अष्टांग योग - Ashtanga Yoga - the eightfold path of Yoga
Ashta (अष्ट) means eight in Sanskrit, while anga (अंग) means body or part. Ashtanga yoga is this a spiritual path consisting of eight steps.
यम नियम असन प्राणायाम प्रत्याहार धरणा ध्यान समाधयोअष्टाव अंगानी ।।
- Sadhana Pad (Sutra 29) - The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Transliteration: Yama niyama asana pranayama pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhayoashtav angani
Yama's (restraints), niyama's (observances), asana's (postures), pranayama's (control of bio-energy), pratyahara (abstraction of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), samadhi (trance consciousness where an individual realises the nature of reality).
The yama's, niyama's are the foundation of the practice of yoga, with asana's being the third step. Asana's are essential for a healthy body and mind and in order to develop the ability to sit for long periods of time in meditative postures.
Of the 196 sutra's, Maharishi Patanjali devotes only two sutra's to asana's, with most of the sutra's being a guidance on going within. Today however, the word Yoga has come to be synonymous with only asana's and being able to contort the body into numerous postures.
This brings to mind a question that our teacher Dilip Tralshawalla would constantly put forth to us:
"I have a body, but am I this body?"
So finally ...
Who am I?
Ashta (अष्ट) means eight in Sanskrit, while anga (अंग) means body or part. Ashtanga yoga is this a spiritual path consisting of eight steps.
यम नियम असन प्राणायाम प्रत्याहार धरणा ध्यान समाधयोअष्टाव अंगानी ।।
- Sadhana Pad (Sutra 29) - The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Transliteration: Yama niyama asana pranayama pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhayoashtav angani
Yama's (restraints), niyama's (observances), asana's (postures), pranayama's (control of bio-energy), pratyahara (abstraction of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), samadhi (trance consciousness where an individual realises the nature of reality).
The yama's, niyama's are the foundation of the practice of yoga, with asana's being the third step. Asana's are essential for a healthy body and mind and in order to develop the ability to sit for long periods of time in meditative postures.
Of the 196 sutra's, Maharishi Patanjali devotes only two sutra's to asana's, with most of the sutra's being a guidance on going within. Today however, the word Yoga has come to be synonymous with only asana's and being able to contort the body into numerous postures.
This brings to mind a question that our teacher Dilip Tralshawalla would constantly put forth to us:
"I have a body, but am I this body?"
So finally ...
Who am I?
Well said.
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