Introduction

to Yoga
 Contents
Introduction ........................................................... 01
Yoga Prayers .......................................................... 03
Sage Patanjali ........................................................ 05
The story of Yoga ................................................ 08

The eight limbs of Yoga

Yama ......................................................................... 10
Niyama ..................................................................... 12
Āsana ......................................................................... 15
Prānāyāma .............................................................. 19
Pratyāhāra ............................................................... 20
Dhāranā .................................................................... 21
Dhyāna ...................................................................... 22
Samādhi ................................................................... 23
 Introduction
Yoga is a science as well as an art, which helps you to culture
the body and the mind. This helps you to develop a unique
personality. Yoga is a total science covering the full growth in
all aspects with its own way from the body, senses, mind,
emotions, intelligence and behaviour.

In ancient times, all knowledge was taught by the word of

mouth. This is how knowledge was passed on from
generations to generations. Similarly, yoga which was a part
and parcel of education in India, spread mouth to mouth.
However it was Sage Patanjali who penned down and coded
this science of yoga into eight limbs or aspects for a balanced
and healthy growth of those who practices it. It’s called
Asthānga Yoga.

It’s limbs are:

Yama - Social discipline
Niyama - Individual discipline
Āsana - Control of the body in various postures
Prānāyāma - Control of Breath
Pratyāhāra - Control of the senses and mind
Dhāranā - Concentration
Dhyāna - Meditation
Samādhi - Union with God (absorption)

For pronounciation: Pronounce Ā or ā as in car

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Hence, Sage Patanjali is considered as the foremost teacher of
yoga and we must offer prayers to him with respect, dedication
and devotion.

Yama and Niyama being the principles of character-building, it

helps us to develop good values and habits. The āsana-s helps to
develop sound body in a sound mind and a sound mind in a sound
body.

We basically active and one with nature, need primarily good

health to enjoy and be with nature. We need to do a variey of
āsana-s to feel the contact of ourself with the body. Therefore,
āsana-s are taught in such a manner that we remain alert, active
and to be in contact constantly with ourself. Āsana-s keep the
mind fresh and their variety keep one free from boredom. Āsana
are taught in various ways. Āsana-s provide motion as well as
action and give room for creativity to deveop within you when you
begin doing them.

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 Yoga Prayers
Aum
Yogena cittasya padena vāchām
Malam sharirsya cha vaidyakena
Yopākarottam pravaram muninām
Patanjalim prānjalirānatosmi || 1 ||
Ābāhu purushākāram
Shankha chakrāsi dhārinam
Sahasra shirasam shvetam
Pranamāmi Patanjalim || 2 ||
Harihi Aum
After the prayer, pay respect to Sage Patanjali by bowing
your head down and then bring your arms down.

Here’s the meaning of each word:

Aum = Name of God Yah = One who
Yoga = Union of man Apākarot = Removed
with God Tam = Him
Citta = Mind Pravaram = The greatest
Pada = Word Muni = Seer
Vācha = Speech Prānjali = Folding the
Mala = Impurities palms
Sharira = Body Ānata = Bowing Down
Vaidyak = The science of Asmi = Am
medicine Ābāhu = Arms up to
the thighs

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Purushākāram = Human shape
Shankha = Conch
Chakra = Disc, a circular weapon
Asi = Sword
Dhārinam = Holding
Sahasra = Thousand
Shirasam = Head
Shvetam = White
Pranamāmi = I am bowing down and paying respects
Patanjalim = To Patanjali
Hari = Lord Vishnu

Now, let us learn the meaning of each verse.

|| 1 ||
I bow to the noblest of sages, Patanjali who gave yoga
for quietness of mind, grammar for purity of speech and
medicine for perfection of the body.

|| 2 ||
I bow before Patanjali, whose upper body has a human
form, whose hands hold a conch, a disc and a sword,
who has got a thousand headed cobra as his crown, O
incarnation of Ādishesha, my salutations to thee.

For pronounciation: Pronounce Ā or ā as in car

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 Sage Patanjali
According to history, Patanjali may have lived somewhere
between 500 BC and 200 BC. Yet, his teachings and sayings
are most relevant even today.

According to legends, Patanjali was a Swayambhu. He was

born of his own will. Other saints and prophets like Jesus
Christ and Lord Krishna were born in the same manner. He
did not have a natural human birth. He was the incarnation of
Ādishesha, a great King Cobra whose body is the seat of Lord
Vishnu.

The legend behind Patanjali’s birth is as follows -

Lord Shiva once invited Lord Vishu and other deities to see
his famous dance, the Tāndava Nritya.

The dance started, Lord Vishnu got absorbed in it and his

entire body began to vibrate. He started becoming very
heavy. Lord Vishnu at that time was seated on his vehicle
Ādishesha that was the great King Cobra. Ādishesha started
becoming breathless under the increasing weight of Lord
Vishnu. He started gasping for breath. Lord Vishnu became
light again as soon as the dance came to an end.

Amazed by this change, Ādishesha asked, “O Lord, You were

so heavy when the dance was going on. Now you become so
light. What is the cause of this transformation?”
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Lord Vishnu then explained, “I was so engrossed in watching
the divine dance that my whole body began absorbing the
vibrations as if I was dancing.” Seeing that Lord Vishnu was
so fond of dancing, Ādishesha decided to learn dance and
asked Lord Vishnu to permit him to learn dance.

Lord Vishnu told him, “You must wait. Lord Shiva is going to
assign a special task for you. To fulfill that task you have to
take human birth on earth, and then you will use the
opportunity to learn dance also.”

In course of time Lord Shiva assigned to Ādishesha the task

of writing a commentary on grammar. Ādishesha went
looking for an appropriate person who could be his mother.
He meditated and waited in search of a yogini who would
accept him as her spiritual child.

At that time, there lived a pious and devout lady by the name
of Gaunikā. She was a yogini. She knew that her life on earth
was soon to end. So far she had been unable to find the right
disciple to pass on her knowledge, which she had obtained
through the workship of the Sun God. Finally she thought
that she would return back the knowledge to the Sun God
before her time on earth ends. One day, as a last offering, she
took some water in her hands as an oblation, closed her eyes
and prayed to the rising Sun.

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She said, “My time has come to and end. Whatever
knowledge I have gathered was only through you, O Sun God.
As I have not so far found a worthy student to pass it on, I
return my knowledge to you.”

Now, Ādishesha took the form of a tiny snake and entered the
folded palms of Gaunikā. On opening her eyes, she saw
something floating in her palms. It was a tiny snake, which
immediately took a human form. Gaunikā thanked the Sun
God and lovingly took the child. She named the baby
‘Patanjali’. ‘Pata’ means fallen and ‘anjali’ means palms folded
in the gesture of an offering. He was also known as ’Gaunikā
putra’, which means son of Gaunikā. This is the story of his
birth.

Patanjali grew up. Mother Gaunikā gave him all the

knowledge that she had. He mastered the various disciplines
under her guidance. Later, he learnt dance at Chidambaram.
He became an extraordinary person. He was famous for his
learning and wisdom. He also wrote three classical books: a)
‘Mahābhāshya’ on Sanskrit grammar b) ‘ Charaka Samhitā’ on
Āyurveda, c) ‘Patanjala Yoga Darshana’ on Yoga.

Meanings of some Sanskrit words:

Swayambhu = Born of one’s own will
Yogini = A woman who does yoga

For pronounciation: Pronounce Ā or ā as in car

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 The Story of Yoga
Yoga teaches us how to live a disciplined righteous life. The
science and discipline of yoga is from time immemorial. In
ancient times, it used to be a life-style of the people of India.
The young as well as the old performed Yoga as a part of
their daily routine. It was a daily duty just like having a bath or
having their meals. Yoga would give the inner body a bath
that kept them physically fit and disease free. Besides these it
kept them mentally sharp and alert. No wonder, then, that the
sages of ancient India are said to have lived for more than a
hundred years!

But how was this great knowledge remain preserved for so

many centuries? Well, the knowledge was passed on from
parents to children; it was taught from generation to
generation in schools (gurukula-s) by the teacher (guru) to
the student (shishya).

Then, sometime between 500 BC and 200 BC, there was

born a great sageby the name of Sri Patanjali. The present
world owes a lot to this great seer, for it was he who very
systematically wrote down the science of yoga in the form of
4 chapters consisting of 196 sutras or aphorisms (short
statements) which are known as ‘Yoga Sutra’. The treatise is
known as ‘Patanjala Yoga Darshana’.

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These short statements or sutra-s are like invaluable pearls of
knowledge or wisdom stringed together to form a priceless
necklace. For this, we, as students of yoga must remain ever
grateful and prostrate to the great Sage Patanjali with
gratitude.

What’s Yoga? Yoga means union. Yoga has eight limbs

namely Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prānāyāma, Pratyāhāra,
Dhāranā, Dhyāna and Samādhi. There are meanings are as
follow:
Yama - Social discipline or good behaviour
Niyama - Individual discipline or good character
building habits
Āsana - Control and mastery over the body
through various postures
Prānāyāma - Control of breath
Pratyāhāra - Control of the senses and mind
Dhāranā - Concentration
Dhyāna - Meditation
Samādhi - Union with God (absorption)

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 Yama
The First Limb of Yoga

Yama is the first limb of Yoga. Yama tells us what we should

and what we should not do to others. It is a social and ethical
discipline. By following the principles of Yama, one shapes
one’s way of living that helps in cultivating to build up a
healthy nature. There are five yama-s. These are Ahimsā,
Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha.

Ahimsā (non-violence)
Ahimsā means non-violence. It is the first discipline of Yama.
Non-violence implies that we should not harm or hurt anyone
in any way. We shall not hurt anyone not by actions or by
words as well as in thoughts. It teaches us to develop good
thoughts and to use good words as well as to do good deeds.

In order to follow ahimsā, we need to have three qualities:

• Fearlessness
• Control on our anger
• Friendlines

Satya (truth)
Satya is the second discipline of Yama. It means ‘truth’. It tells
us to be honest and to speak truth always. We should be
truthful in thought, word and deed.

To follow truth, we must have:

• Control on our tongue
• Courage

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Asteya (non-stealing)
Asteya means non-stealing. It is the third discipline of Yama.
It means not to take others’ things for granted.

We should not crave for things and should have control on

our hands. This is asteya.

Brahmacharya (self-control)
Brahmacharya is slef-control or self-discipline. It is the fourth
discipline of Yama. It is an absolute control over body and
mind. Our thoughts and actions without self control, cannot
be pure.

Aprigraha (non covetousness)

Aprigraha is the fifth Yama. Parigraha means ‘hoarding’ or
‘collecting’. To be free from hoarding is Aparigraha.
Aparigraha means non-covetousness or non-greediness.

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 Niyama
The Second Limb of Yoga

Niyama is the second limb of Yoga. Niyama tells us how we

should live and what we should adhere to. They are personal
duties that one should follow. It’s an individual discipline. By
following the principles of Niyama one cleanses one’s body
and mind. There are five Niyama-s. They are Shaucha,
Saontosha, Tapas, Svādhyāyā and Ishvara pranidhāna.

Shaucha (Purity)
Shaucha means purity. It’s the first Niyama. It means
cleanliness of ‘body’, ‘mind’ and ‘speech’. Yoga teaches us to
remain clean. It implies that we should keep our bodies and
personal belongins clean and tidy. Our body is like a temple.
We should always keep it pure and clean on the outside by
having a bath everyday with soap and water. On the inside,
we must keep our body clean by eating nourishing food and
performing yogāsana-s.

Food which is stale and rotten, which is too sweet or too

spicy or that has no nutritive value should not be eaten. It
does not keep our inner body clean and healthy.

Performing yogāsana-s cleanses the body by removing the

toxins of the body and the impurities of the mind.

Yoga also teach cleanliness of thought and action. Our

thoughts and actions should not aim at aharming or hurting
any one in any way.
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Santosha (contentment)
Santosha means contentment. It is the second duty of
Niyama. It means satisfaction. It refers to mental
contentment.

If we have to remain happy, it is necessary that we remain

contented with what we have. We always seem to want more
than what we have. If we have ten pairs of clothes, we may
want ten more! As you see, there’s no end to our desires. The
more we have, the more we seem to go after. Yoga teaches us
to be content with whatever we can achieve through our own
honest efforts.

Tapas (penance)
Tapas is the third duty of Niyama. Tapas means to act
devotedly with a burning desire to do what one decides to
do. It is to work hard with sincerity and determined effort. It
is a burning effort made under all circumstances to achieve a
goal in life.

To study a subject with concentration or to try and solve a

problem (like in mathematics) demands full effort; to accept
an illness without much fuss to get well as soon as possible;
to face all situations with patience; to practise the yogāsana-s
till we reach perfection, poise and balance; all these come
under the name of Tapas.

Svādhyāya (self study)

Svādhyāyā is the fourth part of Niyama. It means ‘study of the
self’. It also means study of the scriptures.

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We must pay attention to whatever our teachers teach us.
We must practice the āsana-s that our teachers teach us. We
must develop the habit of reading books that help us
progress. We must be happy if there’s a chance for us to learn
more and more things.

Ishvara pranidhāna (dedication to God)

Ishvara pranidhāna is the fifth part of Niyama. It ,eams
dedication and devotion to God. Faith in God will help us to
go through difficult times. Faith in God and taking God’s
name will give us courage when we are scared of something.

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 Āsana
The Third Limb of Yoga

The body is like a vehicle. Legs and arms are the wheels of
this vehicle of man. When you have to walk, stand or move,
this is the vehicle that makes you to do so. Yet, you are the
master-controller of the body. Therefore, you should know
the parts of the body.

We look different from each other but we are made up of the

same stuff. Each part of the body does a special job and
these parts work together to keep our body lively, active and
healthly.

Head is the topmost part and it is fixed on the neck. Below

the neck is torso or the trunk. It is the middle part of our body.
Two arms join at upper part of the torso and two legs join at
lower part. Neck, arms and legs are attached to it. Torso can
bend, turn and twist. Neck helps us to move our head left,
right, down and up; and to hold it straight. Legs help us to
stand straight. With the help of joints of legs we can walk,
jump and run. The feet are the bottom of the legs. They help
us to stand and walk upright. The toes of the feet are like fans,
which bring lightness to feet while walking or running. The
arms can bend and stretch. Extreme ends of arms have palms
and fingers that are used not only for holding objects but also
perform skillful activities. We use the entire body while
performing āsana-s.

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Āsana is the third aspect of Yoga. Body is like a kingdom and
the gateway to enter it is the āsana. Āsana is a posture. By
doing āsana-s we give different shapes to our body like that
of animals, birds, insects and so on.

As the potter moulds clay into pots of various shapes, you

mould the body in āsana-s so that it takes various shapes.
You need to position the body properly in order to get the
perfect shape. There are varieties of āsana, which provide a
lot of creativity in performing them.

The word āsana means a seat. A seat has to be steady and

firm so that you remain comfortable. Yoga postures are called
āsana-s because one should be well established and firm in
each position whether one stands, sits, bends or twists.
However, the āsana-s are performed with rhythmic motion
and dynamic action that leads towards stability.

Why should we practice āsana-s? As atemple is the abode of

God, so too the body like a temple, is the abode of the soul.
Therefore, we need to keep the body clean and sacred. It is
like we regularly wash our teeth before going to bed and
after getting up from the bed. This is discipline. SImilarly
āsana is a discipline that keeps your body and mind both
clean and pure.

Remember: Āsana keeps us healthy and make our mind

sharp and the intelligence alert and help us to learn,
remember and grasp things faster.

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Things to learn and grasp:
1. Every āsana has a particular name. Learn to say it
correctly. The āsana-s are named in Sanskrit. So
understand their meaning.
2. You have to learn to do and recognize all the āsana-s.
3. Remember the name, understand the meaning and
imagine as well as visualize the āsana.
4. Know the significance of each āsana.

Rules to be followed:
1. Go to the toilet before you practice āsana-s.
2. Wear comfortable cotton clothes.
3. One may use a soft blanket or carpet while doing the
sitting āsana-s so that the floor does not hurt.
4. Choose a place, which is clean and airy.
5. Always start your practice with prayers.
6. Do not keep your body tight or tense while performing
āsana-s. Movements have to be free.
7. Stay in the āsana for a given number of counts. One count
is equal to one second.

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Follow dos and don’ts while practicing āsana-s
given below:

Do Don’t

Breathe well Never hold your breath

Stretch a lot Do not breathe through the

mouth

Keep your eyes open Do not look here and there

Be alert and attentive Do not close your eyes

Concentrate on what you Do not Frown

are doing

Smile while doing Do not be afraid

Enjoy what you are doing Do not allow the mind to

wander

Remember, to look after our own body and its health is our
duty and to neglect it is a sin and a crime. Freedom of
movement of the limbs is health. Āsana-s exercise our body
in totality.

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 Prānāyāma
The Fourth Limb of Yoga

Pranayama means breath control. There are three important

movements in pranayama: inhalation of the breath, exhalation
of the breath and retention of the breath.

There is an interesting story in the Upanishads which shows

the importance of the breath. Once there was a dispute
between the eyes, the ears, the speech, the mind and the
breath as to who was the important. They all approached
Lord Brahma and asked him, “Pray tell us, who is the greatest
amongst us?”. “That’s easy.” Brahma said. “Each of you will
leave the body for ayear. The body will then decide who
amongst you is the greatest.”. Following Brahma’s advice,
first the tongue went off leaving the body without speech for
a whole year. When the tongue came back the eyes went off
leaving the boady blind for a year. When the eyes returned,
the ears went off leaving the body deaf for a year. When the
ears returned, the mind went off and the body remained like
a simpleton for a whole year. Then the mind returned. Next it
was the breath’s turn to leave the body. As soon as the breath
began to depart, the tongue lost its power of speech, the
eyes lost their power to see, the ears lost their ability to hear
and the mind lost its intelligence! “Come back, come back, O
breath,” they prayed, “for you are the greatest amongst us!”
The breath then returned and the body became whole again.

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 Pratyāhāra
The Fifth Limb of Yoga

Pratyāhāra is the fifth stage of Yoga. Pratyāhāra means to

restrain or to withdraw. In pratyāhāra, the yogi remains quiet.
He does not get distracted or disturbed by things which he
sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels.

The great Sage Chayavana provides a prefect example of

someon who practised pratyāhāra. In his youth, Chayavana
retired to a peaceful place in the forest. He sat down, closed
his eyes and fixed his mind on God. Many days, weeks and
seasons passed, but Chayavana did not feel or notice
anything. He remained still and quiet. Years went by, white
ants made a big mound over him. Plants and creepers
covered the ant hill. Birds and little creatures made their
homes amongst the vegetation and still Chayavana remained
unmoving, unmindful of the changes around him.

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 Dhāranā
The Sixth Limb of Yoga

Dhāranā means keeping the mind steady and concentrated.

Arjuna’s reply to his Guru Drona’s question provides a fine
example of dhāranā.

Once Guru Drona was instructing his pupils, the young

Kaurava and Pandava princes, in the science of archery. For a
target Drona placed a wooden bird on the branch of a distant
tree. He then asked his pupils to come forward one by one to
test their skill and concentration. First he called Yudhisthira.
‘What do you see?” Drona asked, pointing to the target. “Sir, I
see the blue sky, a tree, branches, leaves and a bird sitting
amongst them.”. “Go back and sit down, There’s no way that
you will be able to hit the target.” snapped Drona annoyed at
this answer. Then Drona called the other princes one by one,
and asked each of them the similar question. The replies were
also similar to Yudhisthira’s. “You are all unfit even to attempt
to shoot this target.” He said. Finally, it was Arjuna’s turn.
“Well, what do you see there, Arjuna?”. Arjuna looked intently
at the target and said, “Sir, I see only the right eye of a bird.”
Drona was pleased with the answer and order Arjuna to
shoot the bird’s eye. Arjuna concentrated his mind on the
target, took the aim then he successfully shoot the bird eye
with his first arrow!

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 Dhyāna
The Seventh Limb of Yoga

Dhyāna means meditation, comtemplation or reflection on

God. The hermit Valmiki provides a good example of
someone deeply absorbed in meditation.

Strangely, Valmiki wa a bandit in his early life. One day he

came upon the seven wise sages journeying through the
forest. Valmiki demanded that they hand him any valuable
they had. The wise sages suggested that, Valmiki meet his
family and ask them whether they would share his sins as
they shared his plundered wealth. Valmiki ran to his family
and put this question to them and he was horrified when his
wife and children refused to share the responsibility for his
misdeeds. Valmiki rushed back to the wise sages and sought
their forgiveness and beg them to show him the path to
become a good man, The sages then asked him to chant
‘Mara,’ the name of the God of Death. Immediately the robber
sat down under tree and began to chant “Ma-ra, Ma-ra,
Ma-ra.” He chanted for a long time and gradually, as the rogue
became purer, his chant changed from ‘Ma-ra, Ma-ra, Mara’ to
‘Ra-ma, Ra-ma, Ra-ma’. Valmiki continuosly chanted Lord
Rama’s name. White ants covered the meditating hermit
under a mound of earth, Still Valmiki remained absorbed in
his meditation.

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 Samādhi
The Eighth Limb of Yoga

Samādhi is the eighth and final stage of Yoga. In samādhi, the

mind is concentrated perfectly on God for a along time. The
yogi then has a vision of God and becomes a wise and holy
sage. Sage Kapila was a master of yoga and showed several
keen disciples the way to God.

When Kapila’s father died, his mother, Devahuti, sought her

son’s guidance on the path of yoga. Kapila knew that his
mother was a devout and pious lady ready to receive the
highest knowledge. So he taught her the advanced aspects
of yoga.

Devahuti then retired to the forest clad in garments made of

bark. There she prayed and fasted. One day, while she sat in
deep meditation on the banks of the Sarasvati river, Devahuti
attained the goal of yoga, which is Samādhi! She then
become one with God.

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