Many in Western society only know the part of Yoga known as Yogasana. Yogasana is the exercise portion of yoga. However, yoga is more than an exercise. It is also more than just a sport, art, education or means of healthy living. Yoga is all of these things together. In a sense, yoga is a religious lifestyle.
The abundant teaching of Yogasanas have helped many to learn useful exercise and relaxation techniques, but it loses focus on the whole meaning of yoga. Yogasana exercises become less beneficial, possibly even harmful, as a person ages. However, older people can continue to receive a great benefit from the whole of yoga. The whole form of yoga is believed to lead them to a whole harmony and union within the body and mind. Yogasana is limited to strengthening the body.
Those teaching Yogasana teach the students to achieve stability and comfort of the body parts and muscles by practicing slow, smooth muscle movements. However, if they fail to include the relaxation and meditation techniques as the student ages, the student will receive less benefit. The student will also not be able to advance into meditation.
If the Yogasana student continues to perform exercises at a rapid pace, the body will be under great pressure. As the heart rate, blood pressure and breathing increase, the muscles will be strained. The whole body will be forced to increase its workload. This is not within the intentions of yoga. Yoga seeks to regulate the heart beat, blood pressure and breathing. To achieve these, each simple posture should be performed at a leisurely pace.
When properly practiced, the Yogasana, as a portion of yoga, will reduce the body’s oxygen demand, respiration and perspiration. This is the reverse of what is happening in the scenario described. While the purpose of most exercise routines is to enhance muscle power, the exercises in Yogasana should rather increase the endurance of the muscles. In fact, properly practiced Yogasana should immediately increase stamina, while most exercise routines make the practitioner feel stressed and tired.
Why do we minimize the importance of Yogasana? Because yoga, in fact, includes eight stages, and Yogasana is only one of these eight stages. To achieve what yoga practitioners believe to be supreme bliss, one must become proficient in the other seven stages of yoga as well.
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