Is yoga related to Hinduism? Are the asanas associated with specific gods? Are you supposed to pray to that god while sitting in that asana?
by 
rodschmidt
ANSWERS: 1
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The Yoga you refer to is known has hatha yoga and purpose of all yoga is to raise your consciousness to realize your oneness with the Whole. Keeping the goal of Yoga in mind, its practice is the most useful & efficient for one that is spiritually less developed or inclined. Its hidden effect is to stimulate the nadis {nerve centers} releasing & guiding Kundalini to rise up from the base of the spine to the top of the head and as Kndalini rises in one's body, awareness for the larger perspective also begins to rise elevating one's outlook as well one's place in the eyes of the society. As asanas go, their association is to a deity is done so as to imply the final effect of that particular posture. Padmasana as associated with Shiva or Budhha is to imply that such asana helps in meditation to help raise Kundalini. Breathing is the focus and no prayers are implied during an asana though it never hurts to propitiate a deity.
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