Patanjali was a sage, mystic and author, who lived in India around 2000 years ago. He was the first one that combined the ancient yogic knowledge and wrote it down as the so called Yoga Sutras. It’s a series that describes the eight steps to achieve self-realisation. In the following Patanjalis 8 limbs path is explained.

Patanjali wrote 195 Yoga Sutras. The word “Sutra” means “thread” which describes the invisible link between the given knowledge. It is based on “minimum words, maximum knowledge”. The Yoga Sutras can be divided into four chapters or “Padas”. The first Pada is called Samadhi Pada and contemplates on meditation. Sadana Pada gives practical techniques to Samadhi, like Kriya Yoga, Kleshas, methods for eliminating the Kleshas, etc. Vibhuti Pada deals with Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi and how super-natural accomplishments are acquired. Kaivalya Pada is more philosophic in nature. It talks about the freedom from  the life-death cycle. In the following those Yoga Sutras will be discussed more precisely.

The first four lines of the first chapter of Samadhi Pada are:

Out of 195 Sutras Patanjali devotes only three Sutras to Asanas. He defines Asana as a posture which is stable and comfortable for carrying on meditation undisturbed for a decent period of time. “In the performance of asanas, efforts have to progressively reduce and the mind should be attuned to the concept of infinity”. Therefore, the aim of practising Asanas is to prepare mind and body for meditating. 

Prana means “life force/ vital energy/ breath” and yama means “control”. Patanjali focuses on the in-/ and exhalation. He says that Pranayama happens when there is a break in the pace between inhalation and exhalation. Through controlling our breath we can regulate the prune running through our 72´000 Nadis in our body which are astral tubes where our vital energy is flowing.

There are four types of Pranayama. Pooraka is the modification of inhalation, Rechaka is the modification of exhalation, Kumbhaka describes the inner retentions and the fourth one is the stoppage of breath or external retention. When there is no breathing its called “Kevala Kumbhaka”. This practise makes the mind fit for “Dharana” (see below). Holding the breath gives more force to the Prana, which is good for detoxification and therefore has a purification purpose too.

NADIS

There are three important main Nadis: Ida, Pingala and Sushumna which are located by the spine and are connected to the chakras. Ida is located at the left side spinal and stands for the moon. Its quality is cooling. By activating the Ida-Nadi one stimulates the right brain side which stands for creativity and imagination. Ida is linked to the left side nostril and is connected to the parasympathicus and the nervous system and is relaxing in nature.

Pingala is on the right side spinal and is linked to the sun. Activating it has heating properties. Through breathing through the right side nostril one can activate the left brain side which is in charge of analysis, reasoning and logic. Thereby, the sympathetic nervous system (active in nature) gets activated.

The Sushumna Nadi runs along the spine. “Prana Vidya” describes the process of visualising the Prana energy running from the Kundalini point to body parts that are hurting and back to the Kundalini point and using this knowledge to heal oneself. There are seven Pranayama techniques, which I name in the following:

Don’t practise cooling and heating Pranayamas together!

Benefits of Pranayama are on a physical, psychological, mental and spiritual level. It helps to maintain the natural rhythm of all body organs, helps with the blood circulation, increases the lung capacity, helps with relaxation and meditation, helps to control emotions and decreases the production of stress hormones. 

Pratyahara forms the bridge between the first four limbs (Bahiranga Yoga) and the last three limbs (Antaranga Yoga). In other words, it marks the transition of the mind from an outward to an inward going process. It refers to the withdrawal of all sense-organs from their respective objects. One will hear than, but not listen. One will see than, but not watch. There are four main forms of Pratyahara: control of senses, control of action, control of Prana and the withdrawal of the mind from the senses.

Dharana means concentration. It is the first stage of meditation, where “ekagra chitta” is achieved; a single-pointed concentration and focus. Ones awareness is conscious of meditating on an object and of ones own self, this is concentrating on the object. Dharana is when you have many thoughts but also identical thoughts towards one thing. 

Dhyana is when the consciousness of the act of meditation disappears and only the consciousness of being/ existing and the object of concentration remain. It is a long-lasting experience of only one object, when there are still many thoughts but they are identical. It is state where all the effort, of keeping distractions away, succeed.

In the state of Samadhi the meditator and the process of meditation as if disappear and only the object of meditation shines forth. The mind loses the sense of its own identity. There is only oneness. It only happens when one succeed in Dhahran and Dhyana. Patanjalis 8 limbs path also talks about three stages of Samadhi.

Savikalpa Samadhi
begins when you transcend all mental activity. In this state, the concepts of time and space are altogether different. Thoughts and ideas do not affect you.

Nirvikalpa Samadhi
is a higher state of awareness, where the ego and Samskaras have been dissolved and only consciousness remains. Samskaras are the imprints of past life experiences. There is only peace and bliss, the heart is fully awake. It feels like your heart is larger than the universe itself. Its a state of deep love for the world, recognising the divinity in everything. Savikalpa and Nirvikalpa are considered temporary states that one can only experience by withdrawing from normal life.

Dharmamegha Samadhi
arises when you lost even the desire to know God or to be enlightened. This Samadhi cannot be gained by effort, it reveals itself when all effort has dissolved. It is a divine gift. It is liberation while still being in a physical body. The afflictions of all Karmas have been removed. “Chitta Vritti Nirodhaha” takes places.