Yoga - Not Just Movement

When we think about yoga, we primarily think about the physical practice. We think about attending classes, getting the heart rate up, doing a movement practice. We might also think about breath, but past that, if we haven’t experienced yoga, we don’t know about all of the other parts that make up our yoga practice.

In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, there are eight limbs of yoga described. These eight limbs explain to us how we should live our lives in order to reach enlightenment. Asana, the physical practice, is one of them, but there are seven other limbs that we need to think about as well.

What are the eight limbs?

Yama

The yamas are considered restraints pertaining to the world around us and how we interact with it. There are five yamas: ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (moderation), and aparigraha (non-hoarding). The yamas can be considered the universal practices that we know as the golden rule - treat others the way you want to be treated.

Niyama

The niyamas are duties that pertain to ourselves. Just like the yamas, there are five niyamas: saucha (cleanliness), santosha (contentment), tapas (discipline), svadhyaya (self-study), and isvarapranidaha (surrender to higher power).

Asana

The postures we practice in yoga make up the third limb of yoga. Through this practice of asana, we can develop discipline and the ability to concentrate, which are necessary for meditation practices. The physical practice was created to better prepare the body for meditation.

Pranayama

This limb is all about the breath and breath control. This is about working on techniques designed to gain mastery over the respiratory process and bringing attention to the connection between the breath and the mind. Breath not only rejuvenates the body but can also extend life itself according to the description of this limb.

Pratyahara

This limb is about withdrawing from the senses. Here, we consciously make the effort to pull our awareness away from the outside world and external stimuli. When we detach ourselves from our senses, we can direct our attention internally. It allows us an opportunity to step back and look at ourselves.

Dharana

Dharana is concentration. After removing the outside distractions, we now have an opportunity to focus on the distractions in our mind. This comes before meditation. Now, we focus our attention on a single point.

Dhyana

Dhyana is meditation or contemplation. This is the state of being keenly aware without focus, that’s how this limb differs from the previous one of dharana. The mind is now quiet, and it produces few or no thoughts at all.

Samadhi

The final stage is described as a state of ecstasy. In this stage the meditator merges with their point of focus and comes to a profound connection to the divine. Essentially, this stage is all about peace, the completion of the yogic path.

Each stage of the eight limb path prepares us for the next stage. Until we can comfortably sit in one, it can be challenging to move onto the next. When we practice yoga, we are not just practicing the physical moves, that is part of it, but at the end of the day, why we do what we do is about finding peace and reaching enlightenment.