In yoga the journey to spirit is through the body — the limb of asana comes before the more esoteric practices such as Pranayama, Pratyahara, etc. The gross, that which we can all feel, leads towards the subtle, that which is accessible as the body-mind instrument becomes more finely attuned. Moments of connection to spirit may be compared to the first time you feel a physical concept in a pose; it may not be easy to return to that place, but you know it is possible and that provides motivation