8 Limbs of Yoga

- By Sidhar Thirumoolar.

(8 Limbs of Yoga- With Thirumanthiram Lyrics as proof)

Yama:

Yama are often known as abstentions, or restrictions. In this, the yamas specifically outline what not to do, but by doing so guide us toward the development of higher virtues. The five yama are Ahimsa (non-hurting or peacefulness), Satya (honesty), Asteya (non-taking), Brahmacharya (chastity, protection of vitality), Aparigraha (non-possessiveness).

Niyama:

Niyamas are the second step of Yoga and are intended for those all the more genuinely looking for the way of yoga. These observances help to develop a more profound individual practice and learning of the Self. Divided into five sections, the Niyama are Saucha (tidiness of body, brain and lead), Santosha (fulfillment), Tapas (exertion or grimness), Svādhyāya (otherworldly examination), and Ishvarapranidhana (surrender).

Asana:

Asana are mere postures that prepare the yogic seeker for the higher practices. In traditional writings, asana is truly characterized as steadily and comfortably “seat”. Along these lines the motivation behind an asana practice in the bigger setting of the eight folds is essentially to prepare the body to be able to sit comfortably for meditation.

Pranayama:

Pranayama is control of the subtle energy in the body through guideline of the breath. In Thirumoolar's yoga framework the guideline of the breath and prana (energy) is the connection between working with the body and working with the mind. The main purpose behind pranayama is to join diverse energies in the body, that when joined brings great clarity and calm to our whole being. The distinctive breathing practices offer an tremendous range of tools to help you in your life and fill in as a readiness for different parts of your yoga practice.

Pratyahara:

Pratyahara is the process of yoga where the focus shifts from the outer physical practices, to the subtler inner ones. Usually considered as a bridge the two, as the rest of the folds of yoga after pratyahara are focused on the internal proficiency. The thought here is to start exploring the inner terrain in ourselves as a as a way to reveal the base of our unhappiness and suffering.

Dharana:

Dharana is the first internal phase of the eight folds. It is the process of holding or fixing the attention of mind onto one object or place. This exercises build the concentration muscle in us, so that we gradually can bring our attention to rest on any given point, no matter what else is happening in our lives. Also, increases our ability to be where we are, instead of constantly being scattered in a million thoughts at once.

Dhyana:

Meditation is sustained concentration, whereby the attention continues to hold or repeat on the same object or place. Meditation is an approach to see into the most profound pieces of ourselves and comprehend the idea of who and what we truly are. Meditation allows us to explore these realms through our own direct experience and understanding.

Samadhi:

The line among dhyana and samadhi is an incredibly subtle one. Samadhi is the deep absorption, wherein only the essence of that object, place, or point shines forth in the mind, as if the mind were devoid even of its own form. In these states, one can go so profoundly into meditation and concentration a certain kind of freedom arises from the usual distractions of the mind. In exemplary yogic writings, there are a wide range of different levels of samadhi described in great detail, which the majority of great saints and teachers claim they will never attain.

The 8 limbs of Yoga are explained in easy terms.

Once you start learning a little more about yoga, you’ll find out that it is way more than a physical exercise. It is a thousand-year-old system to help you live a fuller, better life.

To do that, yoga employs 8 different pathways to get you closer to “oneness”. These 8 “limbs of yoga” (Attanga Yogam)were collected by SidharThirumoolar in his “Thirumanthiram”.

These texts are many thousands of years old, however, and have been written in Tamil.

To make this important part of yoga philosophy a little more accessible, explained the eight limbs of yoga in plain, simple English. Once you’ve read through this, you’ll have a much better idea of what the “8-fold-path of yoga” is all about.

1. Yamas: What not to do

The Yamas make up the first limb. They basically tell you what not to do.

Ahimsa: Don’t be violent and don’t harm any other living creature.
Satya: Don’t lie.
Asteya: Don’t steal.
Brahmacharya: No philandering or unfaithfulness. Also interpreted to mean celibacy.
Aparigraha: Don’t be greedy.

2. Niyamas: What to do

The 5 Niyamas tell you which concepts to strive for:

Shaucha: Be clean or pure, both physically, and also mentally.
Santosha: Be content and accepting.
Tapas: Show self-discipline and perseverance.
Svadhyaya: Keep learning, both about yourself and spiritual things.
Ishvarapranidhana: Surrender to a higher power.

3. Asana: The workout

Image of a woman in upward facing dog pose

Asana means posture or seat. Originally, this referred specifically to the meditation postures. To be yogic, these postures would need to not cause any discomfort or fidgeting. The idea behind this was to allow for meditation without your body getting in the way.

Today, when we talk about Asanas, we mean all the yoga postures. Basically, the physical practice of Yoga. This limb is what most people today mean when they talk about Yoga.

4. Pranayama: Breathing exercises

Pranayama means all kinds of breathwork. Literally, it would translate to something like “control of breath”.

Image of a woman sitting cross-legged with her hand on her face, practicing pranayama, the 4th of the 8 limbs of yoga

By using different types of breathing techniques, you can influence your mental and physical state. There are breathing exercises for calming down, and there are also some for making you feel more energized.

5. Pratyahara: Withdrawing your senses

So far, most things have been quite easy to explain. Pratyahara is the first limb to challenge that a little bit. It trains you to “withdraw your senses from the outside world”.

But what does that mean?

The way I understand it, it means to not let the things that your senses can detect control you. So while you’ll still hear the dog barking downstairs, for example, it won’t distract you. In a way, it is becoming less responsive to the stimuli around you.

6. Dharana: Focus

Dharana takes it one step further. Here, you’ll train your ability to focus. This could be anything you choose: your breath, a mantra, some object…

The point is to be able to focus your concentration on that one thing.

7. Dhyana: Meditation

Are you a little surprised that the next limb is meditation? Both of the two limbs before already kind of sounded like meditation, didn’t they?

But Dhyana takes it one step further: it is about observing the thing we’re focussing on. Without judgment, just observation.

So first we need to learn to not get distracted by sensations (limb 5). Then we train our ability to focus on limb 6. And then we are able to really observe. Nothing left to interrupt.

8. Samadhi: Oneness

Samadhi, again, is not easy to put into simple words. Let me try though:

If refers to the state where you are so absorbed in your meditation that you forget about yourself. Or yourself. This way, it is as if you and the thing or topic you are meditating on are one.

Basically, the perfect flow state!

Thirumoolar makes clear that this is not a permanent state for most people. To achieve that, you would need to let go of all the things that make you: likes, dislikes, habits, and so on.

8 limbs of yoga: FAQ

I hope these explanations helped you better understand what the 8 limbs of Yoga are all about. a few common questions about them:

Where do the 8 limbs of Yoga come from?

The 8 limbs of Yoga come from the “Thirumanthiram”. They are a collection of knowledge about classical yoga and were written thousands of years ago.

Who wrote the 8 limbs of Yoga?

The 8 limbs were written down by the Sidhar Thirumoolar.

What is the purpose of the 8 limbs of Yoga?

The 8 limbs of Yoga classify the steps it takes for a person to reach enlightenment or liberation. They start with steps to change your interactions with the outside world. Then they go on to change your inner world.

How do I memorize the 8 limbs of yoga?

To help you memorize the 8 limbs, first remember that the first 4 deal with the outside world, then there is a “transitional one”, and then there are three “inside world” limbs. Categorizing like this will help you remember their exact contents better.

Once you’ve got those limbs down, move on to memorize the Yamas and Niyamas.
You can also use the image below to help you remember the 8 limbs better.

How do I practice the 8 limbs of yoga?

To practice the 8 limbs of yoga, you can first start by defining for yourself what the Yamas and Niyamas could look like in your daily life. How can you be more truthful? Less harmful to yourself and others? Find those answers for yourself.

And then make them actionable. Put little reminders in your calendar. Or schedule a daily time to reflect on your behaviors.

We’ve found that it can help to work on one of the concepts at a time. Then, when it’s become almost second nature, move on to the next one.

More information will be updated soon ... keep watching...

We will update more about Yoga in our future articles, keep watching.

Share this!

I hope you’ve learned something useful from this article. If you did, please share it with someone!

Share this article link with your friends and relatives if you like it.

****You can read this and all our articles in 108 world languages by clicking the translate options on the left side 3 dots at the home page of our website.