First Published on www.sookta-sumana.com February 23, 2008. All rights reserved.

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THE EIGHT ASPECTS OF YOGA:

A Brief Overview of the History and True Elements of Yoga

by
Shreekumar and Shyamala Vinekar

Over the past several decades, the practice of Yoga has become highly popularized
as a sophisticated form of holistic exercise. However, mainstream practice of
Yoga, around the world, incorporates only a certain few aspects of the complete
philosophy behind the discipline. Moreover, Yoga is being practiced without giving
the appropriate and, indeed, necessary attention to the science underlying the
philosophy. These mainstream forms of Yoga, which are being taught and practiced
in gyms and “Yoga clubs,” fall more into the classification of “healthy, low-
impact work-out.” Furthermore, Yoga is commonly prompted by the inadequate
definition as being simply “a stress-relieving exercise.”

However, in order to reap the full rewards that the science and philosophy of Yoga
affords the body and soul, it is necessary for the dedicated practitioner to
understand two basic things: 1.) The practitioner must know the basic history
behind the discipline; and 2.) The practitioner must comprehend the nature of all
the aspects that encompass the discipline, as well as how these aspects work
together, through proper practice, in order to provide the full benefit.

The following brief synopsis of the true history and aspects of this ancient
discipline will give novice and intermediate practitioners a good foundation from
where to begin the proper pursuit of Yoga.

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Yoga is an ancient discipline which originated in the Vedic Saraswati Culture.

This discipline or science was summarized in the form of aphorisms by the sage
Patanjali. His work, Patanjala Yoga Sutras, or Patanjali’s Yoga Aphorisms are
known as elucidating Ashtanga Yoga, meaning eight aspects of Yoga. They are: Yama,
Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. The first
five are known as the Bahiranga, meaning the external, and the latter three as
Antaranga, meaning internal. The reason for this classification is that the
external techniques can be easily taught and the practices can be observed. The
inner techniques are difficult to observe for an observer and difficult to teach
or practice.

Yama: Limits. These are ethical constraints in relating with the society. (e.g.,
society can mean family, friends, neighbors, fellow workers, fellow citizens,
ultimately all living beings). The aspirant has to learn to practice these in his
daily conduct. Ahinsa, Satyam, Asteyam, Brahmacharya, Asangraha. Simply speaking
these are the inner attitudes of not harming others, being truthful, not taking
anything that belongs to others, live in harmony with nature, and not be greedy
and accumulate unnecessary things. Travel light in your life journey and remain
ethical in interacting with the real world and other living beings treating them
with respect and to maintain harmony. If practiced correctly these attitudes will
make a person feel at ease and give internal peace and balance to live in harmony
with oneself and one’s surroundings.

Niyama: Attitudes that will give a better quality of life. Shoucha, Santosha,
Tapah, Swadhyaya, Ishwarapranidhana.
Inner and outer cleanliness, contentedness, striving for transformation for the
better status, study of Self and adhyatma, and an attitude of surrendering to
Supreme Being.

Asana: Postures. Various isometric postures that are maintained with ease and
stability are described. The idea behind this is to ease the tensions between
different muscle groups and train the organs or parts of the Brain to attain a
balance so the body musculature and the brain circuits can be freed of the
tensions created by the internal conflicts and traumatic experiences.

Pranayama: These are various breathing techniques. These are designed to ease the
disturbances of breathing that come about when facing stress. It is claimed that
the emotional brain is linked closely with breathing, for example with crying,
sighing, fast breathing or hyperventilation, etc. By increasing the conscious
control of this function indirectly the parts of the brain that organize and
control the feelings and emotions can be brought under more conscious control. It
is recommended that a practitioner not engage in many of the advanced Pranayama
techniques until he/she has prepared the body musculature to attain a relaxed
state so it will not make extra demands for oxygen from the lungs. This can be
attained by the previous three techniques, by changing mental attitudes and
avoiding conflict with the environment, resolving inner conflicts and tensions,
and balancing the body musculature.

Pratyahara: Withdrawing the sensory orientation of “attention” from external to

internal focus. This is a technique primarily practiced through Shavasana.

The Antaranga is inner change of focus to turn attention toward the Purusha or
Atman. In order to do so the first prerequisite technique is to develop the
ability to maintain a one-pointed attention, Ekagrata. This attention is focused
on one object and the process of such one-pointed attention and also the object
upon which the attention is focused are called Alambana.

Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi are together called Samyama.

The process is increasing inner absorption to the relative exclusion of awareness

of outer reality perceived through sensory apparatus. It is self-imposed relative
sensory isolation.

Dharana: holding attention. Inward Dharana will be difficult and therefore the
beginner is encouraged to focus on outer object perceived through one sensory
organ. This can be a “yantra” or “Ishta-devata,” “Omkara” or even a musical note.
For that matter whatever interests the aspirant can be chosen for dharana.

Dhyana: The process of dhyana is deeper concentration, inwardly directed.

Ultimate result of Dharana is considered to be blurring of the psychological (ego)
boundary and a feeling of oneness with the object of attention. Dhyana is
associated with gradual ease with which the mind or attention is permitted to
focus on something and all other things gradually vanish from awareness.

Samadhi: Inner balance. The absorption then leads to internal focused attention
and awareness with total absorption in the “themes” or contents of awareness. In
this state the awareness of external reality nearly or totally vanishes. The
internal contents of awareness or Chitta are qualitatively or categorically
described as Vichara, Vitarka, Asmita, Ananda, Vikalpa, etc.

The goal is to divert the consciousness away from its own contents. These
contents are described as Chittavrittis. When all the chittavrittis are inhibited
in the consciousness, the true nature of pure consciousness lurks in the awareness
of the subject, who identifies himself or herself as that consciousness and not as
the identity one carries in the real world. It has a profoundly beneficial
effect, mainly in giving the inner peace and bliss the individual values the most.

So, one can see that the Yogic techniques are psycho-physiological in nature and
can be universally practiced by any mature human being regardless of class, color,
caste, sex, religion or national origin.