We tend to think of yoga as a type of gentle exercise that uses strange positions to tie your arms and legs into knots; but, in India, yoga is a way of life with roots spanning back 5000 years.
Over such an extended timescale there have been many different schools of yoga with significantly different ideas. In the 21st Century, most yogis agree that the right approach to life is the 'Eight Limbs of Yoga'; based on the ideas first expounded by Sri Patanjali nearly 2000 years ago.
In the West, a yoga class uses a combination of breathing techniques (pranayama), postures (asanas) and relaxation (savasana) to increase strength and flexibility and invigorate the body and mind. We may think that this is all there is to yoga; in fact, these classes use only two of the eight aspects; the others are rarely touched upon at all.
The Eight Limbs, summarised on this page, can be seen as a set of age-old guidelines that can help you to live a more relaxed, happy and virtuous life.
The Eight Limbs of Yoga
1. Yamas
The ethical observances that a Yogi follows; non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, sexual fidelity and non-covetousness.
2. Niyamas
The rules of conduct for a yogi; cleanliness, contentment, austerity, self-study and surrender to the Divine.
3. Asanas
These are the postures we use in classes to stretch the body, which help to prepare the body for meditation.
4. Pranayama
Breathing techniques, such as Alternate Nostril Breathing, help to invigorate the lungs, clear the mind and energise the body.
5. Pratyahara
The first stage of internal yoga; the yogi withdraws into the self and is no longer affected by external stimuli.
6. Dharana
Once the yogi is withdrawn, the next stage is to concentrate the mind on a single point; this enables the yogi to progress to the seventh limb.
7. Dhyana
With the mind withdrawn and focussed, the yogi enters a state of meditation.
8. Samadhi
The final stage of the eight limb path, and the point of all the preceding practices, is to achieve enlightenment.