According to legend, Shiva — the first yogi — taught 8.4 million asanas, one for every species. Sage Patanjali later condensed them into 84. Each posture, therefore, is not merely a physical shape but an embodiment of a living creature (e.g., Matsyasana – fish, Kurmasana – tortoise, Garudasana – eagle). Practicing them was a way to honor and transcend the animal kingdom, moving toward the human privilege of self-awareness.