Eight Stages Of Yoga
Eight limbed Yoga consisting Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Smadhi
1. Yama
अहिसा सत्यास्तेय ब्रम्हचर्यापरिग्रहायमाः
Vows of self restraint, comprise abstention from vivolence, false hood theft, incontinence and acquisitiveness.
The practice of Yama paves way to increase the power of concentration, mental purity and steadiness. The following are the Yamas:
Ahimsa – not to harm others
Satya – to be truthful
Asteya – not to steal
Brahmacharya – celibacy
Aparigraha – not to possess needs
2. Niyama
शौच संतोष तपः स्वध्यायेश्वरप्राणीधानानि नियमाः ।
Purity, contentment, austerity, self-study, and self-surrender constitute observances.
There are five Niyamas:
Soucha – external and internal purification
Santosha – contentment
Tapah – to make right effort to achieve goals
Swadhyaya – to study authentic texts and religious scriotures to acquire of self and the supreme divinity
Ishwar Pranidhan – complete surrender to the divine will.
From that no assaults from the pairs of opposites.
Generally Asanas for the under- standing is explained and cateforised as special patterns of postures that stabilize the mind and the body through static stretching. Their aim is to establish proper mechanism in the neuromuscular tonic impulses and improve the general
Asanas may be classified as
(1) Meditative
(2) Cultural
(3) Relaxative
1. Meditative Asanas are sitting postures, which maintain the body in a steady and comfortable condition. By various arrangements of legs and hands, different Meditative Asanas viz. Siddhasana, Swastikasana, Padmasana, Vajrasana, Bhadrarau, muktasana and Sukhasana are performed. The characteristic feature of the Meditative Asana is, however, keeping the head, neck and trunk erect.
2. Cultural Asanas involve static stretching, which bring about proper tone of muscles. They contribute to the flexibility of the spine and render the back and spinal muscles stronger. They also stimulate proper working of the organs in the thoracic and abdominal cavities. There are innumerable varieties of Cultural Asana, which are performed through sitting, lying and standing position Pavan Muktasana, Naukasana, Viparita Karni, Sarvangasana, Matsyasana, Halasana, Chakrasana etc.
3. Relaxative Asanas are few in numbers like Shavasana, Makarasana, Balasana etc. They are performed in the lying position and are meant for giving rest the body and mind.
4. Pranayama:
तस्मिन सति श्वासप्रश्वासयोर्गतिविच्छेदः प्राणायामः ।
After mastering posture the science of regulating and gaining control over the prana or breath or life force. Normally, there are 3 components of breathing Inhalation (Puraka), Exhalation (Rechaka) and stoppage of breath (Kumbhaka). Maintaining kumbhaka is the main aim of pranayama but it should be kevala Kumbhaka, a natural cessation of breath without any force. There are different types of pranayama techniques mentioned in the Hatha Yoga text; they are Surabhedana pranayama, Nadishuddhi pranayama, Bhramari pranayama, Ujjayi pranayama, Bhastrika pranayama, Plavani pranayama Mrcha pranayama etc. These pranayamas help in getting control over the thought processes in the mind as breath acts as a mediator between body and mind. The other benefits of pranayama along with Kumbhaka are development of deep relaxation, lowered metabolic rate, sense of bilssfuness, expansiveness and solitary thought.
5. Pratyahara
स्वविषया सम्प्रयोगे चित्तस्वरूपनुकार इवेन्द्रियाणा प्रत्याहारः ।
Pratyaahaara or abstraction is, as it were, the imitation by the senses of the mind by withdrawing themselves from their objects.
Pratyaahaara is in-drawing the mind away from perceptible external sensory stimuli by developing introspection. Usually our sense organs are used to percetive the things happening around us but the same sense organs can be indrawn after getting control over the mind by the practice of asanas and prnayamas and start concentrating on the change, which are happening inside the body. This helps to gain control over the sense organs, develop single thought thereby controlling the thought processes and leads one to practice meditation.
6. Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi
देशबंधश्चित्तस्य धारणा ।
Concentration is the confining of the mind within a limited (object of concentration).
7. तत्र प्रत्ययैकतानता ध्यानम्।
Uninterrupted flow (of the mind) towards the object (chosen for meditation) is contemplation.
8. तदेवार्थनिर्भासं स्वरूपशुन्यमिव समाधिः ।
The same (Contemplation) when there is consciousness only of the object of meditation and not of itself (the mind) is samaadhi.
Dharana is focusing of mind then leads to relaxed dwelling of the mind on a single thought is Dhyana. Longer practices of dhyana leading to thought less state or super conscious state called Samadhi.