That's interesting! My two cents' worth...The asanas have a purpose - because anyone who has done asana long enough I hope! will begin to be drawn inward - not all yogis are though just look at bad boy Bikram. Some never progress beyond the asanas - maybe it's their karma. The body - asana - it's a portal to the inner layers - asanas have also kept my nearly 60 y/o body relatively strong and pain free (I came to yoga with arthritis and high emotional stress). Asanas brought me profound healing after two deaths in the family and kept me away from pharmaceuticals. So I don't agonize about where they originate although it's interesting. Asanas are not an end in themselves - just know when I've completed my asana portion, my body is relaxed, I feel patience and love, my spirit is open, My mind has become one pointed and I'm very ready for my bandhas, SP, DM etc. Asanas are the draw that get people to classes and after some time pull them deeper into AYP. We are a very physically based culture where it seems to be all about physical experience. We have to begin somewhere!. So I say yes they do provide real spiritual benefit but not immediately and perhaps never if you're not "ready". As my guru often said "you can do postures all day and all night, if your head is not screwed on correctly they won't do you a bit of good" Thanks for sharing your thought provoking post!
