Yoga is not just a workout; it is an ancient eight-step mental discipline.
In short: Modern yoga often focuses exclusively on physical postures, but these represent only one small part of a much deeper system. Pātañjali’s classical framework, known as Ashtanga, outlines a rigorous eight-limbed path designed to still the mind and reveal the true self through ethical, physical, and meditative practices.
Pātañjali’s Yoga Sūtras, written between the 1st and 3rd century CE, define yoga as the inhibition of the mind's constant fluctuations. The goal is kaivalya, a state where the witness-conscious is disentangled from the cognitive apparatus. To achieve this, Pātañjali proposed a sequence of eight limbs, moving from external discipline to internal absorption. The first two limbs, yama and niyama, provide a moral foundation, including virtues like nonviolence, truthfulness, and self-discipline.
The physical aspect, āsana, is only the third limb. Contrary to modern emphasis on complex movement, Pātañjali defined it simply as a steady, comfortable seat for meditation. He did not list specific poses, though later commentaries suggest twelve seated positions. It was not until the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, over a thousand years later, that 84 asanas were mentioned. For Pātañjali, the posture is merely a prerequisite for the fourth limb: prāṇāyāma, or breath regulation.
The final four limbs represent a transition from the body to the spirit. Pratyāhāra involves withdrawing awareness from external sensory input, acting as a bridge to the inner world. This leads to dhāraṇā, or one-pointed concentration, followed by dhyāna, the continuous flow of contemplation. The ultimate stage is samādhi, a state of profound absorption. While often associated with meditation, samādhi is also described as an intensified investigation of experience, showing that the path is as much about cognitive clarity as it is about stillness.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Ashtanga (eight limbs of yoga)
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