The Essence of Yoga: More Than Just Poses

Yoga, in its truest form, is the union of energies in the body, as well as the system to achieve union. With ancient eastern lineage and increased popularity of yoga asana in western society, the meaning of yoga has been left to the practitioner to seek out and discover. 

What western culture has come to know about yoga is as a system of postures that when sequenced together in different forms delineate different styles of Yoga. Maybe you’ve heard a few of these: vinyasa, power, hatha, yin, restorative, flow, and even sculpt. There are many limbs of Yoga that practitioners can explore beyond the physical practice, and gimmicky names. But asana at least serves as a gateway to broader practice of yoga.

Before yoga was introduced to the West in the nineteenth century, and corporations like CorePower made teacher training a money machine, the ancient roots of Yoga were transmitted from a guru, a teacher, to a student, one-on-one. 

Each student was taught at their own pace and the transmission of information was curated around their personal journey. Since the model of teaching and learning yoga has shifted towards students as clients, the monetary expectations of the students can create a wall between teacher and student and the amount of attention they receive. 

A Western revolution of yoga could shift the dominant approach back to a one-on-one style rooted in a personal approach with the inclusion of a Sangha, or community made up of all students and teachers. A girl can dream.

The benefits of yoga, in its many branches, are too numerous to name here. While the practice of yoga, as we know it, is very physical, it’s much more about what the mind is doing and the actions we take in our daily lives from this centered state.

When we practice yoga, whether through breathwork, meditation, or asana, we become aware of the space in-between one action or movement and the next one. As Victor Fankl famously said, the space between stimulus and response. These practices build on each other, and offer the seeker presence through focusing on the action.

Let’s get into it.

During practice, our brainwaves decrease and we enter a more peaceful state of mind. Maybe you’ve heard of the shift from beta to alpha brain waves. As your brain waves slow down, you leave the domain of the conscious mind and enter the realm of the subconscious mind. 

As you start to free your mind on the yoga mat, cushion, what-have-you, you create a pattern of awareness for the real world and can observe what’s happening without attachment or an elevated emotional response. Yes, please.

So how do you get started with authentic practice?

Set aside time each day, even like twenty minutes, to cultivate a sadhana practice. What, wait? Never heard of sadhana? It’s a disciplined and dedicated spiritual practice or routine aimed at achieving spiritual enlightenment, self-realization, or personal growth. Sounds good, right?

Sadhana involves consistent effort and commitment, just like all goals, and it can encompass various practices like meditation, chanting, yoga, prayer, and study of sacred texts.

In essence, sadhana is a means of helping individuals to connect with their higher self or the divine. It is a journey of self-discipline and inner work that fosters spiritual development and awareness. So yes, yoga. But it’s also so much more than asana. Even though that counts too.

© 2025 Tara Hansen, LLC