Yam, Niyam, Asana, Pranayama, Pratahara, Dharana, Dhayan and Samadhi are eight part of Astang Yoga………..29,2 Sadhanpad (Patanjali Yogsutra)
It is translated as Eight-fold path. It is a divine science discovered by the learned saints and seers of ancient India. These eight steps are basic guidelines on how to live a meaningful and purposeful life.
Saint Patanjali brought into a disciplined manner, preserved in the form of eight yogic principle.
The first four steps or stages concentrate or purify our personalities,gaining mastery over our body,intellectual awareness of ourselves. All of which prepare for second half of the journey, which deals with the mental peace and bliss of the soul..
Astang Yoga means……
Yam – Resistance to passions.
Niyam -Rules,observances.
Asana – Postures
Pranayama – Breathing techniques,control of prana.
Pratyahar -Sensory withdrawal,abstraction.
Dharna - Concentration
Dhyan – Meditation.
Samadhi - Union with the infinite, State of Liberation
1.Yam
There are five good commonsense guidelines for leading a healthier, happier life for bringing spiritual awareness into a social context.
There are many interpretation of and opinions about the Yam. But finally the Yam as described in Patanjali’s Yogsutra are only five which are also known as the great universal vows. They are also the guidelines for how we interact with the outer world. These five are :-
Ahimsa- Non-violence
Satya- Truthfulness
Asteya- Non-stealing
Brahmacharya- Celibacy,Continence
Aparigraha- Non-covetousness
1.1 Ahinsa- (Non-violence)
If I tell a lie, cause another to tell one or approve of another doing so, this equally sinful. If It is a very mild lie, still it is a lie, Every vicious thought will rebound, every thoughts of hatred which you may have thought, in a cave even, is stored up, and will one day come back to you with tremendous power in the form of some misery here. If you project hatred and jealousy they will rebound on you with compound interest. No power can avert them, when once you have put them in motion, you with have to bear them, Remembering this will present you from doing wicked things.(Swami Vivekanand)
1.2 Satya
Satya should also be considered in depth. It does not only cover speaking the truth. Proper understanding of the talk and the mind is the truth. Here proper means exactly what is seen,understood or heard, the same thing should be followed by our tendency to talk and also by the mind. When we try to explain something to others, the Conservation if it generates doubts or if it is not understood correctly by others, or if it is of no use to others, then that is not truth, even if it is true, Also, God has created our tongue for the benefit of all and not for destruction, So the truth, which results in the destruction of someone or something is also not the truth. Mahabharata has analyzed and classified the truth as under
“Silence is greater than the speech, true speech is greater than the silence, speech as per one, dharma is greater than it and the true speech according to dharma and which is pleasurable and useful to others is the greatest.”
1.3 Asteya (Non-stealing)
“Asteya is a curb or covetousness, which prompts one to grab, Covertly or overtly, what belongs to others”. Shyam ghosh.
Again the point is made that it does not make a difference if you steal openely or on the shy . Patanjali says that “when non-stealing is established, all treasures present themselves.”(2.37). What is being indicated is that when there is no more desire for (material),goods, especially those which do not belong to you, the true (spiritual treasures present themselves to you for the asking.
A modern interpretation could be “to be generous”. Not just not to steal, but let your possession emotions, goodwill, thoughts flow freely. Life is a flow and when you go with the flow, wonderful things happen.
1.4 Brahamcharya (Sexual continence)
Yoga Sadhaka should follow continence, but this does not mean that he should renounce family life and become a monk, such an action is not expected in yoga science ,When a sadhka progresses on the path of yoga, on his own he feel that he should renounce the worldly activities and he will be free from all desires and hence can easily study dhyana and dharma. However, all of us need not stretch the meaning of continence to this level. Controlled enjoyment of desires, staying within the limit of dharma and science can be termed as continence if we understand this meaning and behave accordingly, we will be able to progress in yoga. Due to uncontrolled behaviour. We are more restricted, their fulfillment and enjoyment do have a place in the family life, but there should be some limit. It is we should control the desires and not desires controlling us. Once the desires start ruling us, we lose our freedom, if the desire are not fulfilled, then we lose our mental and physical wellbeing.
1.5 Aparigraha(non covetousness)
Aparigrah means to accumulate more money wealth, possessions than one’s needs. The accumulation of more wealth than required results in ego and enmity . There is imbalance in nature. Hence follower of yoga should use the minimum things. In the universe whatever is seen is created by God. Hence, while consuming anything, do it with feeling of surrender treat it, it belongs to God. Never get engrossed in this. Because the whole wealth belongs to whom? Nobody, It is owned by God only.
2. Niyama (Observance)
Niyam is a personal code behaviour. There are five niyams as below
Saucha -Purity
Santosh – Contentment
Tapas – Austerities
Svadhyaya – Study,Self-discipline
Isvarpranidhana – Surrender to God
2.1 Sauch (Purity)
Purity is of two kinds external and internal. External purity involves cleansing of body,through water and soil, of conduct through desertion of selfishness and of food through consumption of plain edibles earned through just means. Internal purity involves cleansing of inner self through cultivation of pious feeling. It also involves destruction of self defeating feeling like ego, anger, jealously, fear, lust etc. Through the purification means mind feels happy and concentrates easily.
2.2 Santosh (Contentment)
It is said in Upnishads that”Naviten Tarpniyo Manushya” It means that human beings will never get satisfy through wealth, it will only through contentment. Contentment is to remain satisfied with whatsoever you have and not to greed for more. Contentment is considered best of all types of wealth. Only through this human beings get supreme satisfactions.
One should be contented in three acts:
(1) to Donate (2) to do Tapa (3) to Learn
The discontented person keeps worrying for what he is not having or not getting enough. He suffer from all kinds of sorrows. His mind does not remain peaceful and happy ,Therefore, whenever good thoughts take birth in mind and contentment gets rooted, one gets inclined towards Yoga.
2.3 Tapas (Austerities)
Expiation begins from the mind when one learns to control the ever-conflicting thoughts with that a yogi develops the capacity to tolerate hunger and thirst, coldness and heat etc.
2.4 Svadhyaya (Self-discipline)
Self discipline is the process by which a mystic (a yogi) self disciplined himself to reach become a living Mahavira, Budha, Jesus, Christ or prophet Mohammad.
Every person living in a family or leading the life of a hermit can do Svadhyaya leading to purification from within . Truthfulness, and following your Dharma are all but attributes of practicing Svadhyaya.
3. Asana (Posture)
Asana is a body posture. It is a Sanskrit word used to describe a position of the body. Patanjali the founder of Astang Yoga defines asans as “Steady and comfortable posture.” Traditionally many asana are practiced to achieve better physical and mental health. Asana have deep impact on the entire body and mind complex, it affects different systems in the body like muscular respiratory, digestive, excretory, reproductive endocrine, nervous system.
4. Pranayama (Breathing Technique)
Pranayama is the ability to control life’s forces through mastering the motion of breathe. Pranayama is specially retention of breathe inside or outside this is called Kumbhak. All other breathing practices not focusing on Kumbhaka are not considered Pranayama. Instead these are exercise for health and purity to the body.
Breathing exercise, or Pranayama are an important part of the practice of Yoga. They should always be done after the physical exercise why? Because the physical exercise have activated the muscle and warmed the blood, and now the blood should be purified by the breathing exercises. Purifying the breathe and body and activating the prana also work against negative ideas and desires.
5. Pratyahara
Pratyahara is the “Withdrawing of the five Senses”. Every night we unconsciously practice pratyahara while we sleep. As we fall asleep the senses gradually turn inwards tell only sleep and dreams are real.
6. Dharna (Concentration)
Concentration is ……….unbroken contemplation. When the body, mind and breathe are under control, by following the earlier steps, then you can start fixing your attention at one place. Different commentaries on Sage Patanjali’s Yogasuutra advocate different ways of living the gaze. But primarily, for improving your concentration, you should sit in a quiet place try focusing your gaze on a jyoti (light e.g., candle fame) or a suitable object for improving the concentration you should keep bringing the mind back to that object in spite of its natural tendency to wander away, as soon and as many times as is required and the ultimate objectives is to attain sustained and fixed attention at will.
7. Dhyan (Meditation)
Sage Patanjali has explained eight path of yoga (Astang Yoga). Those are Yam, Niyam, Asan, Pranayam, Pratyahar, Dharna, Dhyan and Samadhi. The initial four stage are the basic stages which help the person to attain “Sthiram” (Stability of mind) which is the prior necessity for practicing the further stages of meditation. According to him meditation (Dhyan) means- “full concentration of the mind focused on one of those experiences”.
In simple term the spontaneous concentration of the mind on the object is Meditation. We all know that our mind is fickle, like a butterfly, which always flies from here and there and does not wait at one place for long. But the speed of our mind is far more than the butterfly or it may be greater than the speed of life.
Mind can be recollect past experiences, keeps thinking about the future and experiences the present with all its might and we do not have any control, calmness and tranquility of the mind. Meditation takes the consciousness beyond conscious sub-conscious states to super consciousness.
8. Samadhi (Complete Equilibrium)
The individual consciousness becomes pure consciousness after a prolonged state of Samadhi. There is no need to practice Astang Yoga any longer, became the conscious connection with the desire is everlasting.
