Eight Limbs Of Yoga

Question 1

What are Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Hatha Yoga?

Answer 1

Associated with Ashtanga Yoga and Raja Yoga

1. Yama
2. Niyama
3. Asana
4. Pranayama
5. Pratyahara
6. Dharana
7. Dhyana
8. Samadhi

Question 2

Yama

Answer 2

External discipline

Bahya yoga (Gross yoga)
Abhyantara yoga (Subtle yoga)

Question 3

Bahya yoga

Answer 3

Gross yoga

Contains Limbs 1-4

1. Yama
2. Niyama
3. Asana
4. Pranayama

Question 4

Abhyantara yoga

Answer 4

Subtle yoga

Contains Limb 5
5. Pratyahara

Question 5

Yamas

Answer 5

How to be a productive member of society; a way to interact with the world

There are five Yamas in Pantanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga

• Ahimsa
• Satya
• Brahmacharya
• Asteya
• Aparigraha

Question 6

Ahisma

Answer 6

Nonviolence - nonvolatile of thought, words, and action

Prioritize humans, but of all things

Question 7

Satya

Answer 7

Truthfulness - truthfulness is the non-telling of lies and maintaining truthfulness to self ore than anything else or anyone

Question 8

Brahmacharya

Answer 8

Attitude of moderation - moderation of sensory indulgences

Question 9

Asteya

Answer 9

Non-stealing - at the physical and mental level

Question 10

Aparigraha

Answer 10

Non-covetousness - non-possessiveness and non-acceptance of undue gifts and bribes

Question 11

Niyamas

Answer 11

Observances for peace; Internal practices, ways to treat the self

• Saucha
• Santosha
• Tapas
• Swadhyaya
• Ishwarapranidhana

Question 12

Saucha

Answer 12

Cleanliness - external and internal, through hygiene and the kriyas; mental, physical, spiritual and emotional in nature

Question 13

Santosha

Answer 13

Contentment - satisfaction of higher degree; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual

Question 14

Tapas

Answer 14

Heat of practice - Tapas can be physical in the form of fasting, abstaining from physical involvement, or performing asanas; at the mental level by performing japa, rituals, and nonviolence; at the spiritual level by performing fire ceremonies, taking sacred vows, sankalpa, etc

Fire

Question 15

Swadhyaya

Answer 15

Study of Self - through the study of scriptures, inquiry, and contemplation

Question 16

Ishwara Pranidhana

Answer 16

Surrender to Divinity - surrendering to all the experiences (good and bad), limit ego, fruits of practice to the lineage of realized beings

Question 17

Asana

Answer 17

Physical seat, postures

Question 18

Pranyama

Answer 18

Expansion of prana

(unpreferred) breath control

Question 19

Pratyahara

Answer 19

Redirection of the 5 senses

Question 20

Samyama

Answer 20

Internal Mastery

One of the two branches of Ashtanga Yoga

Antara yoga (casual yoga)

Question 21

Antara yoga

Answer 21

Casual Yoga

Contains limbs 6-8

6. Dharana
7. Dhyana
8. Samadhi

Question 22

Dharana

Answer 22

Focus

Question 23

Dhyana

Answer 23

Meditation

Question 24

Samadhi

Answer 24

Absorption