Understanding The 8 Limbs Of Yoga

Eight Limbs Of Yoga

Discover the 8 Limbs of Yoga, the practical steps to spiritual realization outlined by Maharshi Patanjali in his ancient Yoga Sutras. Maharshi Patanjali is known as the father of Yoga. He assimilated the ancient Vedas and other scriptures and simplified and systematized them, designing a practical method of spirituality: The Yoga Sutras. These sutras are 196 simple statements to understand Yoga and reach Samadhi, the absolute state of realization.

In those well-made sutras, he included 8 magnificent steps disclosed in order and in such a way that every individual could understand and follow progressively. Creating these 8 limbs of yoga, he wanted to indicate that each limb is equally important, as we don’t prioritize our hands for legs and vice versa. In Ashtanga Yoga (in Sanskrit: ashta-eight, anga-limbs, yoga-union), he described beautifully a way of living in peaceful harmony and symbiosis with the rest of existence and with oneself to progressively attain union with the cosmic consciousness or purusha.

We’re dividing these 8 limbs of yoga into three groups to make it easier to understand the progression. The first four allude to ethics, moral disciplines, and practices for every soul:

1. Yamas

These are universal ethics, not only for the yoga practitioner but for every human being. They refer to social and moral discipline, or in other words, the way we interact with others.

AHIMSA: Nonviolence is the practice of not harming any creature through thought, speech, or action. That includes the way we think of others, the manner we communicate with them, and the way we treat them physically. Thus, the way we eat, we talk, and every action should be mindfully performed to ensure no damage is done from our side.

SATYA: The magic of being always truthful. Truth is always alive, always present, and always prevails. A yogi should always honor truth above everything else.

ASTEYA: No theft. To know what is for you and your uniqueness. Non-stealing means directly or indirectly, so contributing in some way in the process will make us accomplices even if not performed with our own hands, with the result of breaking up this vow.

BRAHMACHARYA: Continence, chastity. There is a lot of controversy and misunderstanding of this Yama. The act of reproduction is a sacred act and should not be taken carelessly. What Patanjali tries to say here is to not have sex with the mind, so the IDEA of sex is what should be avoided. If one has the desire for sex, this person should not practice it, as sex should come beautifully and naturally in an environment of true and unconditional love.

APARIGRAHA: Non-possessiveness, the practice of staying detached and not storing what we don’t need. Simplicity and minimalism are an important part of a humble way of living, as accumulated things and gifts will distract our minds and lead us to a greedy attached attitude.  In this Yama we will find the opportunity to be more every moment, absorbing ultimately everything we experience, encountering the realization that we cannot possess anything in this transient life, but only things pass through us.

2. Niyamas

This is a mindset of self-restraint. In these moral practices, he made reference to the relationship with oneself only.

SAUCHA: The exact definition is cleanliness, but the connotation is purity. Implying internal and external hygiene, daily maintenance of the hygiene of our body and environment is important and will help us attain a peaceful mind. That surely is the essence and main teaching of this Yama.

SANTOSHA: Contentment. This is a beautiful quality to have. The ability to be satisfied and recognize the gifts we already have. Love what you have, and you will have what you love!

TAPAS: Austerity. The practice of burning impurities sometimes means challenging ourselves to increase the intensity of our existence. Here we don’t want to create new problems, understanding the limitations of our minds and bodies as human beings in this lifetime, and trying to resolve the issues when they appear in our daily lives.

SVADHYAYA: Study of the self, and also self-study. Bringing awareness to every thought and action will help you understand and transcend the desires of the Ego. Additionally, try to be in contact with things that are conducive to your practice. “One becomes that which one worships”

ISHWARAPRANIDHANA: Worshipping God, becoming a true devotee. And here, there is no meaning for God as a religious icon but to a humble self-surrendering to the específic plan divinely designed for you, and falling in love with existence, believing that everything is exactly as it has to be, and even if there is no palpable reason, there is absolute perfection in it.

3. Asana

To attain Samadhi, there is a long way to go, and for that, we need to be in good health. Nature provides everything to extend our lifetime, showing us how effortlessly she attains perfection in every creature on the Planet. Most asanas are inspired by nature itself, like animals, mountains, and other simple elements that you can easily find everywhere.

Asana means sitting position, and in the sutras, Patanjali expresses briefly but efficiently: “Sthiram-sukham-asanam,” which means steady and joyful sitting position.

We need to understand Asana as a dynamic meditation with its four important parts:

Shvasa: Prashvasa (inhalation and exhalation)

Vinyasa: Steps done gracefully to get into the final position

Sthiti: Final position

Drsti: Look or focus point that can be internal (infinity, 3d eye) or external (body part)

4. Pranayama

Techniques to extend your life force. In this limb, Patanjali gives importance to the control of the breath as a representation of Prana, even if it is not the definition of it, but the oxygen we breathe is one of many ways to get prana. The mastery of our breaths is a must to begin a balance of the energies flowing through us.

 

The next group explains a three-part process to go on an internal journey.

5. Pratyahara

Withdrawal of the senses.  It’s a practice where we witness our temptations and develop patience. Yoga, we can say, is an eternal waiting, a wait for meditation. Once you’ve withdrawn attention from the external world, one is capable of reducing the number of thoughts from 1000 to just 1; we call this experience of fixing the mind in one point:

6. Dharana

This focus point can be an internal or external objective, as could be the breath, a specific thought, or any creation of nature…

7. Dhyana

The capability of holding onto that point for a long period of time is meditation. With the extended practice of meditation, one will be capable of experiencing what is our last concept here, something difficult to express through words:

8. Samadhi

Enlightenment, Self-realization, ecstasy, Nirvana, Moksha—the ultimate state of being—can’t be accurately defined in verbal language. It’s an immense feeling of union with everything, an absolute focused mind where there is no space for duality. Attaining a union with the universal consciousness, where the “I” sense doesn’t take part anymore and becomes totally dissolved, it is not possible for two things to happen. This experience leads to equanimity and understanding, becoming the entirety of existence.

Are you interested in diving deeper into the 8 limbs of yoga? Join one of our upcoming teacher trainings or retreats to immerse yourself in the ancient wisdom of yoga and meditation.


 

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