THE IMPORTANT LIMBS OF YOGA ! (ASANA, DHARANA, DHYANA, NIYAMA)

 

THE EIGHT LIMBS OF YOGA

 

 

 

 

• YAMA                        - MORAL OBSERVANCES FOR INTERACTIONS                                             WITH  OTHERS
• NIYAMA                    - MORAL OBSERVANCES FOR INTERACTIONS                                                         WITH  YOURSELF
• ASANA                       - POSTURES
• PRANAYAMA            - BREATHING
• PRATYAHARA            - SENSORY INHIBITION
• DHARANA                  - FOCUS
• DHYANA                     - MEDITATION
• SAMADHI                   - BLISSFUL ABSORPTON OF ONE'S INDIVIDUAL                 CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE ESSENCE OF                                                              GOD.

ASANA

 

 

ASANA IS ONE OF THE EIGHLT LIMBS OF YOGA. ASANA MEANS STAYING OR ABIDING. IT IS THROUGH ASANAS THAT AN INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVES THE UNITY OF BODY AND MIND. 

WHEN THE PERSON IS PERFORMING AN ASANA THERE IS A CORRESPONDING MENTAL BALANCE BETWEEN HIS MOVEMENTS AND STILLNESS. IN HIS FAMOUS YOGA SUTRA, PATANJALI SAYS THAT EACH POSTURE REFLECTS A MENTAL ATTITUDE, WHITHER THAT ATTITUDE BE ONE OF EACH POSTURE REFLECTS A MENTAL ATTITUDE, WHETHER THAT ATTITUDE BE ONE OF SURRENDER, ORTHE STRENGTHENING OF THE WILL OF THE CREATION OF A PHYSICAL PRAYER WITH THE BODY. THROUGH THE PERFORMANCE AND PRACTICE OF DIFFERENT ASANAS, ONE IS ABLE TO LEARN THE HANDLING OF DIFFICULT SITUATIONS. THIS IS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE ARE IN A BETTER POSITION TO KNOW OUR BODY. WE HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED THAT THE GREATEST ADVANTAGE OF ASANA IS THAT IT HELPS US GET USED TO DIFFERENT SITUATIONS BE ABLE TO COPE WITH DIFFERENT DEMANDS.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECTOF ASANA IS THAT IT CAN TEMPORARILY BRING PEACE AND FREE THE MIND OF ALL WORRIES. THE QUIETING OF MIND PROMOTES THE BALANCING OF THE MENTAL FUNCTIONS OF THE INDIVIDUAL. THE SOOTHING EFFECT OF ASANAS OF THE BRAIN HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY EEG DATA OF BRAIN DURING MEDITATION. IT PROVES THAT ASANAS HAVE GREAT HEALING IMPLICATIONS.

DHARANA

DHARANA IS THE SIXTH LIMB OF ASHTANGA YOGA. IN LITERAL TERMS, THE WORD "DHARANA" MEANS UNBENDING CONCENTRATION OF MIND". THE MAIN IDEA UNDERLYING DHARANA IS THE CONCENTRATION OR FOCUS OF ATTENTION IN ONE DIRECTION OR ONE OBJECT. DHARANA IS FORM OF MEDITATION WHICH COULD BE CALLED RECEPTIVE CONCENTRATION. WITH THE HELP OF DHARANA A SET OF CONDITIONS ARE CREATED THROUGH WHICH MIND FOCUSED ATTENTION IN ONE DIRECTION AND OBJECT RATHER THAN CONCENTRATING IN MANY DIRETIONS.

DHARANA AIMS AT FIXING THE MIND BY GETTING IT FOCUSED UPON SOME STABLE ENTITY. THOUGH IT IS EASIER SAID THAN DONEBUT AFTER STARTING WITH SMALL STEPS ONE CAN ACHIEVE THE DESIRED RESULT. ROLLING THE EYES UPWARD AND DOWNWARD TO GET CONCENTRATION ONE BY ONE IN ONE DIRECTION AFTER ANOTHER IS A GOOD METHOD TO START THE CONCENTRATION PRACTICE. ANY OBJECT SELECTED FOR PRACTISING DHARANA HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MEDITATION PART. THIS IS JUST TO STOP THE MIND FROM WANDERING THROUGH MEMORIES, DREAMS, OR REFLECTIVE THOUGH-BY DELIBERATELY HOLDING IT SINGLE-MINDEDLY UPON SOME APPARENTLY STATIC OBJECT.

AFTER BEING PURIFIED BY YOGA PRACTICE, THE MIND IS ABLE TO CONCENTRATE MORE ON ONE SUBJECT OR POINT. AFTER REACHING SUCH POSITION AN INDIVIDUAL IS READY TO UNLEASH GREAT POTENTIAL FOR INNER HEALING. IF THE YOGI CHOOSES TO FOCUS ON A CENTRE (CHAKRA) OF THE INNER ENERGY FLOW, HE OR SHE CAN DIRECTLY EXPERIENCE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL BLOCKS AND IMBALANCES THAT REMAIN IN HIS OR HER SYSTEM. THIS ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE DEPENDS ON EXCELLENT PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND INTEGRATION AND IS NOT ESCAPE FROM REALITY, BUT RATHER A MOVEMENT TOWARDS PERCEPTION OF ITS TRUE NATURE.

DHYANA

DHYANA IS THE SEVENTH LIMB OF ASHTANGA YOGA. DHYANA MEANS WORSHIP, OR PROFOUND AND ABSTRACT RELIGIOUS MEDITATION. IT IS PERFECT CONTEMPLATION. IT INVOLVES CONCENTRATION UPON A POINT OF FOCUS WITH THE INTENTION OF KNOWING THE TRUTH ABOUT IT. DURING DHYANA, THE CONSCIOUSNESS IS FURTHER UNIFIED BY COMBINING CLEAR INSLIGHTS INTO DISTINCTION BETWEEN OBJECTS AND BETWEEN THE SUBTLE LAYERS OF VEILS THAT SURROUND INTUITION. 

WE LEARN TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE MIND OF THE PERCEIVER. THE MEANS OF PERCEPTION, AND THE OBJECTS PERCEIVED, BETWEEN WORDS, THEIR MEANINGS, AND IDEAS, AND BETWEEN ALL THE LEVELS OF EVOLUTION OF THE NATURE. WE REALIZE THAT THESE ARE ALL FOCUSED IN AN UNDIFFERENTIATED CONTINUM. ONE MUST APPREHEND BOTH SUBJECT AND OBJECT CLEARLY IN ORDER TO PERCEIVE THEIR SIMILARITIES, FOR A CLEAR GRASP OF REAL IDENTITY OF TWO APPARENTLY DIFFERENT THINGS REQUIRES A CLEAR GRASP OF THEIR SEEMING DIFFERENCE. THUS DHYANA IS APPREHENSION OF REAL IDENTITY AMONG OSTENSIBLE DIFFERENCE.

NIYAMA

 

 

NIYAMA IS SANSRIT WORD MEANING RULES OF LAWS. THESE ARE THE RULES PRESCRIBED FOR PERSONAL OBSERVANCE. LIKE THE FIVE YAMAS, THE NIYAMAS ARE NOT EXERCISES OR ACTIONS TO BE SIMPLY STUDIED. THEY REPRESENT FAR MORE THAN AN ATTITUDE. COMPARED WITH THE YAMAS, THE NIYAMAS ARE MORE INTIMATE AND PERSONAL. THEY REFER TO THE ATTITUDE WE ADOPT TOWARDS OURSELVES.