanas and describes 15 in detail. Gheranda Samhita and Hatharatnavali, both from 17th cent CE, describe 32 & 31 asanas respectively. Some famous modern asanas are not described in the classical Hatha Yoga texts and may be a later addition to the tradition. BKS Iyengar & BC Ghosh (younger brother of Parmahansa Yogananda) are two modern masters who have innovated many yogic practices.
The image shows the cover of Hatha Yoga Pradipika published by Motilal Banarsidass.
Source: Sriharisukesh N & Subramanya Palloor, “A Review of Asanas”, Ananta – International Journal of Sanskrit Research, June 2019

Padmasana (Lotus pose) is the classic, universally recognized meditation pose that is said to bring equilibrium. The right foot is placed on the left thigh, and the left foot is placed on the right thigh, with both soles facing upwards. The hands rest on the knees, often in a mudra, and the chin is slightly tucked into the chest. Hatha Yoga Pradipika says that it is one of the four most important asanas.
The Wikimedia image by iMahesh shows an aerial view of the giant Dhyana Buddha at Amravathi seated in Padmasana.

The early Hatha Yoga text Goraksha Sataka (11-12th cent CE) mentions Padmasana and Siddhasana as the most important asanas.
Siddhasana is highly praised for its ability to calm the nerves, purify the nadis (subtle energy channels) and awaken spiritual energy to prepare the practitioner for pranayama and meditation.
From a seated position, one heel is brought to press on the perineum (near tailbone) with the sole of the foot flat against the inner thigh. The body sits on top of this heel. The other leg is folded and the heel brought in front of the other heel. Its variations are vajrasana, muktasan and guptaasan.
The Wikimedia image shows an illustration of siddhasana from a 1830CE manuscript of Jogapradipika.
Source: S Mishra & SC Dash, “An Overview of Hatha Yogic Practices”, Research Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, July-Sept 2017

VIjayanagara empire is popularly associated with Karnataka but in those days it covered present day Karnataka, Andhra and Tamil Nadu.
Simhasana (Lion Pose) is one of the four major asanas in Hatha Yoga Pradipika. The posture mimics the fierce and powerful stance of a lion, emphasizing a wide mouth, extended tongue, and a roaring breath. The asana engages energy locks (bandhas) in the body and relieves tension.
Tadipatri in Anantpur, Andhra Pradesh boasts two Vijayanagara temples from the 15th cent CE –Chintala Venkatramana and Bugga Ramalingeshwara. ‘Bugga’ is the Telugu word for spring as the Linga is constantly bathed in spring water at the temple.
The image is from a Facebook post by Hinduism worldwide and shows Narasimha in a fierce seated posture on a pillar at Bugga Ramalingeshwara temple.

The Pashupati seal is from Mohenjo-daro. The posture in the Pashupati seal is similar to the Mulabandhasana. It is a variation of Bhadrasana.
Bhadrasana (Butterfly pose) is among the four major meditative poses of Hathapradipika. Soles of the feet are pressed together, knees dropped to the floor and spine lengthened. It is a beginner friendly pose that relieves bodily tensions.
Mulabandhasana (Root Lock pose) is an advanced pose where the yogi sits on the heels with the soles pressed together and tows pointing backwards. It is one of the most demanding asanas that focuses on the muladhara (root) chakra of the body that helps awaken the kundalini energy.
The drawing by Lucy Weir is from her article on medium.com

Sirsasana (Head Posture) is considered as the King of Asanas in which the yogi stands inverted on the head. It impacts the sahasrara chakra, the chakra on the crown of the head representing the highest energy level in the body. In Sarvangasana (shoulder pose), which is sometimes called the queen of asanas, the yogi stands in inverted position on the shoulders.
Inverted postures are exceptional innovations of yogic practice. During inversions the pull of gravity is counteracted, which leads to enhanced deep breathing, which in turn stimulates an oxygenated blood supply to the brain.
The image is the legendary Shri BKS Iyengar doing the sirsasana.
Source : https://articles.sivananda.org/hatha-yoga/asana/the-king-and-queen-of-asana

Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing, commonly called anulom vilom, is perhaps the most popular yogic practice. Some teachers suggest that anulom vilom is a simpler version involving breathing in and breathing out only, without holding the breath which is required in nadi shodhana.
It is a pranayama or breath control technique. Practitioners should do it after completing their asanas. Research suggests that it is useful in controlling blood pressure. In recent times, the Art of Living has developed the Sudrashan Kriya, a cyclical breathing exercise, which has gained great popularity. The Wikimedia image by B Ganguly shows a breathing exercise being practised by a group on Yoga Day.
Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11996816/

Hatha Yoga Pradipika states that if the body has excess mucus or fat, one should practice shatkarmas to cleanse the body before moving to asanas and pranayama.
The six shatkarmas are: (1) Dhauti : cleaning digestive tract (2) Basti: colon cleansing (3) Neti Kriya: Nasal cleansing by passing water through the nostrils (4) Trataka: concentrated gazing (5) Nauli: abdominal churning (6) Kapalabhati: forceful rapid breathing to cleanse the lungs.
The image shows a screen grab of Baba Ramdev’s you tube video promoting kapalbhati.

Surya Namaskar is considered the yoga exercise par excellence though it is not part of traditional yoga. It is said to have been conceived by the King of Aundh, Shrimant Balasaheb Pant Pratinidhi in the 1920s. The Danda exercises explained in the 19th cent CE ‘Vyayama Dipika’ by KP Bhagawat could be the basis for Suryanamaskar. This book also mainstreamed mallkhamb – the traditional sport of gymnastics & aerial yoga.
The 12 steps of Surya Namaskar are: Pranamasana (Prayer Pose), Hastauttanasana (Raised Arms Pose), Hasta Padasana (Hand to Foot Pose), Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose), Dandasana (Plank Pose), Ashtanga Namaskara (Knees, Chest, and Chin Pose), Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose), Adho Mukha Svanasana (Inverted V Pose), Ashwa Sanchalanasana (Equestrian Pose, opposite side), Hasta Padasana (Hand to Foot Pose, opposite side), Hastauttanasana (Raised Arms Pose) and Pranamasana (Prayer Pose).
The Wikimedia image shows an Indian stamp commemorating Surya Namasakar.
Source: Prasanna V & Vandhana S, “Insights on Surya Namaskar”, Journal of Ayurveda & Integrative Medicine, 2022