Part 1 - Practice of Ashtanga-yoga—Introduction

Four chapters, or Pada, make up Patajali's Yogasutra. The first one discusses Samadhi. The second with denotes the practice of yoga, or sadhana. The third lists the abilities. The yogi encounters four Vibhutis during his search, and the fourth is about atonement (Kaivalya).The science of Yoga has its roots in Upanisads, Vedas, Bhagadgita, Yogavasistha of Vsistha, Hathayogapradipika and the Yogasutra of Patanjali, which dates back roughly to 300 B.C. Maharsi Patanjali's Yogadarsana is one of the six Darsanas six system of Indian Philosophy. It occupies an eminent place amongst the ancient scripture on Yoga. The Yogasutra serve as the basic text for an in-depth study on this great science. Patanjali called it astangayoga i.e. science having eight limbs or constituents. The astangayoga as its name implies, has eight (astas) parts or limbs. are:According to Patanjali Yogadarsana¹ the eight limbs or parts of Yoga i) Yama (abstinences) ii) Niyama (Observances) iii) Asana (Postures) iv) Pranayama (Breath control) v) Pratyahara (Withdrawl of senses) vi) Dharana (fixed attention) vii) Dhyana( Meditation) viii) Samadhi (Contemplation) 1 Ibid-II-29 134

The eight limbs of yoga are:EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA Yama Niyam Asana Pranayama Pratyahara Dharana Dhyana Samadhi Likewise the Mandalabrahmana, Sandilya, Trisikhibrahmana, Yogatattva and Varaha Upanisads also say that there are eight parts of this Yoga. But there are some Upanisads say about the parts of Yoga are different. Maharsi Patanjali clarifies as to what this eight part Yoga is intended to achieve. "The eight part practice of Yoga first leads to total elimination of impurities. This state, in turn, leads to the illuminating of the (lamp of) knowledge until one reaches the ultimate state of self-realization." The Gheranda Samhita observes: The human body sooner or later undergoes decay like a pitcher made of unbaked clay when immersed in water. The body should be purified (firmed up) by means of the fire of Yoga.² 2.Ghe. Sam-I-8 &9 135

For the sake of convenience in treatment and understanding, these eight constituents of classical Yoga may be divided into the following three heads: A. Adhikari Yoga (The yogic way of life), made up of Yamas and Niyamas. B. Bahiranga Yoga (The external yogic practice) made up of Asana, Pranayama and Pratyahara. C. Antaranga Yoga (The internal yogic practice) made up of dharana, dhyana, Samadhi. Naturally, there is increasing complexity as one proceeds from one group to another and some progress in the first group may well be a prerequisite for any appreciable progress in the second and third. However, there is no question of trying to attain absolute perfection in one before taking up the next. Astangayoga is a technology for the development of man's physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual faculties. Yoga is a basic education that every child should have; with this basic education we can successfully tackle any branch of formal education depending on their needs, abilities and aptitudes. Basic instruction in Yoga will facilitate your formal education and lead to a harmonized social relationship which will result in a happy and peaceful life. Indeed, a combination of this type of basic education in Yoga and the formal education system will lead to the achievement of Swami Vivekananda's goals: the creation of man and the building of the nation. Asana is the third component of yoga. The best physical cultural systems are formed by asana. Asanas practice on a regular basis strengthens the nervous system, endocrine glands, blood flow, digestion, 136

exertion, and respiration. The body becomes elastic, malleable, light, and energized. A healthy body and mind coexist. Asanas practice therefore also ensures mental health. Pranayama, the fourth limb is a science of channelizing the vital energy. Patanjali says that by practing Pranayama one developers the power of concentration and clarity of thinking. By slowing down and regulating the breath, it is not only possible to channelize the pranic activities, but also the mental activities, the yogis discovered that every emotional disturbance causes a corresponding change in the breathing pattern and that by controlling the breath flow, emotional out breaths can be overcome. We are all aware of how angry feelings deplete our energy. For instance, one minute of ferocious anger depletes the equivalent amount of life force ten miles of running. Pranayama is a very powerful tool in controlling the mind and sublimating mental agitations. Dharana is for the development of the intellectual faculties in man making him a fully integrated human personality. Yoga recognizes merit and demerit as efficient causes, which bring forth and strengthen respectively the good (sattvika) and the evil (tamasa) qualities of the mind. As a safeguard against the evil tendencies in man, Yoga enjoins the abstinences or yamas as they are called. These are however, by no means peculiar to Yoga; they are also to be found in Vedanta and figure prominently in the jaina and Buddhist religions where they are known as right conduct (carita or perfection) respectively. Side by side with abstinences, which inhibit evil tendencies, Yoga recommends the practice of observances or niyamas, which inculcate the pursuit of meritorious deeds. Then the novice is advised to practice posture, control of breathing and withdrawal of senses in order to achieve control over the body and the senses. Finally, he has to practice meditation to destroy the 137

impurities of the mind and contemplation to attain discriminating knowledge. Thus, there are eight yogic aids, abstinences, observances, and postures, breathing exercises, withdrawal of sense, fixed attention, meditation and contemplation. Of these the first five are known as external aids to conscious contemplation, as they merely facilitate the mood of contemplation and aid of Yoga only indirectly. The last three are known as internal aids, as they constitute the very core of conscious contemplation and so are direct aids to Yoga. But they too are external aids in regard to super conscious contemplation which is achieved with the aid of nonattachment.