What is Yoga?

Despite popular belief, the goal of yoga is not simply to achieve a pose, or asana. Instead, the postures are tools to help you dive deeper into your yoga practice and explore the mind-body connection.

Many centuries ago, the sage Patanjali transcribed the Yoga Sutras, which serve as foundational guidelines for practicing yoga. Interestingly, the sutras rarely mention the poses most commonly practiced in the West. In fact, Asana is just one of the eight limbs of yoga.

If you’re interested in learning more about the true essence of yoga, I’ll go deeper into each limb below to help you understand the full practice beyond the poses:

1. Yamas: The basic principles on how we treat others and interact with the world around us. These include non-harming (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (asteya), abstinence (brahmacharya), non-greed (aparigraha). A valuable lesson here is in being able to let go, this can be something material, relationships, or negative thoughts.

2. Niyamas: This is more about how we relate to ourselves. These include cleanliness (saucha), contentment (santosha), heat (tapas), self-knowledge (svadyaya), and surrender (ishvarapranidhana). Self-knowledge is really about self discovery and focusing on learning more about ourselves rather than others which we tend to do by comparing where we are in life to those around us. And finally surrendering to trying to have control over what happens and trust the process.

3. Asana: One of the most well known niyamas, the poses. Here we use the body as a tool to self discovery. It is important to modify the postures we practice to find physical comfort in them. While some types of yoga such as Ashtanga or Iyengar have very specific practices, as I physical therapist I find it safer and more effective to adapt the pose to the person rather than force an unprepared body into a pose. One of the yoga sutras is “sthira sukkah asanam” which means steadiness and ease. It is important to find stability and strength in each posture while remaining relaxed. Learning how to do this during the asana practice teaches us how to do so off the mat in our daily lives.

4. Pranayama: This is control of our vital energy through the breath. Practicing different breath techniques can achieve different effects such as energizing or calming. These techniques can also add another layer to your asana practice to help improve mindfulness.

5. Prayahara: Withdrawl of the senses. This is where we begin to being our attention inward rather than focusing on what is going on around us. We may begin our practice by paying attention to the sounds in the room we are we practicing but then we will start to focus on the sensation of the body and then our thoughts.

6. Dharana: (Concentration) Focusing on a thought or a feeling. This allows us to enter a meditative state.

7. Dhyana: (Meditation) Being present in the moment. This does not only happen when you’re sitting trying to meditate but any time you’re fully immersed in an activity you love.

8. Samadhi: Enlightenment. The “goal” of yoga. I think of this as a change of mindset. When you realize that meditation is really just a way of thinking and being. Living in the present moment no matter what you are doing. The yoga practice helps us achieve this off of our mat.

   Once you experience how transformative yoga can be, it’s natural to want to share it with others. Together, we will explore asana along with other practices from the eight limbs of yoga to deepen your yoga practice, enhance your overall wellness, and improve the quality of life for both you and the people around you.