Category: Yoga

“I searched for God and found only myself. I searched for myself and found only God” -Sufi Proverb

Yoga technology has the ability to create alchemical shifts towards Soul actualization. It is a common misconception that yoga is a specialized form of fitness with pretzel like poses, however poses are only a minute fraction of the whole. The sacred second century Bhagavad Gita illuminates yoga on an epic battlefield, yet gives no emphasis to physical poses. Later compositions such as Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras present a different looking road map, including physical poses, but the poses are only one of the eight pathways. Ultimately the journey of yoga leads the seeker to samadhi, Soul integration and union with the infinite source of creation. This article will explore the interdependent and symbiotic eight fundamental branches of yoga as platforms for life transformation.

YAMAS
An initial tenant of yoga is self-examination and cultivation of an honorable life path. The first limb of yoga outlines five yamas. Yamas are abstentions or behaviors that promote personal development. The five yamas are ahimsa, satya, brahmacharya, asteya and aparigraha. Ahimsa is the principle of non-violence. This concept can be extended to include avoidance of physical violence, killing, violent actions towards self and others, gossip and even thoughts of hate or dislike. Ahimsa encourages us to live in harmony and respect divinity in everything. The second yama is satya, truthfulness, not telling lies to others or self. Satya encourages keeping your word and aligning actions with words and thoughts. Living a life full of lies can create disturbances deep in the psyche, drawing us farther from Self-actualization. The third yama, brahmacharya, is mastery of the senses. Control over the senses allows retention and balanced utilization of prana, ojas and vitality. The fourth yama, asteya, discourages stealing and the fifth, aparigraha, encourages non-covetousness. These five abstentions help us lead a life with greater congruence and less vitiations such as anger, jealousy, fear, illusion and greed.

“The world is full of shiny objects that beckon our sense organs deep into the veils and waves of chatter and sway, farther we stray from the Soul’s light rays.” -Kalavati Devi

NIYAMAS 
The second limb of yoga lays out five niyamas. Niyamas are observances or behaviors that guide us toward Self-actualization. The five niyamas are saucha, santosha, tapas, swadhyaya and ishwara pranidhana. Saucha translates as purity. Purity can include cleanliness of mind, body, speech, and surroundings. When mind, body and life are cluttered, contaminated or disorderly it is more difficult to radiate Soul purity.  The second niyama, santosha, encompasses the concept of contentment and striving to be satisfied with life right now, while striving to improve. Contentment brings peace and stabilization of vitiations. The third niyama is tapas. Tapas can be understood as discipline or fiery determination. Discipline can extend towards physical fitness, meditation and confronting unhealthy urges. All spiritual pathways require discipline and passion to reach great achievements. Swadhyaya is the fourth niyama of self-study and study of scriptures.  Through study, self-evaluation, and introspection one forges self-mastery can be attained. Ishwara pranidhana means surrender to the divine. Ishwara pranidhana incorporates making each action an offering to divinity, developing trust and alignment with the universe. 

“Anyone calling out for God, from any land, in any language, and in any age, remember, their cries reach this heart like the waves of the ocean crashing onto the shore.”
-Sri Anandamayi Ma 

ASANAS
 Asanas are incorporated in the third limb of yoga.  Asanas are poses, movements and physical exercises that bring physical and mental ease. Many yoga lineages have very structured physical postures that are linked with breath and mental control. However, movements can arise more spontaneously and include dance and other forms of exercise. This branch of yoga facilitates body confidence, physical discipline, coordination, flexibility and strength. In addition, asanas purify body tissues, channels and promote body ease. Asanas should be advised by a competent teacher to avoid destabilization of prana. Overly complicated poses can create abnormal energetic, mental and physical disturbances. Ultimately yoga asanas create an integration between body, breath, mind and soul for successful meditation and yoking. It is much more difficult to concentrate and sit in meditation when the body is weak, toxic or rebelling.

“Sthira Sukham Asanam” Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.45

PRANAYAMA 
Pranayama is the fourth limb of yoga where breath control techniques are practiced. These breath control methods have numerous benefits that enhance pranic life force. Pranayama calms and balances the mind, stabilizes emotions, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Properly chosen breath techniques also strengthen the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. Pranayamic techniques can enhance digestion, metabolism and reduce pain perception. These methods should be supervised and taught by a competent teacher or they can cause detrimental physiological side effects and lead the practitioner farther away from the goal of samadhi.  

“When the breath wanders the mind also is unsteady.  But when the breath is calmed the mind too will be still, and the yogi achieves long life. Therefore, one should learn to control the breath.” -Hatha Yoga Pradipika

PRATHYAHARA
Prathyahara is the fifth limb of yoga that facilitates the withdrawal of senses from sense objects. Everyday people are inundated with incoming data in the form of sound, taste, sight, smell and touch. Many people live in a state of constant sensory overstimulation. The practice of prathyahara involves pulling the mind away from outer world stimuli to settle into silence and create a still peaceful mind. Prathyahara reduces agitation and mental rajas and vitiations. This practice allows the yogi to become more aware of subtleties and extrasensory data. Only at this point can a yogic practitioner begin a solid course toward connecting to the infinite Source.  

“In order to realize the Self, renounce everything. Having cast off all, assimilate yourself to that which remains.”
– Annapurna Upanishad

DHARANA
Dharana means concentration. Practicing mindfulness and concentration propels us toward our higher aims and final states of yoga. There are many different training methods such as candle gazing or chanting.  Many people who want to meditate exclaim “I cannot control my mind in meditation, there are too many distractions, it wanders all over the place.”. My response is always, “Then who is controlling your mind?”.  It takes practice and determination. If it was easy, everybody would be liberated into enlightenment. Yogic concentration creates mental fixation and laser mental capacities.

“The mind acts like an enemy for those who do not control it.”
― Bhagavad Gita

DHAYANA
After the preceding steps have been mastered one can more successfully practice dhayana. Dhayana is meditation. This is the seventh limb of yoga where the yogi has an effortless stillness of mind. This state of mind brings attainment of moksha where all suffering and fluctuations are  liberated.

“If you chant the sacred syllable OM (AUM), your mind naturally returns to a peaceful state of stillness, which eventually becomes emptiness. The light of the soul shines within everyone, and the Divine Light pulls that light to Itself. If you can discover that pure illumination and power within yourself…the purpose of your life has been fulfilled.”
-Sri Sri Adishakti Maa.

SAMADHI
Samadhi or super consciousness is the eighth limb of yoga when examining the eight-limb model. Samadhi means continuous union, super consciousness, or continual union. The mind becomes fully still, enabling equilibrium and extrasensory insight. At this stage, the yogic practitioner can access intelligence, higher consciousness, and enlightenment.

“Dissolve the self in the Supreme Self as the pot-space is dissolved in infinite space; then, as the infinite be silent for ever, o Sage!”
– Adhyatma Upanishad

 There are many other pathways in yoga. There is the service and actions of karma yoga; the enlightening studies and experiences in jnana yoga; the God realization of raja yoga; the devotional bliss of bhakti yoga; balance through the purushartas and so much more than just striking a pose. Ultimately yoga leads us back to the source of creation and allows us to dance a well lived life.

“All Souls should blossom like flowers and radiate positive fragrance, delight and joy to their surroundings.”
–Sri Sri Adishakti Maa

Watch the DWTV Podcast Episode #1:”Yoga:Life Transformation Beyond Fitness” Part 1 & 2 with Kalavati Devi / Dr. Christie Smirl below!