“The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” 101

Were written over 3000 years ago. The word “Sutra” means string; the strings offer the purpose and reasons for yoga.

In book two, referred to as “Ashtanga Yoga”, the eight limbs are listed and discussed.   These are what Paige calls the recipe for yoga. The limbs are cyclical and do not have to be followed in a specific order and you may not practice all the limbs in one specific practice.

To begin with the Sutras were originally written in Sanskrit and English translations can vary.   The translation being used here is from Sri Swami Satchidanada (p.125). 

In Summary the eight limbs are:

  • yamas

  • niyamas

  • asanas

  • pranayama

  • pratyahara

  • dharana

  • dhyana

  • samadhi

Yamas – Rules for Living

The Yamas are translated into “Self Restraint or Ethics” and is known as the first limb.  These are then broken down into more specifics or sub-list of principles based on behavior to external conditions. 

The first Yamas is “ahimsa” meaning non-violence or harming.

The second is “satya" or truthfulness.  

The third is “asteya" or non stealing. 

The fourth is “brahmacharya” or continence and lastly “aparigaha” or non-greed. 

Niyamas – Observances or Rules of Life

The second limb or Niyamas are often translated into observances.  Here a sub-list is a code of ethics reflective to inner disciplines.  

The first is “saucha” meaning purification.

The second is “samtosha” or contentment. 

The third is “tapah” or accepting pain and not causing pain.  

The fourth is “svadhyaya” or self-study

The fifth is “Isvarapranidhanani” or worship of God or self-surrender.   

Asanas – Postures

Interesting enough this word is what many in the West associate is “Yoga” and yet Patanjali didn’t write much about asanas in the texts at all.  The word “asana” means “seat of the soul” and he wrote it to take any movement.  Your movement should  be steady – “without strain”. Somewhere between ease and effort.

Pranayama – Breath Control

Cultivation of respiration is the way to infuse the vital force and energy into body.  We practice this by enhancing the processes of purification by the “restraint” of the life energy (Prana). Breathwork can be its own yoga practice and those who practice Kriya Yoga understand this. (See Yoga Tab for more)

Pratyahara – Internalized Consciousness

Technique of drawing the senses inward to pay attention to vibrations or sensations.  Creating an awareness either while moving (asana) or being still. Listening to the body from the “inside out”

Dharana – Concentration

Naturally, the mind wanders however we draw the mind to concentrate to tame the mind.  It is an active choice when decide to stop thinking about one thing and consciously focus on something right here and now. This leads us to the path of meditation.

Dhyana – Meditation

There are styles and forms of meditation and he didn’t reference one style as a preference.   

Samadhi – Bliss or Joy

This is the “higher state that contains the larger view of universal consciousness, where dualities melt away, and the fusion of oneness exists.” However in simple terms remember the first chapter and the point of yoga was to settle the mind? The point of that was to have mental clarity.

The limbs are not meant to be followed in a specific order; however it is important to note that the original writing didn’t go into specifics or depth. Instead the original text left each person to their own interpretation of each string. 

Furthermore focusing on a single limb does not mean to disregard the others.  A good example of this would be speaking truthfully (“satya”) however you want to go about being truthful in a manner that isn’t harmful (“ahimsa”).  Using this example, we are able to re-examine a couple of the Yamas together at the same time.

The reasons for the Yamas and Niyamas is that if you aren’t considering them you can’t possibly find a state of Samadhi.