Eight Limbs of Yoga: Benefits, How to Prepare Yourself, Poses, and Categories

Eight Limbs of Yoga

The eight limbs of yoga were introduced for the first time in the famous Yoga Sutras compiled by Sage Patanjali. They are also known as Ashtanga Yoga. The words “asht” (eight) and “anga” (limbs) together make the word Ashtanga. For ages, the eight limbs of yoga have been universally popular. Even today, people practice them to attain control over their senses. Ashtanga Yoga helps to come up to this level of awareness. 

Benefits of Eight Limbs of Yoga

The eight limbs of yoga not only bring about a sense of spiritual awakening but also initiate self-realization. Here are some explained benefits of Ashtanga yoga:

• Leads to Spiritual Growth: The regular practice of the eight limbs of yoga leads to the growth of spirituality among the yoga practitioner. It also creates a more profound understanding of one’s self.
• Restores Inner Peace: In today’s time, struggle has become the reality of life. Through practising yoga, people can develop the power to face their struggles and attain inner peace of heart and mind. With a good round of yoga, the waves of anxiety within become calm.
• Builds a Divine Connection: The yogic journey helps to develop a deeper and divine connection with the Almighty.
• Creates Self-Awareness: A deeper level of self-awareness is created through observing our thoughts and actions closely through yoga.
• Moksha or Freedom: One of the purposes of the eight limbs of yoga is to free an individual from the cycle of birth and death. In Hindu philosophy, this is known as Moksha. It causes true freedom from suffering and pain. It leads to the ultimate consciousness.
• Improves Physical Ability: Ashtanga Yoga has a series of postures that are properly ordered. This regular sequence of yoga asanas benefits the physical strength of the body and improves its flexibility and tolerance potential.
• Decreases Stress Level: Good coordination between your breath and body movements helps to relax the body and decreases the stress level.
• Positively Affects the Power of Concentration: By practicing Ashtanga Yoga, the mind attains clarity, and focus is improved significantly. Cognitive abilities also get boosted.
• Removes Toxins from the Body: Sweat generated from the heat of Ashtanga Yoga practice detoxifies the body of all existing toxins.
• Fitness and Stamina Get Enhanced: With daily practice of Ashtanga Yoga, one can see enhancement in the health of the cardiovascular system. Stamina and fitness also become better.

Ashtanga Yoga: How to Prepare Yourself

• Patanjali’s 8 limbs of Yoga called Ashtanga Yoga, is based on one’s mindset. Therefore, it is first important to prepare your mind to practice this art of yoga. Willingness is actually required and matters a lot here.
• Use your breathing power as the guiding light. All the asanas in Ashtanga yoga can be mastered using control over one’s breath. Focus on your breath to connect body and mind together.
• For beginners who are new to the eight limbs of yoga, developing the base is important. So, first practice some ending postures and salutations to the sun. After this, switch to sitting asanas. This sequence is best to prevent any kind of damage to the body. Once you are perfect in doing these beginner’s poses, you can proceed with other techniques.
• Use your yoga trainer’s guidance, self-guides, and YouTube videos to perfect the art of Ashtanga yoga. Keep the alignments and anatomy in the right mode.
• Sit on the mat and feel the power of focus. With practice, it will get better. Unity of mind, body, and soul is important in achieving the aim of yoga.
• You must also surrender yourself to the fact that your body has its limitations. While practicing yoga, you need not prove anything to anyone. Be yourself, relax, and focus.
• Show love and kindness to your mind and body. Stop pushing things around you. Accept your thoughts, food, and choices in a natural way. Show compassion to yourself and the people around you. Release things and beliefs that have no purpose in your life.

Also Read – A Beginner’s Guide to Ashtanga Yoga Poses & Unlocking its Benefits

Ashtanga Yoga Poses: An Overview

Primary Series of Ashtanga Yoga

• It is also known as Yoga Chikitsa.
• This series is the base of the following series in Ashtanga Yoga.
• It is done on a daily basis.
• All the blockages in the nadis get cleared, and the body becomes more flexible and tolerant.
• All the poses of the primary series are done, along with Ujjayi pranayama and drishti.

A few poses of the primary series of Ashtanga Yoga

• Pranamasana
• Surya Namaskar A & B
• Padangusthasana
• Utthita Trikonasana
• Parivrtta Trikonasana

Points to Note

• All the poses must be done in the same order daily.
• The main focus should be on the breath and Ujjayi Pranayama.
• The yoga students should practice slowly to let their bodies adjust to the practice.

Intermediate Series of Ashtanga Yoga

• The intermediate series begins after the primary series.
• It is more intense in nature.
• Nadi Shodhana is the intermediate series of Ashtanga Yoga. It clears the energy channels.
• It even helps in the purification of the nervous system by cleaning the energy channels.

A few poses of the intermediate series of Ashtanga Yoga

• Standing Poses: Samasthiti, Surya Namaskara (A & B), Padangushtasana, Pada Hastasana, and Utthita Trikonasana.
• Intermediate Poses: Pashasana, Krounchasana, Shalabhasana A, B, Bhekasana, and Dhanurasana.
• Finishing Poses: Salamba Sarvangasana, Halasana, Karnapidasana, Urdhva Padmasana, and Pindasana.

Points to Note

• Move to the intermediate series only when you don’t have any signs of an exhausted nervous system.
• Don’t practice the postures of the second series of Ashtanga Yoga if you have signs of muscle shaking, heart pounding, and non-stop breath.
• Intermediate series yoga poses lay stress on the nervous system, so avoid doing them if you have the above symptoms.

Also Read – 12 Steps of Surya Namaskar: The Ancient Practice of Yoga

Advanced Series of Ashtanga Yoga

• Advanced Series A: It involves a series of poses that help to increase the flow of energy and strength in a person. Concentration is also improved. Backends help to open channels of energy. The prime feature of this series is the arm-balancing posture.
• Advanced Series B: Improves mind power and body strength. It includes a mixture of meditation and backend postures.
• Advanced Series C: The major areas of focus in advanced series C are vinyasas and handstands, along with other types of inversions.
• Advanced Series D: It is the final series, with the postures being of the most advanced kind.

A few poses of the advanced series of Ashtanga Yoga

• Advanced series A: Viparita dandasana A and B and Viparita shalabhasana.
• Advanced series B: Mulabandhasana and Buddhasana.
• Advanced series C: Taraksvasana A and B and Eka Hasta Vrksasana.
• Advanced series D: Taraksvasana and Eka Hasta Vrksasana.

Points to Note

• Move to the advanced series only when you have mastered the primary and intermediate series of Ashtanga Yoga.

What Are the Eight Limbs of Yoga

1st Limb: Yamas for Self-Control

The five yamas have been stated in the yoga sutras of Patanjali. They give importance to a quality life and self-control. It is related to how we are associated with the outside world.

Read More – Yama Yoga: Meaning, Types, Examples from Life and Tips to Practice

1. First Yama: Ahimsa (Non-Violence)

Compassion is the first step towards nonviolence. Yoga inculcates appreciation towards self and others. It removes all sorts of negative thoughts of anger, violence, and jealousy. 

2. The Second Yama: Satya (Truth)

Practicing truth is equal to attaining God. Both personal and universal truths can be understood through Ashtanga Yoga. It teaches the art of speaking your heart clearly. 

3. Third Yama: Asteya (Non-Stealing)

Stealing of any nature is considered a sin. One should practice not stealing someone’s time, money, ideas, promises, and efforts. 

4. Fourth Yama: Brahmacharya (Non-Indulgence)

Too much indulgence in the pleasures of the world stops contentment and purpose in life. The practice of Brahmacharya ensures control over oneself. One must give up drugs and sex to practice this yama. 

5. Fifth Yama: Aparigraha (Non-Possessiveness)

In the modern world, materialism surrounds us all the time. Non-possessiveness towards living beings and objects should be your goal. Overcoming jealousy and control of things will help to achieve Aparigraha. 

2nd Limb: Niyamas for Moral Observance

The five niyamas focus on the habits of a person, which must be developed in order to achieve a meaningful life. It focuses on how one is related to himself or herself.

1. First Niyama: Saucha (Cleansing)

In this niyama, the main focus is on purity in mind, body, and intent. Time and effort are demanded by saucha. Examples of practicing cleanliness are doing exercises and grooming. Doing meditation and uttering powerful mantras are all examples of cleaning the human body and mind. 

2. Second Niyama: Santosha (Contentment)

Being content means expressing gratitude for things we have and continuing to work to attain our goals. There lies happiness in being thankful for what we have in life. Enlightenment can be achieved through this niyama. 

3. Third Niyama: Tapas (Self-Discipline)

Self-discipline gives us the power to beat our bad habits. By practicing tapas in daily life, one keeps his or her senses within control. This can help us to achieve our motive in life. Pleasures of any kind that tempt us can be left behind with self-discipline. 

4. Fourth Niyama: Swadhyaya (Self-Study)

Self-study, or swadhyaya, means doing study by yourself. For doing self-study, one must ask questions to himself or herself. These questions can be related to your existence, purpose, and behavior. With focused self-study, one can know about self-identity and beliefs, which help in pushing life in the correct direction.

5. Fifth Niyama: Ishvara Pranidhana (Connection with Divinity)

Fifth niyama lets one surrender his or her ego to the Lord. Our purpose in life helps to establish a connection with the Almighty. Through this niyama, we also determine our connection with all other living beings. We learn to live life’s true meaning.

3 Limb: Asana for Physical Yoga Poses

It is the most often used limb among the eight limbs of ashtanga yoga in the present world. By asana, it means that the yoga practitioner is looking for a seat of contentment. This causes the mind to become more stable and frees the body from any kind of pain. Asana is a step towards preparing yoga practitioners for practicing the different yoga limbs. 

4 Limb: Pranayama for Expansion of Life Force Energy

Pranayama lets the flow of energy within the body. It leads to awareness and efficient use of breathing. There are different kinds of pranayama that help in purifying the chakras, or energy channels, in the body. The right and left parts of the brain are completely balanced by the Pranayama. The body’s state also becomes better. 

5 Limb: Pratyahara for Withdrawal from the Senses

Pratyahara lets you use your senses for important work only. Unnecessary stimulation of the senses and their organs is avoided. For instance, the essential involvement of the eyes in meditation is keeping them closed. Pranayama keeps the mind in a state of silence and has a calming effect on the senses. Through this limb of yoga, we can become masters of our senses. It is helpful in meditation, too. 

6 Limb: Dharana for Concentration

The meaning of Dharana is concentration. By concentrating on a thing, we are able to shift all our senses to a single point. The mind is regulated with good concentration power. The different techniques to build concentration are focusing on a candle or breath. This limb of yoga is extremely important to be able to reach our goals in our lifetime. 

7 Limb: Dhyana for Meditation

The literal meaning of Dhyana is meditation. While doing meditation, you become connected to your real self. Without any interruption from your senses, you look at your actual self. Meditation leads to concentration through absolute non-movement of the physical and mental body. 

8 Limb: Samadhi for Pure Awareness

In meditation, samadhi is known as the deeper state. It is during this phase that one attains freedom from all the false beliefs occurring in space and time. Samadhi leads to pure happiness and awareness of one’s self and world. 

How Many Times to Practice Ashtanga Yoga for Effective Results

Mental and physical health can be boosted a lot by Ashtanga Yoga. It involves coordination between body and breath. To obtain the best results from Ashtanga Yoga, there is no specific rule or timing. It completely depends upon your aim and way of living. Generally, the yoga practitioners have been advised to practice Ashtanga Yoga six times a week. For more practical purposes, doing yoga three times a week is also enough. Ashtanga Yoga develops flexibility and strength in the body. This will have a positive impact on your well-being.

Conclusion

For people wishing to create wholeness and good health in their lives, the 8 limbs of yoga are a must to practice. When you adopt the deep principles of Ashtanga Yoga in your daily routine, you can feel the difference in your ability to reach your goals. It is a real transformation. Your mental, physical, and spiritual journey gets completely changed. Begin by inhaling air deeply and explore the path of discovery and positive change.