You said that sequencing asana in a certain way allows us to observe the mind and to manipulate the mind.
So you were here for Guru Purnima day (1998). On that day, I spoke about the three important aspects in our system.
These are all peculiar to our system in the sense that this is what the Patanjali system is. About sequencing: naturally, if you do only one pose, one asana, with whatever profundity, whatever penetrations, it will have a particular effect. For example, even if you do Sirsasana with all these intricacies, you will get a particular effect. But then, if you stop your practice with Sirsasana, you are deprived of evolution of progress, which should come on account of Sarvangasana following Sirsasana. Therefore, you can augment the effects of your practice by sequencing. The practice of asana can build up its effects up to a particular level; but if you wish to have a structure, then there has to be a sequence of asana. By merely doing Sarvangasana, you will not get the benefits. You do Sirsasana today and Sarvangasana tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow just forward bends, imagine what effects you can get.
But if you have the proper sequencing, the effect of the asana can be built up. So the purpose of sequencing is to raise up or elevate the structure of the serene mind and enter a yogic state. When you get a serene or sublime mind after a good class, can you say this is because of one asana? You cannot say this is because of one asana; in that case, after that asana you should have got the effect. For example, after Sirsasana, you should have got that effect, but you don't get it. You get it after the class. You get it after the class because the structure is boosted up on account of the correct sequencing of asana. So the effect you get, what are called the "benefits," can build up. Like the Sirsasana benefit is particular when Sarvangasana follows it. From there you build up. Otherwise, if you do Sirsasana from here, you will come to here. If you stop your practice, you go down. Tomorrow, from here you come to Sarvangasana, you come again here, and again you go down. But suppose you do Sirsasana, then Sarvangasana, then forward bends, then the effects can be built up.
It is like when you put money in the bank. When you make the deposit, the money goes on increasing. But suppose you deposit hundred pounds in the morning and withdraw hundred pounds in the evening. If you do this every day, deposit in the morning, withdraw in the evening, what will happen to your bank account?
By sequencing the asana, you get accumulated benefits and the overall effect can also be augmented. And this is not just sequencing, it is not just Sarvangasana after Sirsasana, or Sirsasana before Sarvangasana. It is Sarvangasana in a peculiar way when you have done Sirsasana in a peculiar way, which it has to follow. With technical intricacies of practice you will come to know that Sirsasana is not the same everyday, although you might have all the notes and Light on Yoga mentions "these are the techniques of Sirsasana" If you are mature in it, then you will come to know that the techniques, the finer techniques do change; they are not articulated in the book and cannot be articulated in a book. Now, suppose you read about the techniques of Sirsasana in Light on Yoga and you do it. But the effects of Sirsasana done after backbends will be different from Sirsasana done after forward-bends although you may apply the same techniques. So it depends upon how you have done a pose and that determines how you should do the next pose. That is how sequencing has to build up. It is not just standing poses, then twistings and then forward-bends, Sirsasana, and then Sarvangasana and Setu Bandha, Viparita Karani. There is no concept of a sequence there. The technique of pose will depend upon what has preceded and how it has been done. Your Sarvangasana will depend upon how the previous pose has been done, what the pose is and how it is done.
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