'asana' originates from Sanskrit, specifically the word 'āsana', where the root 'ās' meant 'to sit' and the suffix '-ana' formed a noun meaning 'seat' or 'sitting posture'.

'asana' was used in classical Sanskrit texts to mean a seat or sitting posture. The term entered English in the late 19th and early 20th centuries via Sanskrit and Hindi in the context of yoga and Indological studies, becoming the modern English word 'asana'.

Initially it meant 'seat' or 'sitting posture' in Sanskrit; over time, and especially in English, it came to mean specifically 'a posture or pose in yoga'.