What are The Eight Limbs of Yoga

When you practice yoga, the general idea is to connect on a more inner level with your body. There are 8 limbs of yoga. Each limb helps you to connect with you soul in a different way.

1. Yama

Yama deals with moral vows or disciplines and restraints. These things deal with the world around us and how we interact with it. While yoga can relax our mind, for this to be fully effective, we must disconnect from those things that attach us to the world around us.

2. Niyama

Niyama deals with your self observances. These are the duties directed toward ourselves. Niyamas are generally practiced by those who have a desire to travel further along on their path of yoga and they are intended to build character.

3. Asana

This third limb deals with the physical aspect of yoga. This does not deal directly with doing handstands or backbends, but rather deals with the correct posture.

4. Pranayama

Pranayama deals with your breathing technique. This is considered your life source and is a very important part of yoga practice. The way that you breathe, affects your overall body in a big way.

5. Pratyahara

The sense of withdrawal in yoga is known as pratyahara. This deals with things that we take in with our senses, such as sight and sound. In an effective yoga session, you want to withdraw from the things around you and block them out of your mind. In this practice, you do not lose your ability to take in those things, you simply acknowledge that it is more important to be in tune with your inner being than the things going on around you.

6. Dharana

Dharana is closely related to the previous two limbs of yoga. Your focused concentration is your Dharana. It takes a strong focus and a strong concentration to block out the outside things that could be distractions.

7. Dhyana

Your Dhyana, or focused meditation is when you are truly in full yoga mode. You allow yourself to become completely absorbed in your focus on your meditation.

8. Samadhi

Bliss! This is the final step of your yoga session. A sense overtakes you of complete joy. You have been successful in your meditation and successful in blocking out the outside distractions. It allows you to become one with your inner being and connect wholly with your inner soul.

A successful yoga session is one that can be rewarding on so many different levels. Taking practice to each of the above limbs is essential!