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History
of Yoga
Patanjali
and His Eightfold Path of Yoga
Often called "the
father of yoga," Patanjali is credited for writiing
The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. Essentially, the book contains 195 sutras
or concise aphorisms that describe the ethical blueprint for living
a moral life and incorporating the science of yoga into your life. Although
no one is sure of the exact time when Patanjali lived and wrote down
his sutras, it is estimated this humble physician who became one of
the world’s greatest sages roamed India somewhere between 200
B.C. and 200 A.D.
The Yoga Sutra is considered the fundamental text on the system
of yoga, and yet you won’t find the description of a single posture
or asana in it. This is a guide for living the right life. Essentially,
Patanjali says, you can’t practice asanas in yoga class, feel the
stretch, and then go home to play with your kids, cook a meal, yell
at your employees, and cheat on your taxes. There is more to yoga than
that — yoga can help you cultivate body, mind, and spiritual awareness.
The heart of Patanjali’s teachings is the eightfold path of
yoga. It is also called the eight limbs of Patanjali, because
they intertwine like the branches of a tree in the forest. These are
not commandments, laws, or hard and fast rules. These are Patanjali’s
suggestions for living a better life through yoga. Here are the eight
limbs of Patanjali.
Yama
Yama is social behavior, how you treat others and the world around you.
These are moral principles. Sometimes they are called the don’ts
or the thou shalt nots. There are five yamas:
Nonviolence (ahimsa). Do no harm
to any creature in thought or deed. In his book Autobiography of a Yogi,
Paramahansa Yogananda asks Mahatma Gandhi the definition of ahimsa.
Gandhi said, "The avoidance of harm to any living creature in thought
or deed." Yogananda asked if one could kill a cobra to protect
a child. Gandhi maintained he would still hold to his vow of ahimsa,
but added, "I must confess that I could not serenely carry on this
conversation were I faced by a cobra."
Truth
and honesty (satya). Tell no lies. Cheating on your income taxes
falls into this category.
Nonstealing
(asteya). Do not steal material objects (a car) or intangibles such
as the center of attention or your child’s chance to learn responsibility
or independence by doing something on his own.
Nonlust
(brahmacharya). Don’t worry; this is not a call to celibacy.
Many yogis of old were married and had families of their own. The person
who practices brahmacharya avoids meaningless sexual encounters and,
as the well-known teacher B.K.S. Iyengar puts it, "sees divinity
in all."
Nonpossessiveness
(aparigraha). Free yourself from greed, hoarding, and collecting.
Do you really need more shoes, another car, or to hog the conversation
every time you see your friends? Make your life as simple as possible.
Niyama
Niyama is inner discipline and responsibility, how we treat ourselves.
These are sometimes called observances, the do’s, or the thou shalts.
There are five niyamas:
Purity
(shauca). Purity is achieved through the practice of the five yamas,
which help clear away the negative physical and mental states of being.
Keep yourself, your clothing, and your surroundings clean. Eat fresh
and healthy food. The next time you joke about treating your body like
a temple, think of this niyama.
Contentment
(santosha). Cultivate contentment and tranquility by finding happiness
with what you have and who you are. Seek happiness in the moment, take
responsibility for where you are, and choose to grow from there.
Austerity
(tapas). Show discipline in body, speech, and mind. The purpose
of developing self-discipline is not to become ascetic, but to control
and direct the mind and body for higher spiritual aims or purposes.
Study
of the sacred text (svadhyaya). Study sacred texts, which are whatever
books are relevant to you and inspire and teach you. Education changes
a person’s outlook on life. As Iyengar says, a person starts "to
realize that all creation is meant for bhakti (adoration) rather than
for bhoga (enjoyment), that all creation is divine, that there is divinity
within himself and that the energy which moves him is the same that
moves the entire universe."
Living
with an awareness of the Divine (ishvara-pranidhana). Be devoted
to God, Buddha, or whatever you consider divine.
Asana
"The posture of yoga is steady and easy," Patanjali says.
Patanjali compares this to resting like the cosmic serpent on the waters
of infinity. Although Westerners often consider the practice of asana
or postures as an exercise regimen or a way to stay fit, Patanjali and
other ancient yogis used asana to prepare the body for meditation. To
sit for a lengthy time in contemplation required a supple and cooperative
body. If you are free of physical distractions — such as your foot
going to sleep — and can control the body, you can also control
the mind. Patanjali said, "Posture is mastered by freeing the body
and mind from tension and restlessness and meditating on the infinite."
Pranayama
Prana is the life force or energy that exists everywhere and flows through
each of us through the breath. Pranayama is the control of breath. The
basic movements of pranayama are inhalation, retention of breath, and
exhalation. "The yogi’s life is not measured by the number
of days but by the number of his breaths," says Iyengar. "Therefore,
he follows the proper rhythmic patterns of slow, deep breathing."
The practice of pranayama purifies and removes distractions from the
mind making it easier to concentrate and meditate.
Pratyahara
Pratyahara is withdrawal of the senses. Pratyahara occurs during meditation,
breathing exercises, or the practice of yoga postures — any time
when you are directing your attention inward. Concentration, in the
yoga room or the boardroom, is a battle with distracting senses. When
you master pratyahara, you are able to focus because you no longer feel
the itch on your big toe or hear the mosquito buzzing by your ear or
smell the popcorn popping in the microwave.
Dharana
Concentration or dharana involves teaching the mind to focus on one
point or image. "Concentration is binding thought in one place,"
says Patanjali. The goal is to still the mind — gently pushing
away superfluous thoughts — by fixing your mind on some object
such as a candle flame, a flower, or a mantra. In dharana, concentration
is effortless. You know the mind is concentrating when there is no sense
of time passing.
Dhyana
Uninterrupted meditation without an object is called dhyana. Concentration
(dharana) leads to the state of meditation. The goal of meditation is
not unconsciousness or nothingness. It is heightened awareness and oneness
with the universe. How do you tell the difference between concentration
and meditation? If there is awareness of distraction, you are only concentrating
and not meditating. The calm achieved in meditation spills over into
all aspects of your life — during a hectic day at work, shopping
for groceries, coordinating the Halloween party at your child’s
school.
Samadhi
The
ultimate goal of the eightfold path to yoga is samadhi or absolute bliss.
This is pure contemplation, superconsciousness, in which you and the
universe are one. Those who have achieved samadhi are enlightened. Paramahansa
Yoganananda called it the state of God-Union.
The
eight limbs work together: The first
five steps — yama, niyama asana, pranayama, and pratyahara
— are the preliminaries of yoga and build the foundation for spiritual
life. They are concerned with the body and the brain. The
last three, which would not be possible without the previous
steps, are concerned with reconditioning the mind. They help the yogi
to attain enlightenment or the full realization of oneness with Spirit.
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