How does Yoga work?

[MM1988]

Im very curious about this.

How does stretching certain parts of your body, visualizing certain things or putting your tongue in your throat lead to mystical experiences? What the fundamental mechanism at work here ?

[Echoes]

@MM1988 There is a good book about this called "How Yoga Works" by Geshe Michael Roach. It's not a classical nonfiction book though, as it explains yoga embedded in a  fictional story with fictional characters.

[Nahm]

@MM1988

Thinking.....................................................................................................................................................................................Awareness.

[MM1988]

@Nahm thats not really a satisfying answer. I just cant see the connection between body postures and awareness.

[Salvijus]

Sadhguru said it took him 3 lifetimes to understand this. And you want to know it just by reading a book, or asking this forum

Actually there's so so complex. I do Isha Hatha Yoga and I asked a teacher why I'm not improving in this particular asana. In all the other asanas I'm getting better but this one not. So he said something that blew my mind. All the asanas are also connected to life. If you can't twist one way that could mean you're not connected with earth, you need to be in touch with the soil or plant a tree, do some gardening. If you can't bend then you're too full of yourself you need to do something selfless activity. Like that he started telling me how each asana is connected with everything that we do in life. So this science is amazing. But takes a whole lifetimes of exploration to fully grasp it.

Here's an article where he talks about what it takes to understand this science and why yoga works the way it does.

https://isha.sadhguru.org/yoga/yoga_articles_body_health/exploring-body-mind-work/

Edited September 13, 2018 by Salvijus

[Nahm]

@MM1988

Thinking about posture.........................................................................Awareness, of posture. 

[MM1988]

@Outer thanks!

[Nevon]

Does yoga exersices lead to non dual awareness?

[MM1988]

11 hours ago, Outer said:

Anything that force you to concentrate do... "time flies" they use to say.

But whats the difference between yoga and concentrating during sports, work or when playing a video game? Obviously these things dont raise your consciousness, but why?

[Charlotte]

@MM1988 I fully understand your question and I'm pondering the same. 

My only answer is your awareness is directed into your body and away from your mind but yes, we could do this is with any sports, snooker, football, weight lifting etc. 

But what I have found PERSONALLY (and I hope this helps) is yoga has DEFINITELY released blocked emotions in chakras, some particular postures I've come out of crying, I've felt a wave of sadness and just began crying, or even laughing, hysterically! 

[Girzo]

7 hours ago, MM1988 said:

But whats the difference between yoga and concentrating during sports, work or when playing a video game? Obviously these things dont raise your consciousness, but why?

When you do sports, your concetration is goal-oriented. In Yoga you have no goals, you just observe what is. You watch experiences coming by and passing away, gaining direct wisdom about how reality works.

Concentration for survival vs. concentration for the sake of concentration, that's the difference, I think.