APH881

YOGA AND WELLNESS

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Dr. Amrinder Kaur
© LPU :: APH881 – YOGA AND WELLNESS :
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Dr. Amrinder Kaur
 Introduction
• Ashtanga yoga: 8 limbs of yoga

• Ashtanga Yoga (Ashta – 8, Anga – Limb) is the path

to enlightenment that offers guidelines for a peaceful,
meaningful and purposeful life.

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• The first four stages of Patanjali's Ashtanga yoga
concentrate on refining our personalities, gaining mastery
over the body, and developing an energetic awareness of
ourselves.

• They are preparation for the next 4 limbs.

• The second half of the journey deals with the senses, the
mind, and attaining a higher state of consciousness.

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Dr. Amrinder Kaur
8 LIMBS OF ASHTANG YOGA

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 Ashtanga Yoga

1. Yama यम (Self restraint, moral guidelines for human

development)
2. Niyama नियम (Observances, principles of morality)
3. Asana आसि (yoga postures)
4. Pranayama प्राणायाम (breath control)
5. Pratyahara प्रत्याहार (withdrawal of mind)
6. Dharana धारणा (concentration)
7. Dhyana ध्याि (meditation)
8. Samadhi समाधध (suspension of mind in the goal)

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 Introduction to Yama and Niyama

• Yama and Niyama are principles which need to be adopted

always in our day-to-day life.
• These can be considered as the universal codes of conduct that
help us in following high standards in our personal and social
life.
• Principles of yama are concerned with one’s social life; while
the principles of niyama are concerned with one’s personal life.
• The Yama and Niyama can be approached individually or they
can be seen as a progressive system towards Realization.

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 1. Yama
• Ethical standards relating to the Golden Rule of “Do unto others
as would have them do unto you.

• The five yama’s are:

1. Ahimsa अहहिंसा (non-violence),

2. Satya सत्य (truthfulness);

3. Asteya अस्तेय (non-stealing);

4. Brahmcharya ब्रह्मचयय (celibacy) and

5. Aparigraha अपररग्रह (non-collectiveness/ non-attachment).

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 1.1 Ahimsa (non-injury)
• Ahimsa toward all living creatures – plants, animals,
humans
• Evil tendencies like selfishness, hatred, jealousy, anger etc.
cause tendency to inflict injury to others
• To nourish one’s own body with the flesh of another is
‘himsa’
• Inflicting pain for one’s own comfort is ‘himsa’
• Ahimsa through action, thought and speech; as the
thoughts so the actions – so purify thoughts
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• Apply ahimsa not only to others but to yourself as well

• Ex: hurting yourself by over-eating, performing asana

beyond your capability etc.

• Self-destructive behavior caused by fear, guilt

• Food wastage is a form of violence against those who sleep

hungry

• Love involving demands and expectations entails violence,

both to self and others

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• Emotional violence in relationships: harsh, abusive

language; angry outbursts, emotional judgments, sarcasm,

skillful manipulations

• As the yogi becomes established in ahimsa, all beings

coming near him cease to be hostile

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 1.2 Satya (truthfulness)

• Speech and mind conforming to reality as seen, inferred or

heard

• Action that conveys the reality as is:

✓ Speech should not be deceptive, confused, equivocal,

barren of a meaning, or hurtful – avoid unpleasant truth or

pleasant untruth

✓ Give up luxury of imagination in favor of pure objectivity

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• False ego hides the true voice of intuition

• Everyone has their own perception of truth

• When established in truth, fruit of action depend upon the

action of the yogi

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 1.3 Asteya (non-stealing)
• Steya means "to steal"; asteya is the opposite- to take

nothing that does not belong to us.

• Taking something not belonging to you is stealing; to

forsake any such desire is asteya

• This also means that if we are in a situation where someone

entrusts something to us or confides in us, we do not take

advantage of him or her.

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 1.4 Brahmacharya (celibacy)

• Celibacy is controlling the sense organs

• Refrain from the 8 forms of sexual indulgence

• A brahmachari should have frugal diet and moderate sleep

• Sublimate and redirect sexual energy – to achieve inner

strength

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 1.5 Aparigraha (Non-hoarding)

• Strictly speaking, no possessions besides what is needed

for bare sustenance

• Time and energy spent in accumulation and guarding

possessions

• Constant fear of losing causing mental anguish; loss of

possession causing intense pain

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• Aparigraha removes fear, hate, disappointment,

attachment, anxiety and pain

• When stabilized in aparigraha, one obtains full knowledge

of past and future lives

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 2. Niyama

• Niyama, the second limb, has to do with self-discipline and

spiritual observances.

• Regularly attending temple, mosque or church services,

saying grace before meals, developing your own personal
meditation practices, or making a habit of taking
contemplative walks alone are all examples of niyama in
practice.
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• The five niyama concerned with one’s personal life are:
1. Saucha शौच : cleanliness/purity
2. Santosha सिंतोष : contentment
3. Tapas तप : heat; spiritual austerities
4. Svadhyaya स्वाध्याय : study of the sacred scriptures and
of one's self
5. Isvara pranidhana ईश्वर-प्रणणधाि : surrender to God

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 2.1 Shaucha (cleanliness)

• Purity of mind and cleanliness of body.

• Shaoca is of two kinds - purity of the body and of the mind.

• The methods for mental purity are kindliness towards all

creatures, charity, working for the welfare of others and being
dutiful.

• Internal cleanliness depends on what we eat, and other things

we ingest.

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 2.2 Santosha (Contentment)

• Modesty and the feeling of being content with what we have.

• To be at peace within and content with one's lifestyle.
• Literally the word means happiness.
• It means the absence of desire to possess more of the
necessities of life than are necessary for its preservation.
• It implies that one should work honestly and to one's full
capability and then be satisfied with the result of one's efforts.
• It is a state of mind and inner mental peace.
• Contentment is the greatest wealth.

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 2.3 Tapah (austerity)

• It is the capacity to face all odds and difficulties in the

performance of righteousness.

• It implies that one should have the strength and fortitude to

remain unaffected by the opposites of life.

• In short, the practice of good conduct, in the face of all

difficulties is TAPA.

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• Tapas also refer to the activity of keeping the body fit or to
confront and handle the inner urges without outer show.
• Literally it means to heat the body and, by so doing, to cleanse
it.
• Behind the notion of tapas lies the idea that we can get rid of
the rubbish in our body.
• Another form of tapas is paying attention to what we eat.
• Eating when we are not hungry is the opposite of tapas.
• Attention to body posture, attention to eating habits, attention
to breathing patterns-these are all tapas that help to prevent the
buildup of rubbish in the body, including excess weight and
shortness of breath.
• Tapas makes the whole body fit and well functioning.
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 2.4 Svadhyaya (study of good literature and
knowing about the 'self')
• Sva means "self' or "belonging to me." Adhyaya means
"inquiry" or "examination".

• The word svadhyaya literally means, "to get close to

something."

• Here the term is often translated as "the study of ancient texts.”

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• In general, study of all good literature which guides a person
towards moral values, good conduct, righteousness mat be
deemed as Swadhyaya.

• It also means study of the self or self analysis which leads to

progress moral and spiritual life.

• It is the nature of self education and self improvement.

• It purifies the mind and spirit by enhancing true knowledge,

right understanding and discrimination.

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 2.5 Iishvara Pranidhana (dedication to the
God/Supreme power)
• It means total dedication of all thoughts and actions to the
SUPREME. In other words, it involves absolute faith in God.

• It means resignation to the will of God.

• One has to first understand the true concept of God, his nature
and attributes and then accept Him as Guru and Guide.

• In includes true and sincere worship of God and complete

dedication to him with full faith, love and devotion.

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 Asana

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 Asana (Yoga postures)

• Asana, the postures practiced in yoga, comprise the third

limb.

• In the yogic view, the body is a temple of spirit, the care of

which is an important stage of our spiritual growth.

• Through the practice of asana, we develop the habit of

discipline and the ability to concentrate, both of which are
necessary for meditation.

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• The most important effect of asanas is on the endocrine
glands which secrete hormones.

• If the secretion of any gland is too much or too little, then

there will be an imbalance in the mind and a
malfunctioning in the body.

• Asanas help to regulate these secretions.

• Asanas also keep the spinal cord flexible and strong, and
they detoxify the organs.

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Pranayama

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 Pranayama (breath control)
• Generally translated as breath control, this fourth stage consists
of techniques designed to gain mastery over the respiratory
process while recognizing the connection between the breath,
the mind, and the emotions.

• As implied by the literal translation of pranayama, "life force

extension," yogis believe that it not only rejuvenates the body
but also actually extends life itself.

• One can practice pranayama as an isolated technique (i.e.,

simply sitting and performing a number of breathing exercises),
or integrate it into your daily hatha yoga routine.
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• Pranayama works on controlling the vital energy. The vital
energies are known as Vayus or “winds”.

• There are five vayus in the human body which are responsible
for the moving activities including respiration, circulation of
the blood excretion of wastes, movement of limbs; etc.

• The controlling point of all these vayus is an organ known as

Pranendriya.

• In pranayama there is a special process of breathing in which

the pulsation of the Pranendriya becomes still and the mind
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 Pratyahara (withdrawal of mind)

• Pratyahara, the fifth limb, means withdrawal of senses, or

sensory transcendence.

• It is during this stage that we make the conscious effort to

draw our awareness away from the external world and outside
stimuli.

• Keenly aware of, yet cultivating a detachment from, our

senses, we direct our attention internally.

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• The practice of pratyahara provides us with an opportunity to
step back and take a look at ourselves.

• This withdrawal allows us to objectively observe our cravings:

habits that are perhaps detrimental to our health and which
likely interfere with our inner growth.

• In Tantra the repetition of mantra is preceded by a process in

which the meditator retracts his or her mind to one point.

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 Dharana

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 Dharana (concentration)
• As each stage prepares us for the next, the practice of
pratyahara creates the setting for dharana, or concentration.

• Having relieved ourselves of outside distractions, we can

now deal with the distractions of the mind itself.

• No easy task!

• In the practice of concentration, which precedes meditation,

we learn how to slow down the thinking process by
concentrating on a single mental object: a specific energetic
center in the body, an image of a deity, or the silent repetition
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• We, of course, have already begun to develop our powers of
concentration in the previous three stages of posture, breath
control, and withdrawal of the senses.

• In asana and pranayama, although we pay attention to our

actions, our attention travels.

• Our focus constantly shifts as we fine-tune the many nuances

of any particular posture or breathing technique.

• In pratyahara we become self-observant; now, in dharana, we

focus our attention on a single point.

• Extended periods of concentration naturally lead to meditation.

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 Dhyana

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 Dhyana (meditation)
• Meditation or contemplation, the seventh stage of ashtanga,
is the uninterrupted flow of concentration.

• Although concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana)

may appear to be one and the same, a fine line of distinction
exists between these two stages.

• Where dharana practices one-pointed attention, dhyana is

ultimately a state of being keenly aware without focus.

• At this stage, the mind has been quieted, and in the stillness
it produces few or no thoughts at all.
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• The strength and stamina it takes to reach this state of stillness
is quite impressive.
• But don't give up.
• While this may seem a difficult if not impossible task,
remember that yoga is a process.
• Even though we may not attain the "picture perfect" pose, or
the ideal state of consciousness, we benefit at every stage of
our progress.
• Dhyana helps to perfect the most subtle layer of the mind and
leads the person to the final step of Ashtanga Yoga which is
samadhi.

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 Samadhi

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 Samadhi (suspension of mind in the
goal)
• Patanjali describes this eighth and final stage of ashtanga, samadhi,
as a state of ecstasy.
• At this stage, the meditator merges with his or her point of focus and
transcends the Self altogether.
• Samadhi is the absorption of mind in the Supreme Consciousness.
• The meditator comes to realize a profound connection to the Divine,
an interconnectedness with all living things.
• With this realization comes the "peace that passeth all
understanding"; the experience of bliss and being at one with the
Universe.

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• There are two main types of samadhi, nirvikalpa
(निर्वयकल्प)and savikalpa (सर्वकल्प).

• Savikalpa is a trance of absorption with distortion or

qualification.

• In savikalpa samadhi the person has the feeling that “I am the

Supreme Consciousness”, but in nirvikalpa samadhi there is no
longer a feeling of “I”.

• Nirvikalpa Samadhi is a higher state of awareness where the

ego and samskaras have been dissolved and only
Consciousness remains.
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• Samadhi can also be attained through intense devotion,
sometimes this is called Bhava Samadhi.

• The Soul is accessed only through Dhyana Samadhi.

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Let’s Give It A Shot

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