Third Stage of the Eight Limbs of Yoga – Asana
Asana brings steadiness, health and lightness to the body, limbs and mind. A steady and balanced posture produces mental balance and prevents fickleness of mind. There is a direct connection between body and mind. Asana are not just a bunch of physical exercises or stretches, they are specific postures that have evolved over centuries so as to exercise and bring health and rejuvenation to every muscle, fascia, nerve and gland in the body. There is much science behind each Asana (posture) and how they affect all the different organs and glands in the body.
But their real importance lies in how the practice of Asana train and discipline the mind. It’s one thing to just do a bunch of stretching exercises and be as flexible and strong as a gymnast and it’s a totally different concept to use Asana with conscious intent, to go within your body and feel all the subtle effects the Asana have on your body and mind.
The body is the temple of the Spirit or Soul. Through the practice of Asana, one tends to and cares for the needs of the physical body, creating health and strength of the body. By caring for the body and the needs of the body, the needs for the Soul are also taken care of. The yogi realizes that the needs of the divine Spirit live through the physical body and therefore the body needs to be made a strong, healthy and fit vehicle for Spirit.
Where does the body end and the mind begin? Where does the mind end and the Spirit begin? They cannot be divided as they are inter-related and are simply different aspects of the same all-pervading Divine or Super Consciousness. Performing true Asana is that in which thought and awareness of the energy of Universal Source or Spirit flows effortlessly and constantly through the mind of the yogi.