8 Limbs Pātañjala Yoga
Yoga Philosophy and Practice
8 Limbs
Yama • Niyama • Āsana • Prāṇāyāma • Pratyāhāra • Dhāraṇā • Dyāna • Samadhi
8 Limbs Yoga is the re-evaluation and practical employment of the Yogasūtras' Philosophical aspects in the contemporary world - by means of ethical, physical and mental applications. Building on the legacy of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga as a primary postural practice it re-establishes and functionally integrates the rest of the yogic auxiliaries in order to fundamentally alter consciousness; balancing, integrating and evolving human beings based on their personal hindrances or obstacles.
Āsana • Posture
The physical aspect of the Aṣṭāṅga yoga practice is what had been primarily understood by western cultures and has since then turned into a showreel of athletic proficiency in the midst of a philosophical concept that has no inherent background toward competition and egoistic behavioural forms. Even so, the health benefits of postural yoga are undisputed, functioning as a major bridge in yoking numerous individuals with some of the aspects of the yogic practice.
To the yogin, his body is the prime instrument of attainment; if his vehicle breaks down, the traveller cannot go far.
– BKS Iyengar
Prāṇāyāma • Extension of Life Force
The fundamental Link between the physical manifestation of the human body and what is perceived as the mind, control of breath had been thoroughly practiced for centuries in various forms, all aiming towards the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. A vital aspect of life, mechanically taking place from our arrival on this planet till the final moment of our transcendence, the power of breath and its benefits on human physiology are currently studied in depth by various scientific sectors.
To continue to practice āsana without ever adding prāṇāyāma is like ploughing a field and never planting a seed
– Gregor Maehle
Prātyahāra • Dhāraṇā • Dhyāna
In the yogic context, there is no specific word in Sanskrit that directly translates to meditation; various other terms are used to frame the experience of a journey into the mind with transformative powers reflecting on the manifested reality. Meditation is the higher limb of yoga and detached from the lower auxiliaries cannot flourish whatsoever. Thus, it is crucial to be performed amidst a diligent and systematic yogic regime.
Meditation is a means to move beyond your analytical mind so that you can access your subconscious mind. That’s crucial since the subconscious is where all your bad habits and behaviors that you want to change reside
– Dr Joe Dispenza
"Teach what is appropriate for an individual"
- T Krishnamacharya
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