The Little Book of Yoga by Nora Isaacs

Author:Nora Isaacs [Nora Isaacs]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC
Published: 2014-04-27T16:00:00+00:00

The Eight-Limbed Path

Modern-day yoga is known for its physical poses, but the poses are just one step on what the ancient yogis believed was a path to enlightenment. The Eight-Limbed Path—outlined by prolific sage Patanjali (born between 300 BCE–AD 200) in his collection of writings called The Yoga Sutra—is a system of moral and ethical guidelines, and specific practices including yoga poses that lead the yogi to a peaceful life. Thousands of years after the Eight Limbs were first recorded, many yoga schools still use them as the foundation of their practice, while individual yogis find that they apply seamlessly to everyday living, off the mat.

The eight limbs of the Eight-Limbed Path—like the limbs of a tree—are integrally linked to each other, proceeding in a basic order, from external to internal, guiding us toward inner peace. Our journey starts with the first limb, or yama, which consists of five principles that help make us aware of how we see and interact with the external world. Next, we arrive at niyama, the second limb, which also consists of five principles. The niyamas invite us to look inward and truly get to know ourselves through reflection and self-study. The third and fourth limbs are active, energetic practices. In Patanjali’s day, the third limb, or asana, meant a comfortable seated position. Today it refers to yoga’s physical poses. The fourth limb, pranayama, meant a practice of slowing the breath, and has since evolved into the various breathing exercises that we know today. Both of these limbs, asana and pranayama, prepare the body and mind for the three limbs that follow: pratyahara, inward focus by withdrawing the five senses; dharana, concentration; and dhyana, meditation. The eighth and final limb—which is understood to be the ultimate reward—is samadhi, described by some as ecstasy and by others more simply as enlightenment, contentment, or inner peace.

Samadhi is a grandiose concept, but Patanjali and the ancient yogis believed it to be achievable by every human being of any means. Indeed, today we might understand samadhi to be the natural, blissful reward of being kind to others, nurturing the self, and living in the moment. The following pages provide overviews of each limb of the Eight-Limbed Path, and offer modern-day applications of this ancient wisdom.

The Eight Limbs

1. Yama: Universal morality (page 138)

2. Niyama: Personal morality (page 139)

3. Asana: Physical practices (page 140)

4. Pranayama: Breathing practices (page 141)

5. Pratyahara: Withdrawal of the senses (page 142)

6. Dharana: Concentration (page 143)

7. Dhyana: Meditation (page 144)

8. Samadhi: Enlightenment (page 145)

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