8 Limbs Of Yoga

Question 1

What is the eight-fold path?

Answer 1

• Part of patanjalis yoga sutras -> ashtanga(8 limbs)
• guidelines for meaningful life
• prescription for moral and ethical conduct and self discipline
• direct attention towards health
• help us acknowledge the spiritual aspects of nature
• lead to liberation and freedom

Question 2

List the 8 limbs of yoga

Answer 2

1. Yama (restraints)
2. Niyama (observances)
3. Asana (posture)
4. Pranayama (regulation of breath)
5. Pratyahara (turning inward)
6. Dharana (steady focus, concentration)
7. Dhyana (meditation)
8. Samadhi (oneness, bliss, super consciousness)

First 5 are external, final 3 are internal practices.

Question 3

Describe the 1. Limb

Answer 3

Yamas

• external ethical and moral standards
• sense of integrity
• focus on behaviour, how we conduct ourselves in life

Question 4

List the 5 yamas

Answer 4

Non-violence - ahimsa
Truthfulness - Satya 
Non-stealing- asteya 
Non-excess - brahmacharya
Bin-possessiveness-aparigraha

Question 5

Describe the 2. Limb

Answer 5

Niyamas

• internal ethics
• self discipline and spiritual observances (Bräuche)
• help build character
• guide us from grossest aspects of ourselves to our truth deep within

Question 6

List the 5 niyamas

Answer 6

Purity - saucha 
Contentment - santosha
Discipline- tapas
Self study - svadhyaya
Surrendering to a higher power / the Devine -isvara pranidhana

Question 7

Describe the 3. Limb

Answer 7

Asana

• postures practiced in yoga, physical aspect of eight-fold path
• taking care of our temple of spirit
• prepares us for meditation by building self-discipline and concentration

Question 8

Describe the 4. Limb

Answer 8

Pranayama - breath control

• techniques to gain mastery over respiratory process while recognising connection between mind, breath and emotions
• believed to rejuvenate or even extend life (pranayama=life force extension)
• examples: Nadi shodana, kapalabhati

Question 9

Describe the 5. Limb

Answer 9

Pratyahara

• consciously directing attention inward, away from external world
• Withdrawal, sensory transcendence
• allows us to objectively observe ourselves, our habits, cravings that hold us back from growth

Question 10

Describe the 6. Limb

Answer 10

Dharana
- practice of intense concentration
- holding a one-pointed focus on object (breath, candle, pic of saint)
- training the mind in stillness and focus
- as soon as the mind starts to wander or distractions come up, we need to let those go and the focus should go back to object
- step before we attain state of meditation and eventually liberation
-

Question 11

Describe the 7. limb

Answer 11

Dhyana

• is the state of being keenly aware without object of focus
• for example while practicing dharana (one-pointed focus) we immerse into the object of focus so much that we become one with it -> full absorption in object, subject and object become one -> union
• also referred to as flow state

Question 12

Describe the 8. limb

Answer 12

Samadhi
- state of ecstasy 
- State of liberation or freedom
- being connected with the Devine and the universe 
„All things are one“
- transcendent supercondciousness