The Practice of Patanjalis' Ashtanga Yoga
The Yoga Sutras by Patanjali is the best known and greatest text of all the Yoga teachings.
Dating from circa 200 BC, in direct and concise terms they describe the essential techniques and philosophies involved in Raja (royal) yoga.
Ashtanga, meaning eight limbs, is the most widely practiced of all yoga activities in the Western world.
Each of the eight “ limbs ” is a guide to an aspect of fulfilled living.
They direct our behavior, both moral and physical, toward the attainment of higher levels of interaction with all living things and connection to the divine.
The ultimate goal is the achievement of being “ at one with the universe “ and experiencing “ perfect bliss “.
Yama, the first limb, teaches restraint, integrity and ethics by focusing on the sense of integrity and conduct.
The “Golden Rule” of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is fundamental to the practice of yamas.
Niyama, the second limb, relates to self-discipline and spiritual practices.
Examples of niyamas are regular attendance at a place of worship, developing meditation skills or saying prayers every morning and before bed.
Developing habits for the benefit of the soul and for the good of the mind are the meaning of niyamas.
Asanas, one of the better known yoga disciplines, is the third limb. In yoga the body is considered as a temple of the spirit, and must be cared for to develop our spiritual growth.
Asanas are the body postures that develop the ability to meditate through discipline and concentration.
It is usually with asanas that Westerners are introduced to the practice of Progressive Power Yoga.
Pranayama is the limb of breath control.
This fourth discipline teaches the techniques required to gain complete control of breathing.
Yogis believe that there is a connection between breathing, the mind and the emotions and that controlling the breathing rejuvenates the body and can extend life.
Pratyahara, the fifth limb, is the practice of divorcing ourselves from the distractions of our environment and the activities of the outside world.
The withdrawal of our awareness of our surroundings is replaced by directing our senses internally to a higher channel of purification, a process known as sublimation. It allows us to recognize those bad habits that affect our health and spiritual growth.
Dharana, the sixth limb, is a progression from the fifth limb where outside distractions have given way to inner knowledge.
To take us from the turmoil of our inner thoughts we learn to concentrate by the practice of dharana yoga.
Essentially this is achieved by aiming our thought processes at a lone mental object such as an internal body organ, an image of a deity or a repetitive chant.
Dhyana teaches the ability to extend the power of concentrating on a single object, as in dharana, to the continuous flow of concentration, of being acutely aware but without focus.
This seventh limb becomes the state of meditation, a mind that has become quiet with no anxieties or other stimuli, a mind that has become still and producing the fewest thoughts possible.
It is an extremely difficult state to achieve but each attempt will bring benefits to both body and mind.
Samadhi, the eighth and final limb, is the ultimate goal of Patanjali´s teachings.
It is the achievement of absolute bliss, pure contemplation, oneness with the universe, a state of God-Union.
This is the state of pure enlightenment and ectasy and is the end product of the practice of the previous limbs.
The first four limbs guide us to refining our personalities and becoming aware of ourselves, and to gaining control of our physical bodies.
This is a preparation for the final four stages where the mind and senses are trained to develop into a higher state of consciousness.
It is given to very few to gain the eighth limb but that does not mean that even the humblest attempt at the first limb only will not be beneficial.
Moving away from the esoteric world of yoga and Hindu mysticism to plain old English “nothing venture nothing gain” so give it a go!
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