These days, Patanjali is a household name because of the consumer goods and food products made by the company of the same name. However Sage Patanjali is actually an important figure of Indian history. He was a sage, philosopher and writer of several treatises that remain relevant today. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is an ancient text that forms the basis for the yoga that we practice today. We look at the ‘ashtanga’ (ashta meaning 8 and ang meaning part or body) or the eight limbs of practice laid down by Patanjali more than 2000 years ago. We look at what the yoga sutras consist of and why they remain relevant within the modern context.
A historical perspective of the Yoga Sutras
Sage Patanjali is said to have lived between the 4th and 5th centuries CE. He was a scholar who left behind some very important Sanskrit texts, such as the treatise on grammar called Mahabhasya and even certain medical texts. He is best known for authoring the Patanjali Yoga Sutras, which details the practice and theory of yoga and the yogic lifestyle. Thought to be the father of yoga, sage Patanjali is still revered for having compiled the 196 (195 according to some experts) sutras or threads.
The Yoga Sutra texts are said to have fallen into obscurity for a long period between the 12th and 19th century. It was the efforts of Swami Vivekananda as well as scholars such as Tirumalai Krishnamacharya and the great yoga teacher BKS Iyengar that revived interest in the text. These great men and other scholars studied, and found great wisdom and valuable knowledge in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
The contents of the Yoga Sutras are so timeless that they applied to the people’s needs and social structure when they were written, later when they were rediscovered, as well as today. The eight elements of the Yoga Sutras lay down the blueprint for life – a healthy, spiritual, fulfilling life that is in harmony with nature and with others in society. Today if I am able to share my knowledge as a yoga teacher with my students; I can do it because of this historical context. I call upon the experience, deep insight and lived reality of some of our most celebrated ancient saints and modern thinkers as I try to help others in my own small way.
The ashtanga or eight limbs of the Yoga Sutras are yama (or abstinence), niyama (rules to be observed), asana (yoga postures or exercises), pranayama (breathing techniques), pratyahara (a gathering towards or withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration of the mind, improving memory), dhyana (contemplation and meditation) and samadhi (transcendence or ecstasy). It is a progressive formula for living life – where we try to evolve to become better humans.
1. Yama
This thread teaches us about the importance of having good values and practicing restraint and moderation. It tells us about the important rules to live our lives by. Generally, the five yamas are said to be satya, ahimsa, asteya, brahmacharya and aparigraha. Satya and Ahimsa (Ahinsa), are concepts we are all familiar with; like a national creed for us as Indians. Our unique form of passive nonviolent resistance against our former colonial occupiers inspired generations of thinkers and revolutionaries to come. The values of truth and nonviolence are, in a sense, steeped into our culture.
Further we learn the value of not stealing with Asteya. If there was no concept of respecting the property and possessions of others, society would be unruly and chaotic. When we speak of brahmacharya, we have to understand the term as wider than just about practicing celibacy. It also means practicing continence, more precisely about harnessing one’s energy and essence to channel in positive ways. Aparigraha is the art of de-cluttering. It is about letting go of the desire for more and more things. This instinct for acquisition can be particularly difficult to deal with in the modern context of the materialistic society where everyone is trying to sell us all sorts of unnecessary things. However, we should try to create a non-acquisitive mindset to identify what we need versus what we want. We should try to de-clutter our environment to live simpler and less complicated lives.
2. Niyama
Niyama means rules as we commonly understand the word. It also means duties or observances that we must live by – not just for ourselves but for others around us, to live a regulated and disciplined life. The five niyamas are shauch, santosh, tapa, swadhyay and ishwara pranidana. Shauch has come to mean defecation in the modern context, but it is actually a larger concept of maintaining cleanliness. It is cleanliness of the self and of one’s surroundings, because even the ancients understood the connection between good hygiene and good health. They observed how cleanliness of the body and the environment helped control infections and diseases, and hence understood why we must all practice good hygiene.
Santosh or contentment is closely tied to mental wellbeing and a good quality of life. Quite simply it means that we are happy with what we have and don’t envy others or wish for what they have. This does not mean we must not be ambitious; it merely means that we should have our own standard for evaluating our own life based on our own abilities and realities. Connected to this is tapa which means self-discipline and the negating of our base desires. Tapa can be seen in two ways – it can be the burning will to do or achieve something and it can also be the burning of desire itself.
Swadhyay literally means self-study. It is an urging for us to improve ourselves by studying not only texts and sacred scriptures but also studying ourselves, our strengths and limitations. This isn’t an abstract concept, but something that we can apply to our everyday life to become more knowledgeable and aware. Ishwara Pranidhana is about supplicating ourselves to God or the higher power. It can also be about submitting ourselves to a guru or a learned person.
3. Asana
Asana means, of course, the postures of yoga. We tend to think of yoga as being about these asanas but it is actually so much more than the perfect plank or backbend. It is about having good balance and having a good, healthy posture. The ancient texts speak about positions that are comfortable and good for the body, which do not create strain and misalignment or pain. It is important to learn the postures correctly so that we gain maximum benefit while reducing any chance of injury.
Doing yoga asanas regularly helps us become more disciplined, creates healthy habits so we can be more productive and effective in other areas of life as well. There are numerous studies that have proved the many benefits of doing yoga as prescribed: weight control, increased fitness and endurance, more lean muscle mass, flexibility, improve posture, good joint health, better mental health, lower stress and more. Yoga is now prescribed in conjunction with many mainstream therapies for issues such as heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, depression, cancer and more.
4. Pranayama
As we all know, this is about breath control; specific techniques for breathing that have various beneficial impacts. These techniques help oxygenate the blood more effectively to carry the blood to the various organs, improve lung function, clear the nasal passages and improve immunity. Our breath is our very life force and pranayama techniques are thought to rejuvenate the body and mind and even improve the lifespan.
Pranayama can be done on its own or by incorporating this into your daily practice of yoga. This is one of the stepping stones towards effective meditation because it increases self-awareness, and helps us control the body and mind. It can help us move to a state of higher consciousness when we perform pranayama in conjunction with yoga and meditation. Some of the most widely performed pranayama techniques are:
- Nadi Shuddhi or alternate nostril breathing, which helps balance the body and also calms the mind and helps in managing our emotions.
- Bhramari pranayama or the humming bee breath helps reduce anxiety and anger to elevate the mood, improves blood circulation through the increased production of nitric oxide, and even improves sleep quality.
- Seetali pranayama or cooling breath can help manage digestive issues, enhances efficiency of some organs and more.
- Ujjayi or warming breath paranayam helps the body warm up and prepare for other yoga asanas. It helps improve endurance, awareness, and could also relieve headaches and cold symptoms.
5. Pratyahara
Pratyahara is one of the forgotten limbs of yoga. To practice pratyahara, we work towards withdrawing our senses so that we come a step closer to the ultimate goal of Samadhi. Some people also refer to this as sensory transcendence. We try to cut out the distractions of the world around us – the noise, the movements, the smells, intrusive thoughts and so on. This is generally thought of as something that advanced yogis are able to perform: rejecting all external stimuli and concentrating on one’s inner landscape.
Practice of pratyahara can help to slow down the rate of breathing and even the heart rate. We have seen how advanced practitioners can become impervious to cold climate, live for extended periods without food and water, and even do without breathing for minutes at a time. The aim is to withdraw from our surroundings in a way that pain and suffering become immaterial, so that we gain mastery over unworthy emotions like greed, avarice and envy. We learn to direct our concentation and our energies within us to access untapped potential and abilities we possess but may not know about.
6. Dharana
This is part of the Vibhuti Pada, or the third chapter of the 8 limbs of Yoga. Here the yogi works to focus concentation and to hold it. Like Pratyahara, the yogi draws all attention within and becomes oblivious to pain, heat, cold, hunger and so on. One of the techniques used here is Tratak Kriya, which is a method of meditation. In my experience Tratak is a very effective way to centre the mind and concentrate our senses so we can cut out distractions and sharpen focus.
Focusing on the breath is another way to focus concentration within while cutting out our sensory perceptions. When we learn to control the mind and slowly get better at this, we can meditate effectively and find that we become more mentally adept in other ways as well. We find that we concentrate more fully on work or studies or anything that requires concentrated effort. Even when we are spending time with loved ones, we are able to be fully present in that moment.
7. Dhyana
This is the next step in the yogic journey – the seventh limb which is dhyana or achieving the meditative state. Literally when we use the word ‘dhyana’ we mean to pay attention. We also think of this is the process of contemplation. Meditation is a vital process that helps us achieve self-knowledge and the ultimate reality of all that surrounds us. It is a conscious quietening of the mind, a calming of the mental clutter and the noise.
This is not easy of course, and it takes significant stamina and strength of will to become still, both physically and mentally. We can strive to meditate in the way prescribed but we must remember not to feel that unless we achieve full meditative absorption, we have somehow fallen short. Even if we meditate imperfectly or we are able to do it only in short spurts, we do still derive benefit from practicing meditation. It helps us unlock our creativity, overcome our limitations, control stress and so much more.
8. Samadhi
We commonly use the word samadhi as denoting a monument erected in someone’s name – most often a famous person or a great spiritual person. However, it has a wider meaning in the context of the Yoga Sutras. It is the culmination of the yogic journey, when one is able to achieve the ultimate aim of enlightenment or divine bliss. This is the state of mind when we realise how we are all connected to each other and to everything else in the universe. It is the way to achieve peace when we see the divine spark within us and within all the other living beings around us.
Obviously not all of us can attain Samadhi and perhaps this long and difficult road prescribed by Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras is not the aim for all of us. However, the striving for self-improvement, self-knowledge, and the ability to control and calm the mind and negative emotions can only have a positive impact. It is easy to see how these yogic techniques help us in our professional as well as personal life – helping us think clearly, experience empathy, and concentrate our attention on projects and people as need be.
Ultimately our aim in life ought to be to be able to experience joy, achieve our inner potential, and to live in harmony with the people and the world around us. Our aim should be to achieve a certain spiritual plane where we are able to view others with love and empathy rather than suspicion and judgment. This is basically an evolution of ourselves into a better version of us. If the Yoga Sutras and the yogic journey can help us achieve even a part of this, we should strive for this – don’t you think?