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Ashtanga
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The Eight Limbs of Yoga: A Path to Enlightenment
A highly regarded resource for learning about all the facets of yoga are the
Yoga
Sutras, written in loose form over 4,000 years ago and
assembled into one text by the Indian sage, Patanjali, some
2,000 years ago. The ancient aphorisms found in the Yoga Sutras
thousands of years ago can still be applied today. Within the assembled sutras are
the eight limbs of yoga, or astanga (not to be confused
with the popular yoga style, ashtanga, developed by
Pattabhi Jois around 1948). The eight limbs can be used as a general
guide for the practice of yoga. Following is
a summary of the eight limbs.
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Yama
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The
yamas refer to an individual’s ethical standards and
way of behaving. The yamas have five areas of focus: |
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Ahimsa: |
nonviolence against oneself or others, in actions or
thoughts. |
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Aparigraha: |
noncovetousness, non-grasping, taking only what is
necessary. |
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Asteya: |
nonstealing, thoughtful in what is yours, not taking
advantage of one’s trust. |
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Brahmacharya: |
continence, abstinence, restraint, responsible behavior. |
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Satya: |
truthfulness in all dealings with the self and others. |
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Niyama
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The
niyamas refer to a more internal view of ourselves; to behaviors and
observances. The niyamas have five areas of focus: |
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Isvara
Pranidhana: |
surrender to God, realizing one is not in
control of one’s existence. |
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Samtosa: |
contentment and modesty, accepting what happens. |
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Saucha: |
cleanliness, purity of the body and thoughts. |
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Svadhyaya: |
the study of sacred texts, to study oneself through
reflection. |
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Tapas: |
heat; spiritual austerities, respect for your personal
being, keeping the body fit. |
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Asana
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The
most common discipline taught in contemporary yoga
classes are the postures and movement between postures.
Practicing asana helps prepare us for deeper meditation.
By maintaining a healthy and open physical body, we are
able to come to deeper meditation, enabling us to
experience samadhi. From a yoga perspective, this is the
primary reason for practicing asana. |
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Pranayama |
Prana
translates as breath or life force. Yama translates as
control. Thus pranayama means control of the breath.
Through pranayama practice, we learn to control the body
and mind by controlling the breath. We can strengthen
the energy within as well as making the energy more
peaceful. Pranayama increases our lung capacity,
decreases stress, helps us focus, and brings a sense of
balance of the inner self with the world around us. If
practiced correctly, the body and mind become healthier.
Practicing the first four limbs of yoga, Yama, Niyama,
Asana and Pranayama help us to more thoroughly
experience the next four limbs, Pratyahara, Dharana,
Dhyana and Samadhi, which focus more on the spiritual
self. |
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Pratyahara
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Pratyahara
means withdrawing from the senses. More accurately, it
means to transcend the senses so they don’t influence
us in a way that prevents us from reaching Samadhi, or
enlightenment. By transcending the senses, we move our
awareness away from the outer world and toward the inner
self. Here, without outside influence, we are able to
view our selves in a deeper, more intimate way,
ultimately finding the true self. |
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Dharana
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With
the help of Pratyahara, Dharana enables us to
concentrate more fully, bringing a richer awareness of
the mind. This step is essential to meditation. Here, we
use all the previously mentioned limbs to bring our
selves to a place of such peacefulness and balance,
every thought or influence is met with a totally open
mind, body and spirit. There is no preconception,
prejudgment, conditioning, fear, anxiety, joy or sorrow
to influence our meeting with each event. We meet every
moment with our true selves. |
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Dhyana
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Dhyana
is meditation. In Dhyana, or meditation, we move beyond
Dharana (concentration) into a state of total awareness.
We are able to concentrate on a focus point, while still
being aware of everything else around and within us.
This is a much more difficult task than might be
thought. All the previously mentioned limbs are engaged
when we come to this state. The mind and body must be
totally quiet and open. |
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Samadhi
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Samadhi
is the state of transcendence of the self, a state of
ecstasy. It is the joining or union (the meaning of
yoga) with all living things, with the universe, with
the Devine. Here, we are in a state of bliss, beyond the
place of knowledge, beyond the place of worldly things, to
a realization that everything is of the same substance
and that all is connected – yoga! |
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