Easten Religion

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There are Ei g h t l i m b s according to the Yoga Sutras. These are not

commandments, but guidelines of yoga, step-by-step instructions of

reaching Samadhi.

Called "The Heart of the Sutras," these limbs of yoga are looked upon as

equally important in the goal of yoga. All must be practiced together in order

to achieve the �nal goal of Sa m a d h i .

Yoga master Desikachar states, O n l y s t u d y i n g t h e p h y s i ca l p o s t u res i s

l i ke o n l y s t ren g t h en i n g o n e a rm a n d l et t i n g t h e o t h er p a rt s o f t h e

b o d y b eco m e w ea k.

Notice the character's strong right arm in this picture (from the M. Night

Shyamalan �lm, Lady in the Water).

The Eight Limbs are as follows:

1. Ya m a s (ethical precepts)

2. N i y a m a s (ethical precepts)

3. A s a n a s (physical postures)

4. P ra n ay a m a (breath control)

5. P ra t y a h a ra (withdrawal of senses)

6. D h a ra n a (concentration/one-pointed focus)

7. D h y a n a (meditation)

8. Sa m a d h i (ultimate union)

Let's look at each individually to see how they play such an important role in the yogic path.

L i m b 1 - YA MA S ( Re stra i n ts)

Yamas are the ethical "don'ts" or restraints. They consist of �ve ethical preceptions, including:

1. N o n v i o l en ce ( A h i m s a ) - Nonviolence can take on many forms, but includes minimal (or ideally no)

violent actions, words, or even thoughts. As you'll see with both Gandhi and Buddhism, nonviolence

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is not just simply about not hitting people, but also is in how we think

and talk. There is a spectrum to this practice, but ultimately it is about

awareness of our actions and taking responsibility for how we affect

those around us and our footprint in this world. Our speech should

be positive, without gossip or lies, without malice, but instead always

be spoken with compassion towards others, and most importantly -

ourselves!

2. Tru t h ( Sa t y a ) - This is living a life of integrity, truth and honesty.

Living authentically and not dishonestly. From the little things to the

big things, we dedicate ourselves to living a life of truth. It is not just

about not lying, but our action and thought behind our truth. We must demonstrate our truth

through the way we live. This is n o t a license to just be cruel and harsh to people by saying

whatever's on your mind. "Truth can be used as a weapon, it needs to be wielded with responsibility." -

Ashtanga Yogi David Swenson

3. N o n St ea l i n g ( A s t ey a ) - Basically, this is taking nothing that doesn't belong to you. This is not just

about material things, but also not taking advantage of people, stealing their time, trust, energy,

attention, etc. (If you are always late, you can be wasting others' time. If someone is always late to

meet you, they are stealing your time.) Karma plays a big role in these yamas as well. Chances are if

you steal something, eventually it will be lost to you anyway.

4. M o d era t i o n ( Bra h m a ch a ry a ) - Sometimes translated as abstienence, it usually is interpreted as a

kind of responsible behavior or moderation in relationships regarding our emotions and intimacy.

Ultimately, it refers to the integrity and mutual respect of a relationship.

5. N o t p o s s es s i n g ( A p a ri g ra h a ) - Like Buddhism, Yogis �nd liberation and freedom in living more

minimalistic or simplistic lifestyles, not depending on much, materially speaking, for happiness. The

idea behind this is that the more we possess and "own," the more those things possess and own us.

When we become possessive, taking too much, we lose our freedom and our balance, becoming slaves

to our desires, attachments and greed. You probably have heard, "You can't take it with you." Yogis

agree. The problem is n o t the material stuff itself, but wrapping our identities around this stuff and

depending on it for happiness. Our physical bodies are probably the hardest temporary thing to

practice aparigraha with.

L i m b 2 - NI YA MA S (Ob se r v a n c e s)

Niyamas are the ethical "do's" or observances and consistent of the following:

1. Sa u ca ( C l ea n l i n es s ) - This is a type of purity, both internally and externally. Yogis see the body as a

temple and we want to treat it as such. Beyond having a clean environment or taking a shower, it is

about not clouding our mind with negatiity. Yogis believe our mind is colored by what we bring near it,

like a clear crystal next to a colored cloth - it takes on that hue.

2. Sa n t o s h a ( C o n t en t m en t ) - Everything is impermanence and in �ux according to Yogis, so go with

the �ow. Don't resist the change or cling and grasp to things as if they'll last forever. You'll see this

teaching throughout our Eastern course, in both Buddhism and Taoism as well. Santosha teaches us

not to look outside of ourselves for happiness. We will never �nd peace externally, hence why it's

called "i n n er" p ea ce. Santosha is about calming our cravings and desires so we don't become a slave

to them. This doesn't mean an absence of suffering or dif�culty, but having a healthy relationship

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when it arrises. Find contentment in each

moment. In other words, want what you already

have instead of pining for what you don't.

3. Ta p a s ( D i s ci p l i n e) - This is the basis for

Ashtanga Yoga, focused on detoxifying or

puri�cation. This is the discipline of practice, the

burning of the �res. Tapas can be interpreted in a

variety of ways, from fasting and austerities to

having a daily, dedicated asana practice. It is the

work and time and committment that goes into

the Yoga path. We must do the work, and detach

from any results.

4. Sv a d h y ay a ( Sel f Re� ect i o n ) - Socrates said,

"Know Thyself" and so do Yogis. This branch of

the Niyamas focuses on our own self re�ection

and self-examination. Who are you? Are you

comfortable with yourself and who you are? Do

you know your weaknesses and strengths? Are

you comfortable and strong in your self identity?

This is a must when becoming a yogi and

working towards inner peace. Svadhyaya is closely tied in with jnana yoga (reading, re�ecting,

learning). This is one of the most dif�cult of all the Niyamas, becasue while we love to study and

observe (and judge) other people, we often shy away from putting this same scrutiny onto ourselves.

Inward looking causes us to see our shadows, our �aws, our imperfections. But this is how we begin

to recognize patterns that may not be good for us. It causes us to realize our mistakes. The mistakes

themselves aren't bad if we learn from them and make the necessary changes.

5. I s h v a ra p ra n i d h a n a ( D evo t i o n ) - Much like the Bhakti path described above, this last Niyama is

the observance of the divine. Literally, Ishvarapranidhana means, "To lay all your actions at the feet of

God." In Yoga, everything is devotion. We act in humility and surrender. There is no particular form to

this divinity, so it is interreligious, appealing to all faiths and understandings. As discussed above,

pretty much anything can be the face of divinity with the right circumstances and intentions. This

branch of Niyama is symbolized by the "OM" and is a major focus for asana (posture). Many yoga

classes will begin with an "intention" set for the practice. Patanjali states that this �nal Niyama is the

most direct path of self realization. It is the acknowledgement of a greater good beyond ourselves.

Both the Yamas and Niyamas are foundations to the other limbs and practices. For both yamas and

niyamas, the point is that we can stand on our heads all day long and do yoga poses, but unless we follow

some basic ethics and morals, we will not be true yogis.

L i m b 3 - A SA NA ( P o stu r e)

This limb is probably what you're most familiar with - the stretches or postures of Yoga. Literally, asana

means "to stay" or "sit." It is a grounding seat, one that helps with bodily control and encompasses both

movement AND stillness. Asana focuses on conscious breathing, our connection to the earth, bodily

strength and balance. It strengthens and heals the nervous system and organs. There are over 200 asanas

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today (there used to be thousands according to yogis, but most have

been lost with time) that include standing, sitting, balancing, twisting,

forward bending, back bending, inverting, etc.

The asana limb certainly focuses on �exibility and strength of the

body, but remember the whole point of this is to help the body be

strong and limber for meditation and focus on more spiritual work.

Asana is not about perfection, but "moving into stillness."

In fact, any good Yoga teacher will tell you never to give 100% in a

yoga pose. You should instead give about 85% or so and leave yourself plenty of room to breathe deeper, to

relax INTO the pose. Remember, the �rst Americans doing Yoga were hippies. They were super relaxed!

Now, we have Type A, stressed out Americans forcing themselves into Yoga positions that they are not

ready for, not warmed up for, or simply aren't breathing into enough and people can get hurt this way. There

is a saying, "The strongest trees grow the slowest."

"To h o n o r t h e ea rt h i s t h e es s en t i a l co m p o n en et o f t h e p ra ct i ce o f a s a n a . A s a n a i s a fo rm o f

w o rs h i p ." - D av i d L i fe

1. Severa l t y p es o f a s a n a s - Check out this overview

2. A s h t a n g a Yo g a A s a n a s - Watch these impressive Ashtanga Yoga Asanas to see some examples of

very �exible yogis doing various asanas.

3. K ri s h n a m a ch a ry a - Watch this short, silent video from the 1930s to see one of the most beloved

yoga teachers, Krishnamacharya do traditional yoga poses. He is one of the main reasons we have

Yoga in America today. (Note: Can you tell whether he's a Vaishnavite or a Shaivite? Also, what is he

wearing that indicates he underwent a Hindu rite you just learned about?)

L i m b 4 - P RA NAYA MA ( Br e a th C o n tr o l )

"The mind is more dif�cult to control than the wind." But we can

control our breath, which will have great in�uence over the mind.

P ra n a is the life force (called "Chi" in Chinese or "Ki" in Japanese)

that exists in all living things. Pranayama is the bridge between the

body and the spirit, based in our breathing. Pranayama translates as

"to stretch or extend the breath."

Yogis believe if we have too little prana or weak prana, we become

listless, sick and depressed, like a car low on fuel. On the other end of

the spectrum, if we have too much prana or prana that is wild and out

of control, we can become manic and overly stimulated. The idea, of

course, is balance. If we can learn to strengthen this prana and make

our breath strong and deep, we can become healthy and balanced between the two spectrums.

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Desikachar de�nes a Yogi as "one whose prana is all within his body." By controlling the breath, yogis

believe we can control our mind state. Think about how many times you've gotten upset or worked up

about something. What do you usually hear almost immediately? "Take a deep breath." When we get

worked up, our breath becomes shallow and fast. When we are relaxed and calm, our breath is slow and

deep. Yogis believe we can work this reverse - by consciously breathing deep and steady and smooth, we

can make ourselves become calm and relaxed. For Yogis, the breath is the link to everything, the breath "is

the teacher." It strengthens our life force, makes us more present and initiates the asanas more than just

our muscles.

According to Yogis, i f yo u ca n b rea t h e, yo u ca n d o Yo g a . It really is the heart of Yoga. In fact, many

ancient yogis have claimed that our lives are not counted in years, but in numbers of breaths. So, breathe

slow and deep everyone!

Physically speaking, pranayama is very good for our health - helping

to overcome addiction, aiding in digestion, reducing asthma

symptoms and reducing stress.

Pranayama is linked to our n a d i s (nerve channels - called meridians in

Chinese medicine) and our ch a kra s (energy centers). The chakras are

believed to be energy centers in our subtle body, lining up with the

physical spinal cord. Each has their own sound vibration, associated

color, element, emotion and mantra. Essentially, our bodies our made

to be prana conductors, but through lack of exercise, negative thinking, trauma, etc. our "wires" can become

bent or half functioning and we fail to conduct the energy successfuly, therefore causing our fatigue, weight

gain, depression, sickness, etc. In other words, our energy can't �ow if we have blockages and Yoga is meant

to help remove these blockages and get things �owing again.

Some Yogis will perform b a n d h a s , which are speci�c expansions/contractions of areas of the body to lock

and unlock energy, directing the prana into certain focus points.

For a demonstration of Pranayama breathing, watch this P ra n ay a m a v i d eo demonstrating N a a d i

Su d d h i (alternate nostril breathing). Called the "Yogic tranquilizer" it is a very calming, deep breath,

focusing on one side at a time.

L i m b 5 - P RATYA HA RA ( Wi th d ra w a l )

The rest of the limbs focus beyond the body, towards meditation and ultimate inner peace. Pratyahara is

the �rst step - a withdrawing of the senses from the external world. It's a focus on detachment from all the

chaos and stress around us. It starts with simply closing the eyes and bringing our awareness within.

Think of it as a kind of "unplugging" from everything around you. Pratyahara is a preparation or foundation

for the rest of the limbs to come. This is not a negation of the senses, but giving the senses a healthy

transformation.

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Because we have so much mind chatter (Buddhists will call

this "monkey mind"), it's important to leave any distractions

outside and focus on our center. This goes back to that Raja

idea of clearing the water so we can see that pebble at the

bottom.

Let go of angers, bitterness, resentment, jealousies,

thoughts, anything that disturbs your inner peace. Here, we

focus our attention and quiet the mind.

A speci�c Pratyahara technique is the Yo n i M u d ra Sea l . A Six-Way Seal,

you sit your thumbs on your ears, put your index �ngers over your

eyelids, your middle �ngers across your nose, and your fourth �ngers and

pinkies on your lips. It is tangible way to close off your attention from

everything around you. Others may achieve this seal by sitting in the

dark with headphones on, listening to a song or chant. If you like to swim,

sometimes you may go under for a moment, holding your breath and just

absorbing the muf�ed silence underneath the water - this is pratyahara.

L i m b 6 - DHA RA NA (C o n c e n tra ti o n )

How many times do you multi-task? How many times do you �nd

yourself trying to multi-task as many things as possible? Dharana

is the opposite of this. It is mono-tasking! Dharana is the

Concentration limb. Literally translated as "To Hold," Dharana

takes withdrawing the senses from the outside world one step

further to now concentrating your focus on O N E particular thing.

This is done so the mind becomes still and completely focused.

Standing in a yoga pose and focusing on one spot in the �oor in

front of you (called the d ri s t i gaze), watching a camp�re blaze, or

listening to a drum beat - these are all ways to participate in

Dharana, concentrating on one particular visual or sound.

There are two basic types of Dharana:

1) Focus on a C o n cret e Object - meditating on an image (yantra, mandala, symbol, candle �ame, etc.);

focusing on a particular chant or prayer, focusing hands into mudra or using mala beads (prayer beads), etc.

OR 2) Focusing on an A b s t ra ct Concept - meditating on nonviolence, compassion, healing, strength,

forgiveness, etc.

Know that regarding the Concrete aspect, these techniques are just tools - we don't need them to have

Dharana, but they can help focus the mind tremendously.

I mentioned Mudras above - you've seen these hand gestures already in this course. Used for both

meditation and pranayama, these hand gestures focus and guide energy �ow, symbolizing a variety of

meanings.

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Many of the Hindu gods held their hands in mudras, including the Abhyaya

mudra ("Fear Not") and the Linga/Yoni Mudra ("Balance"). When reaching

enlightenment, Buddha will put his hands in a mudra, touching the earth as

his witness. Zen Buddhists will lay one hand on top of the other, open palms

for a Zazen mudra.

Often, speci�c mudras will be used with chanting each syllable of a prayer.

The G ay a t ri M a n t ra you learned about with the Hindu Upanayana rite is

an example of this.

Ashtanga Yogi David Swenson gave one of my favorite (and useful) examples of Dharana: "Even if you hate

something, breathe through it, hate it temporarily (concentrate on it), then let it go!"

L i m b 7 - DHYA NA ( Me d i ta ti o n )

Take a moment here. Close your eyes and try to think of nothing. No, really...try

this. Okay, how did that go? Thinking of "nothing" is nearly impossible because

even this "nothing" we try to think of is something, right? Yogis recognized this

and said what we should do instead is think of ONE thing, some thing to

concentrate on.

So, when most of us say we're "meditating," we're actually in the previous

stages of withdrawing or concentrating. Actual meditation is a t ru e s t a t e o f

a ch i ev i n g o n en es s . In other words, there is no distinction anymore between

you and that candle, you and that mandala, you and that prayer, you and

compassion, etc. Nothing else exists because you perceive the self in stillness.

In meditation, you've shifted your identi�cation from your body and mind to your inner divine self. Think of

it - meditation and medicine have the same root word. Like pranayama, there are many physical bene�ts to

meditation - lowering stress, calmness, clarity of mind, etc. Yogis call it looking into "life's mirror."

Certain times of the day are said to be more conducive to this meditation, particularly right before sunrise

and sunset. In true dhyana, we realize the age old yoga saying, "We are not the body, we are not the mind."

Instead, we are divinity and oneness.

"I n Yo g a , t h ere i s o n l y o n e p ro b l em a n d o n e s o l u t i o n . Th e p ro b l em i s w e' ve fo rg o t t en w h o w e

a re. Th e s o l u t i o n i s t o rem em b er t h a t w e a re A t m a n ( i n n er s o u l ) ." - A m ri t D es a i

L i m b 8 - SA MA DHI ( Bl i ss)

The ultimate goal in Yoga, the ultimate end in the Yoga Sutras - our Samadhi. Seen as a pure consciousness

or bliss (a n a n d a ), this is an atonement, literally at-one-ment with the universe. The entirety of the eight

limbs culminate in this state. Translating as "to merge" it is a state of ultimate tranquility, much like

Buddhists will de�ne Nirvana. In this state, we have a complete and total merging with everything, we no

longer are separate entitties, but instead achieve a pure consciousness of no distinctions.

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This isn't new. Remember, this is the same basis of Hindu philosophy -

that we and everything around us is one and the same. "Ta t Tv a n A s i "

= Th o u A rt Th a t ! It is described as an "Aha" moment of

interconnectedness and ultimate oneness in which the "I" disappears. It

is a type of spiritual death and rebirth, we are "born again" with new

eyes, a new perception and a new way of thinking about the world and

ourselves. it is ultimate unity. It changes everything!