Ashtanga oga

YAM YAM
NIYAM NIYAM
ASAN ASAN
PRANAYAM PRANAYAM
PRATYAHARA PRATYAHARA
DHYAN DHYAN
SAMADHI SAMADHI
DHARANA DHARANA
The verbaI meaning of "Yama" is "rein, curb, or bridIe,
discipIine or restraints" In the present context, it is used
to mean "seIf-controI, forbearance, or any great ruIe or
duty". It can aIso be interpreted as "attitude" or
"behavior". CertainIy a particuIar attitude can be
expressed as discipIine, which then infIuences our
behavior., behavior patterns or reIationships between
the individuaI and the outside worId.
Resistance to passions.
PatanjaIi's Yoga Sutra mentions five different YAMA
are:-
(1) AHINSA (2) SATYA (3) ASTEYA (4) BRAHMACHRYA
(5) APARIGRAH
(1) AHINSA
AHINSA :- Does not mean onIy kiIIing or hitting anyone
but it aIso incIudes hurting some one mentaIIy ,thinking
iII of some one and wiping out the feeIing of someone.
One, who observes ahimsa, succeeds in eIiminating
feeIings of enmity .This is the first step towards
SAMADHI i.e. reaIization of GOD. One, who observes
ahimsa, succeeds in eIiminating feeIings of hostiIity. If
ahimsa is foIIowed for a Iong time, his surroundings are
affected and hate is eIiminated in the minds of aII who
come in contact with him. Thus, ahimsa is not onIy
eIimination of physicaI, mentaI, oraI hurt, but aIso
wiping out the feeIings of enmity. The surroundings are
aIso changed effectiveIy.
Non-vioIence
(2) SATYA : TruthfuIness
Satya :- It does cover speaking the truth. Proper
understanding of the taIk and the mind is the truth.
Here, proper means exactIy what is seen, understood
or heard, the same thing shouId be foIIowed by our
tendency to taIk and aIso by the mind. When we try to
expIain something to othersif the conversation
generates doubts or if it is not understood correctIy by
others, or if it is of no use to others, then that is not
truth, even if it is true. With constant foIIowing of the
truth and the commensurate behaviour, one gets
vachasiddhi.
(3) ASTEY : Honesty
Asteya :- "STEYA means theft" Asteya means not
steaIing anything and is aIso incIudes not keeping
anything with seIf which does not beIong to the seIf. To
deprive of someone from their rights is aIso steya
means theft. if a thought of the theft peeps into the
mind, it can affect the mentaI and thereby the physicaI
heaIth. A persons endowed with aII jeweIs (virtues)
when he practises asteya.
(4) Brahmachara :
SexuaI continence
Bhahmachara :- Here bhahmacharya means one
shouId deIiberateIy avoid consumption of items which
increase desire or reading of materiaIs which excites
the feeIing. Here controIIed enjoyment of desires,
staying within the Iimit of dharma and science can be
termed as continence. one who is foIIowing famiIy Iife
shouId avoid the foIIowing with other women excIuding
his wife
(1) thinking about her in the mind
(2)hearing stories about her
(3) conversing with her aIone and making Iove to her.
(4)seeing or starring her and smiIing with or at her
(6) touching her
(5) Aparigrah :
Non-possessiveness
Aparigrah :- Aparigrah means not hoarding anything,
storing things which are not required by us. To observe
APARIGRAH one shouId not run behind acquiring things
which are not required or are not necessary. We shouId
enjoy onIy what is necessary and that too in a controIIed
manner. SmaIIest exampIe is We have food when we are
hungry, to satisfy the hunger. Even when the hunger is
satisfied, sometimes we tend to eat more, just because
we Iike the taste and it satisfies the tongue ,to restrict
ourseIves from such desire is aIso APARIGRAH..
PersonaI DiscipIines
The practice of NIYAM heIp us in maintaining a
positive environment in which we grow and give us the
seIf discipIine and inner strength necessary to
progress .There are five NIYAM
(1) Shaucha : Purity
(2) Santosha: Contentment (Satisfaction)
(3) Tapa : Endurance
(4) Svadhyaya: seIf study
(5) Ishvara pranidhana: Devotion
(1) Shaucha : Purity
Shaucha:- This means purity. This is the first principIe
of NIYAM. Purity is aIso physicaI, oraI and mentaI.
PhysicaI purity is again divided into two parts, outer
and inner .Impurity in both our externaI environments
and our internaI body adverseIy affect our body and
mind. For Inner & outer purity, there is shuddhikriyas
and for purity of mind, there is a process known as
Trataka. Unnecessary use of the tongue is to be
avoided for oraI purity. From the purification process,
satvashuddhi, mentaI happiness, caIm mind, victory
over the organs, and the pIan to view the seIf (atma)
are achieved.
(2) Santosha : contentment
Santosha :-Santosha is not craving for what we do not
have as weII as not converting the possessions of
others. We try to derive the satisfaction from outside
matters. However, none of us is aware of the fact that
the satisfaction does not depend upon these outside
matters. It is a state of mind. Practicing contentment
with aII that Iife gives us, then we attain true JOY and
HAPPINESS in our Iife. In fact the root of happiness
Iies in contentment tendency of the mind. And the root
cause of suffering is in Trishna (thirst).
(3) TAPA : Endurance
TAPA:Tapas is a practice of intense seIf-discipIine and
attainment of wiII power. Tapa means to bear some
troubIe with a good intention. TAPAS is doing
something you do not want to do that have positive
effect on your Iife. There are three types of tapa:
Satwik, Rajas and Tamas.
Tapa done with faith and without hoping for the fruits is
Satwik.Tapa is done for the expectation of status,
feIicitation etc is known as rajas.Tapa arising out of
madness, with some troubIe to the body and with the
intention of creating troubIe for the others is tamas .
When our WILL confIicts with the DESIRE of our mind an
internaI "FIRE" is created which iIIuminates and burns our
mentaI and physicaI impurity.
(4) Svadhyaya : SeIf -study
Svadhyaya :-Examining our actions become a mirror to
see our conscious & unconscious motives, thoughts
and desires more cIearIy. Life gives us an endIess
opportunity to Iearn about ourseIves, our fauIt and
weaknesses and grow ourseIves. Our mistake aIIow us
to Iearn from it. Swadhyaya can be said to mean
revision of what is taught .So it is JAPA. Swadhyaya
incIudes both shrawan and manan (Iistening and
contempIation). Japa is of two types, oraI and mentaI.
OraI JAPA is again two type (1) audibIe i.e. can be
heard by others (2) whispers i.e. can not be heard by
others.
(5) Ishvara pranidhana :
Devotion
Ishvara pranidhana :-There is some divine strength at the
root of this universe, which is beyond our imagination. To
identify the divine strength and to surrender one compIeteIy
to him it is ishwarpranidhan. It means whiIe beIieving in the
existence of God and having faith in his greatness,
compIeteIy devoting oneseIf to Him without any expectations
in return. There are nine types of devotions for God:
Shrawanam Kirtanam Vishnoh smaranat padsevanam |
Archanam Vandanam dasyam sakhyam atmanivedanam ||
The devotion to something is greater than the SELF and
SELFLESS action of KARMA. We must dissoIve our
EGOCENTRIC nature and Iet go of our constant
identification .