“Thus there is no assault by the pairs of opposites.”
Yoga Sutras II.48
The quote above is from Patañjali’s Yoga Sutra and describes, in brief, aphoristic form, the desired goal of practicing asana or yoga postures. What are the “pairs of opposites”? They are pleasure and pain, heat and cold, desire and aversion, etc. This term denotes the realm of everyday, conventional circumstances, the stress and conflicts, the crisis and confrontations, the struggles to achieve and the desire to escape, and all of the other physical, mental and emotional battles we engage in in the course of our lives. The effect of this “assault” is experienced in various ways: chronic pains and discomfort, muscle and joint tightness, fatigue, lack of concentration, sadness, depression, anxiety, unhappiness, and more. These effects become habituated in the body-mind so that even after the cause has long passed, the disturbance remains.
In the Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika, a 14th century hatha-yoga text, it is written that asana “should be practiced for gaining steady posture, health and lightness of body.” (I.19) The curative and health-enhancing powers of yoga postures have long been recognized, even in the West. Despite the many scientific and medical advances enjoyed by Western civilization, it is obvious that we now face a crisis regarding physical, mental and emotional health. It is, therefore, no accident that the practice of yoga postures, meditation and other “inner” technologies have become so widespread in recent years.
Despite their many benefits, yoga postures are surprisingly easy to learn. They can be practiced by anyone of any age. Although yoga postures are meant to provide a strong foundation for further yoga practice (concentration or dharana and meditation or dhyana), their benefits are such that they can stand alone as ways to cultivate a body-mind that is strong, healthy and relaxed.