The 8 Limbs of Yoga, Explained
Every yogi should be familiar with these eight practices.
Have you heard of the eight limbs of yoga? If not, it’s time to learn all about them. The eight limbs of yoga are essentially practices to help us purify our physical body, energy body, gain mastery over senses, and become free from worldly illusions. The ultimate goal of these limbs is self-realization, where you can become free from both mental and physical troubles and understand your true purpose in life!
Yoga instructors say these eight practices should be practiced in the specific order below, and none of them should be skipped. While these eight limbs of yoga may seem difficult at first, with discipline, dedication and guidance, you can master them and gain control of your entire life. See the complete explanations of each limb below!
By Yogi Ram
1. Yamas
Within the Eight Limbs of Yoga, we start with the Yamas and Niyamas. “Yamas” translates to self-control and thus represent the qualities we must develop in ourselves. These qualities help us become more aligned with living a life of integrity – the Yamas are guidelines for how we relate to the world.There are 5 Yamas:
Ahimsa: Non-Violence
Non-violence in this context means no intention to hurt ourselves or others. We can hurt others and ourselves in many different ways. Apart from obvious physical and mental violence, feeding your body toxic food, anger, jealousy, and unkind words are all forms of violence.Satya: Truth
The next quality we want to develop is truth. Patanjali explained two different kinds of truth: one is personal truth and other is universal truth or complete truth.Satya is all about living with a clear, honest, and grounded view both of yourself and the world around you. When you’re able to see things for what they are, you can accept them as they are, freeing you to experience a greater sense of self-love and compassion for those around you.
Living in truth also means speaking your personal truth (standing up for what you believe in), expressing yourself clearly and accurately, and encouraging others to do the same.
Asteya: Non-Stealing
Non-stealing is meant in the obvious sense of not taking anything which is not yours. Stealing can be in the form of money, materials, ideas, time, effort. Other forms of stealing can be taking advantage of the situation, not following through on your word, not putting forth your best effort, etc.Stealing can also be on an emotional and energetic level – stealing someone’s peace or happiness through your words, or being an ‘emotional vampire’ are other forms of stealing that Asteya seeks to avoid.
Brahmacharya: Non-Indulgence
This practice includes not over-indulging in sensory pleasures. Some examples are an over-indulgence in food or physical pleasures like sex, drugs, sleep etc. If you practice Brahmacharya you eat food to stay healthy and not just for pleasure. You enjoy things like sex, shopping, etc in healthy moderation.As human beings, we can become addicted to sensual pleasures. By practicing Brahmacharya, we tap into self-control and self-awareness, and ultimately gratitude and contentment will follow.
Aparigraha: Non-Possessiveness
We live in the age of materialism and it’s easy to get carried away in the pursuit of the newest car, purse, or pair of shoes. As a result, we waste a lot of time, money and energy on unnecessary things. The idea is to develop habit of non-possessiveness or non-attachment, so we only take and collect what we actually need – not more.When it comes to material possessions, we should assess if we really need it or if we can live without it. The concept of non-attachment also spans to people, circumstances, and outcomes. Releasing the need to control, not harboring feelings of jealousy etc can help us practice Aparigraha and simplify our lives.
2. Niyamas
While the Yamas are about how we interact with the world, the Niyamas are the way we relate to ourselves. “Niyama” translates to “moral observance.” Thus, the Niyamas are the personal habits we should cultivate for a more fulfilling, meaningful existence.There are 5 Niyamas:
Saucha: Cleansing
Saucha, or cleanliness, means physical, mental and intentional purity. It’s important to spend time everyday focusing on self-care in the form of hygiene, grooming, and staying active. It’s also practices like positive mantras or affirmations, mindfulness, meditation, and other ways of maintaining a healthy, positive mindstate.Saucha extends beyond ourselves and into the world – maintaining a neat and organized home, practicing saucha at the yoga studio and in public spaces by putting things back where you found them, and so forth. Purity and cleanliness start as an inward practice and expand into all aspects of our lives.
Santosha: Contentment
Santosha is being satisfied and grateful for what we have while working towards what we want. With this principle, we develop a habit of being thankful for the things we already have in our lives and in so doing, finding contentment with the here and now. This is a radically simple notion of staying grounded, practicing gratitude, and finding a great sense of joy for everything precisely as it is.Tapas: Self-Discipline
Tapas is the concept of using self-discipline to release and move through negative habits and patterns. You can use Tapas to gain control over your senses and desires. Discipline is motivating, it helps us focus on our goals and dreams so we can continue growing and evolving. Tapas can help you change unwanted habits and develop a stronger sense of self-control.Swadhyaya: Self-Study
Swadhyaya means self-study or study of the self. Here, you ask challenging, provoking questions like Who am I? What is my purpose? Why do I think and behave the way I do? Swadhyaya is the all-important act of cultivating a great sense of self, of your identity, of your core beliefs, so you find direction and purpose in life.Ishvara Pranidhana: Connection with Divinity
Ishvara means your personal idea of the Supreme, Divine, or God – whatever and however you relate to a higher power. Ishvara Pranidhana, then, means surrender of ego to Divinity. It’s about coming to terms with the meaning of life, and how you relate to the universe. This final Niyama is often translated as “surrender” – the act of recognizing and celebrating the beautiful interconnection of all things.
3. Asana: Physical Yoga Poses
The third limb of yoga is the physical yoga poses (or asanas) – the part that we are arguably most familiar with in modern times. The interesting thing to note about yoga postures being third on the list is that Patanjali believed that #1 and #2 must be practiced first in order to prepare mind and body for the phsyical practice of yoga.‘Sthira Sukham Asanam’ is a phrase that most yogis have heard at some point, and it explains that a steady and comfortable pose is asana. The body should be steady free from suffering and the mind should be steady free from sensual craving, worry or desire.
The physical asanas we practiced as an effective way to purify the physical body in preparation for the remaining limbs.
4. Pranayama: Expansion of Life Force Energy
Pranayama is Sanskrit and translates as follows: “Prana” means life force energy, and “yama” means vehicle or control. Pranayama is conscious breathwork that enhances your life force energy. There are many forms of Pranayama exercises that purify the energy body (i.e. the chakra system, energy channels and meridians, etc).These conscious breathing exercises will help you increase the capacity to hold prana – vital life force energy – in your body. Prana is the vital force we need to live and to do our physical activities like speaking, thinking, digestion etc. These exercises also help improve the condition of your respiratory system and bring harmony between right and left hemisphere of the brain.
5. Pratyahara: Withdrawal From the Senses
Withdrawal from the sense means restricting the senses from outside stimulation. Our five senses are always craving new and more inputs. In the practice of Pratyahara, we try to close or restrict the sensory organs from getting any sensory stimulation.For example, closing the eyes in meditation, using Pranayama (see limb #4) to quiet the mind, etc. Floatation tanks – an increasingly popular trend – create a similar experience. When senses don’t receive stimulation for a period of time, they start to calm down. It is essential to calm the senses in order to concentrate and gain control over them – key for meditation.
6. Dharana: Concentration
Dharana means concentration. Bringing all five senses on one single object or point of focus is the act of Dharana. Notice a trend here? We need to practice all five limbs leading up to Dharana, in order to make this single-pointed focus possible for ourselves.The purpose of Dharana is to control the mind. There are various techniques we can use to practice Dharana. For example, concentration on the breath, candle gazing, Japa (chanting) etc. It is important to be able to focus on one single point in order to reach to the next step, which is meditation.
7. Dhyana: Meditation
Dhyana means meditation. Here, meditation means connected to one’s true self. In this state, you focus deeper inward and are able to observe the true self without interference of your mind and the senses.You must possess deep concentration to be able to go inwards beyond the sensations of the body and mind. Complete physical and mental stillness is an important step in meditation.
8. Samadhi: Freedom From Illusion
Samadhi is the deeper state of meditation. In this state, you become free from the illusions of time, space and reason. This is the state of pure bliss and higher awareness. In this state you realize your true Self. Samadhi is the ultimate goal, or step, in the Eight Limbed Path of Yoga.
