Why are the eight limbs of Yoga important to understand? What is actually Yoga about?
The definition of Yoga according to Patanjali is
Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodah
YOGA = to unite · CHITTA = consciousness · VRITTI = fluctuations · NIRODAH = quieting
So, Yoga simply means quieting the fluctuations of the mind.
Eleniyama comes from my name Elena and the word Niyama. Do you know the meaning of the word Ashtanga and the eight limbs of Yoga? If you are a little bit familiar with the origins of Yoga, you might have heard of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The word “Ashta“ means “eight” and “Anga“ means “parts” or “limbs”. Therefore, Ashtanga literally translates to “eight limbs”. They provide guidance on how to behave and live a meaningful life as a Yogi. These eight limbs of Yoga are:
1. Yama
2. Niyama
3. Asana
4. Pranayama
5. Pratyahara
6. Dharana
7. Dhyana
8. Samadhi
Every single one of them is an integral part of the Yoga practice.
Yamas
Yama is about our moral discipline, our relationship with the people around us and the outside world. There are five Yamas.
Ahimsa (non-violence)
Satya (truthfulness)
Asteya (non-stealing)
Brahmacharya (pure conduct, celibacy)
Aparigraha (non-greediness)
Niyamas
Niyama are the duties to ourselves. Following the 5 Niyamas, we learn to be self-disciplined and spiritual. “Ni” means “inward”, so this time we focus our attention towards ourselves. The five Niyamas are:
Saucha (cleanliness)
Santosha (contentment)
Tapas (heat, discipline)
Svadhyaya (study of the sacred scriptures, Vedas, self study)
Isvara pranidhana (surrender to a higher power)
Asana
Asana or the postures is ONLY a single limb of the Ashtanga practice. Therefore, whatever we practice on our mat is just a tiny portion of our journey. If it is not backed up by the other limbs, it is only a physical practice and is in itself useless.
Pranayama
Pranayama literally means control of the breath. It is about inhaling, breath retention and exhaling and how we connect our mind, body and emotions while we are consciously breathing.
Pratyahara
Pratyahara means withdrawal of the senses and how we can disconnect from all distractions of the outside world.
Dharana
Dharana is concentration and how we deal with the distractions inside our own mind. We focus our attention on a single point.
Dhyana
Dhyana is meditation or contemplation. This differs from concentration because we become simply aware without focusing. The mind is so quiet that it does not create any thoughts.
Samadhi
Samadhi is described by Patanjali as the final state of ecstasy. It is the stage where the mind becomes clear, blissful and connects with the Divine and with all other living beings. It unites with them.
From all of those eight limbs, I personally find the Niyamas to be the area where I am the weakest, that’s why I would like to work on them the most. To learn to be content with myself, my abilities and whatever I am given, because that in itself is enough. Without the first two limbs there is no Yoga practice, there is no Asana for me. If I am not clear in my mind about those 10 principles of the Yamas and Niyamas, there is no way for me to progress with Asana and Pranayama.
In Patanjali Yoga Sutras Asana is only meant as a preparation for Dhyana (meditation) and a tool to calm the mind. He is even referring to Asana as any seated posture, which a person can hold long enough in order to meditate in it. My personal final goal is not to achieve a Handstand or any other fancy looking inversion, it is rather to be able to clear my mind of all thoughts. I believe that very little or no people in this world can really achieve Samadhi. Exactly this makes it so wonderful, doesn’t it? To dream of the impossible.
If you are interested in learning more more about Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, I recommend this book
Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali