Ashtanga Yoga Chiang Mai Thailand

Originally Ashtanga Yoga was related to the eight limbs of Yoga of the Indian sage Patanjali; the teachings of Ashtanga Yoga are found in the famous text known as the Yoga Sutras, which consist of 196 sutras on yogic principles, written around 400BC and revived around 100 years ago by the onset of yoga spreading to the west, and now the Yoga Sutras are considered a valuable asset to present-day yoga practitioners. 

1. Yamas

Yamas are ethical rules in Yoga and can be considered external moral conduct. 

There are five yamas listed by Patañjali in his Yogasūtra 2.30:

The Yamas consist of the following:

Ahimsā अहिंसा: Nonviolence, non-injury to other living beings

Satya सत्य: Truthfulness, honesty & non-falsehood

Asteya अस्तेय: Non-Stealing

Brahmacārya ब्रह्मचर्य: Regulation and control of sexual energy

Aparigraha अपरिग्रह: Non-avarice (greed) & non-possessiveness.

2. Niyama

The next part of Patanjali's yoga path is known as niyama, which includes virtuous habits, behaviours and observances which develop personal growth.

Śauca: purity, clearness of mind, speech and body

2Santoṣa: contentment, acceptance of others, acceptance of one's circumstances as they are in order to get past or change them, optimism for self

Tapas: persistence, perseverance, austerity

4. Svādhyāya: Study of spiritual texts. study of the self, self-introspection of thoughts, speeches and actions

5. Īśvarapraṇidhāna: contemplation of the Ishvara (God/Supreme Being, Brahman, True Self, Unchanging Reality)

3. Āsana

Asana is related to one's seated pose when meditating, so it is not to be confused with modern yoga asana practices, but developing them so you can hold one seated pose, such as padmasana (lotus) or shiddhasana (accomplished), comfortably for an extended period of time for meditation and helps the yogi to the next stage of the 8 limbs of yoga.

4. Prānāyāma

Prāṇāyāma is comprised of two Sanskrit words: 'prāṇa' (प्राण, breath) and 'āyāma' (आयाम, holding, extending and lengthening). Using specialised yoga breathing patterns to help facilitate cleansing, purification and physical and mental relaxation.

5. Pratyāhāra

Pratyāhāra is a combination of two Sanskrit words: 'prati-' (प्रति-, "against" or "contra") and 'āhāra' (आहार, "bring close" or "fetch"). Pratyahara is the first process of internal awareness. It is a process of withdrawing the external sensory experience from external sensory stimuli. Pratyahara is the point of change of one’s yoga practice from the first four limbs, which are physical and external, to the last 3 limbs, which lead the yoga practitioner to their goal of higher consciousness.

6. Dhāranā

Dharana / Sanskrit: 'धारणा' refers to concentration, introspective focus and one-point focus of the mind. The root of the word is dhṛ (धृ), which has a meaning of 'to hold, steady and maintain'. Dharana is to bring one’s mind to one point of focus without any fluctuations of the mind, leading to true meditation.

7. Dhyāna

Dhyana / Sanskrit: ध्यान literally means "contemplation, reflection" and "profound, abstract meditation" Dhyana is the step we achieve once we have true concentration. Meditation starts at this point.

8. Samādhi

Samadhi / Sanskrit: 'समाधि' means 'to join together', 'union', and 'harmonious whole'. "Samadhi is the final stage of the 8 limbs of yoga; this is the culmination of meditation. The mind has no fluctuation, and the yogi has total oneness with the act of meditation. We would consider this stage the first stage of enlightenment, and surely from here deeper levels of awareness will manifest, as this is the beginning of real yoga and unification of body, mind and spirit. Yoga equals 'union', the eighth limb of Patañjali's Yoga Sutras, which is 'Samadhi'.