Hi Blue & Bodhi,
the topic is classic, but new insights come along the corridors of time, therefore here some more clarity into it:
Different practice elements do different things, e.g. mantras stir up the mental substance and touch deeper layers of stored impressions. Repeated mantra also makes the mental substance melt into the ever present, resulting in the rise of the eternal presence which again stirs up even deeper stored impressions. At the same time by becoming more dominent, the present life energie in the body-mind melt in the ever present.
Pranayamas, e.g. SBP releases grosser impressions within the chakras and move them up and down until they lose structure and become freed life energy. By moving them up and down, these pranic flows get into the habit of neutralizing each other, resulting in the stillness of pranic flow, stillness of mind and breath with the ever present shining through.
Moving the body, stretching the legs and arms, the upper body etc. makes the life energies flow in specific directions, easing friction and by this increasing the flow of life in all parts. Stored impressions can dissolve more easily and flow into all body parts without causing unpleasant effects.
If very deep impressions are releasd by a mantra and its repetition and if these releaed energies can only flow in very subtle mental channels but hit walls on grosser levels in the body mind, unpleasant effects occur. Pranayama and also asanas can help to make the transition among all body-mind densities smooth. If the mantric practice has reached the level, where the everpresent starts to dominate the scene and the life energies start to flow into it, become still and melt in bliss, depending on the amount of lifeforce in body-mind, this can become a depressive state, a balanced state or samadhi-paradise. If not enough prana is flowing in the body mind, means if mantra practice happens alone and the amount of free flowing prana has not been increased, whatever life force is present, will be used up for the ever present -> body-mind will become weak and depressive. If there is sufficient prana flowing, body-mind will remain in balance and the eternal presence will be there without side effects. If the pranic intensity overflows in a free way, welcome to paradise in eternal presence
If asanas happen and the grosser life energies can flow freely, and if by the practice of pranayama the flow of life increases, it will transform the physics into a god. But if these intense energies cannot refine and flow freely in the mental channels or because of the lack of the habit of collecing the mental substance by the repetition of a mantra has not happened, the result will be most chaotic thinking without the ability to focus on one thing. In other words life will be paradise on the physical, emotional and energetic level, but mental work will be a mess deluxe
Any spiritual practice creates a habit in the bodymind which continues for some minutes and hours after the practice, decreasing in intensity.
If DM has happened for 20 minutes, the mind gets more and more used to be collected through specific pathways into a mantra and dissolved into the ever present. This will continue to happen for some more hours or half a day after the practice.
If only SBP has happened, the life energies will continue to neutralize in the spinalchannel over the coming hours.
If only asanas have happened, the life energies will flow more freely for some hours after the practice.
As observed so far, asanas themselves do not cause any discomfort, as a freer flow of lifeforce in the body-mind can only become unpleasant if some more blocked channels have to deal with greater intensities of lifeforce. Without pranayama or mantric meditation only the daily available life energies will be there to flow through the system and that amount is not much to cause any big rouble for most.
Pranayama alone can produce immense amounts of prana flowing in the body-mind with all kind of troubles. Racing and uncontrolled thoughts on the one side, burning in the physical nadis on the other side are possible. Asanas can smooth out the flow, but without a meditation practice the mental faculties will run crazy. If nomind happens by the neutralizaton onf the pranic currents through an intelligent pranayama, like with SBP, then mental laziness is still a case to deal with. Mantric practice balances this out very much.
If mantric practice alone happens, means a mantra is repeated either without localization or with, then to the experience here it has the biggest potential of intense unpleasant effects, as it stirrs up deepest impressions of the past which cause a lot of friction in the whole body-mind. The rising ever present will eat up all grosser prana and the whole system becomes exhausted very fast.
The moment all parts of the body mind are adressed in a way, that a habit takes place, which not only stirs up deep impressions, transform them into life energy, but also distributes them freely through all densities in the body-mind in such a way, that there is neither too much pressure nor not enough pressure, means if the amount of prana flowing in relation to the friction is ideal, then the whole thing goes in balance for the whole day.
In practical words, making use of all the limbs of yoga provide a more balanced approach than focusing on the one or other exlusively. I am practicing kriya yoga mainly,which has all the main three elmeents within a session, means bodily stretching, breathign and mantra. If for one day I skip the breathing, overloads occur. If for two days I skip the stretching, overloads occur. If for one day the mantra is skipped, mental dullness increase, but is not uncomfortable. When all three happen, the whole year no overloads, no problems, only the best out of yoga.
AYP also has all limbs in offer, therefore coming back to blue, have you tried out to add more physical stretching (asanas) into your daily routine? Muscle toning and running also help dramatically in making the released life energies flow smoothly in the whole system.
Food also plays a big role in causing frictions in the flow of lifeforce. chewing well, eating more easily digestable food can help. Carbs create a lot of roller coaster in the flow of lifeforce in the body-mind, a low carb diet has dramatic stabilizing effects aswell.
All in all happy practice and for tonight much blessings to all who tune into the night of shiva (=