Astang Yoga

Astang Yoga

Maharishi Patanjali has divided yoga into eight parts in the Yogasutra. These eight parts are called Ashtanga yoga. Let us know about these eight parts respectively.

(1) Yama

Yama is the first stage of Ashtanga Yoga. There are five types of Yama.

(1) Ahinsa (Non-violence): - Let no animal suffer any kind of grief from mind, deeds or speech. Whether it is physical or mental. It is called Ahinsa (non-violence).

(2) Satya (True) - Express the way you see, hear and identify, to reveal it in pure form. Never lie.

(3) Asteya: - Do not steal the object of others. Do not desire to get the objects of others.

(4) Brahmacharya: - To control your senses.

(5) Aparigraha: - Do not collect and keep too much items.

(2) Niyam

Niyam is the second step of Ashtanga Yoga. There are five types of Niyam.

(1) Shoch: - Shoch means to purify. Sanctify your thoughts and purify the body.

(2) Santosh (satisfaction) :- Be happy in whatever you achieve through your greatness. Do not desire what is not received. Do not be tempted.

(3) Tapa :-  Do not worry about , cold, warmth, happiness,  sorrow, humiliation, hungry, thirst or blasphemy and proceed towards your goal by assuming all the circumstances equal. This is what tapa means.

(4) Swadhyaya :- To study good and informative texts.

(5) Ishwar Paridhan :- After sacrificing ego, surrender yourself to God.

(3) Asanas

In any one situation, sitting in a state of happiness and awakening with prolonged stability is called Asana. By doing the asana, the body of the seeker is stabilized, This helps in pranayama and meditation.

(4) Pranayama

The practice of controlling the speed of breathing is called Pranayama. Through the practice of pranayama, the seeker tries to get into the depths of meditation.

(5) Pratyahar

Pratyahara is the fifth part of Ashtanga Yoga. Pratyahara means to move all your senses out of the mind and move inside the mind. Through its practice, the seeker gains complete authority over his mind and senses.

(4) Dharana

Attempt to concentrate and stabilize the mind in one place is called dharna.

(4) Dhyan

As long as there is an ongoing effort to stabilize the mind, it is called dharna, but when the mind is fixed and concentrated at some place, it is called meditation. Where meditation ends, that is where meditation begins.

(4) Samadhi

When the meditator, his mind and subject that being meditated, he should be able to merge all three. When his presence is not remaining, that state of joyous and zero is called samadhi.

In this way, Maharishi Patanjali has described Ashtang Yoga in the Yogasutra. Unless the seeker does not follow all the limbs, then the last limb Samadhi cannot reach . This is a journey, only after crossing all the steps you can attain pure, light, blissful happiness.