8 limbs of Yoga – How to live the Yogic Life (by Pantanjali)

“It is only when the correct practice is followed for a long time, without interruptions and with a quality of positive attitude and eagerness, that it can succeed.”

Pantanjali

The Yoga Sutras from Pantanjali are one of the greatest sources for guidance on living the Yogic life both on and off the mat. It consists of 195 aphorisms on the nature of our mind and soul, on suffering and liberation, and on ethical conduct. When I am in need of inspiration, the Yoga Sutras are one of the first texts I grab to emerge myself in.

In his Yoga Sutras, Pantanjali defines the 8 limbs of Yoga in 31 verses as a way to attain liberation from suffering. They are a guideline for your spiritual practice and life, concerning self-discipline, moral and ethical conduct. After all, the essence of Yoga is to achieve union between mind, body and spirit.

Here, I have for you a summary of the eight limbs of Yoga. Even though they are all intercorrelated, one influencing the other, the sequence of the limbs is still important. For instance, it won’t be possible for you to reach Samadhi (enlightenment) without Dharana (focused attention).

The Eight Limbs are:

• Yamas
• Niyamas
• Asanas
• Pranayama
• Pratyahara
• Dharana
• Dhyana
• Samadhi

1. Yamas (treatment of others)

The Yamas are 5 ethical principles when it comes to interacting with the outside world. It focuses on the don’ts. They are:

Ahimsa (non-violence)

Practicing non-violence is more than abstaining from physical or psychological abuse. It involves non-violence towards your own being (“I am ugly” would be a violent thought) and towards every living organism. This is one reason why many Yogis emphasize a vegan diet. Treat all living beings with kindness, think twice before buying something and gently carry that spider out of your room.

Satya (truthfulness)

Speak the truth and tell no lies. If you get aware of this, you’ll be surprised how many little “white lies” we tell on a daily basis (to others and ourselves as well).

Asteya (Non-Stealing)

Not-stealing physical objects from someone is one aspect of Asteya. But it also refers to ideas, the intellect, freedom. For instance, don’t steal an opportunity from another to learn something, don’t steal your child’s possibilities of optimal growth because you still carry your own baggage with you.

Brahmacharya (Celibacy)

This refers to focusing on the essentials and living in moderation. Avoid self-absorption and realise the abundance already around you. Sometimes this refers to celibacy in the original meaning of the word, but many yogis were married or had children. Faithfulness and abstinence from meaningless, physical interaction would be something I advise you, though.

Aparigraha (Non-Coveting)

This is probably a Yama we all struggle with in our modern world. Try taking it one step at a time. Be aware of your urge to hoard, be aware of feelings like jealousy, greed or envy. Actively work against this. Think twice whether you really need that new Yoga pants. Learn to share. Share food, share happiness.

2. Niyamas (Treatment of Self)

Niyamas are sometimes also called Observances. This refers to responsibility and self-discipline. It is about the do’s. They are:

Saucha (Purity)

Practicing the 5 Yamas is necessary for Purity, as they get rid of negative states of being. In the Yogic Tradition, there are several physical cleaning rituals that are done before starting the Asana practice. I found this to make a huge difference. Purity involves your environment (declutter!), your physical body (cleanliness but also the foods you eat) and your mind (i.e., the kinds of films you watch, the thoughts you pursue).

Santosa (Contentment)

In my personal experience, contentment is not something that happens to you but that you deliberately cultivate and nourish. Practice modesty and contentment with what you have and where you are at in the present moment. As a counterbalance to our growth-based society, implement a constant practice of gratitude.

Tapas (Austerity)

Gaining control over your mind is the best thing you can do for yourself, and necessary for your spiritual practice. This is only achieved by perseverance and self-discipline. Maintain a constant practice of your Yoga and Meditation and show discipline in other areas of your life concerning your body and mind.

Svadhyaya (Study)

Self-inquiry and self-reflection is necessary for self-awareness. Also keep studying sacred texts and teachings like the Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita or the Bible. Study whatever is relevant to you and resonates deeply. I also believe that everything in life can be a teacher, if you are open to receive.

Ishvara Pranidhana (Dedication to a higher being)

A higher being can be many things to you. You may call it god, the buddha, the universe, the unchanging reality or your higher self. Whatever it is, keep nourishing your faith and trust in it (or you). Practice to surrender.

3. Asanas (Body postures)

“Posture is mastered by freeing the body and mind from tension and restlessness and meditating on the infinite.”

Pantanjali

The practice of asanas, the body postures that we in the West consider as Yoga, is only one part of your yoga journey. The Asanas are traditionally a way to prepare your body for meditation.

Freeing your mind is only achievable If you gain control over your body. So, practice your Asanas. Don’t fall into the trap of viewing it as a workout, as a goal to reach anything (flexibility or strength), as this will miss the point of it entirely. I keep my exercise and Yoga practice separate.

4. Pranayama (Breath)

In this tradition, Prana is the life force energy that exists anywhere and forever. Everything is an exchange of Prana. Especially through our breath, Prana is taken in. Pranayama is the practice of controlling the breath.

They Yogis realized the power of the breath way before Western science realized the immense influence our breathing has on our body and mind.

Through observing the breathing patterns of animals in ancient times, they found that animals like turtles that live for many years have a very slow breathing in contrast to shorter living animals like cats. Become conscious of your breathing. Breathe more deeply and slowly.

“The yogi’s life is not measured by the number of days but by the number of his breaths[.] ”

B.K.S. Iyengar

Whilst practicing asanas, my main focus is always on my breath. Besides mindful, deep and slow breathing there are many powerful breathing techniques taught in the Yogi tradition.

5. Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses)

During this stage of your practice, a conscious effort is made to draw your attention inwards. This may be difficult in the beginning, but I guarantee you it will get a lot easier very fast If you practice this continuously.

Especially in our modern age, we are constantly multi-tasking and being distracted. Try to get out of the habit of that. Do one thing and then really only do that thing. Whilst I’m writing this blogpost, I am only writing this blogpost. I don’t listen to music, my phone is in another room on airplane mode and there is no TV running on the side.

Pratyahara can be practiced during your dedicated time of Yoga and Meditation, but also every day. In a crowded room, only focus on the person you are interacting with. Withdraw your attention from all the outside noise and cluster. When eating, only eat.

By drawing your senses away from the outside world to your inside, introspection is possible. You’ll also be able to focus longer (i.e., in meditation) as you won’t get distracted so easily by outside occurences.

6. Dharana (Concentration)

This is the ability to focus your attention on one thing, a one-pointedness of mind. After being able to block out outside phenomena (Pratyahara), the same has to be practiced inside. If you just begin practicing Dharana, this may be very hard for you. We are very used to our minds constantly chattering around thoughts.

The Practice of Meditation is a way to practice Dharana. Try to focus on only one thing like a Mantra, a candle or your breath. There are many different meditation practices that engage in the single-pointedness of mind.

I found practicing single tasking in my everyday life had a huge impact on my ability to concentrate during meditation. Try it out for yourself! When you listen to music, only listen to music. When you watch a film, only watch a film.

When there is no sense of time passing, your mind is concentrating. This is often experienced during a state of Flow.

7. Dhyana (Meditation)

In Dharana, you are concentrating on a single object. Dhyana is meditation without a specific object. It is a state of awareness without focus, an awareness of Oneness and the continuity of the Flow of Life.

My best attempt to explain the difference between Dharana and Dhyana would be this: In Dharana, you might focus on a leave. You try to point your mind to that concept of a leave, having only that leave in your mind’s eye. In Dhyana, the concept of this leave dissolves. You are now contemplating on the concept, not focusing on the leave.

Dhyana is accompanied by stillness and peace. It is an uninterrupted current of cognition and flow of thoughts. It takes a lot of practice to reach this state. Experiencing Dhyana has an effect on everything else in your life. It has an after-glow to it that can be with you for weeks or even months.

8. Samadhi (Union)

Also known as Enlightenment or Ego-Death, Samadhi is often seen as the end goal. Try not to focus so much on this. The state of enlightenment is inherent in all of us, not something to gain or achieve. In fact, it’s quite the opposite – it’s getting rid of everything that keeps you from resting in that state of Oneness.

In Samadhi, the meditator and the object of meditation are merged as one. There is no one who meditates and nothing that is being meditated on, as both are realized to be the same. It is a state where the Self is transcended, and full realization is reached.

Pantanjali describes this state as absolute Ecstasy and Peace that can’t be grasped. One becomes one with the universe and understands the interconnectedness of all things.

I know this sounds very otherworldly and unachievable when our narrow minds try to grasp this idea. That’s probably because this state is beyond any ideas. Instead of focusing on reaching this, I can only advice you to focus on your spiritual practice and on where you are at in this journey.

Final Words

These 8 limbs by Pantanjali are a wonderful guideline for your spiritual practice. They not solely focus on what happens on the matt or during your meditation but encompass every aspect of your life.

The first 5 limbs are building the foundation for your spiritual life. They are necessary for Dharana and Dhyana. All of those 7 limbs are then necessary for reaching Samadhi.

By not only practicing one hour whilst doing Yoga, but by keeping those guidelines close to heart during your everyday life, a much more solid spiritual depth can be achieved.

Keep in mind that the words of Pantanjali have been translated and interpreted by various people for a long period of time. Though they were written very precise, short phrased and without much room for interpretation it is only natural that translations and interpretations have altered some of it over time. For this article, I read many interpretations and translations of his Yoga Sutras and gave you what nowadays seems to be the common essence of it.

It is also important to note that the Yoga Sutras were compiled somewhere between 500BC and 450AC. The social and historical context today is radically different than it was back then. Still, they hold immense value even today with many insights on how to treat others and ourselves. By contextualizing it and applying it to our generation, the Eightfold Path remains a great source of inspiration and guidance.

“For those who have an intense urge for Spirit and wisdom, it sits

near them, waiting.”

Pantanjali