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Āsanas have many meanings. The singular form is āsana, and the plural is āsanās. It is good to understand these differences. As a practitioner of yoga in daily life, the mat or blanket on which you sit is known as your āsana. This is your āsana. Whether it is plastic or any other material upon which you sit or practice your yoga exercises, this is called your āsana. No one else should sit on your āsana. Therefore, it is good to have a small āsana, as it holds your energy. If someone else sits on it, the energies become mixed. That is the general principle. However, as a gesture of friendship or courtesy, you can offer it, saying, "Please come and sit." Wherever you go, it is beneficial to have your own āsan like this. It can be a simple cotton cloth that you spread and sit upon, whether on a sofa, a chair, the ground, or anywhere—at least when you are in private or practicing yoga. Furthermore, your bed, where you sleep, is also called an āsana. If someone asks, "Where is your āsan tonight?" or "Where will be your āsan tonight?" it means, "Where are you going to sleep? Where is your bed?" This usage is found in yoga texts. Similarly, if someone comes and asks, "Can I have an āsan?" you should understand that they are asking for a blanket or mat. Sometimes, āsan also means your house or residence. "Where is your residence?" means "Where is your āsana?" Next, āsan means a comfortable posture. Whether you are lying, standing, or sitting—in a chair, on a sofa, on the ground, in a meadow, or on a rock—if you sit and relax, that relaxing posture where you feel physically and mentally comfortable is called an āsana. It refers to the posture in which every creature resides, sits, or rests. It is said there are 8.4 million different creatures, which implies 8.4 million asanas. We do not know all of them, so some people take the major asanas, about 84, with many variations. Most of the asanas you exercise and perform are taken from nature. This is how creatures rest or make themselves comfortable. For example, after long sitting, a cat may feel bored or stiff. It gets up and makes a movement with its back, which we call the cat pose, biḍālī āsana or marjara āsana. In Sanskrit, it is called mañjarī. Similarly, when you drive for two or three hours without moving, you eventually take a break, get out of the car, and stretch. After a long flight in economy class, perhaps nine or ten hours to Singapore, sitting in a cramped row, you are happy to stand up. The body needs movement. This is how asanas arise. There are also meditation postures, which are also called āsana. So, āsana means a comfortable position or a movement where your body feels good. Every movement influences our joints, muscles, ligaments, nervous system, glandular system, organs, intestines, digestive system, and circulatory system. These are the most important parts of the body, and every āsana influences these organs, joints, muscles, or glands. There are many organs in the body we do not consciously know about, but they are very faithful to us. For example, our heart. It beats constantly from within the mother's body. Your heart is one of your best friends or servants. No matter what you are doing—running, sleeping, sitting, talking, dancing, driving, riding, swimming, or drinking (though alcohol plays foolish tricks)—your heart remains faithful. When you are tired, you rest, but your heart never rests. If your heart were to rest, it would be a permanent rest. Your entire life depends on your heart. Have you thanked your heart? Sometimes people say to their wife or friend, "My heart," but that heart may disappoint you. And this physical heart might feel jealous if you call another your heart. It might say, "Are you stupid? I am here, not there." What are you doing for your heart? If it takes a little rest, you will become very restless. The heart is just one example; there are many such elements in the body. Therefore, every movement, every posture, every āsana has a very practical and concrete effect on the body. This includes our breathing. Whatever you are doing, your respiratory system is there. Can you imagine suddenly being unable to breathe? You would be like a fish out of water, suffering. Therefore, do not eat fish. Do not take them out of their element, the water. Doing so is a great sin. It is not about whether you can perform difficult asanas or not. Difficult ones can also be made easier. These are the different aspects of āsana in yoga.