The Pralayapedia is a store of information that is built from essential fundamentals to create a self consistent system for research and analysis of yoga postures, cycles of poses or processes involving several cycles.

The joints, built from bones, ligaments and muscles are the primary defining element.

Actions are secondary elements of data, and define which muscle fibers and resultant forces define these actions.

Alignment is defined as uniform pressure over the joint, in the practice of a pose. Alignment and safety are inseparable, and defined alignment arises from objective principles, that create subjective guidelines. Specifically, how close we are to precise alignment is defined by the degree of "ease" in the spine.

Pain is initially defined by the terms: compression and overstretch of a joint. Pain is evaluated to determine how to move toward alignment during the practice of a pose.

Flexibility is developed from:

First, strength of contracting muscle fibers which activates inhibiting neurons;

Second, by stretching eccentrically in most cases;

Third, by passive stretch in some muscles under specific conditions; and

Fourth, flexibility can arise by simply relaxing beyond the normal resting length.

Strength is a measure of capability, and is meaningful and safe when alignment is held in during a pose. Grasping for a pose is unproductive and often dangerous, and the goal of yoga practice is to expressed strength, and to hold a pose for a duration, and in a way that maintains alignment. When this is not possible the practice ends.

Constraints are defined limits placed on positioning during a pose. If you are in a lunge, and the knee is initially touching down, to say "lift the knee" can mean anything from coming out of the pose to a range of less drastic movements. To say: "lift the knee with the hip held in the same place" means a constraint is placed on the placement of the hip, and that more precisely defines the action.

Students often do poses without constraints, and that limits the development of poses, and can make them less safe or unsafe.

Contraindications listed are meant to define some of the conditions under which a pose should not be practiced. An exhaustive list is impossible, so contraindications are few guidelines and not necessarily the major ones. An experienced teacher is required to learn proper practice.