Originally shared on 5/2/23.
Who knew there were 8 limbs of yoga!? I have mentioned that there are many facets of yoga, it is not just asana, or postures – which is a key understanding – – but I am not sure I have ever taken time to break them all down and explain the 8 limb system that is yoga. Teaching pratyahara over the weekend I realized that many people were not familiar with the other limbs of yoga. This week in the blog let’s get geeky (I love geeking out about spiritual yoga, and Ayurveda!!!), and take a deep dive into what the 8 limbs are.
Most of you are familiar with Asana – you can see it is the 3rd limb on the tree below. The limbs are meant to be a progression, one is meant to build upon and lead to the next. The first few are more external, and they get progressively more internal as you go. This is the order in which the limbs are described by Patanjali in the yoga sutras (sutra 2:29):
1 – Yamas: self-restraints
2 – Niyamas: fixed rules
3 – Asana: postures/poses
4 – Pranayama: breath control
5 – Pratyahara: sense withdrawal
6 – Dharana: one-pointed concentration
7 – Dhyana: meditation
8 – Samadhi: Bliss
A little more on each limb:
The first two, the Yamas and the Niyamas are the ethical restraints and fixed rules of the yogic path. Giving us guidelines, thoughts on how to live from good moral ground. These are not ‘hard rules’, or commandments, where you will go to a bad place if you do not obey – they are recommendations for more happiness, and better karma in your lifetime.
1. Yamas: The Yamas are the ethical restraints of the yoga practice. They are: non-harming, truthfulness, non-stealing, moderation, and non-possessiveness. (Sutra 2:30)
2. Niyamas: The ethical fixed rules are: purity, contentment, discipline, self-study, and spiritual study (or surrender to a supreme being). (Sutra 2:32)
You are likely most familiar with the next two limbs.
3. Asana: Seated postures may be what Patanjali was referring to when he said asana. It is accepted that the yogi’s definition of asana at one point was just a ‘seat,’ a way of sitting for meditation. Somewhere along the way it evolved into additional postures, and those postures were in fact created to help the yogi sit in seated meditation comfortably for longer periods of time. The sutras do not describe specific postures, but mainly state that asana should be steady and ease-filled. (Sutra 2:46)
4: Pranayama: Breath control. Generally described as a breathing technique that involves a retention or suspension of the inhale or exhale – a technique where the pause between the in and the out breaths becomes the object of concentration and study. There are many types of pranayama: the techniques are designed to help us find energy when we are tired, to help us calm down and relax when we need that, to move energy in a particular way, and to cleanse the system as well. (Sutra 2:49)
5: Pratyahara: conscious withdrawal of the senses. Making a concerted effort to not be pulled in whatever direction the senses want to go. We make this choice when we decide to rest in savasana at the end of an asana practice, or when we choose to lie down and go to sleep at night – we choose to ignore certain impulses, and keep our bodies still, our awareness tuned into our breath -and although we might hear sounds, or sense things outside of ourselves, we choose to keep our focus on the internal. This is a conscious choice, and once we get good at it, we can start to move toward the other more internal limbs of yoga. (Sutra 2:54)
The next three are considered internal states.
6: Dharana: One-pointed concentration or focus, “Eka-Grata.” Choosing one object, or focal point, and focusing solely on it, often the breath is used. This is a subtle continuation of Pratyahara, as we get more refined in our ability to control the senses, we can begin to choose our focal point. (Sutra 3:1).
The sutras say that one-pointed concentration can remove obstacles.
7: Dhyana: Meditation is dhyana – notice how far down the list, Patanjali placed it! If you occasionally struggle to focus your mind in meditation, it is okay – stick with the practices found in the other limbs and it will become easier over time. (Sutra 3:2)
8: Samadhi: Bliss. Fully absorbed consciousness, meditation is now effortless. A state where the physical body, and the eternal, universal consciousness become more merged, and you become more “free”. It is a place where the fluctuations of the mind are no longer controlling and afflicting the mind.(Sutra 3:3)
Yoga is a system, not just a list of poses to stretch the legs, and tone the butt. The system is designed to help us manage the fluctuations of our mind, and find deeper and deeper states of pure being, or abiding calm, and ease. If you want to feel more peaceful in your mind and body the yogic path can help. Studying the deeper aspects of the practice, perhaps grabbing a book on the Yamas and the niyamas is a great place to start.
This is my favorite book on the Yamas and the niyamas.
I have noted some of the sutras where the limbs are mentioned in the notes above, but there are other sutras and texts where you can learn more about them too. Many sutra translations are a bit hard to read, and heavy – but this is a pretty good sutra translation to try.