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8 Limbs of Yoga

Yamas

Niyamas

Asana

Pranayama

Pratyahara

Dharana

Dhyana

The 8 limbs of yoga were set forth over 5,000 years ago by mystic yogi Patanjali. It is a blueprint to help you achieve pure ecstasy.

What are the 8 limbs of yoga?

1. Yamas: Our behavior and how we treat others
2. Niyamas: Self-Discipline
3. Asana: The physical postures
4. Pranayama: control of the breath
5. Pratyahara: Sensory withdrawal
6. Dharana: Concentration
7. Dhyana: Meditation
8. Samadhi: Full ecstasy

Let's break that down a little more.

The Yamas are the 5 teachings that help guide you in your interactions with others.

1. Ahimsa: do no Harm
2. Satya: Do not Lie
3. Asteya: Do not Steal
4. Brahmacharya: Non excess
5. Aparigraha: Do not Covet

Ahimsa, do no harm. This is considered the number one belief in all of yoga philosophy. Above all things, you should live your life striving to avoid harming any living creature, in all areas of life. This means that you should avoid needlessly harming anything, human, animal, plant, or environment. You should also avoid harming yourself through negative self-talk and destructive behaviors.

Satya, do not lie. Do not lie to yourself, nor to others. Always speak the truth. Sometimes truthfulness can cause harm to others. if you find yourself in this dilemma, take a moment and determine whether you actually need to say what you were going to say that would hurt someone. Some things don't need to be said even if they are true. Will the pain you cause help the person grow or are you would it simply cause them pain. If you absolutely must tell this truth to them, try and do so in a way that minimizes the pain you cause.

Asteya, do not steal. It is obvious that asteya is teaching you not to take things that belong to other people, this includes not taking the thoughts, feelings, emotions, and energies of others. Stealing a person's time and energy is just as unhealthy as stealing their money.

Brahmacharya, non-excess, teaches you that you should be living with what you need without hoarding. In some yogic teachings this includes celibacy and abstinence. At the root, brahmacharya asks that you live within your means. Eastern yogis and monks may only have one outfit and one pair of shoes because when you boil life down, that is all that you truly need to survive. In Western society, we are currently calling this the "minimalist" movement. This teaching asks you to take a moment before purchasing something to ask, "Do I NEED this, or do I Want this?"

Aparigraha, do not covet. So much of our society is built upon trying to get you to want what other people have. "I want that million-dollar home" "I love her car, I want one just like it" "My neighbor just put in a pool, now I want to put in a pool" "That major cell phone company just released a new phone, now I want it". Aparigraha teaches you that this desire for what other people have causes you and those around you pain. This teaching instructs you not to be jealous of what other people have and their personalities.

The Niyamas are the 5 teachings that help guide your self-discipline.

1. Saucha: cleanliness
2. Santosha: Contentedness
3. Tapas: The fire Within/Discipline
4. Svadhyaya: Self-Study
5. Isvara Pranidhana: surrender to a higher Power

Saucha, cleanliness, teaches you that it is important to keep your entire environment clean. You must clean your body, your room, your home, your property, your town, your country, your world. You are a part of the world, so you need to keep yourself clean. Just as you must bathe yourself, you also need to keep your thoughts and emotions clean. You don't want to pollute your mind any more than you would want to pollute a pond. This teaching also applies to the food you eat. You want to feed yourself healthy foods that will keep your internal environment clean.

Santosha, or contentedness, teaches you to be happy with what you have. Many people confuse contentment with complacency. This is not true. Santosha teaches that you should find happiness and contentment with what you have and who you are. You can be happy with your self and still work on being the best version of your self possible.

Tapas teaches you that when faced with adversity, you should breathe through it and not immediately react. It is natural to want to fight, scream, or yell when you are in a difficult situation. Tapas asks you take a mental step back and find the most constructive solution.

Svadhyaya teaches you to sit and look at yourself. Truly look inside yourself. Are you being true and authentic to yourself? If not, what do you need to do to be authentic to yourself. If so, can you be more so?

Isvara Pranidhana teaches you to release that which you cannot control to a higher power. Yoga does not tell you what higher power you are releasing to, it could be your God, it could be the universe, it could be the energies around you. The important part of this teaching is recognizing that you cannot control all things and should relinquish some things to the universe.

What is asana?

Asana is the Sanskrit term for posture or position in yoga. It is the use of the body to meditate and turn your thoughts inward. Each form of yoga has their own way of using these poses. Some forms of yoga work through several poses in a class repeating "flows", the same sequence of poses. Some types of yoga believe that it is important that a very specific order must be followed in order for the poses to help you reach the desired meditative state, while still other types of yoga focus on just a very small number of poses with a specific goal for each pose. There are quite a few standard yoga poses.

What is pranayama?

The literal translation of pranayama is prana = breath, life energy + yama = control, so it is the control of the breath, so as to control your life force. Depending on the branch of yoga you choose to follow, pranayama is sometimes considered more important than the asana, other branches feel that the asana is more important. Pranayama can be done by itself, at the beginning/middle/end of a yoga session, and before/during/after a meditation session. There are several different breath practices that vary in intensity and result.

What is pratyahara?

Pratyahara is the withdrawal and control of our senses. It teaches us to focus on our mind and senses. It takes practice to get your overstimulated mind used to silence and the lack of stimulation. Pratyahara asks that you become comfortable with silence.

What is dharana?

Dharana teaches us to be fully and completely present in the moment. In Western society, we are currently calling this mindfulness. Mindfulness teaches that you need to be fully focused on the task at hand. You should strive to place complete focus on all tasks: Focus fully on brushing your teeth, what does it feel like, what do you taste, what do you smell? Focus your full attention on your meals, how does your meal look, how does it make you feel, how does it taste? The practice of being fully aware and immersed in each activity will help you feel more fulfilled and happier in your life.

What is dhyana?

Dhyana is the Sanskrit term for meditation. There are many different ways in which to meditate, and most activities can in and of themselves become meditations. The simplest way to explain meditation is that it asks you to sit with yourself and look inward. You don't have to sit and meditate, you can walk and meditate, you can run and meditate, you can crochet and meditate. Basically, it is a turning in of your thoughts.

What is samadhi?

Samadhi is full and total bliss. It is not a final destination. You don't achieve samadhi and stay there. Most people, yoga practitioners or not, have experienced this feeling. It is that feeling that you get when you are so full and truly happy while doing something that the world around you seems to cease to exist. You almost never realize that you have reached that point until you are no longer blissful.

Samadhi