YOGA SUTRAS 2:30
(I) YAMAS - RESTRAINTS
Ahimsa - nonviolence, satya - truthfulness, asteya -non-stealing, brahmacharya - continence
and apraigraha - non-possessiveness are the five restrains.
Ahimsa - Nonviolence
To refrain from causing pain to any living being, including oneself. Every action, word, or thought that causes pain to another - any thought containing anger, greed, lust, or attachment - is a form of
violence. With perfection of ahimsa, one's nonviolent nature and peace radiate to others. Even violent creatures (e.g. wild animals) abandon their hostility in the presence of such a nonviolent being.
Satya - Truthfulness
To develop honesty; to avoid deceiving others and oneself. Cultivating truthfulness requires the aspirant to avoid exaggeration, rationalization, pretense, and all other variations of deceit. When truthfulness is perfected, one's words and blessings always come true.
Asteya - Non-stealing
To avoid any kind of misappropriation of material or non-material things, such as acceptance of undeserved praise. When non-stealing is perfected, one is freed from the illusion of ownership:
me/mine, you/yours.
Brahmacharya - Continence
To conserve and redirect the sexual energy. Literally translated, brahmacharya means "to walk on God's path". Perfect celibacy is, above all, an attitude of mind - purity of thought, word, and deed. To aid in the practice of celibacy one should eat sattvic food and avoid worldly situations and environments. When continence is perfected, one gains physical, mental, and spiritual strength.
Aparigraha - Non-hoarding
To avoid the accumulation of unnecessary possessions. Its purpose is to become free not from possessions themselves, but attachment to them so that one is unaffected by their gain or loss. Perfection of aparigraha gives dispassion and one gains knowledge of the past, present, and future.
(2) NIYAMAS - OBSERVANCES
Shaucha - purity, santosha -contentment, tapas austerity, svadyaya -scriptural study, and
Ishvarapranidhana - surrender to God constitute observances. YOGA SUTRAS 2:32
Shaucha - Purity
Cleanliness of the body and purity of the mind. As the mind and body are interdependent, purification of the body is a means of controlling the mind... By observing cleanliness one becomes less attached
to one's own body and loses desire for physical contact with others. When purity is perfected one gai control of the senses and becomes cheerful, one-pointed, and fit for Self-realization.
Santosha - Contentment
More than a passive state of mind, contentment is a virtue to be actively cultivated in order to free the mind from the effects of pleasure and pain. When contentment is perfected, one becomes desireless and attains unexcelled happiness.
Tapas - Austerity
Literally, "to burn"; in Yoga tapas implies the burning of all desires by means of discipline, purification, and penance. Fasting, enduring heat or cold, and observing silence are methods of tapas. Any form of giving up desires is tapas. Pranayama (breath control) is considered to be the highest austerity, as it requires great restraint of the normal, life-giving breath. When austerity is perfected one achieves control over the body and the senses.
Svadhyaya - Scriptural study
The study of scriptures, Self-inquiry, satsang, and japa (repetition) of Om, with the aim of attaining liberation. Study of scriptures pertains especially to the Vedas; it also includes study of the lives and
teachings of saints. Self-inquiry is done by reflecting deeply on the question, "Who am I?" Satsang is association with spiritually oriented people and places. As Om is the origin of all mantras (sacred sounds or words), japa of Om may be extended to include any mantras used for liberation. Through svadhyaya one can contact the form of God that one desires to worship.
Ishvarapranidhana - Surrender to God
Recognition that the limited, ego-self is an illusion; channeling of energies toward the realization of truth, or God. One who sees the Self in all beings and who has surrendered the ego of being the "doer"is the true practitioner of Ishvarapranidhana. Perfection of Ishvarapranidhana brings success in samadhi (superconsciousness).
(3) PRANAYAMA - BREATH CONTROL
The fourth limb of Ashtanga Yoga is pranayama. The word pranayama is made of two words: prana, "vital energy" - that which makes all life and all physical activity passable, and ayama, "expansion". Pranayama is a method of breathing through which life-supporting energy is expanded. Yoga (union) is achieved by stopping thought waves (vrittis) in the mind. Mental activity is correlated to breath; the more breaths there are, the more thoughts rush through the mind. The practice of pranayama, which involves a series of breathing exercises, drastically reduces the number of breaths taken in a given period. By calming the mind, it thus prepares one for concentration and meditation. The practices of pranayama are based on the normal breathing pattern, which has four stages: inhalation, retention, exhalation, retention. Pranayama alters the ratio of these four parts; it is designed to slow down the rate of breathing and, especially, to lengthen breath retention (kumbhaka).
Vayus - Vital Air
The Vayus are five specific manifestations of prana in the subtle body, each having a certain function and location in the physical body. In the heart region resides prana vayu, in the anus region apana vayu, in the naval region samana vayu, in the throat region udana vayu, and in the whole body vayu prevails.
GORAKSHA SAMHITA, 30.
Udana vayu (rising air) functions between the throat and the top of the head; its normal movement is upright, and gives strength to the memory and intellect. In Yoga sadhana, it carries kundalini to sahasrara chakra. Prana vayu (viral air) functions between the throat and the naval. It controls respiration, speech, swallowing, circulation, body temperature, and perspiration.In yoga it rises kundalini to udana vayu.
Samana vayu (unchanging air) functions between the naval and the heart, maintaining apana and prana vayus in a balanced state. It controls digestion, regulates digestive secretions in the stomach, liver, duodenum, and small intestines. This vayu distributes the essential parts of food, thereby nourishing the various parts of the body. In Yoga it stimulates apana and prana vayus and pushes kundilini upward.
Vyana vayu (diffused air) functions throughout the entire body, helping all other pranas to function. It controls body movement, circulation, heartbeat, and aids the function of the gross nerves and the subtle nadis. Vyana appears as the aura around the body.
Apana vayu (downward air) functions from the naval to the soles of the feet; its normal movement is downward. It controls digestion, excretion, reproduction, and child delivery. In Yoga it carries kundalini upward in sushumna to unite with prana vayu.
(4) ASANA - POSTURE - SEAT
The word asana is commonly translated as "posture", but its literal meaning is "seat", referring particurly to meditation postures, which promote concentration of the mind. Since a healthy body is important for meditation, ancient yogis devised many different postures (part of the system of Hatha yoga) to make the body strong. sound, and flexible. Asanas help to balance the physical body by
regulating glandural secretions, toning muscles and nerves, massaging internal organs, and improving circulation and digestion. Although asanas are not intended to build large muscles,
they do make the body strong, flexible, & proportionate; thin bodies are developed,
while unnecessary fat is reduced. Asanas increase endurance, will power, and resistance to disease.
Through regular practice the mind becomes calm and undesirable thoughts gradually diminish.
Primarily, however, asanas function as a stimulant to the subtle body. They purify the subtle energy channels (nadis) and strengthen all fivevital energies (pranas). They direct the flow of prana upward, aiding in the awaking of kundalini, the great reservoir of spiritual energy situated at the base of the
spine.
(5) PRATYAHARA - WITHDRAWING THE MIND FROM SENSE OBJECTS
Pratyahara is the liberation of the senses from the objects that attract them. The word means
"reversal" or "withdrawal"; it indicates that the normal outward flow of the senses can return to their
origin in the mind. The first four limbs of Ashtanga Yoga are external methods, the last three limbs
are internal processes, and the fifth limb, pratyahara, is the bridge between the external and internal practices. Normally the mind wanders involuntarily from the mental image of one sense object to
another, and a desire is created. This desire pulls the mind outward. Awareness of this process is the beginning stage of pratyahara. By the practice of yama, niyama, asana, and pranayama the mind
gradually withdraws from outer objects, turns inward, and concentrates on the Self. The senses
follow the mind, withdrawing from the objects that attract them, and turn inward. Then the mind can go easily into dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. Pratyahara is practiced by repeatedly pulling the mind back from going outward. Various methods are useful to help in pratayhara: mantra (the uttering of
secret sounds), japa (repetition of mantra or a name of God), puja (worship), trataka (gazing), kirtana
(chanting), mudra (literally "seal", "lock"), and nyasa (projecting the divine principle onto various parts of the body). Two additional practices of pratyahara which are explained in detail in this book are
arati (worship of light), page 56, and mudra, page 60.
After the mind have been collected into itself, that is, when pratyahara has been accomplished, it
must be directed toward one object of concentration. This focusing of attention onto one point is
dharana, the sixth limb of Ashtanga Yoga.
(6) DHARANA
The word dharana is derived from the root dha, meaning "to hold, carry, support". It refers to the
holding of an object in the mind. In dharana the mind dwells only on the chosen object, and is not
allowed to wonder to other objects. Important objects of concentration are sixteen points within the
body (shodhashadhara): thumb, ankles, knees, thighs, foreskin, genitals, navel, heart, neck, throat,
palate, nose, middle of eyebrows, forehead, head, and Brahmarandhra. Other suitable objects of
concentration may be a picture of a deity, a chakra, one's breath, a visualization, a candle flame, or a
mantra.
(7)) DHYANA - MEDITATION
The word dhyana is derived from the root dhi, meaning "intellect". Meditation involves the channeling
of intellect, or mind, to one point. Dhyana is a continuous succession of identical thoughts directed
toward one object which happens so quickly that before one subsides another (same thought) takes
its place.Dhyana is distinguished from dharana (concentration) only by its uninterrupted nature. In
scriptures the difference between concentration and meditation is described as the difference
between pouring water and pouring oil: both streams fall toward one place, but water falls in a
"broken" stream of drops whereas the stream of oil is smooth, constant, unbroken.
"All sadhanas or methods are for simply trickeing the mind. The trick is to not let the mind spread out in a form of thoughts." - Baba Hari Dass
(8) SAMADHI - SUPER-CONSCIOUSNESS
Samadhi is the final limb of Ashtanga Yoga. The word is derived from sam (together) + a: (completely)
+ dha: (to hold); thus "to hold together completely". Samadhi differs from dhyana in that there is no
succession of identical thought waves, but rather complete identity or absorption in one object
(thought). Just as concentration culminates in meditation, so meditation culminates in samadhi. In
meditation there is consciousness of mind and object only. When meditation becomes intense, the
mind and object merge, and the mind is no longer conscious of itself. This dissolution of the subject-
object relationship is samadhi, or, more correctly, the first stage of samadhi. The term samadhi
actually refers to several stages of higher consciousness that become progressively perfect Self-
realization.
The stages of samadhi reflect the progressive withdrawal of consciousness into its source, the Self