Ashtanga Yoga or The 8 limbs of Yoga
With the mushrooming of Yoga Studios in Dubai just like new buildings coming up in the ever changing Dubai landscape, its time we all acquaint ourselves with the various self-imposed rules of Yoga ( laid down by Pathanjali more than 8000 years ago), called Ashtanga Yoga or the eight limbs of Yoga.
No, Ashtanga Yoga here does not mean the style of yoga which has its roots in Mysore, but the Sutras( Sanskrit for Threads) which when practised altogether can give one a deep and Authentic Yoga experience.
Just like the limbs of a chair, for when you pull one leg the whole chair comes forward, the eight limbs of Yoga can develop simultaneously.
They are Yamas, Niyamas, asana, pranayama,pratyahara,dharana, dhyana and samaadhi.
Yamas like truth, non-stealing, non-violence and non-accumulation dont just denote the action but also go deeper in that it covers the intention of the individual even before the action…..
Yet most of us are familiar only with asanas, even fewer with pranayama and increasingly most of us are aware of the effects of meditation which can lead one to samaadhi.
In my experience, practising the eight limbs in some form on a day-to-day basis can lead to subtle changes in your attitude, your vibrations and your very being. It is the true practise of Yoga off the mat and leads one to become a better, discerning, more responsible human being.