Western civilization today has formed an attachment to the physical practice of yoga: the asana.
The practice of yoga asana is only one aspect of an eight limb path; however Westerners choose to associate yoga solely with this path because of the culture's intense infatuation with the physical body and the ego.
The other seven limbs are disregarded because this culture does not understand the cycle of life and death with regard to the internal, subtle body as well as they understand the gross, physical body.
The eight limbs of yoga are Yama (rule or code of conduct for living which will help bring a compassionate death to the ego or "the lower self"), Niyama (set of behaviors that a yogi should live by), Pranayama (restraint and control of the life force-breath), Pratyahara (withdrawal of the sense), Asana, Dharana (Concentration), Samadhi (Contemplation), Dhyana (Meditation).
These paths were created so that there are multiple routes down the road towards enlightenment and illumination.
Each path has its benefits.
Nevertheless, the purpose of each path is to assist in breaking down (and chopping the head off of) the Ego.
We use these path(s) as a means of assisting us to reach a union with the Divine (yoga).
However, asana tends to get most of the focus.
Yoga asana has an unlimited amount of benefits.
It can help strengthen the body, cure the body of diseases and ailments, purify and detoxify the body and mind, immortalize the body, as well as prepare the mind for meditation.
In the Western civilization, they are continually trying to figure out ways to 'improve' our bodies or 'slow down' the aging process.
They buy into the idea that looking and feeling great always equates a wonderful life.
This is sometimes true; but everyone tends to forget about the "mind-stuff.
" Patanjali states very clearly in his book "Yoga Sutras" that is important for us to reduce the modifications and rapid thoughts of the mind in order for us to 'have yoga.
' If the West is constantly focusing on the physical appearance or the ability to do certain poses, how are we working towards reducing the 'mind-stuff'? The more the western culture focuses on the results of the Yoga Asana practice, the more they are moving away from the goal of Yoga.
The reason that this occurs in this civilization is because this culture was never taught to understand the internal, subtle body.
Also, this civilization tends to not embrace death as much as they embrace life.
In the East, both concepts of life and death are embraced because both are natural occurrences of life.
The focus on ONLY life and physically getting stronger and making the body more fit tends to unconsciously make westerners close of the channel of understanding towards the non-physical aspects of life: particularly in the subtle body.
With a lack of admiration towards death and the expiration of the physical body, it cannot be expected for this civilization to fully embrace the other limbs of yoga.
These other seven limbs require the sadhaka to go internally deeper and deeper within the subtle body every time.
Until the West is ready to embrace the cycle of life and death and truly understand the occurrence of rebirth during each purgatory, it cannot be expected of them to fully understand some of the most esoteric and mystical concepts of yoga.
When one unites with the divine, you are not attached to anything else.
A union can only occur between two independent objects: that's all.
One object cannot bring many attachments and expect to link with divinity.
There can only be one link that can fit the divine outlet.
Master the asana and then use the mastery to connect to the SELF, not the physical body.