changes in consciousness.  The weak point in Hatha Yoga is that action on this line cannot reach beyond the astral plane, and the great strain imposed on the comparatively intractable matter of the physical plane sometimes leads to atrophy of the very organs, the activity of which is necessary for effecting the changes in consciousness that would be useful.  The Hatha Yogi gains control over the bodily organs with which the waking consciousness no longer concerns itself, having relinquished them to its lower part, the " subconsciousness’, This is often useful as regards the prevention of disease, but serves no higher purpose.  When he begins to work on the brain centres connected with ordinary consciousness, and still more when he touches those connected with the super-consciousness, he enters a dangerous region, and is more likely to paralyse than to evolve.

That relation alone it is which makes matter cognizable; the change in the thinker is answered by a change outside, and his answer to it and the change in it that he makes by his. answer re-arrange again the matter of the body which is his envelope.  Hence the rhythmic changes in matter are rightly called its cognizability.  Matter may be known by consciousness, because of this unchanging relation between the two sides of the manifest logos who is one, and the Self becomes aware of changes within himself, and thus of those of the external words to which those changes are related.

Mind

What is mind ?  From the yogic standpoint it is simply the individualized consciousness, the whole of it, the whole of your consciousness including your activities which the Western psychologist puts outside mind.  Only on the basis of Eastern psychology is Yoga possible.  How shall we describe this individualized consciousness?  First, it is aware of things.  Becoming aware of them, it desires them.  Desiring them, it tries to attain them.  So we have the three aspects of consciousness—­ intelligence, desire, activity.  On the physical plane, activity predominates, although desire and thought are present.  On the astral plane, desire predominates, and thought and activity are subject to desire.  On the mental plane; intelligence is the dominant note, desire and activity are subject to it.  Go to the buddhic plane, and cognition, as pure reason, predominates, and so on.  Each quality is present all the time, but one predominates.  So with the matter that belongs to them.  In your combinations of matter you get rhythmic, active, or stable ones; and according to the combinations of matter in your bodies will be the conditions of the activity of the whole of these in consciousness.  To practice Yoga you must build your bodies of the rhythmic combinations, with activity and inertia less apparent.  The yogi wants to make his body match his mind.

Stages of Mind