Intro to Yoga Philosophy - The 8 Limbs of Yoga
- Elli Flitton
- May 6
- 7 min read
This is the first in a series of posts where I’ll explore and break down some of the key ideas and concepts of yoga philosophy.
When most people think of yoga, they picture the physical postures, the stretching, strengthening and balancing (maybe by someone wearing expensive leggings!). But yoga is so much more than just the postures, or asana in Sanskrit. It’s a detailed ancient philosophy that offers guidance on how to live a meaningful, connected life.
During my yoga teacher training, the part that I enjoyed the most was exploring the history and philosophy behind it all, and I’ve been fascinated by the roots and teachings of yoga ever since. Yoga philosophy is vast, with thousands of years of history, different schools and lineages, and a huge number of teachings to explore. It can be hard to know where to start, so I’m hoping to offer a small insight into it in this series of posts.
Understanding, or even just being curious about, the philosophy of yoga can bring so much more depth to our practice. It helps the postures feel more meaningful and intentional, and it can support us in cultivating greater awareness and compassion both on and off the mat.
The Yoga Sutras
One of the key texts in yoga philosophy is the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, written somewhere between 500 BCE and 400 CE. Within the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali defines the overall aim of yoga as “yogas chitta vritti nirodhah”, which is often translated as “the quieting of the fluctuations of the mind.” In other words, the aim of yoga is to calm the mental chatter we all experience and find a sense of inner stillness. This idea feels just as relevant today as it did thousands of years ago, especially in a world where our minds are constantly being pulled in a million different directions!
The Sutras offer wisdom and guidance on navigating the challenges of being human and living a meaningful and purposeful life, both for yourself and for your community as a whole.
The Eight Limbs of Yoga
At the heart of the Sutras is the framework that many modern yoga practices are built upon - The Eight Limbs of Yoga.
The point isn’t to practice the Eight Limbs in a strict, sequential order, but to integrate them into your practice in a way that feels most accessible and natural to you. The goal is to gradually incorporate the Eight Limbs into your everyday life, deepening your understanding of them over time. You’ll definitely find that you resonate with some more than others, and that’s fine!
Here’s a brief explanation of the Eight Limbs and how I understand them:
Yama
The yamas are 5 ethical guidelines that invite us to reflect on how we relate to others, the world around us, and ourselves.
I’ll only explain the yamas briefly here, as I’m planning on writing another post that explores each of them more deeply.
The yamas are:
Ahimsa (non-violence): practicing non-violence or kindness above all in our thoughts and actions, towards ourselves and others.
Satya (truthfulness): practicing honesty and being truthful with ourselves and others.
Asteya (non-stealing): not taking what isn’t ours, not just in terms of things, but also being conscious to not take too much of someone else’s time or energy. Also, not being wasteful or consuming to excess.
Brahmacharya (right use of energy): traditionally this yama referred to abstinence, celibacy and conserving energy for spiritual purposes. But as this isn’t very realistic in modern times, the current interpretation is around being conscious of and conserving our energy so that we don’t spread ourselves too thin or burn out (much nicer!).
Aparigraha (non-grasping): practicing letting go, embracing the fact that change is constant and going with the flow.
You may notice that we touch on these in small moments during our classes, by remembering to choose kindness towards ourselves in a pose that feels challenging, or noticing when we’re holding on tightly to expectations or outcomes.
Niyama
While the yamas are about how we relate to the world, the 5 niyamas are more inward-facing guidelines for how we treat ourselves.
Saucha (cleanliness): saucha is generally interpreted as cleanliness/purity of the mind, body and environment, but this feels quite restrictive to me. I prefer to interpret saucha as trying to declutter or clear our minds, moving away from unhelpful thoughts and letting go of what no longer serves us.
Santosha (contentment): accepting and being satisfied with where we are, living in the present moment, practicing gratitude for what is, and not striving for things to be different. This is one of my favourites! P.s. practicing santosha makes any balance pose way more enjoyable!
Tapas (self-discipline): not giving up when our yoga practice, or life in general, gets tough. Tapas encourages us to cultivate enthusiasm and passion to maintain the consistency and self-discipline we need to meet our goals.
Svadhyaya (self-study): looking inwards with curiosity and non-judgement in order to better understand ourselves. Focused on self-knowledge rather than self-improvement or development.
Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender): letting go of the need for control and placing trust in something bigger than ourselves (whatever that may be for you). Recognising that all we can do is our best, and whatever happens after, happens after. Maybe the simplest but hardest niyama!
Asana
The third limb is the one that we’re all probably most familiar with - the asana, or the physical postures that help us to develop strength, balance and flexibility. The aim of the postures is to prepare the body for meditation, which is why Savasana comes right at the end of a yoga class.
In the Yoga Sutras, asana is only mentioned once (!), and the only guidance Patanjali gives for asana is “sthira sukham asanam” - each asana should hold both steadiness and ease.
In other words, in each posture we should try to find a balance of both effort and ease. This allows us to get the full benefits of each pose, whilst listening to our bodies and knowing when we need to ease off a little bit.
Pranayama
Pranayama refers to the breath control, or breathwork techniques we use in our yoga practice. There are lots of different pranayama techniques within yoga, and each has a specific purpose, such as to calm, to bring balance, or to stimulate the mind and body.
How we breathe can affect how we feel physically, as well as our mindset and emotions, so it’s always important to practice pranayama mindfully and slowly, and to ease off if it doesn’t feel right.
Breath awareness - paying attention to the breath, becoming aware of it’s natural rhythm, and being mindful of the physical sensations of inhaling and exhaling - is the foundation and starting point for exploring more complex pranayama techniques.
Pratyahara
Pratyahara refers to sense withdrawal. This is often the first step in meditation: we consciously draw our attention inwards, allowing external distractions to fade into the background. Closing the eyes or lowering the gaze and focusing on the breath can help us to do this.
When we settle into Savasana or pause in stillness in a pose, we’re often practicing pratyahara, gently turning the attention inward and letting the outside world fade into the background.
In everyday life, practicing pratyahara and finding that space to draw the attention inwards can help us to find a sense of stillness and peace within the chaos.
Dharana
Dharana means focused concentration. We usually need to practice pratyahara, drawing the attention inwards, before we’re able to focus on just one thing - whether that’s the breath, a mantra, or a Drishti (gaze) point. It’s about watching where the mind goes and repeatedly and gently guiding our attention back to our chosen focal point again and again. This requires persistence and discipline!
Practicing dharana, this focused state of concentration, strengthens our ability to stay present and helps to move us towards a meditative state.
Dhyana
Dhyana refers to the state of meditative absorption, being completely immersed in the meditative state. Whereas dharana (the sixth limb) is about focusing the mind on a single point, dhyana is about being aware of the mind but without a fixed focal point. It’s the point at which meditation becomes a state of being, rather than something you’re actively doing.
It’s often seen as a state of deeper meditation, building upon the previous 2 limbs - pratyahara (sense withdrawal) and dharana (focused concentration). Essentially, it’s the state at which you forget that you’re meditating, and as soon as you think “omg I’m doing it!! I’m meditating!”, the moment is lost (we’ve all been there!).
You might experience a sense of dhyana during Savasana, or in a moment during a posture or flow where the thinking mind quiets just a little.
Samadhi
The final limb is Samadhi, or enlightenment. This final stage is the highest state of yoga, and is described as a profound sense of bliss, peace and oneness.
Samadhi roughly translates as “seeing equally”, meaning to see life and reality for exactly what it is, without our experience being clouded by our thoughts, emotions, personal preferences, judgments or attachments. It’s not about being permanently happy or joyful, but resting in a state of pure acceptance, where we see things as they truly are. This allows us to experience a deep sense of bliss and interconnectedness.
Samadhi isn’t something we can force or plan, but maybe, every so often, we catch a small glimpse of it. A moment where everything feels still, spacious and whole (ahh!).
I'll finish this blog post with a quote:
“The success of yoga does not lie in the ability to perform postures but in how it positively changes the way we live our lives and our relationships.” - T.K.V. Desikachar
Thank you for reading.
💌 I’d love to know what you think, what resonated with you, what didn’t, and what you’re curious to explore more of. Leave a comment, reply to this email, or send me a message, I’m always up for chatting about yoga philosophy!
Sources
The Yoga Manifesto by Nadia Gilani
Embrace Yoga's Roots by Susanna Barkataki
Σχόλια