The Meaning of the Eight Limb Path

👉🏼 What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “yoga”?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Contrary to popular western belief, Yoga is so much more than moving on your mat. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Yoga is a spiritual practice, an eight-limbed path, comprising of guidelines to live by, a trained body, deep meditation, and connection to Oneness. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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☸️ I’ve laid out the 8 limbs here:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The Yamas & Niyamas are the initial disciplines. By doing these things, you purify the body’s energy.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Yamas include: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
▪️ahimsa (non-violence)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
▪️satya (honesty)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
▪️asteya (non-stealing)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
▪️brahmacharya (self-restraint)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
▪️aparigraha (non-greed)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Niyamas include: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
▫️saucha (purity, cleanliness)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
▫️santosha (self-acceptance)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
▫️tapas (self-discipline)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
▫️svadhyaya (self-observation)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
▫️isvara pranidhana (surrender to [your] god)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🔸 Asana is the movement on your mat which opens the energy channels so prana (breath, life-force) can flow freely. The main goal of asana is to prepare the body (to build the postural endurance and mobility) to sit still for meditation.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🔸 Pranayama is the practice of breath work often done following asana, such as in savasana or a seated meditation.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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The next 4 limbs begin to leave the external world and focus inward:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔹 Pratyahara brings awareness to yourself purely and withdrawals from all other sensations. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔹 Dharana is the act of focusing the mind.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔹 Dhyana is once the mind is focused.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🔹 Samadhi is the enlightened state of pure bliss — so rarely is it achieved.