The Eight Limbs of Yoga

RAJA YOGA

In Patanjali's Yoga Sutra , the eightfold path is called ashtanga , which literally means "eight limbs" ( ashta =eight, anga =limb). These eight steps basically act as guidelines on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life. They serve as a prescription for moral and ethical conduct and self-discipline; they direct attention toward one's health; and they help us to acknowledge the spiritual aspects of our nature.

The Royal Path is broken into eight steps which are:

1. yama (with five abstinences, e.g. ahimsa ~ to not cause pain) - deals with one's ethical standards and sense of integrity, focusing on our behavior and how we conduct ourselves in life.

Ahimsa: nonviolence
Satya : truthfulness
Asteya : nonstealing
Brahmacharya : continence
Aparigraha : noncovetousness

2. niyama (with five observances, e.g. saucha ~ purity of thought, word and deed) - has to do with self-discipline and spiritual observances.

Saucha : cleanliness
Samtosa : contentment
Tapas : heat; spiritual austerities
Svadhyaya : study of the sacred scriptures and of one's self
Isvara pranidhana : surrender to God

3. Asana (seated posture ~ usually translated as posture ) - Asanas , the postures practiced in yoga, comprise the third limb. In the yogic view, the body is a temple of spirit, the care of which is an important stage of our spiritual growth. Through the practice of asanas , we develop the habit of discipline and the ability to concentrate, both of which are necessary for meditation.

4. Pranayama (the practice of breath awareness ) - Generally translated as breath control, this fourth stage consists of techniques designed to gain mastery over the respiratory process while recognizing the connection between the breath, the mind, and the emotions.

5. Pratyahara (the practice of withdrawal of the senses ) - is during this stage that we make the conscious effort to draw our awareness away from the external world and outside stimuli. Keenly aware of, yet cultivating a detachment from, our senses, we direct our attention internally. The practice of pratyahara provides us with an opportunity to step back and take a look at ourselves.

6. Dharana (the practice of concentration ) - Having relieved ourselves of outside distractions, we can now deal with the distractions of the mind itself. No easy task! In the practice of concentration, which precedes meditation, we learn how to slow down the thinking process by concentrating on a single mental object: a specific energetic center in the body, an image of a deity, or the silent repetition of a sound.

7. Dhyana (effortless meditation) - Meditation or contemplation, the seventh stage of ashtanga , is the uninterrupted flow of concentration. Although concentration ( dharana ) and meditation ( dhyana ) may appear to be one and the same, a fine line of distinction exists between these two stages. Where dharana practices one-pointed attention, dhyana is ultimately a state of being keenly aware without focus. At this stage, the mind has been quieted, and in the stillness it produces few or no thoughts at all.

8. Samadhi (enlightenment) - At this stage, the meditator merges with his or her point of focus and transcends the Self altogether. The meditator comes to realize a profound connection to the Divine, an interconnectedness with all living things. With this realization comes the "peace that passeth all understanding"; the experience of bliss and being at one with the Universe.