The Eight limbs of yoga

The Eight Limbs of Yoga

by Lisa Longton

Meditation was the subject of my last blog, and leads us right into the next topic of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, because meditation is one of the limbs.

Another one of the eight limbs are the Yoga poses which you already practice. Yoga poses are called Asana in Sanskrit. This means that if you practice the Yoga postures and meditate, then you only have six more steps of Yoga to incorporate into your life to be able to say you “do Yoga”! But don’t lose heart, you may be surprised at how many are available to you right now.

Listing the eight limbs here, with explanation following:

1. Yama (general ethical principles, self-restraint for social harmony, vows of abstention)

2. Niyama (code of conduct molding individual morality and behavior, personal discipline)

3. Asana (yogic postures, literal English translation is seat, or to sit)

4. Pranayama (breath control, the regulation of Prana)

5. Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses from the external world)

6. Dharana (concentration)

7. Dhyana (meditation on the true Self, prolonged concentration)

8. Samadhi (contemplation, superconsciousness, absorption of the consciousness in the Soul)

Keep in mind the eight limbs, or steps of Yoga are sequential and progressive, and yet each step is equal in importance and necessity. All the limbs lead us to the ultimate goal of Yoga, emancipation of the Self.

The first limb of Yoga, Yama, has five ethical principles.

1. Ahimsa is non-violence. Practicing harmlessness in speech, thought, and action brings an end to one’s aggressive nature, and allows for others to abandon hostility in one’s presence.

2. Satya is truthfulness, sincerity, genuineness. Gandhi’s entire life was devoted only to this principle and Ahimsa, and look what he accomplished.

3. Asteya is non-stealing. Taking what does not belong to you may seem obvious, but watch for what the mind tries to justify. Swami Satchidananda said, “these things seem so elementary but are, at the same time, “elephantary”.

4. Brahmacarya is continence, chastity, which normally creates quite the reaction upon hearing this Yama! But think of this as conservation of energy, and as “behavior that respects the Divine as omnipresent”.  Brahma means Supreme Being, while carya means living, so literally the word is translated as living in the Supreme Being.

5. Aparigraha is non-greed, non-hoarding. It also means “freedom from rigidity of thought”.  Be open-minded, and non-possessive of opinions, even of opinions about ourselves.

The second limb of Yoga, Niyama, also has five personal disciplines.

1. Sauca is cleanliness of body and mind, purity. Mr. Iyengar says, “With cleanliness the body becomes the temple of the Seer and feels the joy of self-awareness”.

2. Santosa (also spelled as Santosha) is contentment, practicing contentment.

3. Tapah (also known as Tapas) is self-discipline and purification, austerity, that which burns all impurities, accepting pain and not causing pain.

4. Svadhyaya is the study of one’s own self, and the study of spiritual books.

5. Isvara Pranidhana is surrender to God or the Supreme Self, devotion to God or one’s chosen deity. Note: Patanjali does not ever direct us to believe in a certain religion or specific God, but the practice provides the roadmap for each individual to direct energy into his/her beliefs according to their own values.

The third limb of Yoga, as stated above, is Asana, or Asanam, the practice of yogic postures, the Yoga poses. Classes at your studio and home practice set a firm foundation for learning. According to the Gheranda Samhita, a text dating to the 15th century, written by the yogic sage, Gheranda says, “The body soon decays like unbaked earthen pots thrown in water. Strengthen and purify the body by baking it in the fire of Yoga”.  Asana practice strengthens the vessel of the Soul.

The fourth limb of Yoga is Pranayama, which is the yogic breathing practice. Prana is the vital energy in the body giving it life. Ayama means expansion, extension. Thus, Pranayama is the expansion of the vital energy or life force through restraint of the breath.

The fifth limb of Yoga is Pratyahara, the withdrawal of the senses from the external world, a mental detachment. It is a mental discipline, aligning with Pranayama. Learning this skill frees us from the power of the senses, which otherwise are like wild horses pulling the chariot, going where they want to go, instead of where the charioteer wants to go.

The sixth limb is Dharana, translated as concentration, attention, focusing. Mr. Iyengar says concentration is an unbroken thread of awareness. Dharana is contemplation of our true nature. This limb and the next two are grouped together as an integration of the body, breath, mind, intellect and self.

The seventh limb is Dhyana, “meditation on the true self, reflection and prolonged concentration, saturates the mind until it permeates to the source of existence, and the intellectual and conscious energy dissolves in the seat of the soul. It is then that Samadhi (the eighth limb of Yoga) when you lose the sense of your separate existence is attained. Nothing else remains except the core of one’s being:  the soul”.

The next time you hear someone say, “I do Yoga” you’ll smile to yourself knowing just what that really would entail.

Citations:

Sri Swami Satchidananda.  The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, translation and commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda. Integral Yoga Pub, 1990.

Stiles, Mukunda. Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali, With Great Respect And Love. Red Wheel/Weiser, 2001.

Iyengar, B.K.S. Light On The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali. Thorsons Pub, 2002.

Iyengar, B.K.S. Yoga, The Path to Holistic Health. Dorling Kindersley Pub, 2001

Iyengar, B.K.S. Yoga, The Path to Holistic Health. Dorling Kindersley Pub, 2001

Iyengar, B.K.S. Light on Pranayama. Crossroad Pub, 2009