Eight Limbs Of Yoga

Living in Southern California, yoga is very popular. Every day I see people walking around carrying their yoga mats either to or from their favorite class.

1. Yama (Abstentions):

• Ahimsa (non-injury),
• Satya (truth),
• Asetya (non-stealing),
• Brahmacharya (chastity),
• Apragraha (non-greed)

2.Niyama (Moral Observations):

• Susha (purity),
• Santosha (contentment),
• Tapas (austerity),
• Svadhaya (study of the scriptures),
• Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender to God)

3. Asana( Discipline of the body): rules and postures to keep it disease-free and for preserving vital energy.


4. Pranayama( control of vital energy through breath work):Beneficial to health, steadies the body and is highly conducive to the concentration of the mind.




5. Pratyahara: Withdrawal of the senses from their external objects.


6.  Dharana: concentration of the mind upon a physical object, such as a flame of a lamp, the midpoint of the eyebrows, or the image of a deity.


7.  Dhyana( Meditation): Undisturbed flow of thought around the object of meditation.
(pratyayaikatanata). The act of meditation and the object of meditation remain distinct and separate

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8  Samadhi(Enlightenment, union with the Divine): There is no distinction between act of meditation and the object of meditation.