Is it Yoga, Asana or Yogasana

One of the foundation books to know Yoga is Sage Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. This is said to be the first book on Yoga. In this modern time the term Yoga has been used mostly for one limb of Yoga mentioned in Yogasutra called Asana.In our day-to-day conversation, we used to say :

• I am learning yoga
• I am going to a yoga class
• I am doing Yoga
• They teach Yoga

In actual context, Yoga means many things :

1. Yogasana; or
2. Are You referring to Raja Yoga (Patanjali); or
3. one of the branches of yoga-like   

• Karma 
• Jnana 
• Bhakti 
  ,.,,,,

To clear this doubt we have to go to the source.Sage Patanjali is the compiler of Yoga in a book called Yoga Sutra (Also called Raja Yoga /  Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra)Defined just in its 2nd Sutra (in the first Chapter ) as follows

   योगस चित्त वृत्ति निरोधYogas 
   Chitta Vritti Nirodha

You have so many explanations by many people for this statement:

• Yoga is the control of thought waves in the mind. — Swami Prabhavananda
• The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga. — Swami Satchidananda
• Yoga is the ability to direct the mind exclusively toward an object and sustain that direction without any distractions. — T. K. V. Desikachar
• Yoga is restraining the mind-stuff (Chitta) from taking various forms (Vrittis). — Swami VivekanandaYoga is the control (nirodhah, regulation, channelling, mastery, integration, coordination, stilling, quieting, setting aside) of the modifications (gross and subtle thought patterns) of the mind field. — Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati

After reading the above sayings you can come to know one thing. Yoga is not what we call the practice of Yoga but it’s beyond that.

Raja Yoga is one of the kings of Yoga like Karma, Jnana, and Bhakti….(Do not add FaceYoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Hatha Yoga, or BKS Yoga, to this list.)

Yogasana or Asana is one of the 8 limbs mentioned by Patanjali. Asaan is the 3rd ladder in Raja yoga.

So,
If you you like to refer to the Raja Yoga/ Patanjali Yoga Sutra practice then say Raja Yoga
If you like to talk about the practice/Exercise (very stupid meaning) then refer to it as Asana or Yogasana (Both refer to the same.)

Also,
Pranayama and Dhyana/Meditation where also two more limbs of Raja Yoga.
We can see more about this in future articles.