Explore the Spiritual Dimensions of Yoga Beyond Asanas
When people hear the word yoga, they likely imagine an asana practice, a set of exercises to target flexibility, coordination, and balance. But, yoga is more than just physical. It comes from a rich spiritual tradition to help achieve personal transformation.
An ancient tradition
To understand the origins of yoga, you must look back thousands of years to ancient India. According to Google Arts and Culture, the earliest references to yoga first appeared 5,000 years ago in the sacred texts of the Rig Veda. It features a collection of hymns and mantras practiced by priests at that time. Sages continued to develop the practice, recording them in the Upanishad scriptures.
Today, yoga endures as one of the six schools of philosophy in Hinduism and as a meditation practice of Buddhism. It has grown in popularity worldwide among people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly for its physical postures that are called asanas. But did you know that yoga includes so much beyond the poses?
The Sutras: the eight limbs of yoga
The eight limbs of yoga offer a path to enlightenment, with each limb providing a guide for living a balanced and fulfilling life. It was developed somewhere between the second and fourth century BC, a man named Pantajali developed a system called The Yoga Sutras. His scripture discusses how to practice yoga to achieve liberation, according to a blog on Chopra. The Yoga Sutras consist of a set of practices to guide your spiritual journey:
Yama: Think of yama like the ethics of yoga. According to Ekhart Yoga, the word yama translates to restraint or moral discipline. This limb of yoga asserts the importance of moral behaviors, like non-violence, telling the truth, not stealing, refraining from greed, and balanced energy. Adhering to these principles encourages a sacred, peaceful life.
Niyama: The five niyamas of yoga teach ethical lifestyle practices for spiritual well being. According to Kripalu, the niyamas create a strong spiritual foundation through cleanliness, self-discipline, and study. It also teaches the path to contentment by finding happiness in all situations and accepting life’s circumstances.
Asana: You’re probably already familiar with this limb of yoga. As the third limb of yoga, asana refers to any posture used for meditation. According to Yogapedia, asana develops mindfulness by combining physical poses with focused breathing and meditation.
Pranayama: You may recognize pranayama as the breathing exercises sometimes included in yoga class. These techniques have all sorts of benefits to calm the body and mind. For example, the Nadi Shodhana technique helps purify by alternating the breath through the left and right nostrils, according to a blog on Yogalap.
Pratyahara: The fifth limb of yoga, called pratyahara, means to withdraw, according to MasterClass. The practice helps detach the sense from external stimuli in order to maintain a peaceful state of mind. You can’t control the world around you, but you can control how you respond. Rather than reacting to every event, create space, disengage, and find peace in all circumstances.
Dharana: Dharana means focused concentration in Sanskrit. According to Ekhart Yoga, this limb of yoga involves training the monkey mind and developing the self-discipline to focus. Dharana uses exercises, like visualization or breathwork, to train your brain to focus on one thing at a time.
Dhyana: As the seventh limb of yoga, dhyana occurs after someone has mastered the previous pathways and reaches a higher consciousness. According to a blog on Chopra, dhyana is a state of pure, divine love that opens the capacity to create miracles.
Samadhi: The eighth and final stage of the eight limbs, samadhi achieves pure consciousness. According to the Shvasa blog, someone that attains samadhi experiences bliss, liberation, or enlightenment. They see beyond the physical body and realize pure joy from within.
