Ashtanga Yoga (eight limbs of yoga, Raja Yoga) is the classical Indian system of philosophy and practice (composed by Patanjali perhaps ca. 200 BCE) consisting of these eight behavior precepts:
- Yama (see below)
- niyama - Commitments to practice, such as study and devotion
- asana - integration of mind and body through physical activity
- pranayama - integration of mind and body through breathing
- pratyahra - withdrawal of the senses of perception from their objects
- dharana - one-pointedness of mind
- dhyana - meditation (quiet activity that leads to samadhi)
- samadhi - the quiet state of blissful awareness
Practice of these precepts is said to result in a state in which one's behavior spontaneously follows the five ethical precepts (Yamas):
- Ahimsa - refraining from injury (non-life supporting action)
- satya - truthfulness
- asteya - freedom from stealing
- bramacharya - living within the Self (moderation; abstinence)
- aparigraha - freedom from attachment to possessions
See Also