patanjali and his eightfold path of yoga

patanjali and his eightfold path of yoga

Link: http://www.yogamovement.com/resources/patanjali.html

Sherry Roberts

To perform the boat posture simply to get aflatter tummy is missing the boat, according to Patanjali.

Often called the "father of yoga,"Patanjali was the guy who codified his thoughts and knowledge of yoga in TheYoga Sutra of Patanjali. In this work, Patanjali compiled 195 sutras orconcise aphorisms that are essentially an ethical blueprint for living a morallife and incorporating the science of yoga into your life. 

Although no one issure of the exact time when Patanjali lived and wrote down his sutras, it isestimated this humble physician who became one of the world's greatest sagesroamed India somewhere between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. 

In a world where we reduce nearly everything toquick tips and sound bites, Patanjali seems to fit right in with his brief 195guidelines to enlightenment. But in the case of Patanjali, simplicity isdeceptive. In fact, scholars still don't agree on what Patanjali meant in someof his sutras. 

The Yoga Sutra is considered the fundamentaltext on the system of yoga, and yet you wont find the description of a singleposture or asana in it. This is a guide for living the right life. Essentially,Patanjali says, you can't practice asanas in yoga class, feel the stretch, andthen go home to play with your kids, cook a meal, yell at your employees, andcheat on your taxes. There is more to yoga than that — yoga can help youcultivate body, mind, and spiritual awareness. 

The heart of Patanjali's teachings is theeightfold path of yoga. It is also called the eight limbs of Patanjali, becausethey intertwine like the branches of a tree in the forest. These aren'tcommandments (although they sometimes sound like them), laws, or hard and fastrules. These are Patanjali's suggestions for living a better life through yoga.Here are the eight limbs of Patanjali.

yama

Yama is social behavior, how you treat othersand the world around you. These are moral principles. 

Sometimes they are calledthe don'ts or the thou shalt nots. There are five yamas:

Nonviolence (ahimsa). Do no harm to anycreature in thought or deed. In his bookAutobiographyof a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda asks Mahatma Gandhi the definition ofahimsa. Gandhi said, "The avoidance of harm to any living creature inthought or deed." Yogananda asked if one could kill a cobra to protect achild. Gandhi maintained he would still hold to his vow of ahimsa, but added,"I must confess that I could not serenely carry on this conversation wereI faced by a cobra." 

Truth and honesty (satya). Tell no lies.Cheating on your income taxes falls into this category.  

Nonstealing (asteya). Do not steal materialobjects (a car) or intangibles such as the center of attention or your child'schance to learn responsibility or independence by doing something on his own.

Nonlust (brahmacharya). Don't worry; this isnot a call to celibacy. Many yogis of old were married and had families oftheir own. The person who practices brahmacharya avoids meaningless sexualencounters and, as the well-known teacher B.K.S. Iyengar puts it, "seesdivinity in all."

Nonpossessiveness (aparigraha). Free yourselffrom greed, hoarding, and collecting. Do you really need more shoes, anothercar, or to hog the conversation every time you see your friends? Make your lifeas simple as possible.

niyama

Niyama is inner discipline andresponsibility, how we treat ourselves. These are sometimes called observances,the do's, or the thou shalts. There are five niyamas:

Purity (shauca). Purity is achieved throughthe practice of the five yamas, which help clear away the negative physical andmental states of being. Keep yourself, your clothing, and your surroundingsclean. Eat fresh and healthy food. The next time you joke about treating yourbody like a temple, think of this niyama. 

Contentment (santosha). Cultivate contentmentand tranquility by finding happiness with what you have and who you are. Seekhappiness in the moment, take responsibility for where you are, and choose togrow from there. 

Austerity (tapas). Show discipline in body,speech, and mind. The purpose of developing self-discipline is not to becomeascetic, but to control and direct the mind and body for higher spiritual aimsor purposes.

Study of the sacred text (svadhyaya). Studysacred texts, which are whatever books are relevant to you and inspire andteach you. Education changes a person's outlook on life. As Iyengar says, aperson starts "to realize that all creation is meant for bhakti (adoration)rather than for bhoga (enjoyment), that all creation is divine, thatthere is divinity within himself and that the energy which moves him is thesame that moves the entire universe."

Living with an awareness of the Divine (ishvara-pranidhana).Be devoted to God, Buddha, or whatever you consider divine.

asana

"The posture of yoga is steady andeasy," Patanjali says. Patanjali compares this to resting like the cosmicserpent on the waters of infinity. Although Westerners often consider thepractice of asana or postures as an exercise regimen or a way to stay fit,Patanjali and other ancient yogis used asana to prepare the body formeditation. To sit for a lengthy time in contemplation required a supple andcooperative body. If you are free of physical distractions — such as your footgoing to sleep — and can control the body, you can also control the mind.Patanjali said, "Posture is mastered by freeing the body and mind fromtension and restlessness and meditating on the infinite."   

pranayama

Prana is the life force or energy that existseverywhere and flows through each of us through the breath.Pranayama isthe control of breath. The basic movements of pranayama are inhalation,retention of breath, and exhalation. "The yogi's life is not measured bythe number of days but by the number of his breaths," says Iyengar."Therefore, he follows the proper rhythmic patterns of slow, deepbreathing." The practice of pranayama purifies and removes distractionsfrom the mind making it easier to concentrate and meditate. 

pratyahara

Pratyahara is withdrawal of the senses.Pratyahara occurs during meditation, breathing exercises, or the practice ofyoga postures — any time when you are directing your attention inward.Concentration, in the yoga room or the boardroom, is a battle with distractingsenses. When you master pratyahara, you are able to focus because you no longerfeel the itch on your big toe or hear the mosquito buzzing by your ear or smellthe popcorn popping in the microwave.  

dharana

Concentration or dharana involvesteaching the mind to focus on one point or image. "Concentration isbinding thought in one place," says Patanjali. The goal is to still themind — gently pushing away superfluous thoughts — by fixing your mind on someobject such as a candle flame, a flower, or a mantra. In dharana, concentrationis effortless. You know the mind is concentrating when there is no sense oftime passing.  

dhyana

Uninterrupted meditation without an object iscalled dhyana. Concentration (dharana) leads to the state of meditation.The goal of meditation is not unconsciousness or nothingness. It is heightenedawareness and oneness with the universe. How do you tell the difference betweenconcentration and meditation? If there is awareness of distraction, you areonly concentrating and not meditating. The calm achieved in meditation spillsover into all aspects of your life — during a hectic day at work, shopping forgroceries, coordinating the Halloween party at your child'sschool.   

samadhi

The ultimate goal of the eightfold path to yoga is samadhi orabsolute bliss. This is pure contemplation, superconsciousness, in which youand the universe are one. Those who have achieved samadhi are enlightened.Paramahansa Yoganananda called it the state of God-Union. 

The eight limbs work together: The first fivesteps — yama, niyama asana, pranayama, and pratyahara — are the preliminariesof yoga and build the foundation for spiritual life. They are concerned withthe body and the brain. The last three, which would not be possible without theprevious steps, are concerned with reconditioning the mind. They help the yogito attain enlightenment or the full realization of oneness with Spirit.Enlightenment lasts forever, while a flat tummy can disappear with a week ofbinging.  

More resources:

Several books go into Patanjali's eightfold pathof yoga in depth:
Light onYoga
TheYoga Book
TheComplete Idiot's Guide to Yoga
SmartGuide to Yoga
TheBhagavad Gita: God Talks with Arjuna. 

The book, Yoga:Discipline of Freedom, by Barbara Stoler Miller is a translation anddiscussion ofThe Yoga Sutras.

Shared by Lotuschef / Pure Karma / True BuddhaSchool