Life Mission, USA - Birth of Classical Yoga 1
In the third century BC the great Sage Patanjali reviewed all of the practices of Yoga that had been validated by the ancient yogis of India. He identified the theme of Yoga, clarified its methods, and organized its techniques into a progressive system of exercises. After a long journey through innumerable currents of Indian metaphysical thought and mystical experience, Yoga was finally lifted out of its hazy past and presented as a scientific classical discipline.
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The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a masterpiece. It has stood the test of time and experience. It has served as the most authoritative and practical handbook available to those who have taken to the deeper and more systematic practices of yoga.
Patanjali established yoga as a precise discipline with eight essential practices:
- Yam, the five rules of moral restraint;
- Niyam, the five rules of moral observance;
- Asan, the practice of Yoga postures;
- Pranayam, the practice of breath control;
- Pratyahar, the withdrawal of mind from the senses;
- Dharana, the practice of mental focusing;
- Dhyan, the practice of meditation; and
- Samadhi, the state of super consciousness and perfect equanimity.
This system is known as Ashtang Yoga, or "the eightfold path of Yoga." The primary goal of Ashtang Yoga is the realization of the Spirit within. The eight disciplines of Ashtang Yoga are progressively designed to purify the body and mind. This allows the yogi to focus on the inner Spirit. Ashtang Yoga is comprised of three distinct groups of spiritual exercises.
The first two limbs are known as yam and Niyam. Together they provide a moral code of conduct for the yoga aspirant. These restraints (yams) and vows (niyams) cultivate the ethical behavior essential to the pursuit of the spiritual goal. The second group is composed of bahirangs, or external practices, which include asan, pranayam, and pratyahar.
This group is called Hatha Yoga. These practices focus primarily on physical discipline. They strengthen the body, increase the vital force, and quiet the mind. The third group is known as Raja Yoga, which includes the antarangs (internal practices) of dharana, dhyan, and samadhi. The practice of Raja Yoga focuses on the mental concentration required for Samadhi, the state of super consciousness.
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1 See Swami Rajarshi Muni's book, "Classical Hatha Yoga," Chapter One, Ashtang Yoga, p. 3 - 4, Life Mission Publications, 1st hard cover edition, 2007.
2 "The treatment of the subject is a very systematic and rational condensation of yoga even though it is composed of only 196 sutras (aphorisms), most of which lack even the form of a sentence .... (These) aphorisms are written by a mastermind and give all the essential information about yoga within the range of spiritual experience." See the author's Yoga, The Ultimate Spiritual Path, p. 22, Llewellyn Publications, 2nd edition, 2001.
3 "The Raja yogi reaches the very core of consciousness and stands face to face with the Ultimate Reality, or Brahman, which has thus far remained hidden as a profound mystery ... This is the epitome of all yoga accomplishments." See the author's Chapter Fourteen, Section 5 of Classical Hatha Yoga, Life Mission Publications, 1st edition, 2007.