The purpose of the body

Hatha Yoga teaches how to keep the physical body in a fit condition so that the Jiva (individual soul) can reach safely the goal of life, self-realisation. It teaches a natural mode of living. A Yogi should have a thorough knowledge of the physical body and its functioning. Some of the Western travellers in Orient who have seen the care which the Yogis bestow upon their bodies, and time and attention which they devote to the task, have jumped to the conclusion that the Yogi philosophy is only a kind of physical culture without any spiritual background.