The eight limbs, a steady seat and the body’s eleven systems

Yoga Theory

Patañjali and the Yoga Sūtras

We began with the story of the birth of Ṛṣi Patañjali, the compiler of the Yoga Sūtras.

Aṣṭāṅga Yoga: the eight limbs

1. Yama
2. Niyama
3. Āsana
4. Prāṇāyāma
5. Pratyāhāra
6. Dhāraṇā
7. Dhyāna
8. Samādhi

Each limb has a short explanation in the open library.

The four pādas (chapters) of the Yoga Sūtras

1. Samādhi Pāda
2. Sādhana Pāda
3. Vibhūti Pāda
4. Kaivalya Pāda

We also met the term citta-bhūmi, the levels or states of the mind.

Yoga Practical

A steady, comfortable seat

Warm-up

One new step joins the general warm-up routine: knee bending, forward and backward, done after the alternate toe-touch.

Sthira sukham āsanam

“The posture should be steady and comfortable” (Yoga Sūtra 2.46). For prāṇāyāma, that means a sitting position you can hold still and at ease. Four were demonstrated:

1. Sukhāsana
2. Padmāsana
3. Vajrāsana
4. Svastikāsana

The first standing āsana: Tāḍāsana

Tāḍāsana, the mountain pose, is the base for most standing āsanas: steady and strong like a mountain, building balance and awareness.

How to do it

1. Stand with your feet together or slightly apart, spine upright.
2. Spread your weight evenly over both feet.
3. Firm your thighs, lift your kneecaps a little and engage your core.
4. Let your arms hang by your sides, palms facing forward.
5. Relax your shoulders slightly back and open your chest.
6. Breathe slowly and deeply, feeling grounded.
7. For a deeper stretch, inhale and raise your arms overhead, parallel or palms together.
8. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute with steady breathing.
9. Exhale, lower your arms and release gently.

Benefits

• Improves posture: keeps the spine straight and reduces slouching.
• Builds balance and stability, and improves body alignment.
• Encourages better circulation.
• Strengthens the thighs, knees and abdominal muscles.
• Calms the nervous system, eases stress and fatigue, and improves focus.

Precautions

• Low blood pressure: standing still for long can cause dizziness, so avoid long holds.
• Vertigo or balance problems: practise near a wall for support.
• Knee or back pain: don’t lock your knees, and engage your core for support.
• Severe headache or insomnia: avoid prolonged practice.

Yoga Philosophy

What “yoga” means

The root of the word yoga is yuj: to join, to connect two things together.

Two definitions

1. Yujyate anena iti yogaḥ: yoga is that which connects individual consciousness to universal consciousness.
2. Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ (Yoga Sūtra 1.2): yoga is the cessation of the modifications of the mind.

Human Anatomy & Physiology

How the body is organised

Anatomy: the study of body structure

1. Macroscopic (gross) anatomy
2. Microscopic anatomy
3. Developmental anatomy

Physiology: the study of body functions

1. Systemic physiology
2. Comparative physiology
3. Medical physiology

Levels of structural organisation

Chemical → cell → tissue → organ → organ system → organism

Regional names

Head, neck, trunk, upper limb, lower limb.

The 11 organ systems

1. Integumentary
2. Skeletal
3. Muscular
4. Nervous
5. Endocrine
6. Cardiovascular
7. Lymphatic / immune
8. Respiratory
9. Digestive
10. Urinary / excretory
11. Reproductive