The Path to Yoga
by Lipsa Shah
The 8 limb path of yoga was created by Patanjali, the father of Yoga, and offers guidelines for a meaningful and fulfilled life. Below is a brief description of how you can take your yoga practice beyond the physical poses and deeper into your lifestyle.
The yamas and the niyamas are known as the ethical guide to living. They are the start of the 8 limb path because they set the precedent for how we relate to other people and how we can take care of ourselves. They are known as the social restraints (yamas) and self-discipline (niyamas), and there are 5 of each.
1. Yama (Social Restraints)
Ahimsa (Non-harming): Not harming someone else or oneself.
Satya (Truthfulness): Always speaking your truth while remaining compassionate.
Asteya (Non-stealing): Stealing goes beyond physical objects. Watch out for stealing one's time, energy, etc.
Bhramacharya (Moderation): Conservation of energy. Confidently saying ‘no’ to activities, people, thoughts that do not serve you.
Aparigraha (Non-attachment): Not attaching to people, to thoughts, to things, to your career. What is for you will not pass you.
2. Niyama (Self-Discipline)
Saucha (Purity of body, mind, spirit): Your hygiene, the foods you put into your body, the thoughts you have throughout the day.
Santosha (Contentment): Being content where you are right now. Avoiding thoughts such as, “I will be happy in six months when I have this.” Recognizing that where you are is exactly where you need to be.
Svadhyaya (Self-study + knowledge): Always being a student. Taking the opportunity to look inward.
Tapas (The heat of discipline and determination): Cultivating a sense of self-discipline, passion, and courage in order to burn away “impurities.”
Ishvarapranidhana (Surrender to the Universe): A shift of perspective that helps us align with the Universe and higher power.
3. Asana (Seat)
The physical practice of yoga - literally the poses. The body holds our spirit and is an important component of our spiritual growth. Through the physical practice and movement, we develop discipline and the ability to concentrate on our breath. See below!
4. Pranayama (Breathwork)
Generally known as breath control, there are tons of different pranayama exercises. Pranayama is usually practiced in the beginning of a yoga class but can be taken off the mat and done in many different environments. Yogis believe this is essential in rejuvenating the body. Want to learn more? Check out our post on breathwork.
5. Pratyahara (Senses Draw Inward)
The fifth limb is making a conscious effort to withdraw yourself from the external world and outside stimuli. Can you take fifteen minutes to yourself before you check your phone in the morning? The practice allows us to take a step back and really turn inward. It allows us to see our habits and cravings — ones that may be interfering with our spiritual growth or ones that may be supporting it.
6. Dharana (Concentration)
Having withdrawn from the outside world, you can now handle the distractions within your mind. The practice of dharana requires slowing down your thinking process by concentrating on a single mental object: a specific energetic system in the body (chakra) or your breath, for example. We’ve already begun the process of concentration in Asana and Pranayama, but although we may be focusing attention on our actions, our mind can travel. This is your opportunity to bring one point of focus into your mind. It’s no easy task at all! Be patient with yourself and your mind, and that’s when the transformation begins.
7. Dhyana (Meditation)
Different from Dharana, Dhyana is the uninterrupted flow of concentration, more commonly known as meditation. At this point, the mind has been quieted and in this stillness, it produces little to no thoughts at all. In our busy world, this may sound impossible but remember, yoga is a process.
8. Samadhi (Unbridled bliss in the state of equanimity)
This is the ultimate state of bliss. This is when a yogi has a profound relationship with the Divine, feeling connected with all living things.
The 8 limbs are set up in specific order — which is not to say that you can’t bounce around. However, the Yamas and Niyamas are our basic moral principles, and once those are established, we can confidently move our physical bodies, which will then help us focus on our breath, so on and so forth. Samadhi is at the end of the 8 limbs because it is deep down something all human beings aspire towards: peace. You cannot buy enlightenment. You can experience it through continual devotion to your practice on and off the yoga mat.