Patanjali Yoga Sutras

Patanjali's yoga is also known as 'Astang yoga' (Astang means eight limbed). In Sadhan Pada, Patanjali narrates eight limbs of yoga practice. Interestingly, only one of them deals with physical postures, and that too, mainly with seating positions. The eight limbs are as follows:

1) Yama (abstentions): Ahimsa (non-injury), Satya (truth), Asteya (non-covetousness), Brahmacharya (continence) and Aparagriha (abstinence from avarice).



2) Niyama (observances): Saucha (purity), Santosha (contentment), Tapas (austerities), Svadhyaya (study) and Ishvarapranidhana (surrender to God).

3) Asana (posture): Asana literally means 'seat' but in broader sense they refer to various body postures. Patanjali dwells only on seating postures in Yog Sutra.

4) Pranayama: Control of prana or vital breath

5) Pratyahara (Abstraction): Control of the senses by the withdrawal of prana from them so that they do not follow nature of mind.

6) Dharana (Concentration): Fixing the attention on a single object.

7) Dhyana (Meditation): A state of quiescence, wherein mind dissolves and become free of all thoughts.

8) Samadhi: Super-conscious state or state of liberation.