Purna Yoga Asana
ALIGNMENT & SAFETY BASED ASANANon-religious asana that honors the essence of yoga: Alignment and Awareness
Alignment is a key part of safe and effective asana practice. When the body is properly aligned, the joints stay supported, the muscles work correctly, and the nervous system stays calm. Without alignment, poses can strain the body, especially over time. Many modern asana styles focus more on flow or flexibility than alignment, which can lead to joint stress, instability, misalignment, or injury. True alignment protects the body, builds strength from the inside out, and allows energy to move freely and safely through each pose.
Alignment in asana is not just about looking good in a pose, it’s about protecting your body from the inside out. Proper alignment ensures that bones stack correctly, joints stay stable, and muscles activate in the right way. This creates both safety and strength, allowing you to grow in your practice without injury.
When alignment is ignored, the body compensates in harmful ways. Joints may bear weight unevenly, muscles can overstretch or weaken, and over time, these small imbalances can lead to pain, inflammation, or long-term damage. For example, hyperextending the knees in standing poses or collapsing the shoulders in arm balances may not hurt right away, but they quietly stress the joints and ligaments.
In many popular yoga styles today, speed and flexibility are emphasized more than structure. While these classes can feel energizing, the lack of alignment guidance can make them unsafe, especially for beginners or those with existing issues. Without clear awareness of how to support the joints, students may push too far or fall into habits that are hard to correct later.
Alignment-based asana focuses on mindful positioning, muscular support, and energetic balance. It teaches you to move from your core, place your hands and feet with purpose, and respect your body’s limits. This creates a practice that’s not only safer but also more powerful and sustainable. True alignment brings harmony, not just to the body, but to the breath, mind, and heart.
PURNA YOGA
ASANA, PHILOSOPHY, ALIGNMENT“Purna” means “complete,” and Purna Yoga® distills and integrates the vast aspects of yoga into an invaluable set of tools for transformation and healing. It offers more than just exercise. . . because you are more than just a body.
You have a body, but you also have aspirations, dreams, relationships, careers, finances, and many other facets of your life.
World-renowned yoga-asana master Aadil Palkhivala and renowned meditation and Kundalini master Savitri envisioned a system that nurtures the whole you to help you feel more alive and to shine your light into the world.
They founded Purna Yoga to fulfill that dream.
"As Sri Aurobindo said, “All life is yoga.” May you discover the many ways in which Purna Yoga says “Welcome Home,” offering you tools, techniques and wisdom for feeling at home in your body, and at home with your spirit, for this is the true gift of yoga." -Savitri and Aadil
When we feel lost, sad, confused, stuck, stiff, or are in pain, our bodies are telling us that we have lost contact with the most important part of us, our spirit. Therefore, we must use our breath, movements, thoughts and feelings to welcome our spirit into our first and most important physical home, our bodies. Purna Yoga teaches the mind, the body, and the emotions how to be at home with the spirit. Purna Yoga is the art of loving yourself by living from the heart.
The Four Petals of Purna Yoga. . .
Safety and Alignment-based Asana
Heartfull® Meditation & Lifestyle, created by Savitri
Applied Philosophy
Nutrition and Lifestyle
. . . address all four aspects of our being:
Physical
Mental
Emotional
Spiritual
Aadil Palkhivala is a world-renowned yoga-asana master and co-founder of Purna Yoga. Born in India, he began studying yoga at the age of 7 with B.K.S. Iyengar as his student and protege for over 40 years. Aadil is known for his deep knowledge of alignment-based asana, combining precise physical techniques with body awareness. He is also a certified yoga therapist, author, and visionary educator who has trained thousands of teachers worldwide. His teachings emphasize safety, authentic lineage, and the true purpose of yoga—personal transformation.
Science & Asana
Purna Yoga asana uses precise alignment and focused movement to protect the joints, activate deep strength, open energy pathways, and create a stable foundation for inner peace, transformation, and lasting well-being.
Meditation is just as effective as antidepressants for reducing anxiety and depression.
- Johns Hopkins Research study
Meditation literally changes your brain, leading to persistent benefits in emotional and psychological well-being.
- A longtitudinal study at Harvard University
People who meditated regularly for six weeks showed a boosted immune system and reduced stress.
- Mind-Body Program at Emory University School of Medicine
“These meditation techniques are extremely logical and practical. Instead of taking me away from life, they have taught me how to truly live it.”