There is a lot more to yoga than just doing postures or stretching. While yoga is not a religion it is spiritual. It is a way to connect to yourself, your most inner self. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, an ancient Indian text, that outlines in to the point detail the principals of yoga. The Yoga Sutras lay out eight limbs on the path of yoga. These limbs are called Ashtanga.
The first limb is called the Yamas or “restraints”. They are the social ethics in which a yoga practitioner carries themselves in the world.
The first limb is called the Yamas or “restraints”. They are the social ethics in which a yoga practitioner carries themselves in the world.
There are five Yamas:
Ahimsa- nonviolence
Satya- truthfulness
Asteya- nonstealing
Arahmacarya- divine conduct, nonlust
Aparigraha- nonpossessiveness
The Niyamas are the second limb of the eight limbs of yoga. Niyamas are personal ethics to live by or in other words, how we treat ourselves.
There are five niyamas.
Sauca- purity, cleanliness
Santosa- contentment
Tapas- practice causing change, heat, like motivation
Svadhyaya- self study, observation
Isvarapranidhana- devotion, surrendering to a higher force
Asana is the third limb of yoga. Asana means posture or poses. When most people in the west think of yoga they often think of asana. It is important but it is only one limb on the eight fold path.
Pranayama, the forth limb, is breath control. The sanskrit prefix prana refers to breath or energy. Pranayama is about using various breathing exercises and techniques to regulate breath and energy in the body.
Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses. When this limb is achieved during meditation, external factors do not distract from the ability to focus inwardly.
The next three limbs are considered the internal limbs. They deal with controlling the fluctuations of the mind and each limb builds on the other as they are achieved.
Dharana is concentration. This is achieved when you focus the mind on one idea or object. This can be a way to prepare you for the next limb.
Dhyana is meditation. Meditation is a stillness of the mind and/or observations of the fluctuations of the mind.
Samadhi is the last limb of yoga and is the ultimate goal of yoga. It is the complete understanding of your connection and oneness with the universe. It is believed that the following of all of the other limbs of yoga will bring the yogi to Samadhi.
If you would like to learn how to say the sanskrit words of the eightfold path check out this site.
Ashtanga or the eight fold path reminds us that yoga is more than just an exercise craze, it is a way of living your life.
Dharana is concentration. This is achieved when you focus the mind on one idea or object. This can be a way to prepare you for the next limb.
Dhyana is meditation. Meditation is a stillness of the mind and/or observations of the fluctuations of the mind.
Samadhi is the last limb of yoga and is the ultimate goal of yoga. It is the complete understanding of your connection and oneness with the universe. It is believed that the following of all of the other limbs of yoga will bring the yogi to Samadhi.
If you would like to learn how to say the sanskrit words of the eightfold path check out this site.
Ashtanga or the eight fold path reminds us that yoga is more than just an exercise craze, it is a way of living your life.
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