Ashtanga yoga is a trendy yoga. The’ Patanjali’ outlines 8 “limbs” or aspects. So the 8 limbs of Ashtanga yoga are; Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. Ashtanga is a combination of two Sanskrit words ashta and anga. ‘Ashta’ means 8 and ‘anga’ means limb. These eight steps act as a guideline to lead a happy and meaningful life.
Yama focuses on your energy. It includes truth, kindness, sexual continence, nonviolence, fortitude, bodily purity, straightforwardness, honesty and a moderate diet.
Yama is divided into 5: Continence (Brahmacharya), non-violence (Ahimsa), non-stealing (Asteya), non-covetousness (Aparigraha), and truthfulness (Satya).
Niyama helps you to decrease the ego, which helps you to let go. The activities consist of belief in God, austerity, worship, satisfaction, power of giving, modesty and japa (repetition of prayers).
Like Yama, Niyama is also classified into 5:Cleanliness (Saucha), spiritual austerities (Tapas), contentment (Santosa), surrender to God (Isvara pranidhana), and study of one’s self and holy scriptures (Sadhyaya).
Asana allows you to sit motionless for 3 to 6 hours. The body is known to be the temple of the spirit. Asanas help us in spiritual growth and develops proper concentration. Staying in one position helps to calm down the mind. A calm mind leads to a peaceful and happy mood. Asana helps to explore the inner world and makes willpower stronger. Asana is a way to connect with the inner world and inner peace.
Pranayama helps you to control your mind and breathe. It mainly focuses on storing energy. Pranayama is a fundamental technique when it comes to yoga. There should be a perfect balance of asana and pranayama. Both pranayama and asana are known to be the utmost form of purification and self-discipline.
Pratyahara withdraws your attention from the sensory inputs, so it won’t be able to disturb your meditation. It focuses on purifying the sensory inputs. Eventually, ‘prana’ is detached from the ‘nadis’ that helps to transport sensory input.
Dharana helps the mind to focus on any object (single), like the concentration on the chakras, which starts from the first and approaches the seventh gradually.
Dhyana means uninterrupted concentration. This kind of concentration needs some effort. Through dhyana, we become aware of the reality of this materialistic world. We come to a realisation that the only reality is Lord. All things become crystal clear to us.
Samadhi focuses on maintaining concentration without any effort. It helps your conscious to connect to natural ‘samadhi’, which leads to enlightenment. Samadhi is the final step, which means union with the Divine. Samadhi takes us one step further, beyond consciousness. In Samadhi, the body and senses sleep, but the mind is active.
Ashtanga Yoga, a dynamic and physically demanding style of yoga, incorporates specific breathing techniques called “ujjayi breath” or “victorious breath.” Here’s an explanation of Ashtanga Yoga breathing:
The ujjayi breath in Ashtanga Yoga supports the energetic and physical demands of the practice. It aids in building heat, increasing endurance, and finding a sense of moving meditation. With regular practice, the breath becomes a powerful tool for cultivating mindfulness, enhancing concentration, and deepening the connection between body, breath, and movement.
