What is Ashtanga yoga way of life?

If you need one book which explains what Yoga is all about, refer the Yoga Sutras, written by Sage Patanjali. It consists of general guidelines for spiritual growth and the sutras are not just beliefs but are methods that can be tested by each one of us to see for ourselves if we are benefited as the sutra claims.

Yoga is a way of life and by following Ashtanga Yoga step by step you reach this ideal state of mind called Samadhi / kaivalya. Samadhi is a state that is aimed and reached by sages, rishis and people like Swami Vivekananda, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Shankaracharya to name a few.

Disclaimer:

We, on the other hand, are regular people (Aam Admi) having a regular life which consists of meetings, deadlines, traffic, cleaning, cooking, kids, tax filings, etc and it may not be possible for us to really follow everything that is told here unless we decide to leave our families and go into the forest (which is very scary and I'm not planning to do that anytime soon).

But, being aware of these steps and trying to incorporate some amount of these in our day to day life helps us go through our life in - if not the ultimate state of peace - but at least some level of calmness in a dignified and peaceful manner.
Because... we have just one life and we want to live this life fully and be present in it. We want to be healthy. We want to be happy and content. We want our life to be peaceful, calm and not having to constantly cope with the chaos of life happening around us.

Let's see what Patanjali says . . .

Ashtanga yoga means "eight - limbed yoga". And the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga are:

"yama niyama asana pranayama pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhi ashtau angani"
- Yoga Sutra

1) Yama
2) Niyama
3) Asana
4) Pranayama
5) Pratyahara
6) Dharana
7) Dhyana
8) Samadhi

1    1)  Yama:

       Yama,  are ethical standards which give us a sense of integrity, focusing mainly on our behavior and how we should conduct ourselves in life.

These are basically the "Don'ts" in life.

The five Yamas are:

Ahimsa:  Practicing Non - violence. Non-violence is not only not hurting other people and other creatures but also not hurting ourselves.

Satya:  Being truthful always. We all know "Honesty is the best policy".

Asteya: Not stealing. Not sharing with others is also considered stealing!

Brahmacharya: Being loyal to your spouse.

Aparigraha: Not hoarding. Practicing minimalism. 

2) Niyama

 Niyama, is self-discipline and spiritual observances. These are mainly the "Dos".

Examples like:
Regularly attending temples or church services, saying grace before meals, developing your own personal meditation practices, or making a habit of taking contemplative walks alone are all examples of niyamas in practice.

The five Niyamas are:

Saucha: Cleanliness. Not only living in a neat and tidy space but also cleansing oneself externally and internally (getting rid of feelings like anger, jealousy, hatred ... anything else you feel like cleansing)

Santhosha: Being content with what we have in life.

Tapas: Having self-discipline in life.

Svadhyaya: Introspection. Always pause and see if you are acting the right way.

Isvara pranidhana: Surrendering yourself to God/Universe/Any higher entity.

3) Asana

Most people think yoga is all about asana. Really, it is not! 

Asana is just a limb of ashtanga yoga.

In the yogic view, the body is a temple of spirit, to take care of it is an important stage of our spiritual growth. So through the practice of asanas, we develop the habit of discipline and the ability to concentrate, both of which are necessary for meditation.

4) Pranayama

Pranayama is controlling the prana through breath.

It consists of techniques to gain mastery over the respiratory process and recognizing the connection between the breath, mind and the emotions. 

Yogis believe that it not only rejuvenates the body but extends life itself.

These first four stages of Patanjali's ashtanga yoga concentrate on:
-  refining our personalities, 
- gaining mastery over the body 
- developing an energetic awareness of ourselves,

 All of this prepares us for the second half of this journey, which deals with the senses, the mind and attaining a higher state of consciousness.

5) Pratyahara

Pratyahara means withdrawal from sensory pleasures. 

It is during this stage that we make a conscious effort to draw our awareness away from our senses and the external world and directing our attention internally.

The practice of pratyahara provides an opportunity to step back and look at ourselves. This withdrawal allows us to objectively observe our food cravings, attention cravings, TV addictions: habits that are perhaps not helping our inner growth

6) Dharana

Each stage prepares us for the next, the practice of pratyahara creates the setting for dharana or concentration. 

Once we relieve ourselves of outside distractions, we will be left with the distractions of the mind. Which is even more difficult!

In the practice of concentration, we learn how to slow down the thinking process and focus on a single mental object: a specific energetic center in the body, an image of a deity, or the silent repetition of a sound.

Extended periods of concentration naturally leads to meditation.

7) Dhyana

Meditation is the seventh stage of ashtanga. It is this uninterrupted flow of concentration. 

Although concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana) may appear to be one and the same, a fine line of distinction exists between these two stages.

Where dharana practices one-pointed attention, dhyana is ultimately a state of being keenly aware without focus. At this stage, the mind has been quietened and in the stillness, it produces few or no thoughts at all.

The strength and stamina it takes to reach this state of stillness is quite impressive. But don't give up. While this may seem difficult it is not an impossible task, remember that yoga is a process. 

8) Samadhi

Patanjali describes this eighth and final stage of Ashtanga, Samadhi, as a state of ecstasy.

 At this stage, the meditator merges with his or her point of focus. The meditator comes to realize a profound connection to the Divine, an interconnection with all living things. With this realization comes the "peace that passes all understanding";

The experience of bliss, peace and being one with the Universe may seem to be rather lofty. However, if we pause and examine what we really want to get out of life, is it not joy, fulfillment, freedom, hopes, wishes, and desires?



Thank you for reading :-) 


P.S -  I am not perfect! Far from it in fact. But I'm on a journey to incorporate these teachings into my everyday life and see how it turns out and I will be taking you with me so just stay tuned!