Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 2K views

    The 8 Limbs of Yoga

    Uploaded by

    Bhakti and Yoga
    The eight limbs of yoga according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras are yamas (moral disciplines), niyamas (positive duties), asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (focused concentration), dhyana (meditative absorption), and samadhi (bliss or enlightenment). The eight limbs provide a framework for ethical living, physical practice, breathwork, meditation, and spiritual realization.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    The 8 Limbs of Yoga

    Uploaded by

    Bhakti and Yoga
    2K views3 pages
    The eight limbs of yoga according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras are yamas (moral disciplines), niyamas (positive duties), asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (focused concentration), dhyana (meditative absorption), and samadhi (bliss or enlightenment). The eight limbs provide a framework for ethical living, physical practice, breathwork, meditation, and spiritual realization.

    Original Description:

    8 limbs of yoga

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The eight limbs of yoga according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras are yamas (moral disciplines), niyamas (positive duties), asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (focused concentration), dhyana (meditative absorption), and samadhi (bliss or enlightenment). The eight limbs provide a framework for ethical living, physical practice, breathwork, meditation, and spiritual realization.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    2K views3 pages

    The 8 Limbs of Yoga

    Uploaded by

    Bhakti and Yoga
    The eight limbs of yoga according to Patanjali's Yoga Sutras are yamas (moral disciplines), niyamas (positive duties), asana (physical postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (focused concentration), dhyana (meditative absorption), and samadhi (bliss or enlightenment). The eight limbs provide a framework for ethical living, physical practice, breathwork, meditation, and spiritual realization.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    The 8 Limbs of Yoga – in Yoga

    Sutras of Patanjali
     ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘Yuj’, which means  to
    join, yoke, unite or connect.  Yoga is more than the practice
    of asana, or physical postures. In Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, the eight
    limbs are referred to as  ‘Ashtanga Yog’ (ashta meaning eight
    and anga meaning limb in Sanskrit).

    The 8 Limbs of Yoga

     YAMA – Restraints, moral disciplines or moral


    vows
     NIYAMA – Positive duties or observances
     ASANA – Posture
     PRANAYAMA – Breathing techniques
     PRATYAHARA – Sense withdrawal
     DHARANA – Focused concentration
     DHYANA – Meditative absorption 
     SAMADHI – Bliss or enlightenment
    1. YAMAS

    Yamas are ethical considerations to help guide interactions with


    others. There are five yamas:

     Nonviolence (Ahimsa)
     Truthfulness (Satya)
     Non-stealing (Asteya)
     Chastity and fidelity (Brahmacharya)
     Non-coveting (Aparigraha)
    2. Niyamas
    The Niyamas are practices that inform self-discipline and
    worldview. The maxims below generally reflect the essence of each
    Niyama:

     Saucha: “Leave a place cleaner than you found it”


    (cleanliness)
     Santosha: “Don’t worry, be happy” (contentment)
     Tapas: “When the going gets tough, the tough gets
    going” (willpower and self-discipline)
     Svadhyaya: “Learn from your mistakes” (study of
    self and sacred scriptures)
     Ishvara Pranidhana: “Have faith” (surrender to the
    divine)

    3. Asana –

    Asana refers to the physical postures practiced in yoga. As Asana is


    derived from the Sanskrit root, which means seat, asana is designed
    to prepare the body and mind for seated meditation.
    4. Pranayama
    Breathing is the only bodily function that you perform consciously
    and unconsciously; it can be voluntary or involuntary. However,
    breathing patterns, such as a tendency to hold your breath, are
    indicators of mind and body health. Pranayama is the practice of
    consciously controlling the breath, of taking your breath back into
    your own lungs. In Sanskrit, prana is our vital life force, so
    pranayama is the cultivation and mindful use of life force.
    Pranayama leads to improved concentration, health, focus, clarity,
    creativity, purpose and compassion.

    5. Pratyahara

    Pratyahara is the practice of withdrawing from external stimuli to


    enhance internal awareness. Mindfully return to quiet through
    meditation and removal of distractions. Set aside 5-10 minutes each
    day to sit or lay quietly with your eyes closed. As your practice
    grows, your heightened sense of awareness leads to an ability to see
    things are they are, not as you are. Draw inward, not to silence your
    senses, but to quiet them enough to see beyond yourself.

    6. Dharana

    Dharana is the practice of intense concentration, usually focusing


    on one object, such as the flame of a candle or a picture of a deity.
    This practice trains the mind in stillness and focus. Start with just a
    few minutes each day and expand your practice as it serves you. If
    other thoughts or distractions flicker through your
    experience, recognize them then let them go.

    7. Dhyana

    Dhyana is the state of being keenly aware, yet without focus. It is


    awareness without judgment or attachment; it is peaceful,
    meditative and precedes complete bliss. It is otherwise known to
    artists and athletes as the flow state. Consider moments in your life
    where you were so engrossed in the present that you lost track of
    time or desire (even for food). The practice of yoga offers a return
    to this state.

    8. Samadhi

    Samadhi is a state of ecstasy. This is the final step of the journey of


    Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. It is transcendence, connectivity with the
    divine, a coupling with the universe, and a mind-body integration of
    the concept that “all things are one.”

    You might also like