What is the Spiritual significance of Asana ? - II

In this post we try to address the question - " How is Āsana practice spiritual ? What is its role and significance in Spirituality ? "

As Yogis, we now enter into a disciplined practice of Yoga - an inward journey into the still, quiet conciousness. We are now in the process of discovering our true self and natural state through the practice of Raja yoga and then Samyama yoga.

According to the ancient scriptures on Yoga, this discipline or "Sādhana" involves the progressive practice of

• Yama ( External Moral and Ethical Codes)

• Niyama ( Internal/Personal Moral and Ethical Codes)

• Āsana ( The attainment of stable, balanced posture, free from blockages in the physical and subtle bodies and conducive to higher spiritual practices )

• Prānayama ( The expansion and channelisation of Vital energy or Prana (Qi or Ki) through the practice of breathing techniques )

• Pratyāhāra ( Drawing of the senses inward to experience the control, stillness and quietness of the mind , resulting in not only a preparedness for meditative state but also to access the intuitive intelligence that can function usefully in the external world)

• Dhāraṇa ( The ability to concentrate or retain this inward pull of the senses and the ensuing silence and stress free nature of the mind for longer periods of time leading to a true meditative state)

• Dhyāna ( True meditation or the state of internal peace and bliss, losing contact with the dualities of the world and wholly integrated with the subject of contemplation which is the Universal conciousness. )

• Samādhi ( Final stage of attainment of true Yoga ; a union of the self with the Universal Supreme consciousness . Once attained, the Yogi is free from the wheel of cause and effect, action and reaction, and is able to act in the world without being chained to the karmic wheel)

The first 3 steps are external practices - Bahiraṅga Sādhana. The next 2 - are Antaraṅga Sādhana or internal practice and the last 3 are Antarātma - delving in the innermost recesses of the self.

The practice of Yogāsanas mark the beginning of this inward journey using the most true and tangible part of our being, our body.

The attainment of an Asana, requires consistent, one pointed effort, without an anxious attachment to the result. Any practitioner of yogāsana will vouch for the fact that the more the mind gets anxious over achieving the pose, the more the body loses control and balance.

This process involves building physical mobility, strength and balance while learning how to get into a pose and staying there comfortably with serenity, letting go of all efforts . This process can be very meditative - the mind becoming passive and witnessing every transformation that every tissue of the body experiences. And when the time comes to steep into the asana , all the senses of perception are drawn inward, the mind is still and quiet, breath is regulated and the entire conciousness permeates all over the body. This is somewhat a preview to the Antaraṅga and Antarātma Sādhana that the Yogi is working towards, thus making it a complete spiritual practice in itself.

Most important to note here is that whereas many forms of movement , sports and art offer some such meditative experiences, the āsana itself is perfected by yogis over centuries to manipulate, channelise and expand the vital enery or Prana and raise it to higher levels of consciousness, thus making it wholly spiritual.

More on Āsanas in my next post!

Bibliography :

Light on Life by B.K.S. Iyengar

Light on Yoga by B.K.S Iyengar

Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swatmarama

Gheranda Samhita of Sage Gheranda by Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati

Patanjali Yoga Sutras (The Heart of Yoga) by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Bhagavad Gita - by Jayadayal Goyandka (Gita Press Gorakhpur

Back to Blog list on Asanas

PREVIOUS POST