Patanjali
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (said to be over 4,000 years old) described yoga as having 8 limbs (Ashtanga is the Sanskrit word 8 limbs) – it isn’t only about the shapes!
those limbs are:
- Yamas – good social behaviour such as non-violence and truthfulness
- Niyamas – good personal behaviour such as contentment and self-study
- Asana – these are the postures and the thing most people identify as being Yoga. The reason we do certain postures is to un-wind all the held patterns of tension in the body. As we move the body we also move energy around. When we move in Trauma Informed or Biomedical yoga we tune in to our inner sensations and look for feedback from our interoceptive and proprioceptive senses. We can start to recognise, name and address long held feelings and issues. We use movement as a form of meditation and start to work through these sensations and long-held patterns of tension. As the body unwinds we begin to resolve the issues we have held for so long. The ultimate goal of asana is to bring the body back to the freedom and flexibility it had in childhood so we can sit comfortably in meditation. The shapes can be very simple, we never push too hard and all postures should be done with steadiness, ease and with deep and even breathing. It is never too late to start, we approach asana with the attitude of ‘less is more’ and ‘fast is slow’ and consistent practice rewards with great progression.
- Pranayama – essentially breath control, however prana is not just breath but is our energetic life force – and the practice of pranayama involves the expansion of that life-force. By using different breath practices we can target many conditions – for example we can use extended exhale breathing in order to calm, focus and reduce anxiety. Simply breathing in a 1:2 ratio – so making the exhale twice as long as the inhale, breathing in for 3 counts and out for 6 for example, works to calm and soothe. There is good scientific evidence to support the practice, as the extended exhale serves to stimulate the vagus nerve, thereby activating the parasympathetic nervous system to induce a state of rest and relax. This is also true for bumble bee breath, where we close our eyes and ears with our fingers and thumbs and hum with the out breath – this humming also stimulates the vagus nerve which runs from the brain down through the neck, innervates the heart and the lungs and the enteric nervous system in the gut. There are many different types of pranayama that can be used to target depression, anxiety, metabolism etc.
- Pratyahara – the ability to close down our senses and go into rest mode or to use our senses for attention rather than distraction.
- Dharana – the practice of single-pointed focus by concentrating on particular objects or ideas – such as focussing solely on the breath or the heart.
- Dhyana – is meditation (whilst 6 and 7 are practices to train one in the art of meditation). Meditation is the ability to sustain complete attention without distraction, to simply ‘be’ in a natural state of awareness.
- Samadhi – the state of becoming one with our focus of attention, and ultimately knowing the truth of reality. When we become one with all things we experience true joy and fulfilment in life
Sign up for the latest news, research and offers direct to your inbox.
You will be directed via secure link to mailchimp.com where their privacy and cookie policies will apply.
