Yoga Sutras, learn what the yoga of the 8 steps is all about.

Conscious TV

June 19, 2021

More than 2,000 years ago the Hindu sage Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras: "Aphorisms or commentaries on Yoga", at that time there was no Yoga as we know it today, there were no postures, no Vinyasas . When Patanjali mentioned the word Yoga he was referring to the ability to direct the mind exclusively towards one object and to maintain that direction without any distraction .

The Yoga Sutras are simple instructions to achieve that concentration that Patanjali talks about, which do not stop taking a lot of work and effort and are divided into 8 steps. These steps must be carried out one by one, if we do not have a good foundation, it is impossible to grow.

1.Yamas: it is our behavior towards others and is made up of 5 principles.

  • Ahimsa: not violence, neither towards ourselves nor towards others. You have to be compassionate.
  • Satya: be honest and don't lie, go with the truth ahead.
  • Asteya: don't steal. There is nothing wrong with having ambitions, but you must work honestly, always trying to help others: that your wealth is not the poverty of others.
  • Brahmacharya: live in moderation. This principle reminds us that nothing in excess is good.
  • Aparigraha: be generous and do not get carried away by greed. All the great sages warn about this: having things is not bad, the problem is when these things dominate us.

2. Niyamas: it is attitude towards life, thoughts and feelings

  • Saucha: is related to cleanliness and order, both of the body and the mind. Santosha: it is maintaining an attitude of equanimous contentment before life, knowing that true happiness is found on the inside and not on the outside.
  • Tapas: be disciplined, punctual and persistent in actions.
  • Svadyaya: study the being and comments of the great sages. It is important to complement self-observation and reflection with books and writings from people who have traveled the same path, in the same way that a doctor learns both from his own experience on the operating table and from what other doctors have been through there. before him.
  • Ishvara Pranidhana: the relationship of each person with the Universal Energy, surrender to the Divine.
  • Yamas and Niyamas are basic rules of conduct , similar to those that can be found in any religion. The golden rule of treating your neighbor as yourself and maintaining a calm attitude in the face of life's shocks. You don't have to belong to any particular belief to see the benefits.
3. Asana: It is the meditation posture, sitting to avoid falling asleep, with the back straight and the hands on the legs. It is important to be able to maintain this posture for long periods of meditation in order to achieve realization.

4. Pranayama: Hese are breathing exercises to control energy.

5. Pratyahara: Is to draw attention inward. Avoid distractions from the outside world and keep your focus on the inner journey.

6.Dharana: Is the power to stay focused on a single point.

7. Dhyana: When the Dharana is maintained for a long time, everything else is forgotten, distractions and the individual self is left out of the mind because there is only room for the observed object.

8.Samadhi: It is a state of ecstasy produced by an intensified Dhyana, which no longer takes effort, it is natural.

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