When we think about joining a yoga class, we envision sweaty spandex-clad, long-limbed ladies stretching together to the sound of gongs and then sharing green juices on the way out the door, towels hung haphazardly over their shoulders. They’re twittering about falling out of balance in garudasana (eagle) pose and how their hamstrings just aren’t what they used to be in downward facing dog. This, the communal practice of yoga poses, or asanas, is definitely one part of yoga practice, but it’s a fairly modern addition to the traditional yoga practice and philosophy. 

The word “yoga” loosely translates as “to yoke” or “to join together in union.” Originally, the practice of yoga was purely a mental and philosophical pursuit. Think: a teacher, or guru, answering questions about the meaning of life and teaching his students to meditate silently for hours on end to achieve inner peace. Today’s yoga teachers add their knowledge of biomechanics, anatomy and nervous system health to teach classes that encourage holistic well-being and, above all, a strong, undistracted connection of mind, body and spirit in the present moment.

“Yoga means connection [between] the individual’s outer consciousness with the individual’s inner self,” says Nicolai Bachman, author of The Path of the Yoga Sutras. This connection leads to a feeling of overall peace and ease. It’s why we feel so blissed out at the end of a yoga class and ultimately, it’s the aim of yoga.

 

The foundational text of yoga is a small book of nearly indecipherable “threads” of knowledge written in ancient Sanskrit, called the Yoga Sutras. In English we use the word “suture” which means little stitches that bind together. The little threads of wisdom in the Yoga Sutras are short and easy to memorize; they don’t say it all, but they tie together sweeping ideas about creating mental focus, healthy living and inner peace. The book was written between 200 BCE and 200 CE by a teacher called Patanjali. (Back then, students—only single men were allowed—would sit with their teachers and discuss yoga philosophy for hours. To prepare their bodies for long sessions seated on an unforgiving floor, they did simple poses beforehand. In fact, the word used today for yoga poses, asana, literally means “seat.”)

The Yoga Sutras tell us that yoga is the practice of consciously directing our thoughts inward, away from external chaos and immoderation. Patanjali wrote, “Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuation of the waves of thoughts that distort peace in the heart and mind.” The Yoga Sutras, along with thousands of years of subsequent commentary on it, instruct yogis how to still the mind and focus on total union of mind, body and spirit. The way to do this is through the Eight-Limbed Path of Classical Yoga (aka Ashtanga Yoga).

Today, you may find a class on your yoga studio’s schedule called Ashtanga Yoga. This gets a little confusing, so bear with me. “Ashtanga Style Yoga” follows a set order of standing and seated poses starting with the Primary Series and progressing in difficulty to the sixth series. It has evolved into an impressive and athletic style of practicing yoga. Quality Ashtanga Style Yoga classes also include philosophy teaching, breathing techniques and meditation. However, the original “Ashtanga Yoga” is the Eight-Limbed Path: eight categories of yogic activities that anyone can do, regardless of if you can stand on your head or do a zillion chaturanga jump-backs.

 Essentially, it’s a framework for living your best life. “The Eight-Limbed Path consists of practices that refine and stabilize your body, breath and mind for the purpose of cultivating inner happiness,” Bachman explains. It does include yoga poses to heal and strengthen your body, but it’s more than that. According to Bachman, yoga is “a way of life that contributes to a happy, civil, caring society.”

 

The Eight Limbs:

1.     Yamas: Five universal guidelines for living with others in community. 

2.     Niyamas: Five practices that help you achieve a healthy, balanced life.

3.     Asana: Postures that strengthen your muscles and relieve pain in your physical body to prepare it for seated meditation.

4.     Pranayama: Breathing practices that harness Prana, your innate life force.

5.     Pratyahara: Withdrawing your physical senses inward to reduce distractions and improve focus.

6.     Dharana: Developing strong, mindful concentration on one thing.

7.     Dhyana: The ability to calmly abide in the present moment through uninterrupted meditation.

8.     Samadhi: Total inner peace. The bliss of experiencing integration of mind, body, spirit; what all yogis are striving for.

 

 

How It Works:

You don’t have to master step 1 to get to step 2. You can integrate all of these concepts even in one yoga practice (think: focusing on your breathing, concentrating on your balance and staying present while doing a pose.) The interesting thing is that the first two limbs—yama’s and the niyama’s -- basically provide a “do’s and don’ts” list for life off the yoga mat. There are five of each, so let’s break them down.

 

Yamas: The yamas are actions (often requiring some self-control) that reduce the opportunity for conflict in your community. (How easy is it to actually focus or feel peaceful when you are totally stressed out about a conflict with a co-worker? Not very.)

 

1.     Ahimsa: Showing compassion to all beings through actions and thoughts steeped in the philosophy of non-harming and non-violence.

2.     Asteya: Being trustworthy and not stealing others’ thoughts, energy or possessions.

3.     Satya: Living with integrity and speaking with truthfulness. Saying what you mean and meaning what you say.

4.     Brahmacharya: Living a balanced lifestyle so that you have time and energy to pursue spiritual maturity and to practice yoga.

5.     Aparigraha: Living generously and within your means. Practicing non-hoarding by sharing with others.

 

Niyamas: The niyamas are five personal practices that cultivate healthy mind and healthy body.   These directives are primarily inwardly focused.

1.     Saucha: Purity of thought and actions of self-love. Being mindful of what information you consume (news, twitter, TV shows and books) so that your mind doesn’t get overly-chaotic and cluttered. Taking good care of your possessions and clearing out your house to clean out negative energy. Tenderly caring for your physical body so that you stay healthy and strong.

2.     Santosha: Learning to practice contentment with the present moment. Striving to stay present to experience joy in this moment instead of living anxiously in the future.

3.     Tapas: Dedication and enthusiasm for yoga practice and life in general. Practicing anything daily is difficult and there will always be setbacks. Tapas is the zest for life that gets you out of bed and onto the yoga mat in the morning.

4.     Svadhyaya: Study of inspirational texts on your own time, outside of yoga class. This could include hitting up your local community college for a Buddhism 101 course, studying with your local rabbi, reading poetry or checking out a book on the origins of philosophy.

5.     Ishvara- pranidhana: Surrender and devotion to a higher power. Ishvara is typically considered to be a universal, shared wisdom that all humans have access to. This niyama inspires humility—we don’t know it all! And the sharing of ideas between individuals and cultures.

 

A quality yoga school will teach the yoga as a lifestyle, including the Eight-Limbed Path, but it’s hard to fit thousands of years of philosophy into a 75-minute class. Do your own studying! Look for yoga books that inspire you and ask your teacher to clarify aspects you don’t quite understand. It’s a lot to take in; finding a skilled teacher who can help you relate to these concepts is imperative.

 

With all of this in mind, it is clear why yoga is considered a practice. It’s something you practice on deepening levels of action and awareness, day after day. Unlike working hard to master a specific yoga pose, yoga as a lifestyle is not something to be achieved, it’s something to weave into your daily habits with the intention of creating clarity in your mind, health in your body and peace in your community. That sure sounds like something worth practicing (even if it means you end up stretching in a sweaty yoga class every once in a while.)

 

Lisa Ash Drackert is a teacher, Yoga Medicine Therapeutic Specialist and yoga studio owner based in Kansas City, Missouri.