Hand stand, crow pose, child’s pose, suptabaddhakonasana, and all the poses is this thing we call yoga. Right? Nope. Wrong. What we see and associate as YOGA here in the west is actually a very small part of what YOGA is in the east. What we call yoga- the classes, the pants, and the mats – is known as ASANA, or postures, and is only one of EIGHT branches of this thing called “YOGA”.
Asana is great. Here in the west, it’s what typically draws people to yoga: the crazy body bends, pretzel like twists, and the rumor that it zen’s you out. However, asana is actually branch three in the system. Typically the limbs were worked through and upon mastering one you would “level” up in a way to the next. Now, people often sample from all the branches and typically use asana as a way to touch on some of the other branches such as pranayama or breath control (all those inhales and exhales make a little more sense I hope). The eight limbs of yoga are as follows:
- Yamas (restraints)
- Niyamas (disciplines)
- Asana (postures)
- Pranayama (breath control)
- Pratyahara ( detachment)
- Dharana (concentration)
- Dhyana (meditation)
- Samadhi (complete union with all that is)
Some of the limbs have breakdowns within them, such as the Yamas and the Niyamas. If you want to know the ethics of yoga turn to the Yamas and Niyamas (I’m feeling another post on these because they are my FAV). Asana also has many subcategories and the way in which a yogi chooses to dedicate one’s practice may be one of these categories. For example, vinyasa yoga is a dance like form of movement, often practiced in most studios in the west. But Karma yoga is the yoga of selfless action. Here you may see karma yogis in a studio. These yogis give their time freely to help clean and care for the studio and often receive a membership in return.
We practice the eight limbs because, through them, the yogi can learn to separate the see-er from the seen. The limbs create a clearing or understanding of the self, the world, and all that is. I know it sounds like a lot and maybe a little “whoooowhoooo” BUT think about it. When you detach from your phone for a digital rest of a longer period of time, you clear out all the content and crud muddling up your thoughts. You are able to be in the ‘now’ instead of on a digital platform. People come back from their breaks feeling rejuvenated with a clearer mind for what really matters. Can you imagine how your mind would feel if you detached from all that is worldly??? See where this is going? It’s quite trendy right now to take a 5-10 minute break at work to find a quiet spot to meditate or practice mindfulness. It’s been shown that people are able to get more accomplished after that 10 min mind reset than those who don’t take the time. Now imagine the amount of productivity people could achieve if they started every day with 30-60min of the same type of practice.
Posture is just a small role in the yogic path. If you are interested in this whole YOGIC system there’s a few books I stongly recommend. The first being Deborah Adele’s “The Yamas and Niyamas; Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice”. This book has become like the Bible for me. Many people say that when they are ‘seeking’ they open the Bible and it guides them to the answer they need. Well this book is that for me. No matter how many times I pick it up, I learn something new. The second book is “Every Body Yoga: let go of fear, get on the mat, love your body” by Jessamyn Stanley. She has a great break down of the origins of yoga and the limbs. Her style of writing is HILARIOUS and so relatable. She curses a lot in the book which I LOVE because I swear a lot myself, and she writes what all of us are thinking when we enter the yoga studio for the first time.
The eight limb path is one of work, but also one of enlightenment. I hope you will join me this year on exploring each of the limbs. Life is short – pick up a fork- and join me in some Grub, Chub, and Namaste!
https://www.amazon.com/Every-Body-Yoga-Fear-Body/dp/0761193111