“For the yogi, the physical body corresponds to one of the elements of nature, namely the earth. We are mortal clay and we return to dust. All cultures recognize this truth, but nowadays we treat us at as mere metaphor. It is more than that. As you explore your own body, you are in fact exploring this element of nature itself. You are also developing the qualities of earth within yourself: solidity, shape, firmness, and strength. As we perfect āsanas, we will come to understand the true nature of our embodiment, of our being, and of the divinity that animates us.” BKS Iyengar, Light on Life, p. 22-23.
~~Virabhadrasana II ~ warrior