Patanjali's 8 Limbs of Yoga

I wanted to share with you and your families this article of information that I compiled for an assignment throughout my 200 hr Teacher Training program at Rama Lotus. Wow, huge time commitment, but I am grateful for being able to take the course and dedicating time each and everyday to this course and my personal yoga practice and growth. It is sad that the course is ending next weekend as its been nice meeting new like minded individuals and sharing time together every other weekend since November. However, it is nice to be able to complete something and see it through fully. Now it's time for reflection and to continue my personal growth. I look forward to seeing many of the participants at other upcoming workshops and events!

Patanjali's 8 Limbs of Yoga

Overview & History
Patanjali is the great man credited for the development of the Yoga Sutra’s. He wrote them sometime between 150 BCE to 250 CE. The sutras that were developed may be seen as a blueprint to a morally and ethically sound life. The yoga sutras bring forth depth to one’s yogic lifestyle, with attention to on and off mat practice and includes self-discipline, meditation, moral and ethical conduct and mind, body, spirit health. The Yoga Sutra’s detail the eight fold path of yoga called Ashtanga Yoga.
Ashta= Eight Anga= Limb
Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga is not to be confused with Ashtanga Yoga as practiced by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. It is this form of Ashtanga Yoga that you will see offered at yoga studios and community centres. Patanjali’s Ashtanga, 8 Fold Path, leads one to liberation and enlightenment.

The 8 Limbs

YAMA = Personal Restraints
Patanjali’s first limb of yoga, Yama, details one’s ethical and moral standards and with how an individual conducts themselves within society. There are 5 Yama’s as follows:

1. Ahimsa (Non-Violence) Little Lotus yogis are encouraged to practice sharing and caring with their peers. Compassion is also encouraged through communication- verbal and non-verbal. Encourage your child to use positive communication instead of hitting, yelling, name calling, etc. Take time to be compassionate and encourage your heart to shine through to others! Ahimsa encompasses non-violence to the self, others, animals and our environment. This may be incorporated into one’s diet by encouraging a vegetarian diet. Ahimsa may also apply to the physical practice of yoga as one respects their body and mind while on the mat. Yoga is not a competition or pushing yourself to do something that you may think you should be able to do or want to do!

2. Satya (Truthfulness) Little Lotus yogi’s are encouraged to remain truthful to themselves and others. This may include speaking the truth, and ensuring actions are truthful to meet their goals as an individual and within their family unit. Encourage your child to be truthful, to do what feels best for them and to always speak the truth. Sat= truth ya= continuation Therefore satya is the continuation of truth. It is important that we teach our leaders of tomorrow that to lie causes yourself pain as well as others. Not telling and /or living the truth uses a lot of energy and can become draining for our mind, body and spirit.

3. Asteya (Non-Stealing) Little Lotus yogi’s are encouraged to be creative and develop their own ideas, while not stealing ideas from others and crediting peers for their own ideas. Non-stealing of material things is also emphasized, as well as stealing time from their selves and doing something that is positive towards their development as an individual. Encourage your child to spend their time participating in activities and events that allow their mind, body and spirit to soar. By spending time on activities they may not enjoy (i.e.: music lessons) we are stealing from their creativity time and personal development


4. Bramacharya (Moderation) Little Lotus yogis are encouraged to adopt a sense of moderation within their lifestyle. This may be in the form of moderation of unhealthy food choices, riding in a motor vehicle when walking or cycling is available or any other activities or behaviors that they may display. With moderation a sense of internal balance and contentment may begin to develop within the self and the struggle of peer pressure and keeping up with others will begin to decrease over time. The next time your child would like a third cookie or another ice cream treat encourage them to make a healthy choice such as an apple or banana. Is your child having difficulty grasping that they do not require another new bathing suit, or lululemon sweater? Create an environment that welcomes and nurtures your child as they develop a sense of moderation and begin to understand the differences between moderation and over-indulgence within their life. When bramacharya is practiced it can lead the individual in practice closer to God / Universal Awareness.

5. Aparigraha (Non- Attachment) Little Lotus yogi’s are encouraged to embrace and be thankful for what they have in their lives, but to also understand that these objects and materials do not make who we are as an individual. It is also important that one practices non-attachment to their on and off mat practice. What you may be able to do one day on the mat we may not the next. Practice being aware of each moment and the beauty of your surroundings. Focus on what is happening within the body instead of creating attachments to material objects, finances and things.

NIYAMA- Personal Ethics
Patanjali’s second limb of yoga Niyama, details one’s self discipline and personal actions and observances within society. There are 5 Niyama’s as follows:

1. Saucha (Cleanliness) Little Lotus yogis are encouraged to participate in maintaining clean body health. This may include teeth brushing and proper bathroom hygiene. They are also encouraged to maintain a clean environment within their personal space (picking up toys, cleanliness at meal times) and that of their external environment. Our external environment can include our water system, parks and outdoor spaces, noise pollution, etc.

Encourage your child to develop healthy hygiene skills and make it a fun family affair to do something that will assist in cleaning the environment. Have an outdoor picnic at the park, followed by picking up any garbage that may have been left in the park over the season. Saucha applies to our inner and outer environment, including the body and mind. Mantras are also able to clear the mind of clutter and overwhelming thoughts, and an example your little yogi may be familiar with is Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo.

2. Santosha (Contentment) Little Lotus yogi’s are encouraged to be content and thankful for the people and things within their life. Children tend to be more welcoming in being present within the moment and content with their surroundings than adults. There should be no internal struggle to maintain a certain standard or partake in an activity just because another friend or family member is. Encourage your child to become content with the toys and activities within their life. By accumulating more material objects one will not become more content in the big picture of life. Practice with your family being content in the moment and enjoy the present. Join your little yogi for some posture practice and take time to just be! Don’t worry about the to-do list, that dinner needs to be started, bills to be paid. Children can sometimes teach the adults how to be content and present.

3. Tapas (burning fire, enthusiasm) Tapas, the burning enthusiasm and discipline, brings forth the ability to reach our goals and maintain internal motivation. Little Lotus Yogi’s are encouraged to be enthusiastic about the tasks and activities that they enjoy throughout their days. They are also encouraged to maintain focus throughout their activities, creating self-discipline towards listening, learning, sharing & caring. Practice your own tapas to ensure you are a positive role model for your little Yogi. Create enthusiasm and a burning desire towards activities in your life.

4. Svadhyaya (Self Study) Svadhyaya incorporates the study of the true self, without the ego present, studying traditional yoga texts, history, philosophies, etc. Through self study one is able to gain further knowledge into their true selves, absent of judgments and attachments. Little Lotus Yogi’s are encouraged to be inquisitive towards the yogic tradition and other areas that may interest them. Encourage your child to dive deeper into areas of interest and increase their knowledge of the topic. This will assist in leading towards greater knowledge of our interactions with others and towards one’s true self.

5. Isvara Pranidhana (Surrender to God) Isvara Pranidhana is translated as giving up or surrendering to God. Patanjali states in his yoga sutra’s that devotion to the Lord is one of the paths to enlightenment. Since yoga is not a religion, this may include any religion you practice, or the divine with each of us. Isvara Pranidhana is also acting the best way you can, remaining true to yourself and giving up attachments to the outcome of our actions. Isvara Pranidhana may also occur at those moments where time seems to stop because you are so present without attachments and judgments. Little Lotus Yogi’s are encouraged to be the best they can be and are given a safe environment to allow their true self to shine. Encourage your child to be the best they can be and do what feels right for them. Take time each day to live in the moment with your child!

ASANA- Patanjali’s third limb of yoga is asana, the posture practice of yoga. The practice of asana brings forth discipline, internal strength (mind and body), and the concentration that is necessary for meditation. Little Lotus yogis participate in asana classes during their class sessions, and are encouraged to incorporate their physical practice at home with their family as well. Create a welcoming environment for your child to share with you what they are learning in class. Set aside a special time each day to share in a short asana practice with your child(ren). There are also great dvd’s available for children who want to practice at home.

PRANAYAMA- The fourth limb of yoga is pranayama. Prana= life force Pranayama= control of the breath. Through various breath exercises the body is purified and the mind is stilled. This enables the yogi to enhance their concentration and assist in making meditation more attainable. Little Lotus yogi’s are encouraged to experience with their breath and deepen their breath with deep belly breathing. Ask your little yogi to show you their balloon breathing (deep abdominal breathing) and how to make wind with their mouth and nose. Older yogis are encouraged to develop skills for alternate nostril breathing, kapalabhati and sitali breathing exercises.

PRATYAHARA- The fifth limb of yoga is pratyahara. Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses from the external environment and creating a focus with the internal self. This can be seen as a form of concentration.

A form of concentration that brings forth awareness within the body. In a world where we are continually multi-tasking it can be extremely challenging to withdraw from the external world and environment to focus within. Little Lotus yogi’s are invited to withdraw their senses from the external environment through the development of listening skills, then increasing quiet time and tuning into the body. Older Little Lotus yogis begin to tune into the body by following the breath and mantra’s. Encourage your preschool child to take time each day to participate in quiet activities and activities that require directed attention (i.e .coloring, school homework, reading, yoga) and to practice listening. Guided story meditations and recordings may be enjoyable for your child and family. Take time out to focus within the body each and every day withdrawing from the noise of cars, and chores to be completed.

DHARANA – The sixth limb of yoga is dharana. Dharana is achieved by directing the attention to a fixed point, in the form of an idea, object, place, sensation, mantra, the breath or an image. In a society where we are always multi tasking it can be challenging to allow the self to be fully present, complete in the moment and focused. Once the mind directs its attention to a fixed point it may begin to wander. When you recognize the mind has wandered from its fixed point or object, and at times this may occur without notice, bring it back to the point of focus. Over time the mind will wander less frequently and becomes clearer and still. Invite your little yogi to spend quality and peaceful times with you while you sit quietly looking into a candle flame (be safe!), focus within on your breath, recite a mantra or focus on an image. Encourage your child to stay focused on the object or place for as long as they feel comfortable. Ensure that there is never negativity or pressure associated with this special quiet time.

DHYANA- The seventh limb of yoga is dhyana. Dhyana occurs when a continuous flow of cognition towards an object or image happens within. Dhyana is a meditative state where no thoughts intrude and the vritti (internal chatter) begins to wind down. It takes effort to achieve dhyana but once that state is entered there are no struggles to maintain a continuous flow of the mind. The mind in meditation is peaceful, clear and one-pointed. All three of these things must be present at the same time. Dhyana comes when you have developed a deep connection to stillness through meditation. Over time and practice of dharana, dhyana will naturally occur. Set aside time to meditate and be still regularly and see the benefits that you and your family receive!

SAMADHI­- The eighth and final limb of yoga is Samadhi. Samadhi is the highest state of consciousness and internal bliss, free from all suffering, attachments and judgments. It is a spiritual experience that brings forth pure consciousness that is void of any attached thoughts. One who experiences Samadhi merges with the divine and is One with the Universe. Samadhi brings forth realization of the ego and that the soul and divine are what is real within each individual.
The soul and divine never die, but live on after the physical body has passed. Little Lotus yogi’s participate in activities that bring forth the understanding that every individual is equal, regardless of age, colour, sex, etc. Encourage your child to do things that bring forth happiness and joy with emphasis on non-attachment (of toys, activities) and not judging (people, thoughts, behaviors). Only once the limbs before have been practiced and maintained will the door to Samadhi begin to open. Remember it’s a journey and to take time along the way to be present and enjoy the moment each and every day.


Namaste

~A