Yoga is a set of practices, internal and external, that help you reach a state of pure consciousness.
Patanjali, a scholar, sage and philosopher, who is thought to have lived on the Indian sub-continent between the 5th and 2nd centuries BCE, codified ancient yogic practices into one book. The book, titled the 'yogasutra', consists of 196 verses, divided into four chapters.
In Verse 29 of Chapter 2, Patanjali provides the 8 limbs of yoga. These limbs are the set of practices that make up yoga. The verse is as follows: "yama-niyama-asana-pranayama-pratyahara-dharana-dhyana-samadhayah-astau-angani"
The eight limbs can be classified into external practices and internal practices.
Yama, Niyama, Asana and Pranayama are the external practices.
Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi are the internal practices.
'Pratyahara' is a intermediary state between the external and internal practices.
External practices prepare the individual for the internal practices facilitating the journey from the external to the internal. External practices are the starting point.
Yogic practices use the body's systems to direct the mind. These practices harness the connection between the mind, body and breath to achieve a state of focussed attention.
According to yoga philosophy, the mind receives inputs from the senses. It is the nature of the senses to go outward into the world and collect information. The senses constantly seeking stimulation lead the mind towards whatever captures their fancy. The purpose of the external practices is to rein in the senses and bring them under the control of the mind.
Most people begin their journey on the path of yoga with postures. This is the easiest starting point. However, Patanjali also suggests adopting some attitudes towards society and oneself, as part of the process.
Attitudes to society help individuals navigate the pressures of social and economic structures, while attitudes to oneself helps increase one's agency. Practice of postures and regulating one's breath help prepare the body and eliminate impurities that cloud our perception. These cleansing and purifying practices remove impurities that cloud our perception of the world.
The external practices helps bring about a restraint of the senses and allows the mind to direct the mind towards an object of enquiry. In the first state, the mind acquires the capacity to be directed towards one object. This is called Dharana.
The next stage is called dhyana in which the mind is focussed on an object and begins to perceive the nuances of the object. The final stage is Samadhi in which one is completely absorbed in the object of one's enquiry. The figure below provides a visual representation of these three stages.
The 8 limbs of yoga create a pathway for the light of knowledge to shine from within. These cleansing practices allow us to perceive the world around us a little more clearly, so that we may make better choices and enjoy better outcomes.
Please watch the video, in which I explain what is yoga and break down the eight limbs of yoga.
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