The eight limbs of yoga

Long before people started working out to dance videos or even doing calisthenics

, there was yoga a system of personal development and spiritual practice that began in India at least 5,000 years ago.

To work toward the goal of self-realization, yoga practitioners study the following eight limbs of yoga and integrate them into their lives:

Yama: The code of ethics by which practitioners measure and monitor their behavior. Practitioners refrain from injuring others, lying, stealing, being greedy, and engaging in sensual activities.

Niyamas: The observances by which practitioners control their mental energy and develop willpower. The observances are defined as purification, contentment, austerity, sacred study, and attunement to the absolute.

Asanas: The poses, or exercises, that constitute the physical aspect of yoga. The exercises help develop the mind-body relationship and build physical strength, flexibility, and balance.

Pranayama: The science of Prana (the life force) and its correlation to breathing. By controlling their breathing, practitioners discover how to control their thought processes.

Pratyahara: A series of breathing exercises and techniques by which practitioners separate consciousness from sensual perception. The goal is to withdraw the conscious mind from the bondage of the physical body and its instinctual drives.

Dharana: A series of breathing techniques and exercises, including mantra, designed to develop endurance through conscious effort and the power of concentration.

Dhyana: A series of breathing techniques and exercises designed to help practitioners reach an effortless state of meditation.

Samadhi: Advanced breathing exercises and techniques designed to return the individual consciousness to perfect divine unity.

The eight limbs of yoga

By: woodchuck

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