When I talk about Yoga, I normally talk about Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga as described in the Yoga Sutra which is a primary text of Yoga, composed sometime during 200 B.C.
This Yoga has 8 steps. These steps are Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi.
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| Eight step of Patanjali Yoga |
Some of my readers have pointed out my ‘wrong’ usage of the word ‘step’ while referring to Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga as ‘Patanjali’s 8 step Yoga process’.
Yes. The word Ashtanga literally means 8 limbs and not 8 steps. But if you have carefully observed these 8 – there is an order among them, there is succession, there is progression, gradual uplift, and above all, there is an ultimate destination.
Yama and Niyama are meant to minimize mental stress and help in calming down the mind. These are the first two steps before you can go further up.
Asana is supposed to give a steady sitting posture. This posture is needed for later practices.
Pranayama is done by sitting in a steady/comfortable Asana. This is supposed to develop mental focus.
A focused mind is supposed to result in a state of withdrawal or Pratyahara.
Dharana is to prepare for meditation with a focused mind;
Dhyana is prolonged dharana leading to Samadhi – a stage where the mind is completely calm. A completely calm mind leads to ultimate realization. This is the goal of Patanjali Yoga.
These are the eight ‘limbs’ of Yoga. Don’t you see order, succession, progression, gradual uplift and an ultimate destination? What are ‘steps’ in a ladder or a staircase? They are just that.
Even if you were to interpret Yoga as Hatayoga, as normally people do these days,
Asana is supposed to strengthen the spine (in addition to improving health);Don’t you see them as steps?
Pranayama is supposed clear impurities in the spinal pathway;
Bandha’s, Mudra’s and the like are meant to stimulate the Kundalini which in turn is the precursor to raising the Kundalini through the spinal pathway previously cleared.
Raised Kundalini and its final union with the Siva in the last Chakra is the ultimate goal of Hatayoga.
So, in addition to seeing literal meaning with a narrow vision, one has to see beyond, keeping the complete context in view.
Well, I have seen many renowned ‘Yoga’ Gurus trying to justify their approach to Yoga taken in a piecemeal fashion. They either focus only on Asana, or only on Pranayama, or only on meditation. They often stress that Ashtanga is not 8 steps but 8 limbs and each limb can be taken up independent of the other as if they are disjoint! I hope Patanjali is listening ;-)
Let me get back to Patanjali’s 8 step Yoga that I started with.
Among these steps, I have always held that the first two steps namely the Yama and Niyama are the most important. They are not only essential but also, they ensure a perceivable result from Yoga practice not only at the individual level but also at the societal level.
So, a person who practices Yama and Niyama ardently, has a higher chance to go further into the Yoga path and reach its destination. Even if he fails to go beyond these two basic steps, or chooses to stop after them, he would have attained almost 50 % of the benefit that Yoga can deliver.
Moreover, such a person helps in building a healthy society which has a higher chance to evolve further. So, one should never ignore these two steps. They may be a bit difficult to practice perfectly, but even attempting them earnestly can take you a long way.
What I am going to do in subsequent episodes is to elaborate on the 8 steps of Yoga, taking them one by one. I will try to put these in proper context and stress their importance.
So, join me in the next episode. Thank you.
A series revolving around Mind – Science of Mind, Philosophy of Mind, Notions of reality, Mind modulation, Domains beyond Mind, and so on. © Dr. King 2019
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