What is generally thought of as “yoga” in the West is just the physical aspect of an ancient practice that dates back to approximately 5,000 years ago, although some scholars believe that yoga may be up to 10,000 years old. The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word, yuj, which means to yoke together, attach, or join. Thus, yoga is comprised of a complex collection of spiritual techniques and practices aimed at the integration of mind, body, and spirit to achieve a state of enlightenment and/or oneness with the universe. When we practice yoga as it was intended by the ancient yogis, we are yoking together mind, body, spirit, with the ultimate goals of stilling the mind, gaining insight, resting in detached awareness, and liberation from the pain and suffering of life. Although yoga is highly spiritual in nature, it is not a religion rather a practice of personal inquiry and exploration. Yogic philosophy speaks to universal truths that can be incorporated within any belief system.
The eight limbs of yoga or aṣṭāṅga yoga (aṣṭau means 8, and āṅga means limb) were written by Patanñjali, author of the yoga sūtra-s, and comprise the bulk of the yoga sūtra-s. The yoga sūtra-s is arguably the most important book written on yoga philosophy and it contains 196 individual sūtra-s or yogic truths divided into 4 books. By the time the yoga sūtra-s were written down in approximately 500 BCE- 500 CE, this knowledge had been circulating via oral tradition for thousands of years (3,500-5,000 years or more). Patanñjali introduced the eight limbs in book II.28 and the discussion continues throughout book II, finalizing the discussion of the five first outer limbs in II.55. Most of book III is attributed to the last 3 internal limbs, book I is in reference to the last limb (samādhi), and various parts of book IV also focus on the limbs.
Most yoga practitioners are already familiar with the 3rd limb of yoga, āsana (yoga postures) which literally means “seat”, as contemporary westernized yoga practices tend to jump right into this limb, but Patanñjali only mentions the āsana 3 times in the entirety of the yoga sūtra-s. There is no mention of specific poses like down dog or warriors in the yoga sūtra-s, thus, the physical practice is just a small part of what true yoga encompasses and a balanced yoga practice incorporates all eight limbs.
In order for Yoga to continue as a living tradition and for one to advance in the practice, it is necessary to study, practice, and continually grapple with the teachings offered to us by teachers, texts, and ardent self-study. The eight limbs of yoga set the stage for this journey, as they are a set of practices that develop our civility in society and prepare us for our journey inward towards rediscovering our true self. As we continue to explore and study the eight limbs we may discover more layers of meaning with each continuous revision, taking us deeper into the inner tradition of yoga, and deeper into our own self-realization. The eight limbs of yoga are as follows:
I. yama-s (restraint, regulation, control) The yama-s are the ethical practices that set the foundation for a well-rounded yoga practice (roots). The yama-s are comprised the the following 5 concepts:
1. Ahiṃsā (nonviolence) asks us to abstain from intentionally inflicting pain on self or others through our thoughts, words, or actions. In essence this yama advocates that we develop a loving and compassionate attitude towards self and others. When we harm others, we harm ourselves, thus, the way we treat others is the truest testament of our own internal state. All 8 limbs feed back to ahiṃsā.
2. Satya (truthfulness) is all about truthfulness and integrity in our words and actions. White lies, embellishment and gossip may seem fairly innocuous but they all affect someone.
When satya is practiced in direct relation to ahiṃsā, this lays down the groundwork for the other limbs of yoga, thus, always referring to the first two yama-s is essential for accurate practice.
Clearly communicating what we understand to be true through thought, word, and action, gives us a higher degree of responsibility to follow through with what we intend.
Remember to THINK before you speak.
T Is it True?
H Is it Helpful?
I Is it Inspiring?
N Is it Necessary?
K Is it Kind?
3. Asteya (not stealing or not taking what is not freely given) In addition to obviously not stealing, such as taking material things, time, and ideas, etc., asteya also comprises non-coveting what others have and not expecting anything in return when we share our gifts.
4. Brahmacharya (chastity; everything in moderation) Traditionally taught as abstinence, this limb has more to do with controlling all our sensory organs in order to help keep us in balanced harmony and appropriately conserving/ utilizing our vital energies so that they may be used effectively and efficiently.
5. Aparigraha (non-avarice; non-possessiveness; non- hoarding; non-grasping) At its core, aparigraha is about non-attachment. When we practice aparigraha, we abstain from greediness, hoarding, or possessing beyond our needs. Likewise, aparigraha refers to the non-attachment of material things, our bodies and thoughts, the way we think life should be, ideas, belief systems, religion, politics, etc., and involves the continual work of letting go.
II. Niyama-s are the internal (ni) restraints (yama-s) or personal observances and practices. The niyamas are personal practices intended to enhance physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. The five niyama-s are the following:
1. Śauca (purification) encompasses cleanliness of mind, speech, body, & environment. This goes beyond keeping tidy space or eating a "clean diet," and also incorporates the need to utilize discernment in all things we take in such as music, media, etc.
2. Santoṣa (contentment) involves acceptance of others and of one's circumstances as they are. Optimism, gratitude, and letting go are key themes to practicing santoṣa.
3. Tapas derives from tap, which means “to heat”, therefore, tapas is the uncomfortable practice of implementing our plan for on-going self-improvement through austerity, self-discipline, persistent meditation, perseverance, etc
4. Svādhyāya (self-study, introspection) involves the study of self, self-reflection, introspection of self's thoughts, speeches and actions and it also incorporates the repetition of mantra and studying ancient texts to continue to guide us inward.
5. Iśvara-praṇidhāna (surrender to a higher power) Contemplation of the īśvara- (god/supreme being, brahman, true self, unchanging reality), or our understanding of a higher universal order and our attunement to the supreme consciousness.
The last three niyamas compromise kriyā-yoga, a powerful set of synergistic tools that gives us step-by-step directions on how to establish real inner transformation. An ancient form of self-practicing CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) of sorts, this threefold set of tools challenges us to analyze the way we look at things, the way we operate and the deep-seated patterns that influence our thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and expectations. Once we have analyzed (svādhyāya) we can place a plan for change into motion (tapas), and by trusting that things will occur as they need to and having faith and humility to let go of any expectation (īśvarapraṇidhāna), we can practice kriyā-yoga effectively.
III. āsana (seat) Yoga is much more than a complicated set of physical poses. The purpose of āsana is to burn up any residual hyperactive or disruptive energies that would interfere with the process to go further into the inner tradition of yoga. It prepares the body for prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna, and ultimately samādhi.
IV. Prāṇāyāma (conscious breathing) is the heart of yoga, prāṇāyāma. Practicing prāṇāyāma helps us manipulate our life force energy, prāṇā, through the regulation of our breath. Not all breathing is prāṇāyāma, rather prāṇāyāma must is mindfully and carefully done with purpose.
V. Pratyāhāra (withdrawal of senses) The pivotal juncture between the outer and inner limbs, pratyāhāra, often occurs automatically as a side effect of correct prāṇāyāma practice, and is defined as the ability to effectively “turn-off” the outer world and draw our attention inward.
VI. Dhāraṇā (concentration) The first step towards turning inward, dhāraṇā, can be defined as our ability to maintain our attention on a single point of focus, minimizing the mind chatter and racing thoughts. Dhāraṇā can be intermittent, attention drifting away and back, like water dripping from a leaky faucet.
VII. Dhyāna (meditation) If dhāraṇā can thought of as water dripping from a leaky faucet, then dhyāna (meditation) can be thought as water flowing from an open faucet, continuously flowing over the same spot. If pratyāhāra can be thought of as the ability to effectively “turn-off” the outer world and draw our attention inward, then dhyāna is the ability to focus the attention so effectively on a single point that it feels as if we are “turning-off” the inner mind chatter. We are not actually turning off the mind chatter, rather calming it in such a way that it ceases to break our concentration.
VIII. Samādhi (one-mind, blissful all encompassing state of mind)
Samādhi occurs when we are so completely engrossed on a single point that our sense of individuality vanishes. “Sama” means same, and “dhi” means mind, thus, samadhi is the melding of our consciousness with the greater universal consciousness. It is during these moments that we lose any sense of separation and we feel absolute bliss, love, and a deeper compassion for all of creation. It is difficult to put into words, but it is likely that we have all experienced fleeting moments of this when we are so engrossed in an activity that our ego takes a hike and we lose perception of the activity in time and space. Think about a time you lost yourself while practicing an activity such as running, dancing, painting, meditation, etc., that is a glimpse of samadhi. Once samadhi is established this is not the end of the practice, but rather an invitation to go even further. It is said that some deeply embedded patterns of thinking and action (samskaras) are only revealed to us during samadhi, thus, it is a pivotal point in continuous self-discovery, self-improvement, and to see the universal truths as they really are.
Although presented in list format, the 8 limbs aren’t really a linear path; there is overlap between some limbs and mastery of limbs isn’t necessary in order move on to the next. In fact, mastery of limbs is not a feasible goal of yoga, rather they are used as guidance, thus, introducing the limbs as an analogy to the parts of a tree makes most sense for beginners to grasp these concepts.
Additionally, the first 5 limbs are considered the external or outer limbs because they relate to everything that can be seen and measured such as our behavior towards others (yama-s) and self (niyama-s), the physical yoga practice (āsana), conscious breathing techniques (prāṇāyāma) , and the ability to turn off the outer world (pratyāhāra). The last 3 limbs are considered internal because these processes are occurring internally, in the deepest layers of our being that not even modern science can yet explain. These last three limbs are concentration (dhāraṇā), meditation (dhyāna), and blissful same mind state (samādhi). The limb’s deliberate organization from outer to inner is consistent with the common textual theme of moving our consciousness from a gross physical state of being (our “meat suit” bodies) to a more subtle and refined state of being (pure consciousness).
The world of yoga, with its myriad styles and approaches may be likened to a forest filled with trees of different variety and color. Every tree in a forest has the same goal: to grow towards the light. One tree's method is not better than another's and each species has individual characteristics which enable it to grow to its greatest potential. The various yogic systems are unique, yet all have the same purpose: to grow toward enlightenment.
Comments