Wk. 85 – Seven Stages of Yoga – Stage 4 – Self Discipline

We as the competent students of Yoga (Adhikaras) devote and dedicate our time to a practice regularly and honour the teachings by adhering to the suggested path essential to achieving the desired State of YOGA! According to the Yoga Sutras 2.29, to practice Yoga the student follows the 8 limbed path.

8 Limbs of Yoga

1. Yamas 2. Niyamas 3. Asana 4. Pranayama 5. Pratyahara 6. Dharana 7. Dhyana 8. Samadhi

Yamas

• 5 Attitudes, Virtues, Ethical Disciplines, Restraints, Observations and Guidelines to reduce the distress and suffering, providing greater freedom and clarity in our relationships to others.

1. Ahimsa – This is usually interpreted as Non-Violence
2. Satya – This is the ability to be truthful, honest and transparent in words and actions.
3. Asteya – Which is non-stealing. It is to live with integrity and not take advantage of others or ourselves. 
4. Brahmacharya – Are boundaries in maintaining our priorities to what matters most. It is said to mean “walking with God.” That we see the Divine in everything and purposely move toward the highest truth and not loose sight of it.
5. Aparighaha – This guides students to practice non-possessiveness, non-attachment.

Niyamas

• are the basis for a healthy relationship with ourselves in order to produce a positive effect.

1. Sauca – is said to be self-care, cleanliness, purification and usually refers to the outer aspect of oneself. 
2. Samtosa – Is contentment, which refers to the inner aspect of our experience.
3. Tapas – Practices causing heat for positive change
4. Svadhyaya – Self Study, study by and of oneself, Self Observation, understanding, reflection. 
5. Isvara Pranidhana – Humility and Faith, God head of your understanding, Source of all knowledge Surrender to, let go to, contemplation

Asana

• •How to practice Asana 2:46 Sthirum & Sukham

Pranayama

• Prana is life force or vital energy to animate, Energy that brings us life.
• Ayama is the suspension or extension of breath
• Referring to techniques to consciously control the breath which has a direct relationship to the mind.

Pratyahara

• Our senses ultimately are at the service of the Self to be present and experience the joy’s of embodiment. Our senses bring more colour, richness, intensity, flavour, vibrancy, aroma and vitality to all aspects of our life. 
• Disrupting our attention to the external world and interrupting our autopilot of how we relate to the inner world. We start to create conditions where we are focused and fully present utilising all sensory organs to explore our inner landscape. 

Dharana

• How to master Asana 2:47 loosen effort while meditating on something specific, becoming effortless
• 6 suggested focuses 1:34-1:39

1. Breath Awareness .
2. Sensation
3. Inner Illuminosity or Light
4. Contemplation on a stable mind
5. The stream of consciousness
6. Whatever is useful and pleasing

Dhyana

• By following the map of suggested techniques to focus the mind and become more effortless in doing so, the result is the abiding in the state of Meditating. This is the ability to attain a state of consciousness that is totally different from the normal waking state. It is the experience of inner stillness, the mind is silent and is no longer distracted by you. You are free, joyous to be fully awake and present in the here and now, profoundly calm and still.
• As you can see, all of the steps before this, an understanding of yourself and your relationship to others, asana to “get the knots out” of the physical body, breath work to regulate the thoughts and emotions, turning the sensory awareness inward and then achieving focused concentration creates a perfect foundation and environment for successful meditation. A state of mind which has multiple benefits physically, mentally and spiritually. A good meditation practice is essential to the well-being of any student of Yoga.

Samadhi

• This is a state of complete absorption. The state where you are one, whole, complete that moves you to awaken toward Enlightenment. This state is where you lose self-referencing, you lose the me, mine and I, the experience of separateness from source or consciousness and become pure consciousness. The boundless, limitless, still silence of illuminated emptiness.

This is what is suggested as practice Self-Awareness, Understanding, Acceptance and then Discipline to become Self – Actualised, to Self-Transcend and Self-Transform as a liberated causal experience from rebirth which is called Kaivalya. Most of us will be dancing through the first 4 stages most of our life, however there may come a point where there is an unfolding into the further stages, but until then we practice. 

Om Vande Gurunam Charanaravinde

Sandarshita Svatma Sukava Bodhe

Nih Sreyase Jangalikayamane

Samsara Halahala Mohashantyai

Abahu Purushakaram

Shankhacakrsi Dharinam

Sahasra Sirasam Svetam

Pranamami Patanjalim Om

Translation

I bow to the lotus feet of the Supreme Guru

which awaken insight into the happiness of pure Being,

which are the refuge, the jungle physician,

which eliminate the delusion caused by the poisonous herb of Samsara (conditioned existence).

I prostrate before the sage Patanjali

who has thousands of radiant, white heads (as the divine serpent, Ananta)

and who has, as far as his arms, assumed the form of a man

holding a conch shell (divine sound), a wheel (discus of light or infinite time) and a sword (discrimination).

om