<Li> improve blood circulation </Li> <P> In 1959, Swami Vishnu - devananda published a compilation of sixty - six basic postures and 136 variations of those postures . In 1975, Sri Dharma Mittra suggested (that) "there are an infinite number of asanas .", when he first began to catalogue the number of asanas in the Master Yoga Chart of 908 Postures, as an offering of devotion to his guru Swami Kailashananda Maharaj . He eventually compiled a list of 1,300 variations, derived from contemporary gurus, yogis and ancient and contemporary texts . This work is considered one of the primary references for asanas in the field of yoga today . His work is often mentioned in contemporary references for Iyengar Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Sivananda Yoga and other classical and contemporary texts . </P> <P> A group of 84 classic asanas revealed by the Hindu deity Lord Shiva is mentioned in several classic texts on yoga . Some of these asanas are considered highly important in the yogic canon: texts that do mention the 84 frequently single out the first four as necessary or vital to attain yogic perfection . However, a complete list of Shiva's asanas remains as yet unverified, with only one text attempting a complete corpus . </P> <P> Patanjali's Yoga Sutra (4 - 2nd century BC) does not mention a single asana by name, merely specifying the characteristics of a good asana . Later yoga texts however, do mention the 84 Classic Asanas and associate them with Shiva . </P>

The term asanas refers to the regulated breathing techniques used in the practice of yoga