The 8 limbs of Yoga; reflections

Aspects of the 8 limbs of yoga, as set out in Patanjalis Yoga Sutras, have a direct meaning and application to the way we practice yoga. These limbs both provide a fascinating exploration of the way we practice yoga on the mat, and equally provide significant contemplation and direction for living life more freely, happily, and subtly, beyond the immediate idea of a practice.

These 8 limbs are defined as:

• yama (restraints), includes, for example, ahimsa - non-violence;

• niyama (observances), santosha is a frequently referenced component, referring to contentment and not acquiring more than one's needs in life;

• asana (postures);

• pranayama (breath control);

• pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses);

• dharana (concentration);

• dhyana (meditation); and

• samadhi (absorption), a form of consciousness incorporating liberation.

You may well recognise some of these from your practice with me, that lend themselves to a more daily introduction, clearly 'asana' 'pranayama' being some of those, whilst others hold a more philosophical quality, albeit in a way that can still be integrated into our day-to-day lives. You might like to explore some of these, undertake your own research, and perhaps ponder how they relate to your life. By way of introduction, and probably with further writing to come, I thought we could consider an interesting link between three elements: Santosha (being one of the niyamas, the non-seeking of more than one needs in life), Aparigraha (one of the yamas, which advocates for not overly clinging to, possessing, or demanding), along with Pratyahara (withdrawl of the senses). These three elements can be discussed in the context of a yoga posture, specifically a great place to learn, and how that relates to broader life.

In terms of a yoga posture, let's take tree pose (vrksasana), and that feeling of needing to be able to balance. How frustrating it can when tension in the mind and body makes us feel that balance is elusive. The very idea of falling out feels like it is contrary to the intention of the practice, and therefore a student might feel pre-occupied with balancing...at all cost. This is precisely the form of habitual and common thinking that leads to the need for observing Aparigraha - not desperately attaching to the perceived notion of needing to balance, of attaching our identity to being able to balance. When we notice that we have become intense in a posture this way, we can follow the encouragement to approach things with more lightness, for example, a small smile, a look up to raise your perspective, and ultimately, a reminder that it really doesn't matter if we fall out, it's all part of the practice to stumble, to fall, and to carry on. In turn, and its a beautiful paradox, the very essence and simplicity of this lighter approach permits tension to release a little, balance to be found, and the integration of Aparigraha within your practice. You still apply yourself to the situation (here, the balancing posture), and you practice many times, perhaps frequently, whilst cultivating the wisdom that overly attaching yourself to the posture is actually a block to the fluidity of your practice and balance. Once experienced in the posture, you can experiment with the attitude elsewhere.

Within this same posture, you are dropping down into the simplicity of the here-and-now, the presence of your asana and your breath, which in turn nourishes our propensity towards Santosha - not exceeding what we truly need in life. When we release our attachment to ideals and certain ideas, we can be more explorative with how thinghs truly are, noticing more in the mind and body which will refine our experience and develop our sense of bodily intuition and awareness of the patterns we hold. One of the limbs, an ingredient, which complements this approach so well, is the Pratiyahara - the withdrawl of our senses. When we delve a little deeper into the breath, we can notice an absoprtion into the internal senses, that supports us to move away from the external stimuli. We then notice more of what we truly feel, and become less invested in our projections on to others, and feel more distance from the introjects that we have swallowed whole in our lives up until now (those things we've previously been told about ourselves and have not been given the chance to question). For example, when you really delve into the posture, you may discover you're less fearful than you were previously led to believe. When you know and trust your teacher, their instructions and guidance can be incorporated literally, to help you on this journey, as a form of a communication and dialogue for you to explore, and to support you, in your practice; both in the sense of the physical posture, and its philosophical underpinnings.