The main component of hatha yoga, which has a special application to the spiritual path, and which we will discuss in more detail, is yoga postures, or, in Sanskrit, asanas. The word asana means comfortable, stable pose. Asanas are exercises of a special kind. The form that they have taken is the result of a thousand years of experience: trial and error, experiments, and scrupulous observation. The yogis have discovered that certain positions of the body can give human beings qualities that they do not have or that are in deficit. Asanas are usually named in honor of their inventors (Matsyendra), certain bodily structures (a triangle), tools (a plow), birds (a peacock), or animals (a lion, e.g.) and reflect physical or psychological effects that these asanas have on a person. For instance, a snake pose makes the spine flexible; a frog pose helps the body to conserve energy and use much less food and water (like during hibernation); an action pose develops emotional and physical energy.

Yoga postures should not be confused with mere exercise, calisthenics, which help strengthen and develop muscles. Asanas are special positions of the body that strengthen, purify and balance the endocrine, nervous and circulatory systems. While asanas are rarely prescribed to treat illnesses, they surely have healing properties and definitely prevent diseases. Many healers use asanas and other hatha yoga methods to effectively treat chronic illnesses and emotional disorders. If you practice asanas regularly, your body will gradually achieve greater endurance, your spine will become more flexible, your body will come to its natural weight and rid itself of toxins, you will breathe more easily, you will gain energy, your circulation will improve, your blood pressure will normalize, you will have an easier time coping with stress, and you will have more pleasant thoughts and fewer negative emotions. And considering all this, your overall mood will improve—in other words, you will gain vibrant physical and emotional health.

The main application of asanas is the resolution of problems that appear on the path of meditation. Most of us, especially when we begin meditation practice, become surprised to what extent the mind is restless, unstable and full of various thoughts and desires. Emotions of anger, fear, hate and their derivatives torture us, while emotions of enchantment, infatuation and attachment (so-called love) and their derivatives delight us. Both kinds of emotions do not allow us to enter deep meditative states. Such mental disturbance happens due to the effect of mental modifications (vritti), which are trying to find external expression through the sensory organs and the nervous system (indriya), and therefore creating emotional confusion. Since vrittis are derivatives of endocrine glands, if you can regulate their (hormonal) secretions through asanas and other special yogic techniques, you will be able to regulate and control the emotions and the mind. Asanas squeeze and stretch glands, and thus invigorate and balance their secretions. As a result, endocrine defects are cured, and emotional and mental difficulties caused by these defects gradually disappear, without much effort and frustration on your part. Gradually the mind becomes calm and focused, i.e., ready for deep meditation.