Eight Limbs of Yoga

from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

YAMAS

Yamas are the restraints, the morals, the social contracts. There are five of them, and they offer practices concerning how we interact with the world.

Ahimsa: non-violence/non-harming

Satya: truth

Asteya: non-stealing

Brahmacharya: moderation

Aparigraha: non-accumulation/non-possessiveness

ASANA

Asana. As-an-a. This is the movement, the poses, the sequences that makeup what people generally think of as yoga. But truly, asana is only one part! Asanas are about knowing your body, how it moves, and bringing it into balance—literally and figuratively—through specific movements and poses of varying degrees. They are about meeting your body where it is today and bringing mind and body together in the present.

PRANAYAMA

Pranayama translates to something like breath control(prana=breath or life force, ayama=control). In most yoga classes there will be elements of pranayama while linking the body movements to breath or mastering the breath at the beginning or end of class. A pranayama practice will delve more deeply into breath control and like asana has varying degrees and purposes meant to bring mind and body together in the present.

PRATYAHARA

Pratyahara is withdrawal from the outside senses—a turning inward—not reacting to the senses. A precursor to meditation, it can also be a useful tool to reserve the energy given freely to the outside world.

DHARANA

Withdrawing from the senses gives way to the thoughts. Dharana furthers the inward turn and stills the thoughts. Holding one thought, intention, mantra, word, or image can assist the practice.

DHYANA

Dhyana is probably what people think about when they first consider meditation. Dhyana is stillness of the thoughts and the senses but with an awareness and centeredness. Restful, peaceful, calm awareness.

SAMADHI

Samadhi is often defined as enlightenment, the pinnacle of the yogic experience. It is the realization of the interconnectedness and oneness of the self with the universe. Patanjali describes several kinds of samadhi; I like to imagine some are glimpses into the oneness that we can all experience.