Yoga is divided into eight parts by Patanjali Munivar in his Astanga Yoga.
1. Iyama:
Iyama refers to 5 disciplines, that is, what we should not do:
a) Ahimsa - Not to kill or harm any living being physically or mentally.
b) Satyam - Not to speak lies
c) Astheyam - Not to steal
d) Abarikrayam - Not to beg or gamble
e) Bramachariya - Not to commit adultery or rape physically or mentally
2. Niyama:
Niyama refers to 5 disciplines, that is, what we should do:
a) Thabas - To incline to spiritual matters.
b) Swathyayam - To chant mantras that will control mind
c) Santhosam - To get self-satisfaction with what we have.
d) Sowsam - To keep purity in thoughts, words and deeds.
e) Eswara Prani- To maintain harmony with natural laws and avoid sufferings.
3. Asanas:
Asanas which refer to various postures are 4 types: 1. Exercises in standing position, 2. in sitting
position, 3. in lying your whole body upwards 4. in lying your whole body downwards. By 2010,
nearly 900 aasanas have been identified based one patanjali's Yoga Sutras and Hindu Epics (The
Ramayana, and the Mahabharatha)
4. Pranayama:
Pranayama does not refer to breathing exercises but the control of Pranan that is the root cause for the
function of body, mind and all activities in the universe. This is achieved by certain systematic breathing
exercises.
5. Prathyagara:
It refers to diverting the mind from external affairs, especially from producing emotional sensual thoughts.
Meditation actually begins here.
6. Tharana:
It refers to the activity of focusing the mind on a particular object or life-force in the body.
7. Thiyanam:
It refers to the activity of concentrating mind on a particular thing without any deviation.
8. Samati:
It is the end of Yoga. It refers to attaining the stage of Nirvana. Once this level is achieved, then the
mind becomes equal to the state of god, that is, thoughtless mind. Swami Vivekananda clarifies further that meditating on a particular object without deviation for 12 seconds is called one Prathyagara.
12 prathyagara is equal to 1 Tharana,
12 Tharana is equal to 1 thiyana,
12 Thiyana is equal to Samati.
To know more about each part in detail, view other specific articles published (or will be published soon)
1. Iyama:
Iyama refers to 5 disciplines, that is, what we should not do:
a) Ahimsa - Not to kill or harm any living being physically or mentally.
b) Satyam - Not to speak lies
c) Astheyam - Not to steal
d) Abarikrayam - Not to beg or gamble
e) Bramachariya - Not to commit adultery or rape physically or mentally
2. Niyama:
Niyama refers to 5 disciplines, that is, what we should do:
a) Thabas - To incline to spiritual matters.
b) Swathyayam - To chant mantras that will control mind
c) Santhosam - To get self-satisfaction with what we have.
d) Sowsam - To keep purity in thoughts, words and deeds.
e) Eswara Prani- To maintain harmony with natural laws and avoid sufferings.
3. Asanas:
Asanas which refer to various postures are 4 types: 1. Exercises in standing position, 2. in sitting
position, 3. in lying your whole body upwards 4. in lying your whole body downwards. By 2010,
nearly 900 aasanas have been identified based one patanjali's Yoga Sutras and Hindu Epics (The
Ramayana, and the Mahabharatha)
4. Pranayama:
Pranayama does not refer to breathing exercises but the control of Pranan that is the root cause for the
function of body, mind and all activities in the universe. This is achieved by certain systematic breathing
exercises.
5. Prathyagara:
It refers to diverting the mind from external affairs, especially from producing emotional sensual thoughts.
Meditation actually begins here.
6. Tharana:
It refers to the activity of focusing the mind on a particular object or life-force in the body.
7. Thiyanam:
It refers to the activity of concentrating mind on a particular thing without any deviation.
8. Samati:
It is the end of Yoga. It refers to attaining the stage of Nirvana. Once this level is achieved, then the
mind becomes equal to the state of god, that is, thoughtless mind. Swami Vivekananda clarifies further that meditating on a particular object without deviation for 12 seconds is called one Prathyagara.
12 prathyagara is equal to 1 Tharana,
12 Tharana is equal to 1 thiyana,
12 Thiyana is equal to Samati.
To know more about each part in detail, view other specific articles published (or will be published soon)
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