Eight Limbs of Yoga
An Introduction to the foundations of yoga practice.
Many of us come to yoga initially for the physical benefits of the asana practice so much so that in most western cultures the physical practice is viewed as the yoga practice. This approach lacks the exposure and associated knowledge of the breadth and depth of yoga. The Eight Limbs are the foundation of yoga practice and shows just how much more there is to yoga than a 60 minute class.
If we start by looking at the 8 rungs (angas) as presented in Patanjli’s yoga sutras that lays out for us the how to proceed through the yoga practice, we are given the self study of the Yamas and Niyamas. These principles are the beginning of the yogic journey because they give us an outline to use in order to reflect on our relationships with society and ourselves.
The Yamas - How we interact with the world
The yamas consider our relationship to society:
Ahimsa: non-violence, non-harming, non-injury.
Satya: truthfulness, honesty,
Asteya: non-stealing, abstention from theft,
Brahmacharya: restraint, moderation, balance,
Aparigraha: non-possessiveness, non-holding through senses, non-greed, non-grasping, non-indulgence, non-acquisitiveness.
Through reflection on these principals and how we work with them in our daily interactions, we began to work on ourselves. This internal work creates a shifting of our focus from where we feel we have no control over our lives to understanding that we have complete control of our choices.
The Niyamas - Our relationship with ourselves
Next we can bring to bear the niyama’s and the principals of our relationship with our own sense of being, those are:
Shaucha: purity of body and mind.
Santosha: contentment.
Tapas: training the senses, heat of practice, austerities, ascesis.
Svadhyaya: self-study, reflection on sacred words.
Ishvara pranidhana: surrender; (ishvara = creative source, causal field, God, supreme Guru or teacher; pranidhana = practicing the presence, dedication, devotion, surrender of fruits of practice) surrender to the divinity within yourself.
As we work on our personal choices we can start to transform the physical body. This brings us up to the next rung of the ladder - asana.
Asana - The physical practice of yoga.
The style of asana practice in the west seems to sometimes follow fitness trends. Asana is referenced in just three of the 195 Yoga Sutras! Movement works to shift your focus inward as you move your body through poses. Moving through poses helps to become more attuned to your body, which is essential before moving into more advanced internal yoga practice.
Pranayama - Observation and manipulation of the breath.
Working with the breath can have a profound affect on the body and mind. Using an extended exhale can create a relaxed response within our bodies and more dynamic techniques such as alternate nostril breathing can offer a sense of balance. When we marry the asana and pranayama practice, we create an environment with in the body-mind that can transcend the stress and frustrations of modern life through its meditative effects.
Pratyahara - Detachment.
The ability to withdraw from external senses and shifting the attention to the inner sensations comes with practice. When we close our eyes and turn inward while also observing our breath or the movement in our bodies, we are practicing pratyahara. Getting to the point in your yoga practice where you can do this enhances the experience of pranayama and asana, which acts to further hone the senses as we move into the deeper levels of yoga.
Dhyana - Concentration.
As we move from the physical portion of the practice into the subtler levels of yoga we begin to work with focusing the mind. Dhyana, or concentration, is the next step in learning to better control the fluctuations of the mind. This allows us to start to direct our attention to better let go of intrusive thoughts or distracting behaviors. Slowly refining or focus allowing us to move deeper into our practice and take the next step.
Meditation - Calming distractions in the mind.
The 7th rung on the proverbial ladder of yoga is probably the most misunderstood. Meditation is the culmination of the previous 6 rungs. We practice systematically removing distractions and eventually are able to stop the fluctuations of the mind and move to (the ultimate goal of yoga) samadi.
Samadhi - Being fully present.
Samadhi is the point when we have stopped the mind from moving to every thought, sound or bodily sensation and become completely absorbed in the present whether in activity, contemplation, or observation. When in samadhi we are not only fully integrated with the present moment, but the mind is not capable of distraction.
If we are looking to integrate yoga as a deeper practice, we will need to work with all of the practices. While the 8 rungs lay out path it is not the only path. Yoga has been and should be approached as a tool of self-exploration and experimentation. Finding the path best suited to your needs and integrates with your life can help to build a strong personal yoga practice.
If you’d like to join the conversation about yoga philosophy, be sure to sign up here to be notified of live discussions Tuesday evenings at 6:30 pm. YA CEs available.
Ken Aubuchon C-IAYT, E-RYT 500 is the owner of Namaste Yoga in Royal Oak, Michigan. He specializes in working with those who are recovering from injuries or surgeries. He will also engage in discussion about yoga philosophy at any time and he truly embraces the wisdom of those who came before us.
