The 

Eight Limbs , The Core of Yoga

by William J.D. Doran

        

          The practice of yoga is an art and science dedicated to creating union between
body, mind and spirit. Its objective is to assist the practitioner in using the breath and
body to foster an awareness of ourselves as individualized beings intimately
connected to the unified whole of creation. In short it is about making balance and
creating equanimity so as to live in peace, good health and harmony with the greater
whole. This art of right living was perfected and practiced in India thousands of years
ago and the foundations of yoga philosophy were written down in The Yoga Sutra of
Patanjali, approximately 200 AD. This sacred text describes the inner workings of the
mind and provides an eight-step blueprint for controlling its restlessness so as to
enjoying lasting peace.

         The core of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is an eight-limbed path that forms the
structural framework for yoga practice. Upon practicing all eight limbs of the path it
becomes self-evident that no one element is elevated over another in a hierarchical
order. Each is part of a holistic focus which eventually brings completeness to the
individual as they find their connectivity to the divine. Because we are all uniquely
individual a person can emphasize one branch and then move on to another as they
round out their understanding.

       In brief the eight limbs, or steps to yoga, are as follows:

1. Yama :  Universal morality

2. Niyama :  Personal observances
3. Asanas :  Body postures
4. Pranayama :  Breathing exercises, and control of prana
5. Pratyahara :  Control of the senses
6. Dharana :  Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness
7. Dhyana :  Devotion, Meditation on the Divine
8. Samadhi :  Union with the Divine

       The first two limbs that Patanjali describes are the fundamental ethical precepts
called yamas, and the niyamas. These can also be looked at as universal morality and
personal observances. Yamas and niyamas are the suggestions given on how we
should deal with people around us and our attitude toward ourselves. The attitude we
have toward things and people outside ourselves is yama, how we relate to ourselves
inwardly is niyama. Both are mostly concerned with how we use our energy in
relationship to others and to ourselves.
       The yamas are broken down into five "wise characteristics." Rather than a list of
dos and don’ts, "they tell us that our fundamental nature is compassionate, generous,
honest and peaceful."   They are as follows:
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I. Yamas (Universal Morality)

1. Ahimsa – Compassion for all living things

The word ahimsa literally mean not to injure or show cruelty to any creature or any
person in any way whatsoever. Ahimsa is, however, more than just lack of violence as
adapted in yoga. It means kindness, friendliness, and thoughtful consideration of other
people and things. It also has to do with our duties and responsibilities too. Ahimsa
implies that in every situation we should adopt a considerate attitude and do no harm.

2. Satya – Commitment to Truthfulness 

Satya means "to speak the truth," yet it is not always desirable to speak the truth on all
occasions, for it could harm someone unnecessarily. We have to consider what we
say, how we say it, and in what way it could affect others. If speaking the truth has
negative consequences for another, then it is better to say nothing. Satya should never
come into conflict with our efforts to behave with ahimsa. This precept is based on the
understanding that honest communication and action form the bedrock of any healthy
relationship, community, or government, and that deliberate deception, exaggerations,
and mistruths harm others.     
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3. Asteya - Non-stealing 
Steya means "to steal"; asteya is the opposite-to take nothing that does not belong to
us. This also means that if we are in a situation where someone entrusts something to
us or confides in us, we do not take advantage of him or her. Non-stealing includes
not only taking what belongs to another without permission, but also using something
for a different purpose to that intended, or beyond the time permitted by its owner.   
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The practice of asteya implies not taking anything that has not been freely given. This
includes fostering a consciousness of how we ask for others’ time for inconsiderate
behavior demanding another’s attention when not freely given is, in effect, stealing.

4. Brahmacharya - Sense control 

Brahmacharya is used mostly in the sense of abstinence, particularly in relationship to
sexual activity. Brahmacharya suggests that we should form relationships that foster
our understanding of the highest truths. Brahmacharya does not necessarily imply
celibacy. Rather, it means responsible behavior with respect to our goal of moving
toward the truth. Practicing brahmacharya means that we use our sexual energy to
regenerate our connection to our spiritual self. It also means that we don’t use this
energy in any way that might harm others. iv
5. Aparigraha - Neutralizing the desire to acquire and hoard wealth 
Aparigraha means to take only what is necessary, and not to take advantage of a
situation or act greedy. We should only take what we have earned; if we take more,
we are exploiting someone else. The yogi feels that the collection or hoarding of
things implies a lack of faith in God and in himself to provide for his
future.  Aparigraha also implies letting go of our attachments to things and an
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understanding that impermanence and change are the only constants.

       The Yoga Sutra describes what happens when these five behaviors outlined above
become part of a person's daily life. Thus, the yamas are the moral virtues which, if
attended to, purify human nature and contribute to health and happiness of society.

II. Niyama (Personal Observances)

       Niyama means "rules" or "laws."  These are the rules prescribed for personal
observance. Like the yamas, the five niyamas are not exercises or actions to be simply
studied. They represent far more than an attitude. Compared with the yamas, the
niyamas are more intimate and personal. They refer to the attitude we adopt toward
ourselves as we create a code for living soulfully

1. Sauca - Purity 
The first niyama is sauca, meaning purity and cleanliness. Sauca has both an inner and
an outer aspect. Outer cleanliness simply means keeping ourselves clean. Inner
cleanliness has as much to do with the healthy, free functioning of our bodily organs
as with the clarity of our mind. Practicing asanas or pranayama are essential means for
attending to this inner sauca. Asanas tones the entire body and removes toxins while
pranayama cleanses our lungs, oxygenates our blood and purifies our nerves. "But
more important than the physical cleansing of the body is the cleansing of the mind of
its disturbing emotions like hatred, passion, anger, lust, greed, delusion and pride." 
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2. Santosa - Contentment 
Another niyama is santosa, modesty and the feeling of being content with what we
have. To be at peace within and content with one's lifestyle finding contentment even
while experiencing life’s difficulties for life becomes a process of growth through all
kinds of circumstances. We should accept that there is a purpose for everything - yoga
calls it karma – and we cultivate contentment 'to accept what happens'. It means being
happy with what we have rather than being unhappy about what we don't have.

3. Tapas – Disciplined use of our energy 

Tapas refers to the activity of keeping the body fit or to confront and handle the inner
urges without outer show. Literally it means to heat the body and, by so doing, to
cleanse it. Behind the notion of tapas lies the idea we can direct our energy to
enthusiastically engage life and achieve our ultimate goal of creating union with the
Divine. Tapas helps us burn up all the desires that stand in our way of this goal. 
Another form of tapas is paying attention to what we eat. Attention to body posture,
attention to eating habits, attention to breathing patterns - these are all tapas.

4. Svadhyaya – Self study 

The fourth niyama is svadhyaya. Sva means "self' adhyaya means "inquiry" or
"examination". Any activity that cultivates self-reflective consciousness can be
considered svadhyaya. It means to intentionally find self-awareness in all our
activities and efforts, even to the point of welcoming and accepting our limitations. It
teaches us to be centered and non-reactive to the dualities, to burn out unwanted and
self-destructive tendencies.

5. Isvarapranidhana - Celebration of the Spiritual 

Isvarapranidhana means "to lay all your actions at the feet of God." It is the
contemplation on God (Isvara) in order to become attuned to god and god's will. It is
the recognition that the spiritual suffuses everything and through our attention and
care we can attune ourselves with our role as part of the Creator. The practice requires
that we set aside some time each day to recognize that there is some omnipresent
force larger than ourselves that is guiding and directing the course of our lives. 
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III. Asanas (Body postures)

       Asana is the practice of physical postures. It is the most commonly known aspect
of yoga for those unfamiliar with the other seven limbs of Patanjali’sYoga Sutra. The
practice of moving the body into postures has widespread benefits; of these the most
underlying are improved health, strength, balance and flexibility. On a deeper level
the practice of asana, which means "staying" or "abiding" in Sanskrit, is used as a tool
to calm the mind and move into the inner essence of being. The challenge of poses
offers the practitioner the opportunity to explore and control all aspects of their
emotions, concentration, intent, faith, and unity between the physical and the ethereal
body. Indeed, using asanas to challenge and open the physical body acts as a binding
agent to bring one in harmony with all the unseen elements of their being, the forces
that shape our lives through our responses to the physical world. Asana then becomes
a way of exploring our mental attitudes and strengthening our will as we learn to
release and move into the state of grace that comes from creating balance between our
material world and spiritual experience.

        As one practices asana it fosters a quieting of the mind, thus it becomes both a
preparation for meditation and a meditation sufficient in and of itself. Releasing to the
flow and inner strength that one develops brings about a profound grounding
spirituality in the body. The physicality of the yoga postures becomes a vehicle to
expand the consciousness that pervades our every aspect of our body. The key to
fostering this expansion of awareness and consciousness begins with the control of
breath, the fourth limb – Pranayama. Patanjali suggests that the asana and the
pranayama practices will bring about the desired state of health; the control of breath
and bodily posture will harmonize the flow of energy in the organism, thus creating a
fertile field for the evolution of the spirit. "This down-to-earth, flesh-and-bones
practice is simply one of the most direct and expedient ways to meet yourself. … This
limb of yoga practice reattaches us to our body. In reattaching ourselves to our bodies
we reattach ourselves to the responsibility of living a life guided by the undeniable
wisdom of our body."  To this B.K.S. Iyengar adds: "The needs of the body are the
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needs of the divine spirit which lives through the body. The yogi does not look
heaven-ward to find God for he know that He is within."   ix

IV. Pranayama (Breath Control)

       Pranayama is the measuring, control, and directing of the breath. Pranayama

controls the energy (prana) within the organism, in order to restore and maintain
health and to promote evolution. When the in-flowing breath is neutralized or joined
with the out-flowing breath, then perfect relaxation and balance of body activities are
realized. In yoga, we are concerned with balancing the flows of vital forces, then
directing them inward to the chakra system and upward to the crown chakra.

        Pranayama, or breathing technique, is very important in yoga. It goes hand in

hand with the asana or pose. In the Yoga Sutra, the practices of pranayama and asana
are considered to be the highest form of purification and self discipline for the mind
and the body, respectively. The practices produce the actual physical sensation of
heat, called tapas, or the inner fire of purification. It is taught that this heat is part of
the process of purifying the nadis, or subtle nerve channels of the body. This allows a
more healthful state to be experienced and allows the mind to become more calm.  As x

the yogi follows the proper rhythmic patterns of slow deep breathing "the patterns
strengthen the respiratory system, soothe the nervous system and reduce craving. As
desires and cravings diminish, the mind is set free and becomes a fit vehicle for
concentration."  
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V. Pratyahara (Control of the Senses)

       Pratyahara means drawing back or retreat. The word ahara means "nourishment";

pratyahara translates as "to withdraw oneself from that which nourishes the senses." In
yoga, the term pratyahara implies withdrawal of the senses from attachment to
external objects. It can then be seen as the practice of non-attachment to sensorial
distractions as we constantly return to the path of self realization and achievement of
internal peace. It means our senses stop living off the things that stimulate; the senses
no longer depend on these stimulants and are not fed by them any more.

       In pratyahara we sever this link between mind and senses, and the senses
withdraw. When the senses are no longer tied to external sources, the result is restraint
or pratyahara. Now that the vital forces are flowing back to the Source within, one can
concentrate without being distracted by externals or the temptation to cognize
externals.

       Pratyahara occurs almost automatically when we meditate because we are so

absorbed in the object of meditation. Precisely because the mind is so focused, the
senses follow it; it is not happening the other way around.

       No longer functioning in their usual manner, the senses become extraordinarily
sharp. Under normal circumstances the senses become our masters rather than being
our servants. The senses entice us to develop cravings for all sorts of things. In
pratyahara the opposite occurs: when we have to eat we eat, but not because we have
a craving for food. In pratyahara we try to put the senses in their proper place, but not
cut them out of our actions entirely.

       Much of our emotional imbalance are our own creation. A person who is
influenced by outside events and sensations can never achieve the inner peace and
tranquility. This is because he or she will waste much mental and physical energy in
trying to suppress unwanted sensations and to heighten other sensations. This will
eventually result in a physical or mental imbalance, and will, in most instances, result
in illness.

       Patanjali says that the above process is at the root of human unhappiness and
uneasiness. When people seek out yoga, hoping to find that inner peace which is so
evasive, they find that it was theirs all along. In a sense, yoga is nothing more than a
process which enables us to stop and look at the processes of our own minds; only in
this way can we understand the nature of happiness and unhappiness, and thus
transcend them both.  
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VI. Dharana (Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness)

       Dharana means "immovable concentration of the mind". The essential idea is to

hold the concentration or focus of attention in one direction.  "When the body has
been tempered by asanas, when the mind has been refined by the fire of pranayama
and when the senses have been brought under control by pratyahara, the sadhaka
(seeker) reaches the sixth stage, dharana. Here he is concentrated wholly on a single
point or on a task in which he is completely engrossed. The mind has to be stilled in
order to achieve this state of complete absorption."xiii

       In dharana we create the conditions for the mind to focus its attention in one
direction instead of going out in many different directions. Deep contemplation and
reflection can create the right conditions, and the focus on this one point that we have
chosen becomes more intense. We encourage one particular activity of the mind and,
the more intense it becomes, the more the other activities of the mind fall away.

       The objective in dharana is to steady the mind by focusing its attention upon
some stable entity. The particular object selected has nothing to do with the
general purpose, which is to stop the mind from wandering -through memories,
dreams, or reflective thought-by deliberately holding it single-mindedly upon some
apparently static object. B.K.S. Iyengar states that the objective is to achieve the
mental state where the mind, intellect, and ego are "all restrained and all these
faculties are offered to the Lord for His use and in His service. Here there is no feeling
of 'I' and 'mine'."
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       When the mind has become purified by yoga practices, it becomes able to focus
efficiently on one subject or point of experience. Now we can unleash the great
potential for inner healing. 

VII. Dhyana (Devotion , Meditation on the Divine)

       Dhyana means worship, or profound and abstract religious meditation. It is

perfect contemplation. It involves concentration upon a point of focus with the
intention of knowing the truth about it. The concept holds that when one focuses their
mind in concentration on an object the mind is transformed into the shape of the
object. Hence, when one focuses on the divine they become more reflective of it and
they know their true nature. "His body, breath, senses, mind, reason and ego are all
integrated in the object of his contemplation – the Universal Spirit."xv

       During dhyana, the consciousness is further unified by combining clear insights
into distinctions between objects and between the subtle layers of perception. "We
learn to differentiate between the mind of the perceiver, the means of perception, and
the objects perceived, between words, their meanings, and ideas, and between all the
levels of evolution of nature."xvi

       As we fine-tune our concentration and become more aware of the nature of reality
we perceive that the world is unreal. "The only reality is the universal self, or God,
which is veiled by Maya (the illusory power). As the veils are lifted, the mind
becomes clearer. Unhappiness and fear – even the fear of death – vanishes. This state
of freedom, or Moksha, is the goal of Yoga. It can be reached by constant enquiry into
the nature of things."  Meditation becomes our tool to see things clearly and perceive
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reality beyond the illusions that cloud our mind.

VIII. Samadhi (Union with the Divine)

       The final step in the eight-fold path of Yoga is the attainment of Samadhi.
Samadhi means "to bring together, to merge." In the state of samadhi the body and
senses are at rest, as if asleep, yet the faculty of mind and reason are alert, as if awake;
one goes beyond consciousness. During samadhi, we realize what it is to be an
identity without differences, and how a liberated soul can enjoy pure awareness of this
pure identity. The conscious mind drops back into that unconscious oblivion from
which it first emerged.

       Thus, samadhi refers to union or true Yoga. There is an ending to the separation
that is created by the "I" and "mine" of our illusory perceptions of reality. The mind
does not distinguish between self and non-self, or between the object contemplated
and the process of contemplation. The mind and the intellect have stopped and there is
only the experience of consciousness, truth and unutterable joy.

       The achievement of samadhi is a difficult task. For this reason the Yoga

Sutra suggests the practice of asanas and pranayama as preparation for dharana,
because these influence mental activities and create space in the crowded schedule of
the mind. Once dharana has occurred, dhyana and samadhi can follow.

       These eight steps of yoga indicate a logical pathway that leads to the attainment
of physical, ethical, emotional, and psycho-spiritual health. Yoga does not seek to
change the individual; rather, it allows the natural state of total health and integration
in each of us to become a reality. xviii