This week's topic focuses on Ashtanga Yoga -- the Eight-limbed Path -- not to be confused with Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga (as was taught by Pattabhi Jois). Way back in 200 A.D., a sage named Patanjali wrote down this path of yoga in an organized manner in a collection of short verses called the Yoga Sutras. Patanjali was not the creator, or the articulator of this eight-limbed path, but he was the one who, hundreds of years after it had already been around,wrote it down. Patanjali is revered by yogins everywhere for having written the Yoga Sutras. One of its most famous verses is:
"Yogas citta vritti nirodhah" -- meaning, Yoga is the stillness of the mind-chatter.
This sacred text [the Yoga Sutras] describes the inner workings of the mind and provides an eight-step blueprint for controlling its restlessness so as to enjoying lasting peace.
The core of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra is an eight-limbed path that forms the structural framework for yoga practice. Upon practicing all eight limbs of the path it becomes self-evident that no one element is elevated over another in a hierarchical order. Each is part of a holistic focus which eventually brings completeness to the individual as they find their connectivity to the divine. Because we are all uniquely individual a person can emphasize one branch and then move on to another as they round out their understanding.
In brief the eight limbs, or steps to yoga, are as follows:
Yama : Universal morality
Niyama : Personal observances
Asanas : Body postures
Pranayama : Breathing exercises, and control of prana
Pratyahara : Control of the senses
Dharana : Concentration and cultivating inner perceptual awareness
Dhyana : Devotion, Meditation on the Divine
Samadhi : Union with the Divine
(excerpt from: http://www.expressionsofspirit.com/yoga/eight-limbs.htm )
Click the link above and read the whole article on the 8 limbs by William J.D. Doran.
I have enjoyed reading your comments on the previous post. I welcome your additional comments on experiences of our class time, but remember that you are responsible for commenting on the posts, specifically, each and every week. :)
I really enjoyed this post. The eight limbs remind me of the eightfold path in Buddhism. It's interesting that in yoga, all of the eight limbs are to be held as equal to one another. Our lives are usually about prioritizing--work, school, friends, etc. However, in yoga and as shown in this post, it's about eight different steps that are to be held as equal to one another. I like that in yoga, it's all about achieving unity with your mind and body, rather than working on one or the other. Everything is working towards a common goal of bringing "completeness to the individual", and I look forward to learning more about this.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that these practices have been around for so long.. it's older than the United States itself, is very interesting. The man who developed these techniques did so very early in human history, and they have survived to enhance the lives of people to this day. The eight points that they develop seem very interesting. I understand some of them more than others, but I believe that after having a couple weeks of class, I will become much more familiar with the these eight points.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this post also!! I find it very interesting how long the practices of yoga have been around. The main point of these practices is learning to be one with yourself. Once you become one with yourself you can become one with others. Im loving learning about yoga!!
ReplyDeleteThe 8 Limbs of Yoga will be very interesting to learn. It is remarkable how early yoga was developed and how a lot of those principles are still useful today. I think it is interesting how they teach you "wise characteristics", especially Aparigraha since it suggests that you don't hoard wealth and only have what you need. I want to learn more about it since our society has a lot of things we don't necessarily need but more so just have because we can afford to. Niyama is what I have been researching and I have liked everything that I have read on it so far. I also look forward to learning more about breath control since I think it will turn out to be very usual since you can usual that in everyday life, including out in public.
ReplyDeleteI also thought this post was very intriguing!! I am upset that I haven't really been practicing yoga and reeping the full benefits! Being able to obtain full concentration of your mind and being in the presence of true peace would be phenomenal. In order for me to practice yoga in this way I would need to be truly dedicated and focused on using the 8 Limbs throughout every aspect of my life.
ReplyDeleteDharana is what I have chosen to research and it suprisingly was one of my favorite Limbs to read about. Being the sixth step it is an important link to acheiving true inner healing in the state of Samadhi. Dharana is the immovable concentration of the mind and is essential to create the right conditions for life perception.
I was really surprised at how in depth the article was. I didn't actually know before that the 8 limbs were actually the steps to yoga. I thought yoga was really most about poses rather than a life path so that was really interesting. Asteya or "non-stealing" was the most interesting aspect of the artticle in my opinion. We take things that are not given freely all the time, and the I thought the last part about taking people's attention was a deep concept. We demand attention all the time, sometimes unconsciously, sometimes knowingly, but it's intriguing to know that in the yoga tradition, you should respect everything that does not belong to you.
ReplyDeleteI was very interested to see how many different steps were involved with the learning process of yoga. Also how each of the eight limbs inter act with each other. The history that was mentioned in the article also interested me I had no idea how old yoga was in some of its practices. I look foreword to learning more about it.
ReplyDeleteSo if these 8 limbs of Yoga are the core of yoga and if followed one can find a way to become connected with the divine; this sounds very familar to the 5 pillars of Islam (which are ways to connect to Allah). While the birth of Islam would take place 400+ years later, I think that maybe just maybe the 5 pillars of Islam could be loosly related to these scared 8 limbs.
ReplyDeleteThis made me more interested in yoga. It gave me a better understanding of all the different types on yoga that were out there. These 8 branches seem to be simlimar to the Pilliars of Islam. With each branch it gives you new insight on life and could help you throught a hard time in your life. Similar to the pillars of Islam. At each one you must complete the task at hand and thann you can move on to the next one it seems that way in this as well because with each one you try you can move onto the next and each one helps with physical and mental health and relaxation i really enjoyed this one because i learned so much i never knew before.
ReplyDeleteReading this article and learing that there are eight different limbs has enabled me to understand the focus of yoga better. I have have a greater understanding of the concepts and practice of yoga and am excited to venture on. Each branch stems from one another. After one limb, the next limb provides for deeper stillness and relaxation of all the choas around you and within your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThis post really opened my eyes up to what yoga is really about. Now when I practice yoga I am going to strive to accomplish each and every one of the eight limbs. I like the fact that I can try to complete which ever of the eight limbs without a certain order. I found it interesting that each one of the eight limbs focuses on a bodily function or stature along with personal well being. After reading this I realized yoga is more than just people doing poses on mats.
ReplyDeleteThis article has really helped me get a deeper understanding of yoga and all its components. Before all I really understood about yoga was that you do positions that stretch your body out and it is suppoed to be relaxing. Now I understand from the eight limbs of yoga first and foremost is that yoga isnt just something someone thought of to do as a hobby this is something that goes way way way back into ancient times and is considered very important. I also learned what is accomplished through each limb of yoga whether its concentration or learning to control your own senses. To me its unbelievable how easy it is through yoga to attain the things that people everyday wish they
ReplyDeletehad such as better concentration, peace, relaxation, and just the enjoyment of self fulfillment. All of these things can be easily attained through the eight limbs of yoga and after reading this article it has made me want to take a more serious approach to learning the art of yoga.
Reading this passage has given me a little deeper insight to holistic view of yoga witch really captures my attention. the first fact that yoga breaks the world into a dualistic reality that of physical componets and that of some nophyisical componets lets call the nonpysical (spirtual concepts) and that yoga serves and a medium between these two realms and our understanding and control of them is all very compeling. I also find the concept of the 8 limbs all be equal is alos very intresing to me for any information that leads to more unity is cool wit me
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting passage to read. I never would have thought that yoga was this deep. Yoga conects you with the world physicaly and mentaly, and can also give you a better sence of "being." I found this artile interesting.
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting excerpt to read. What I took out of this piece is that yoga not only teaches you how to get in shape, but to be in tune into all of your senses. Yoga has taught me to be in control of my internal and external senses and disconnect myself from the world when I'm doing yoga. Many people think that yoga is all about just the physical, but it helps so much with the mentally and the emotionally aspects to help you control the environment around you and not letting the environment distract you while you are getting in touch with your inner self.
ReplyDeleteThe coolest part of this article, to me, is the way yoga interprets/views spirituality. Or maybe, just the way it views divinity as an inherent part of your life. The eight-limbed path is a way to live your life, and it involves your mind, your body, your soul/inner being, your breathing. However, the path for life not only includes everything about the individual, but it also includes how you treat others around you as well as the whole world. Yoga encompasses everything, and I really like how the self, spirituality, and the rest of humanity are all a part of living life in the eyes of yoga.
ReplyDeleteThis article gave me new view of yoga. Since I read this, i haven't thought about 8 limbs. I want to try these 8steps to yoga and know about my own body and mind; my self. The view of yoga made me more get interested in yoga practice. I have thought that yoga is not just a physical practice.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first joined this class I though that we were going to be just learning the poses of Yoga not learning about the art of yoga. It has been very interesting to learn the actually history and meaning of some of the yoga terms since we have started this class. I really enjoyed this article and enjoyed learning how long ago yoga was formed and when it was actually written down on paper. I favorite part of this article was learning the difference between the first two limbs Yamas and Niyamas. I liked the yamas the best because it deal with how we should deal with people around us and our attitude toward things and people outside ourselves
ReplyDeleteReading about this post was amazing. I never knew yoga existed this long ago. I honestly thought yoga was something that was around for a short period of time. It's amazing how the 8 limbs of yoga reflect our lives in a daily manner. Dhara was the one that stood out to me the most. We all need to concentrate, and cultivate our inner perceptual awareness. I enjoyed reading this post.
ReplyDeleteThis blog was very interesting. I never knew anything about the 8 limbs of Yoga and reading this really opened my eyes to it. Before reading this all I really knew about Yoga was that it was used for relaxing. i didnt kno much of the in depth things that are included in this blog.
ReplyDeleteI think these people were really serious about yoga. They made their own rules...language...book...and found a bunch of followers! Then they categorized it into 8 different limbs...go YOGIS!
ReplyDeleteI find the 8 limbs to be very interesting. How these limbs have been around so long and yet are still used today. This post really has taught me alot about the steps to yoga and the "inner workings of the mind," as stated above. I think its really neat how yoga gets a person away from what's going on around them and helps them to relax.
ReplyDeleteIn an idealistic view these ideas could save the world but in a realistic view they seem to be unobtainable. For me personally, i think everyone should live simply and find inner peace that brings outter peace but thats just not gonna happen with the world today.
ReplyDeleteLast class, i learned about yama and niyama, which helped to understand this article deeply. After the class i searched them, then I think that we need the concept the Aparigraha to live more simply as I wrote in the assignment on the blackboard.
ReplyDeleteI love the way that yoga is divided into eight limbs. I believe that this allows you to identify the areas that you feel you need to concentrate on the most. These limbs cover many aspects from universal morallity, to controlling the senses, to body postures. Although not one of these “rank” above the others, my favorite are the niyamas, specifically Svadhyaya and Isvarapranidhana, because they allow you to know yourself and your relationship with God extensively. I think that, by concentrating on these eight constituents, it is possible to find lasting peace.
ReplyDeletei thought the history of was interesting. The fact that yoga has been around for so many years. It is one of the oldest forms of exercise imaginable. Also to have such a detailed practice that was able to survive relatively unchanged from when it first started is incredible. how all eight limbs were broken down is very different from what I expected.
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