Ashtanga Yoga - 8 fold path for self realisation!

Yoga

The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word “Yuj” meaning to bind or join. It also means union/communion of our body, mind and soul, thereby leading to the unification of the lower self with the higher self, or as per Hindu Philosophy, the communion of the Jeevatma with the Parmatma, meaning the merging of the matter with the consciousness. 

The origin of Yoga dates back to the pre vedic era, where it was originally described in the texts of Rigveda. The knowledge of yoga was for a long time transferred from the guru to the students only through verbal teachings. 

Patanjali during the 2000-3000 BC compiled and collated the work of yoga and presented in his classical work called “Yoga sutras” for the first time.

Patanjali in his yoga sutras has described Yoga as “Chita Vriti Nirodhaha”  – meaning "Steady state of mind". 

Chita is mind/ thinking, 

Vriti is the working/ using of mind and 

Nirodhaha means to cease/stop it.

Different Types of Yoga:

The ultimate goal of yoga is liberation/Moksha. It provides a pathway for anyone who is seeking the truth. There are many different paths(margas) available to the seeker who is in search of the absolute truth, who is seeking for answers. Some of the popular ones are:

1. Bhakti Yoga – The emotional man finds the truth, through the Bhakti Marga where there is pure devotion/love, surrender towards something divine, supreme or an object that denotes a higher self. Music, Chanting, Mantras, Japas etc is used to surrender oneself or to alleviate oneself to the higher levels.

2. Jnana Yoga – Mainly followed by people with an Intellectual bent of mind, who are more aligned towards knowledge, where study of scriptures, meditation, exploration, silence are used to explore more in their quest for the ultimate truth.

3. Karma Yoga – For Action oriented people, where, through the performance of duty, action, service, responsibility without any expectation is used as a path way to seek answers.

4. Raja Yoga – is also known as the Royal Path towards Self realisation. The reflective/meditative man follows this pathway/marga and realises his own divinity through the control of his mind.

The name Raja yoga comes from the fact that Mind is the king of senses. One who has conquered his mind, senses, passions, thought and reason is a king among men. He is fit for Raja yoga, the royal union with the universal spirit.

Ashtanga Yoga:

Ashtanga Yoga falls under Raja Yoga. Ashta means eight. Patanjali enumerates this as the eight limbs or stages of yoga or it is also called as an eight fold path for self realisation. This path gives a complete step by step guidance and disciplined practise of each stage leads you to the next and ultimately to oneness/Samadhi. 

Hatha Yoga: In the eight fold path under the Ashtanga yoga, Asanas are one of the stages that deal mainly with the working of the physical body. The Asana part which deals with the physical discipline of the Ashtanga yoga is also referred to as Hatha Yoga.

Ashtanga Yoga or the 8 fold path for self-realisation are:

1. Yama - Yamas are the universal moral commandments to deal with the external world. These are the ethical disciplines on how to overcome the emotions of greed, desire, attachment and change ones direction of thinking. They are:

·      Ahimsa – Non violence

·      Satya – Truth

·      Asteya – Non stealing/ non claiming

·      Brahmacharya – To conserve energy

·      Aparigraha – Not to possess/attach

2. Niyama – These are the rules of conduct that apply to individual discipline on how one can undertake Self-purification by disciplining one self.

·      Shoucha – Cleanse, outward and inward purity

·      Santosha – Contentment by accepting ourselves as we are

·      Tapas – To undertake a burning effort to reach the goal

·      Swadhyaya – Self study, introspection, reflection

·      Ishwara Pranidhana – To surrender to higher self

3. Asana – meaning Posture. A steady, pleasant and balanced posture brings mental equilibrium and prevents the fickleness in the mind. Asanas help open the energy channels and psychic centers. The real goal of Asana is to conquer the mind by disciplining the body and rendering the body a fit vehicle for the soul, so higher practices can be undertaken. There are totally 84 lakh asanas(as per the original texts) representing the 84 lakh species of animals or the 84 lakh incarnations that a man has to pass through before obtaining liberation. Today, only a few hundred asanas are practiced. 

4. Pranayama – Prana means breath, energy, life force. Ayama means length, expansion, stretching. Pranayama, thus means, extension of breath and its control. This controls the over all functions of breathing, meaning inhaling(Puraka), exhaling(Rechaka), and retention/holding(Kumbaka). It is the science of breath. A yogi’s life is not measured by the number of days, but by the number of his breaths. Pranayama helps to control the flow of energy through out the body and remove any blockages there by energising the body.

5. Pratyahara – Pratyahara means withdrawl of senses from external objects and focussing them inwards. Once the body and mind are in control through thorough practice of asanas and pranayama, the senses instead of pursuing external objects of desire, which mostly bring misery, start turning inwards. Once the senses are under control, and the focus is internalised, then the yogi is ready for the next step. In this step, the Yogi consciously works towards focussing the mind inwards which is essential to move to the next stage.

6. Dharana – means Concentration. Here the Yogi is concentrated completely on a single point or on a task where he is completely engrossed. Without concentration, one cannot master anything. 

     Mind is the product of thoughts which is difficult to restrain. A thought which is well guarded by a controlled mind brings happiness. In Dharana, one undertakes practices to help concentrate for longer duration of time.

    Trataka(Gazing at the candle flame-exercise) is an example of Trataka practice.
   
7. Dhyana – Means Meditation. Here the yogi directs unlimited flow of energy or awareness towards the object of meditation which could be on a particular object, thought, or activity and focusses all his awareness to it.

8. Samadhi – Means Oneness. This is the end of the Yogi’s journey where the subject becomes one with the object. The self merges with the higher self or universal consciousness and there is no separateness. 

 "At the peak of meditation, one passes into a state of Samadhi, where the body and senses are at rest and the faculties of mind and reason are fully alert and he has gone beyond consciousness and yet fully alert and fully conscious! In this stage one has reached true YOGA or union and there is the experience of consciousness, truth and unutterable joy. The yogi has departed from material world and has merged with the eternal world. This state can only be experienced and cannot be described in words".

Yama and Niyama control the yogi’s passions and emotions and keep in harmony with his fellow men. Asanas keep the body healthy and strong and in harmony with nature. Finally, the yogi becomes free of body consciousness. He conquers body consciousness and renders it fit vehicle for the soul. The first 3 stages are the outward quests (Bahiranga Sadhana).

The next 2 stages, Pranayama and Pratyahara, teach the aspirant to regulate the breathing and thereby control the mind. This helps to free the senses from the objects of desire. These 2 stages of yoga are known as inner quests (Antaranga Sadhana)

Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi take the yogi to the innermost recess of the soul. The last 3 stages keep him in harmony with himself and his higher self. These stages are called (Antaratma sadhana), the quest for the soul.

Reference Texts:

1. Light on Yoga - BKS Iyengar

2. Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha - Swami Satyananda Saraswati

3. Teachings and practice at Amruta Bindu Yoga Shala