Is yoga asana a spiritual practice? Yes, if you do it with the understanding that its purpose is to prepare your body to sit in meditation, so that you can experience the deeper aspect of yourself—the Self that is free from all suffering. This is the view of the Yoga Sutra. Karina explains that while the ultimate goal of yoga is to gain mastery over the mind, this is difficult to do if we have to struggle with a weak and unhealthy body. Asana helps to keep the body strong and healthy.