The 8 limbs of yoga

For many modern yogis, the practice is all about the asanas (postures). But this is actually just one of the eight limbs of astanga yoga, set down in the Yoga Sutras by Patanjali.

Written sometime between 500 BCE & 400 CE, this book is the core text of yoga which is still central to the practice today.

Without the other seven limbs, we’re really just doing pilates, or a workout with deep breathing.

There’s no shame in being drawn to yoga for the physical practice, it was what drew me in, but as you become more experienced and begin to see the mental benefits, it’s worth drilling deeper into the other seven principles. Here’s a simple overview…

Josie Griffiths meditating
  1. Yamas (self-restraints)
  2. Niyamas (observances)

Like the 10 commandments for yoga, the 5 yamas & 5 niyamas are key guidelines for living your life by.

YAMAS

  1. Ahimsa – kindness/non-harming (to yourself, as well as to others. Pay attention to your self-talk, do you criticise how you look or how you act? Interpretation of this restraint is what leads many yogis to be veggie/vegan)
  2. Satya – truthfulness (don’t allow your judgement to be clouded or your stories to be exaggerated. Speak the truth, but remember the previous restraint and the importance of being kind. As Socrates said: “If what you want to say is neither true, nor good or kind, nor useful or necessary, please don’t say anything at all”)
  3. Asteya – non-stealing (aside from the obvious, this restraint focuses on the physical, emotional & energetic – i.e. not stealing people’s time, breaking someone’s trust or taking credit from other people)
  4. Brahmacharya – moderation, control & abstinence (this is often translated as chastity, but that’s not my understanding of it. You can show moderation in many aspects of your life, by not overindulging in food, alcohol & other substances, there’s no need to give up sex. You can also show control in your life by investing time in your yoga practice)
  5. Aparigraha – non-attachment (take only that which you need & have earned. Know when you have enough, I know we live in a materialistic world but constantly striving for more will not ultimately make you happy)

NIYAMAS

  1. Sauca – cleanliness (having a healthy lifestyle & mind, good alignment in your yoga practice & breathing into the postures)
  2. Santosha – contentment (knowing that you have enough, knowing that YOU are enough & not comparing yourself to others. Your contentment should be unaffected by the ‘bad’ events in your life)
  3. Tapas – energy/heat (keeping the body fit & challenging yourself physically. A strong power yoga practice is a great example of this)
  4. Swadyhana – self-awareness & self-enquiry (being aware of your own limitations, being mindful of yoga postures & really feeling them, a spiritual study & desire to free yourself from the constraints of the ego/monkey mind)
  5. Isvara-pranidhana – devotion to a higher power (it’s important to note here that you don’t have to be a religious person to practice this, I’m not. But it’s about tapping into your hope, faith, the idea of community/oneness with the universe & unconditional love).

THE OTHER LIMBS

3. Asana – the physical postures (a practice which is designed to be accessible to everyone)

It’s recommended you become experienced at asana before moving onto the following limbs…

4. Pranayama – breathwork (literal meaning is to ‘expand our vital energy’. Through controlled breath, we can relax the nervous system, reduce anxiety or, alternatively, to energise the body. In ujjayi breath, the ocean-like nostril breathing which is practiced during a yoga class, we should pay particular attention to the pauses between the inhale & exhale)

5. Pratyahara – not reacting to the environment around you (moving towards stillness & becoming aware of your surroundings without being distracted by them)

6. Dharana – concentration (training the mind to stay focussed on the present)

7. Dhyana – meditation (total immersion in the present moment, a stillness where peace arrises)

8. Samadhi – enlightenment (a state of pure joy & bliss, literally translated from Sanskrit as ‘same vision’, pointing to a connected mind)

So those are the 8 limbs and the idea is, by practising them daily & continuing through the list, you can eventually reach enlightenment. Sounds like a decent payoff, don’t you think?

Thanks for reading guys, I’ll be back soon with more yoga nuggets.

Namaste, Josie x