's eight limbs of yoga
Pātañjali set out his definition of
yoga in the
Yoga Sūtras as having eight limbs (अष्टाङ्ग , "eight limbs") as follows: The eightfold path of Pātañjali's yoga consists of a set of prescriptions for a morally disciplined and purposeful life, of which the
āsana (yoga postures) form only one limb.
1. Yamas Yamas are ethical rules in
Hinduism and can be thought of as moral imperatives (the "don'ts"). The five
yamas listed by Pātañjali in
Yoga Sūtra 2.30 are: •
Ahimsā (अहिंसा):
Nonviolence, non-harming other living beings •
Satya (सत्य): truthfulness, non-falsehood •
Aparigraha (अपरिग्रह): non-avarice, Patanjali, in Book 2, states how and why each of the above self-restraints helps in an individual's personal growth. For example, in verse II.35, Patanjali states that the virtue of
nonviolence and non-injury to others (
Ahimsa) leads to the abandonment of enmity, a state that leads the yogi to the perfection of inner and outer amity with everyone, everything.
2. Niyamas The second component of Patanjali's Yoga path is niyama, which includes virtuous habits and observances (the "dos"). Sadhana Pada Verse 32 lists the niyamas as: •
Shaucha (शौच): purity, clearness of mind, speech and body •
Santosha (संतोष): contentment, acceptance of others, acceptance of one's circumstances as they are in order to get past or change them, optimism for self •
Tapas (तपस्): persistence, perseverance, austerity,
asceticism, self-discipline •
Svadhyaya (स्वाध्याय): study of Vedas, study of self, self-reflection, introspection of self's thoughts, speech and actions •
Ishvarapranidhana (ईश्वरप्रणिधान): contemplation of the Ishvara (God/Supreme Being,
Brahman, True Self, Unchanging Reality) As with the Yamas, Patanjali explains how and why each of the Niyamas helps in personal growth. For example, in verse II.42, Patanjali states that the virtue of contentment and acceptance of others as they are (
Santosha) leads to the state where inner sources of joy matter most, and the craving for external sources of
pleasure ceases.
3. Āsana , one of the ancient seated meditation asanas Patanjali begins discussion of
Āsana (आसन, posture, seat) by defining it in verse 46 of Book 2, as follows, Āraṇya translates verse II.47 as, "asanas are perfected over time by relaxation of effort with meditation on the infinite"; this combination and practice stops the body from shaking. Any posture that causes pain or restlessness is not a yogic posture. Secondary texts that discuss Patanjali's sutra state that one requirement of correct posture for sitting meditation is to keep chest, neck and head erect (
proper spinal posture). suggests twelve seated meditation postures:
Padmasana (lotus),
Virasana (hero),
Bhadrasana (glorious),
Svastikasana (lucky mark),
Dandasana (staff),
Sopasrayasana (supported), Paryankasana (bedstead), Krauncha-nishadasana (seated heron), Hastanishadasana (seated elephant), Ushtranishadasana (seated camel), Samasansthanasana (evenly balanced) and Sthirasukhasana (any motionless posture that is in accordance with one's pleasure). In
modern yoga, asanas are prominent and numerous, unlike in any earlier form of yoga.
4. Prāṇāyāma , one form of
Pranayama Prāṇāyāma is the control of the breath, from the Sanskrit '
(प्राण, breath) and ' (आयाम, restraint). After a desired posture has been achieved, verses II.49 through II.51 recommend
prāṇāyāma, the practice of consciously regulating the breath (inhalation, the full pause, exhalation, and the empty pause). This is done in several ways, such as by inhaling and then suspending exhalation for a period, exhaling and then suspending inhalation for a period, by slowing the inhalation and exhalation, or by consciously changing the timing and length of the breath (deep, short breathing).
5. Pratyāhāra Pratyāhāra is a combination of two Sanskrit words '
(the prefix प्रति-, "against" or "contra") and ' (आहार, "bring near, fetch"). Pratyahara is drawing within one's awareness. It is a process of retracting the sensory experience from external objects. It is a step of self extraction and abstraction. Pratyahara is not consciously closing one's eyes to the sensory world; it is consciously closing one's mind processes to the sensory world. Pratyahara empowers one to stop being controlled by the external world, fetch one's attention to seek self-knowledge and experience the freedom innate in one's inner world. Pratyahara marks the transition of yoga experience from the first four limbs of Patanjali's Ashtanga scheme that perfect external forms, to the last three limbs that perfect the yogin's inner state: moving from outside to inside, from the outer sphere of the body to the inner sphere of the spirit.
6. Dhāraṇā Dharana (Sanskrit: धारणा) means concentration, introspective focus and one-pointedness of mind. The root of the word is
dhṛ (धृ), meaning "to hold, maintain, keep". Dharana, as the sixth limb of yoga, is holding one's mind onto a particular inner state, subject or topic of one's mind. The mind is fixed on a
mantra, or one's breath/navel/tip of tongue/any place, or an object one wants to observe, or a concept/idea in one's mind. Fixing the mind means one-pointed focus, without drifting of mind, and without jumping from one topic to another. Dhyana is contemplating, reflecting on whatever
Dharana has focused on. If in the sixth limb of yoga one focused on a personal deity, Dhyana is its contemplation. If the concentration was on one object, Dhyana is non-judgmental, non-presumptuous observation of that object. If the focus was on a concept/idea, Dhyana is contemplating that concept/idea in all its aspects, forms and consequences. Dhyana is uninterrupted train of thought, current of cognition, flow of awareness.
Adi Shankara, in his commentary on
Yoga Sutras, distinguishes Dhyana from Dharana, by explaining Dhyana as the yoga state when there is only the "stream of continuous thought about the object, uninterrupted by other thoughts of different kind for the same object"; Dharana, states Shankara, is focussed on one object, but aware of its many aspects and ideas about the same object. Shankara gives the example of a yogin in a state of dharana on the morning Sun may be aware of its brilliance, color and orbit; the yogin in dhyana state contemplates on Sun's orbit alone for example, without being interrupted by its color, brilliance or other related ideas.
8. Samādhi Samadhi (Sanskrit: समाधि; "putting together, joining, combining with, union, harmonious whole") has a broad range of meanings. While often understood as absorption in an object of meditation, 'clear comprehension'), also called
savikalpa samadhi and
Sabija Samadhi, is accompanied by, or appears 'in the form (
rupa) of'
vitarka (deliberation),
vicara (reflection),
ananda (bliss),
asmita (I-am-ness). Vyasa's commentary describes
samprajnata as four successive stages of
vitarka ("gross thought"),
vicara ("subtle thought"),
ananda (bliss), and
asmita, the sense of "I-am-ness" or mere being, "the perception of an unified self," when
vitarka,
vicara and
ananda have disappeared. The first two associations,
vitarka (deliberation) and
vicara (reflection), form the basis of two types of
samāpatti (samadhi) which are further detailed in YS 1.42 and YS 1.44: • Vitarka (or avitarka) (YS 1.42), "deliberative," "with thought": According to the later commentarial tradition, citta is concentrated upon a gross object of meditation, and
Nirbija Samadhi, which leads to knowledge of
purusha or consciousness, the subtlest element. Chip Hartranft translates YS 1.18 as "after one practices steadily to bring all thought to a standstill, these four kinds of cognition fall away, leaving only a store of latent impressions in the depth memory." == Soteriological goal:
Kaivalya ==