Pantanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga (Eight fold path), and its relevance today

Pantanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga (Eight fold path), and its relevance today 

It is a common belief that yoga represents a variety of physical exercises. It is partly true, but exercises (asanas) are only step three in the eight fold path of yoga (ashtanga yoga).

To develop our full potentiality, to realize our spiritual nature, it is essential to develop the body, mind and soul in a balanced and harmonious way. Sage Pantanjali’s Ashtanga yoga, gives a comprehensive formula, by following which we can be physically healthy, mentally stable and spiritually enlightened. 

Today if we turn on the TV or read a newspaper, we get only shocking news of violence, anger, intolerance and greed, which is a picture of the world we have created. But we can counteract the negative forces that surround us and our own psychological and spiritual drawbacks by practicing yoga every day. Bhagavad Gita described yoga as the wisdom of skillful living with harmony and moderation - and doing all our worldly responsibilities with a calm mind. By moderation of eating, sleeping, working and waking, a yogi destroys pain and sufferings. 

4000 years old Pantanjali’s “Yoga Sutra” defines “yoga chittavritti nirodha”. It can be translated as restraint (nirodha) of mental (chitta) fluctuation (vritti).   B. K. S. Iyenger says, “yoga is the method by which the restless mind is calmed and the energy directed into constructive channels”. Self-control is the central premise of yoga. 

The great karma yogi Swami Vivekananda said, “The purpose of all this physical discipline through asanas and pranayam- is to increase our inner will power”.

Yoga which means our union with our creator is possible in many ways. An emotional man through total devotion and love for God (bhakti yoga), and for a gyan yogi, realization comes through knowledge.

Patanjali speaks of five causes behind our mental disturbances; and they are ignorance (avidya), feeling of ego (asmita), attachment (raga), aversion (dvesa) and love to cling to worldly things (abhinivesa). Yogi with his constant practice, controls and eradicates these weaknesses to be in peace. 

Patanjali described the eight fold path of yoga (ashtanga yoga) in yoga sutra’s second chapter. The first is yama, which speaks of five ethical disciplines. They are non-violence (ahimsa), truthfulness (satya), non-stealing (asteya), control of passions of senses and mind (brahma charya), and fifth is absence of greed and non-attachment (aparigraha). These ethical rules can bring peace and happiness in individual’s life and also in society. 

While yama’s rules are universal in their application, the second step Niyama’s rules are more focused on individual’s discipline. They are purity of body and mind (saucha), contentment (santosh), austerity (tapas), self study and self analysis (svadhya), and surrendering to the Divine (Ishwar pranidhan). The yogi, when learns to dedicate his all actions to the lord, then Divinity reflects in him. 

The third anga (step) is asana (exercises). By toning and stretching the muscles, by making spine more flexible, a yogi makes his body more energetic. Body is an important instrument to carry our spirit forward. So a yogi by taking good care of his body, excels in controlling his mind, intellect and self. 

The fourth step is pranayam, which means science of breath. Through proper inhalation and exhalation, body can be disease free, mind calms down, and the yogi develops better concentration and discriminating power. Like a lock and its  key, breathing has a direct impact on our mind. By focusing on proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper natural vegetarian diet, and with meditation and positive thinking one can spread positive energy around him. Many serious ailments which are termed as psychosomatic disease are related to our stressful life. Dr. Deepak Chopra referred to recent clinical projects, which observed that by increasing the alpha waves in the brain, yoga can reduce depression and stress level.  Another recent experimental study done at the University of California, Los Angeles shows yoga and meditation can help to improve memory. 

After pranayam, the fifth anga (step) is pratyahar (withdrawal), when a yogi brings the senses under complete control.

The sixth step is called Dharana (concentration), when the yogi concentrates wholly on a single point, and can still his mind from all diversions. In the stage of Dhyana (meditation), the yogi’s mind gets absorbed in all pervading divinity. B. K. S. Iyenger described the signs of progress in the path of yoga as “Health, a sense of physical lightness, steadiness, clearness of countenance and a beautiful voice…Freedom from craving….a balanced, serene and a tranquil mind. A symbol of humility, (who) dedicates all his actions to the Lord, and becomes a jivan mukta (liberated soul). 

In the last step of Nirvana - like camphor which becomes one with the flame, the yogi also becomes one with his creator, the eternal Brahman. A true yogi, with his better concentration and with wisdom, does all his worldly duties with perfection, but he never gets attached to them. Worldly diversities and desires cannot pull him down from the path of liberation through God realization.  Not by changing others, but by changing himself step by step, the yogi takes his mind to a higher dimension of life, he becomes blissful, and like a fragrant flower spreads his goodness all around. Sankaracharya described that blissful state as follows: “I dwell within the senses but they are not my home; ever serenely balanced, I am neither free nor bound – consciousness and joy am I, and bliss is where I am found”. (song of the soul, Atma Satkam).   

Edited by Prodeep Bose