AShtaangayoga

अष्टाङ्गयोग
(The eight-limbed Yoga)

Patanjai's Yogasootra is called Raaja Yoga. Vivekaananda has written a voluminous book/commentary on it. It is also called AShTaangaygoa - a school of philosophy postulating discipline to remove afflictions, leading to a discriminative knowledge of the Truth beyond untruth, of reality beyond unreality. The discipline has eight limbs and is thus named Ashtaangayoga.

1. Yama - abstentions, restraints on oneself (ethical).

2. Niyama - observances, regulations in actions towards others (physical)

3. Aasana -Postures for strengthening the muscles and gaining control over them.

4. PraaNaayaama - Breathing exercises.

5. Pratyaahaara - Withdrawal of senses from their respective domains.

6. DhaaraNa - Fixing one's attention. Early stages of meditation. You concentrate on limb by limb of the IShTadevataa. On the head, on the face, on the shoulders and down to feet.

7. Dhyaana - Concentration on the deity's body as a whole.

8. Samaadhi - Full absorption of the mind into the object of concentration.

This is followed in the Yoga Maarga. The Jnaana maarga has SaadhanaaachatuShtaya - a fourfold discipline. Both disciplines have common points. RamaNa says -You can pick one or other discipline or even interchange some limbs. Both help you to make the mind one-pointed. For his method of Self Inquiry, one can overlook these disciplines if the mind is amenable to concentration by itself.