When we focus our minds on moving different parts of the body we naturally clear our thoughts. The mind can easily wander into the past and the future but it takes tapas, a burning desire, to persistently bring it back to the present . This practice helps to create space between our  consciousness and distracting thoughts.  When we give our minds room we are less likely to identify with  the unconscious  chatter . Reaching a thoughtfully thoughtless state is one of the main goals of yoga.