The following excerpt is from Ganga's book, Yoga Beyond Belief, from the chapter, The Internal Alchemy of Hatha Yoga in the section entitled: Flow, the Dance of Control and Surrender.

"Hatha Yoga has a close relationship with Raja Yoga, the eight-limbed path we have already discussed in Yoga Beyond Belief. The third and fourth limbs of this eightfold path are asana and pranayama--posture and breath. One of the core principles of Raja yoga is control. This system seeks mastery in living through a refined ability to control the mind, body, senses, breath, and consciousness itself. We need not look far, however, to see that there are vast areas beyond our control. In fact, we are able to control only a very small arena in our lives. Beyond control, we must also lean to surrender and dance in harmony with the many cross-currents of life in which we find ourselves. Watching and learning from the interplay of control and surrender in asana is an important dimension to include in one's practice."