Ashtanga Yoga: The Eight Limbs of Yoga

The Eight Limbs of Yoga.

Somewhere between the 2nd Century BCE and the 2 Century CE the Yoga Sutras were put into writing. These are 196 short verses in Vedic Sanskrit and they are the foundational text of yoga philosophy. While they are attributed to the sage Patanjali (the Father of Yoga) they are derived from much earlier traditions.

Ashtanga Yoga, or the Eight Limbs of Yoga, are outlined in the Yoga Sutras. Dedication to this eight-fold path leads to spiritual liberation, called Samadhi. This is equatable to the highest bliss, a sense of complete oneness with the ultimate reality.

1. The first limb of Ashtanga is called Yama. The yamas are restraints, that which we should not do. There are five yamas. 

   1. Ahimsa - non-harming

   2. Satya - non-lying

   3. Asteya - non-stealing

   4. Aparigraha - non-hoarding

   5. Brahmacharya - non-promiscuity

2. The second limb is Niyama. The niyamas are observances, or self-disciplines. These are qualities we should cultivate more of. There are five niyamas.

1. Saucha - purity

2. Santosha - contentment

3. Tapas - austerity

4. Svadhyaya - self-study

5. Ishvara Pranidhana - devotion

3. The third limb is Asana, postures. These are the physical poses which are practiced to develop physical strength, flexibility and stability.

4. The fourth limb is Pranayama, breath control. This is practicing to control and regulate the breath to calm one’s mind and enhance energy flow.

5. The fifth limb is Pratyahara, sense withdrawal. Pulling one’s awareness away from external distractions and focusing inward.

6. The sixth limb is Dharana, concentration. Developing an increased ability to focus one’s mind on a single point or object. This leads to mental clarity and stability.

7. The seventh limb is Dhyana, meditation. This is emptying one’s mind to achieve a state of deep contemplation and sustained focus.

8. The eight limb is Samadhi, supreme bliss or absorption. This is a deep sense of oneness with all of creation.

The eight limbs are necessary for modern hatha yogis to incorporate into their daily lives. It is important to avoid turning asana practice into a gymnastics competition, which can cause practitioners to lose their way on the path to liberation. Yoga is a complete spiritual path, which does not exclude any body and is open to people of all faiths. To become a yogi one must involve their soul in their practice and act rightly in daily life.

Not only do many yoga practitioners get stuck on the limb of Asana or even the limbs of Pranayama or Meditation, some of them simply jump forward to their preferred limb, avoiding the Yamas and the Niyamas to practice their individual interests. The eight limbs remind us that the true path of yoga requires us to consider our actions socially, at work, the way we purchase and consume things, and the reasons why we do what we do. Are we acting only for our individual interests, are we practicing asana in some ego-driven way to feel more beautiful or in competition with others, or are we devoting our practice to something larger than ourselves? 

• Brooke Meadows