Eight Limbs of Ashtanga
The sage Patanjali outlined eight aspects—or "limbs"— of spiritual yogic practice in his Yoga Sutras:
| Sanskrit | English |
|---|---|
| Yama | moral codes |
| Niyama | self-purification and study |
| Asana | posture |
| Pranayama | breath control |
| Pratyahara | withdrawing of the mind from the senses |
| Dharana | concentration |
| Dhyana | deep meditation |
| Samadhi | Union with the object of meditation |
The first four limbs—yama, niyama, asana and pranayama—are considered external cleansing practices. According to Pattabhi Jois, defects in these external practices are correctable while defects in the internal cleansing practices—pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi—are not. Pattabhi Jois thought these internal defects to be potentially dangerous to the mind unless the correct Ashtanga Yoga method was followed.
Read more about this topic: Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
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