Eight Limbs of Yoga

About 200 BC the Indian sage Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras . This authoritative work provides a framework for a systematic approach of yoga. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali outlines eight aspects (Eight Limbs) of yoga. Especially these “Eight Limbs” are an invaluable guide to yoga practice. Today, numerous yogi’s from all over the world use them to integrate yoga into their every day lives.

The Eight Limbs are:

  1. Yama
  2. Niyama
  3. Asana
  4. Pranayama
  5. Pratyahara
  6. Dharana
  7. Dhyana
  8. Samadhi

Let’s walk through the Eight Limbs now.

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Yoga and compitition

With the Games going on in London at the moment, the question whether yoga should, or shouldn’t be an Olympic sport, has become a topical subject. The non-profit organization USA Yoga strongly advocates for yoga as an Olympic sport. However, I suspect that a lot of yoga practitioners will find this outrageous. “Yoga can’t possibly be a competitive sport, for it’s all about spiritual development!” they may argue.

As there’s a whole lot more to yoga than just physical exercises, I have to agree with those who think that yoga (in its broadest sense) can’t possibly be a competitive sport1. But a contest in perfoming asanas, why not?

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