The Holistic system of Yoga was designed so that these emotional breakthroughs can occur safely. Yoga is not merely an athletic system, it is a spiritual system. The asanas are designed to affect the subtle body for the purpose of spiritual transformation. People enter into the practice of yoga asana for physical fitness or physical health, or even because they’ve heard it’s good for relaxation, but ultimately the purpose of yoga practice is spiritual development.
This development depend on breaking through places in the subtle body that are blocked with unresolved issues and energy. Anytime you work with the body, you are also working with the mind and the energy system—which is the bridge between body and mind. And since that means working with emotions, emotional breakthroughs can be seen as markers of progress on the road to personal and spiritual growth.
The was certainly the case for Hilary Lindsay; founder of Active Yoga. As a teacher, Lindsay has witnessed many emotional breakthroughs; as a student, she’s experienced several herself. One of the most significant occurred during a hip-opening class. She left the class feeling normal, but during the drive home became extremely upset and emotional. She also felt she’d experienced a significant shift in her psyche—something akin to a clearing of her spirit. Lindsay felt, as she puts it, released. There is no question that the emotion came out of my past.” She say.
