Yoga today has become synonymous with Yogasana, a form of exercise. But Yoga is much more than an exercise. It's not a sport, but an art, an education, a way of healthy living. 'Asana' is only one part of yoga, not the whole yoga.

Today, Yogasanas are being taught and studied as being equivalent to exercise, which is belittling the importance of Yoga. Exercise becomes less beneficial, in fact harmful, as age increases but old people and patients can continue to practice Yoga. This is because Yoga leads to a harmony or union of body, mind and soul while the exercises are limited to the physical strengthening of the body.

In Yogasana, the aim is to achieve stability and comfort of body parts and muscles. For this, the muscle movements have to be slow and smooth. Sometimes the muscles get stretched while practicing Yoga movements. You should then let the muscles relax. This is an important part of Yoga. Without relaxation, a person cannot move to the next stage of Yoga - that is meditation.

If the Yoga movements are performed at a rapid pace (like in an exercise) then the entire body feels the pressure. The heart rate goes up, the blood pressure increases, the breathing becomes heavy and the muscles come under strain. This means that the body has to do much more work than normal. This is not what Yoga wants. Instead, it wants to regulate heart beat, blood pressure or breathing through simple postures performed at a leisurely pace.

Yogasana reduces the requirement of oxygen, and the load on respiratory system. It also reduces sweating. This is the reverse of what happens during a strenuous exercise. Similarly, while, the purpose of exercise is to enhance the muscle power, Yogasana increases the capacity of muscles to work longer. In other words, while exercise raises the strength, Yogasanas raise the stamina. Also, while exercises make us feel stressed and tired, Yogasana relaxes us and makes us feel more energetic.

Yogasana is one of the eight stages of Yoga, and achieves a limited, but important goal. To achieve supreme bliss one has to become proficient in all the eight stages of Yoga.