Cheryl Thomas, RYT
www.cherylthomas.com yoga@cherylthomas.com 415-308-3377 |
 The Eight Limbs of Yoga
There are a gazillion types of yoga today, including Kundalini, Jivamukti, Hot, Power, Vinyasa, Tantra, Iyengar and hybrids of all the above. You may have heard of Ashtanga yoga, originated by Patthabi Jois. Ashtanga also refers to 8 guidelines on how to live a good life. Ashtanga literally means "eight limbs". These limbs or steps are: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi. You can think of them as the 10 Commandments of yoga.
There are a variety of translations of these limbs, but briefly and basically here's an overview.
1. Yama - There are 5 yamas. They, focus on our behavior and how we conduct ourselves in the world: non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, chastity and non-greediness. They're like the Golden Rule: Do unto others......
2. Niyama - The second limb has to do with self-discipline and spiritual observances, including daily rituals, like meditation and practice. The are 5 niyamas: cleanliness, contentment, heat (spiritual effort), study of sacred scriptures and of one's self, and complete surrender to God.
3. Asana - This is what we know in the West as yoga--the actual poses, postures, and movement. Besides being a tool to keep the body balanced, strong and in good health, on a deeper level asana is used as a tool to calm the mind and move into the inner essence of our being.
4. Pranayama - The fourth limb in generally translated as breath control. The breath is a connection between the mind and emotions. There are techniques designed to gain mastery over the respiratory process. Pranayama goes hand-in-hand with the previous limb, asana.
The first 4 limbs are about refining our personalities and gaining mastery over the body and working with energetic awareness in ourselves. The first limbs are meant to prepare us for the rest of the second half of the journey, which deals with the senses, mind and attaining a higher state of consciousness.
5. Pratyahara - Pratyahara means drawing back or retreating. In yoga it means withdrawing the senses from their attachment to external stimulations. Pratyahara happens when we meditate and concentrate on the mind (inside) and not the senses (outside). It's the practice of non-attachment to the distraction of our senses or things that stimulate us, which are distractions to the path of self realization and internal peace.
6. Dharana. Dharana means concentration. The previous limb relieved us of the attachment to our senses and exterior stimulation. Dharana deals with the inside distractions, the distractions of the mind itself. The practice is learning how to slow down the thinking process by concentrating on a single mental object, sensation, image or sound. Attention is focused on a single point.
7. Dhyana - Dhyana means meditation or contemplation and it's ultimately a state of being keenly aware without focus. The mind is quiet, still and produce almost no thoughts at all.
8. Samadhi - The final step, Samadhi, means "to bring together, to merge" This is described as a state of ecstasy. At this stage the meditator merges with the point of focus and transcends the self altogether. The body and senses are at rest and the mind is alert and one goes beyond consciousness. This is where the meditator realizes a connection to the Divine and an interconnectedness with all living things.
There you have it. The Eight Limbs of Yoga (Ashtanga) in a nutshell. Why should you care? As yoga becomes increasingly popular, we have lost sight of the big picture. Current day "yoga" practice is really only about one limb (asana), or maybe two (asana and pranayama), and possibly three (add pratyahara) limbs, if you're dedicated. As you deepen your connection with your yoga practice, consider giving some attention to the other limbs. In the coming weeks, we'll look at the yamas and niyamas.
Want to read some of my past articles?. They're archived right here. Enjoy.
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Don't miss Hump Day Hour Yoga this Wednesday at 5:30. With me. More about Hump Day Yoga below.
Head to Guerneville this Friday and join me as I sub Ginny's class at Riverbed Yoga from 4:30 - 5:45. It's a sweet, sweet studio and Boon is just around the corner.
New Class at Yoga in Graton! Corina is adding a much asked for evening class on Thursdays at 6:00. More on Yoga in Graton at, you guessed it, www.yogaingraton.com.
Geoffrey Roniger, one of my favorite instructors, left the Bay Area almost 6 years ago. But he's back, if just for a weekend. We get to enjoy a weekend workshop series May 20-22 at Yoga One in Santa Rosa.
It's Tassajara Time again. I will be assisting Britt Fohrman this summer August 2 - 7 at Tassajara Retreat Center in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It will be all about resting deeply both body and mind with Restorative Yoga and Zen. I'm told Tassajara will be especially rich with all of the water that the received. For info go to www.sfzc.org, or contact me or Britt.
Heh, Ashtangis: Yoga Toes in Pt. Reyes is hosting a 5-Day Intensive with Chuck Miller this summer. July 20th-24th, Go here for info. There will be daily practice, and afternoon clinics with hands-on instruction, physical adjustments and direct feedback from Mr. Miller himself.
Know about Yoga in Graton? It's hopping! Find 5 classes a week ranging from Gentle to Slow Flow to All Levels, featuring me, Corina Stoicescu and Denise Hammond. Time and places at YogaInGraton.com.
My weekly schedule is below (scroll down or click here!). Or, you can always go to my website and click on the always up-to-date calendar to find where I might be.
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 Hump Day Yoga Hour Oh, it's getting better and better. Beginning this month, I'm offering a one hour, yes, one hour class on Wednesdays (Hump Day!) from 5:30 - 6:30. It will be all-levels with some ebb and flow and some rest at the end.
And.......the last Wednesday of the month will be ALL restorative from 5:30 - 6:45.
Yes, there's more......... Ramen Gaijin just reopened just steps from Yoga Studio Ganesha. On the second Wednesday of each month we'll slide over and get a beer. Whadya say? Sounds fun to me.
I'll try to keep this all straight. Keep checking this newsletter for updates. |
The *F-off* Fund
Amusing, but not uncommon, story of a young woman's plight given an abusive relationship and lack of money which traps here into compromising decisions. It's a good lesson to be learned for everyone.
"You know how to take care of you. You've learned self-defense. If any man ever hit you, you'd rip his eyes out. You've seen Mad Men
, and if anyone ever sexually harassed you at work, you'd tell him to fuck right off, throw your coffee in his face, and wave two middle fingers as you marched out the door."
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I drink milk--the expensive, good stuff in a glass bottle, full fat, of course. Regardless of my personal choice, this doctor makes a compelling narrative about why we should **not drink cow's milk unless, of course, you're a baby cow. Clip taken from the documentary Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret. www.cowspiracy.com.
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 Eagle Cam
Wha? You think I have nothing better to do but watch some bird, albiet special bird like a wild bald eagle, sit on its nest all day long. This is not any eagle but "Mr. President" and "The First Lady", nesting at the U. S. National Aboretum. They hatched two yunggins just a few days ago.
I logged on to their eagle cam (and so can you) to take a peek at the action or lack thereof. Today, there's something dead, looks like a rat, in the nest and I saw one of the babies tentatively peek out from under Mom. It'spretty fascinating and intimate to see a wild bird, much less an eagle, close-up in their environment.
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Schedule of Upcoming Classes
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Class Schedule - Week of April 3, 2016
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Private, Healdsburg
Wednesday
Yoga Studio Ganesha, Sebastopol
Thursday
8:45 - 9:45
Graton Community Club
All Levels
2:30 - 3:30 Private, Sebastopol
5:00 - 6:00
Private, Healdsburg
Friday
4:30 - 5:45
Riverbed Yoga, Guerneville
All Levels
All Levels Flow
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Wednesday
5:30 - 6:30
Ganesha, Sebastopol
Hump Day Yoga
Thursday
8:45 - 9:45
All Levels, Graton
2:00 - 3:00
Healdsburg, Private
5:00 - 6:00 Healdsburg, Private
Friday 4:30 - 5:45 All Levels Riverbed, Guerneville
Saturday
All Levels Flow
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Graton Yogis Info:
Did you know your class pass (get these from your instructor) are accepted by all yoga teachers at Yoga in Graton?
We Gratonite Yogis have a place to call our own. It's www.
yogaingraton.com. There is information about current and new yoga classes offered in Graton.
Don't live in Graton? No problem. We want you to come anyway.
Quotes I Like
You cannot be lost if you don't care where you are.
Judith Lasater
When people ask me what equipment I use, I tell them my eyes.
Ansel Adams
"Not to have what we want is stressful; to have what we do not want is stressful."
Buddha
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion."
Dalai Lama
"Everything will be alright in the end. And if it is not alright, it's not yet the end!" The Magnolia Hotel movie
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