The practice of the eight limbs of yoga helps us to attain a true understanding of who we are on a deeper, subtle, and Divine level, opening our eyes to the ignorance of our true identity and bringing the best of ourselves forward.
The Eight Limbs of Yoga
Yoga Sutras, Patanjali
Yama’s – Restraints: Ahimsa/Nonviolence; Satya/Truthfulness; Asteya/Nonstealing; Brahmacarya/Continence; Aparigraha/Nonpossessiveness;
Niyama’s – Observances: Shaucha/Purity; Santosha/Contentment; Tapas/Austerity; Svadhyaya/Self Study; Isvara Pranidhana/Trustful Surrender to God
Asana – Physical postures
Pranayama – Mastery of the Pranic Forces
Pratyahara – Recalling the Senses
Dharana – Concentration
Dhyana – Meditation
Samadhi – Spiritual absorbtion
The first 5 limbs are considered to be the external limbs and the last 3 limbs are considered the internal limbs of yogic practice. YS 2:28- YS 2:45.
According to Pandit Rajmani Tigunait’s The Practice of the Yoga Sutra: Sadhana Pada, “the external limbs help us to rid ourselves of impurities that have their source in the external world and have contaminated our body and distorted our behavior. These impurities include those generated by an unhealthy lifestyle, environmental contamination, unnatural breathing, disturbed sleep, and religious and ideological toxins. The internal limbs or components of “concentration, meditation, and spiritual absorption, help us attain freedom from impurities that have their source in our mental world. Principal among these impurities are our *samskaras and the roaming tendencies of our mind *engendered and supported by them”
All 8 limbs should be applied together, allowing the physical benefits of the 5 external limbs to blossom into a healthy state of mental wellness, while the mental benefits (“clarity and stillness”) of a focused, breath-aligned meditation practice overflows into a balanced and healthy function of the physiology of the brain, nervous system and body.
Words to Consider:
*Samskara – “Subtle karmic impression. Every action we perform – mental, verbal, physical- makes an impression in the mind, which is stored in the form of memory. The deeper the impression the more strongly it influences our current thoughts, speech, and actions” – Glossary of The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
Engendered – cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition) The Oxford Dictionary
Thru soulful eyes 