In its original Sanskrit, the ancient root of the word yoga meant 'joining' and 'bringing together', especially the body, the spirit, and the heart. Nowadays, these remain essential pillars of this practice that traces back to India, but that's been broadly adopted across the globe.
If you're interested in the profound meaning of yoga, keep reading, and you'll be amazed by all the incredible principles that sustain this otherworldly practice.
The Principles of Yoga
Yoga doesn’t only consist of postures, also known as asanas, and breathing, referred to as pranayama, but it's, indeed, a whole way of life. It's believed that it was Patanjali, an ancient Indian sage, who wrote the Yoga Sutra or Darshana – a deep, penetrating, and wide-ranging study of yoga, consisting of 196 aphorisms called sutras – which became his great work.
Patanjali's Yoga Sutras embody the principles and philosophy of yoga, explained as two parts of a whole, composed by eight limbs, which must be practised and perfected in their entirety, in order to perceive the true self – the ultimate goal of yoga.
The principles of yoga correspond to the Yamas and the Niyamas, two of the eight limbs of yoga mentioned above. The Yamas are principles for living in society, while the Niyamas are the rules of conduct at the level of individual discipline.
The 8 Limbs of Yoga
We've already introduced the first two limbs of yoga, the Yamas and the Niyamas, but, what about the other six? Yoga has been frequently explained through the symbology of a tree.
The tree of yoga is composed of roots, trunk, branches, leaves, sap, bark, flowers, and fruits, all are integrated and form the tree. This tree is Yoga and none of its limbs, or stages, can be developed separately; if you want to see the fruits, all must be practised in their integrity.
To know the whole, one must also know the parts. These parts or components of the tree, known as stages or limbs of yoga, correspond to:
- Yamas – the root
- No violence
- Truthfulness
- Not stealing
- Moderation
- No greed
- Niyamas – the trunk
- Purity
- Contentment
- Austerity
- The study of the self
- The awareness of the divine presence
- Asanas – the branches
These are the postures of yoga. The asanas produce firmness, health, and lightness of the limbs of action, providing health and a better balance between body, mind, and spirit, harmonising the physical and physiological functions of the body, and avoiding the variability of the mind.
- Pranayamas – the leaves
The leaves connect the outer with the inner, and in yoga, it corresponds to the science of breathing, the regulation of vital energy. By controlling and regulating the breath, one develops a stable mind, strong willpower, and a firm judgement, making the mind a suitable instrument for meditation.
- Pratyahara – the bark
The cortex corresponds to the inward journey of the senses, from the skin to the core of the being. Pratyahara is the control of the senses, the withdrawal and emancipation of the mind from the dominance of the senses and external objects.
- Dharana – the sap
The sap is the juice that carries the energy on its inward journey, connecting from the last tip of the leaves to the root ends, keeping the body and the intellect steady. Dharana is concentrated on a single point. The experience of the unity of being, where the observer and the observed are one.
- Dhyana – the flowers
When concentration is prolonged for a long time, it becomes dhyana or 'meditation', which is the flower of the yoga tree. These are the flowers that come from a healthy tree.
- Samadhi – the fruits
Just as the essence of the tree is complete in the fruit, the essence of the practice of yoga is in Samadhi – when the body, mind, and soul unite and merge with universal consciousness.
Understanding the philosophy of yoga
The origin of the philosophy of yoga, as the first structured philosophy, is to look for the reason of things, to see through the techniques of yoga, what we can do with our body and mind, if there's something within ourselves that can remain in time, in a natural state, without effort. The philosophy of yoga seeks to explain reality, to free the human being from any experience that involves pain.
The yoga philosophy has always searched for solutions, through the communication of the self with nature, creating concepts, meditating on it, opening the possibility of remaining undisturbed by change. Yoga creates awareness of the self, from experimentation and calmness.
It offers answers to the problems of modernity, it helps practitioners to find the truth when facing difficult situations, and can awaken the joy, true wisdom, and compassion that bring us closer to divine connection.
Curious about yoga philosophy? Let's connect!
The philosophy of yoga is fascinating, both for newcomers and for people who've been studying it for years. Ohmayoga is a registered Yoga Alliance school and certification provider offering online yoga teacher training courses. We take our role as an accredited yoga academy with responsibility and enthusiasm, putting together all kinds of resources for the global yogic community. We believe in holistic yoga teacher training and offer courses taught by certified gurus from Rishikesh – the birthplace of yoga.
