Yogasana or Bhogasana?

The word yogasana means a yogic posture.  Yogasanas were discovered by sages to keep us healthy and satisfied by exercising every muscle, nerve and gland in the body.  Asana (postures) bring great vitality, health and lightness; helping to produce mental equilibrium and steadiness of mind.  When we do not use the asanas as a bridge to unite the body with the mind and the mind with the soul then we are merely doing bhogasanas, or asanas of pleasure.

B.K.S. Iyengar says in Light on Pranayama, 

"The external world lures us towards its pleasures, creating desires. The inevitable non-fulfilment of desires in turn creates pain, which suffocates the inner being." 

These afflictions or sufferings (klesas) are said to have five causes: ignorance, pride, attachment, aversion and fear of death. 
Therefore, we need determination to practice the asanas correctly to free ourselves from the afflictions of physical disabilities and mental distractions.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.blogspot.com
email: plnyogastudio@gmail.com

Resources used: Light on Pranayama and Light on Yoga, by B.K.S. Iyengar and Yoga Rahasya vol.17 No.3, 2010.
Any mistakes in presenting this are my own.