You may already be familiar with the word “asana,” as it is the term used to describe the postures taken during a yoga practice. In fact, asana has two meanings: it is both the place where a yoga practitioner sits, and the manner in which he or she sits. This duality is reflected in the word’s two literal translations: “seat” and “posture.”

Asana has a complex history in the Yogic tradition. The Vedas, India’s oldest scriptures, do not contain the word “asana,” though they do include the verbal root “as.” In Sanskrit, “as” is translated into “to sit” or “to be.” “Asana” appears in its fuller form later, in the middle Upanishads, where it refers only to the postures assumed during meditation. Then, the meaning of asana transformed again, with the emergence of Tantra and its focus on using posture to intensify prana, the vital life force. Finally, with the development of Hatha Yoga in 1000 CE, asana took on its most widely-known meaning.

Of the 196 Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, only 3 speak directly to asana. The most well-known is Sutra 2.46: sthira sukham asanam: asana should be a balance between steady, stable, alert effort (sthira) and comfortable, easy, relaxed effort (sukham). Sutras 2.47 and 2.48 go on to describe that asana can only be mastered once the Yogi learns to let go of the natural tendency for restlessness and begins to meditate on the infinite. Once this mastery is achieved, it is believed that one is no longer disturbed by the dualities of life.

Asana are the building blocks of more profound discoveries—and are very often the aspect of yoga that most are introduced to first. In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the most authoritative text on Hatha Yoga, Swami Svatmarama explains that asana are described first because they are the first step of Hatha. With the steadiness and focus that asana provides, the yoga practitioner can then progress to higher goals. “Yama & Niyama…cannot be practiced,” says TKV Desikachar. “What we can practice are asanas and pranayama, which make us aware of where we are, where we stand, and how we look at things.” It is through the practice of asana, BKS Iyengar adds, that the body is made into a “fit vehicle for the spirit.”

Try focusing on practicing each asana with greater awareness. Become more steady and more comfortable in the postures, and be mindful to experience each one fully. It is when we explore our edges and challenge our boundaries that the real magic happens.

In essence, samadhi is the realization—not simply the thought or idea, but the true understanding—that we are all one. That you are reading about it right now does not mean you understand it, for samadhi cannot be explained in words. It can only be experienced.

Thus, the eight limbs of yoga provide the road map for realizing samadhi. But just as holding a road map does not assure you will reach your destination, so reading about the eight limbs of yoga does not assure you will reach samadhi. Integrate the ethical practices of the yamas and niyamas into your life. Attend to the physical practices of asana and pranayama to find comfort in your body and mind. These practices set the stage for the final four limbs of yoga to occur, leading to samadhi. Samadhi cannot be practiced, per se. Samadhi simply happens. Samadhi occurs when the proper conditions have been set allowing the mind to be free from disturbances so that it can know true reality.

According to Desikachar, “In samadhi our personal identity—name, profession, family history, bank account, and so forth—completely disappears.” Whether you are interested in achieving samadhi or not, certainly the core goal of connecting to something greater—whether a higher power, a greater purpose, God, or to the energy that flows within and without us—is worth seeking. Whether you actually achieve it or not does not matter. Remember that it is the journey, not the destination, which we seek. So begin, simply, with your next breath. Inhale. Exhale.

The continued practice of dharana will eventually become dhyana. Dhyana is the second limb of Samyama, the simultaneous practice of the three last limbs of yoga. For meditation, Iyengar recommends placing concentration specifically on the breath because, “nothing penetrates deeper than breath or is more pervasive.” The breath is a common point of focus during meditation, as it is easily accessible—certainly, we can always come back to the breath.

To put dhyana into perspective, think about when you sit for meditation. Let’s say you begin to focus on the breath. Perhaps you choose to notice how the belly moves in and out with each breath. This moment of concentration is dharana. Then you think about how your foot feels—this is a distraction. Then back to the breath. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Then you think about how you need to stop at the grocery store on the way home. You think about what you need to buy there. Then you notice your mind is distracted and guide it back to the breath. This is the mind. The mind is always on the go, chasing thoughts. Dharana seeks to rein the attention back to the moment—to one single point.

When the moments of dharana become longer, say, a few minutes or more of maintaining your attention on the breath without distractions, the transition to dhyana has taken place. When the mind no longer chases each distracted thought, but rather remains concentrated on the object of choice, without interruption, dhyana is experienced. Dhyana opens up space, so to speak, for the calm that sets the stage for a deeper connection to be made in the next limb, Samadhi.

Next time you sit for meditation, notice the stream of concentration. Do the moments of concentration alternate with many thoughts? Do you notice longer stretches of time when you are able to maintain your attention on your breath (or the object of your focus)? Observe the patterns without judgment. Remember, this is practice. It will always be just practice.

Dharana is the first limb of Samyama, the simultaneous practice of the three last limbs of yoga. With dharana the focus moves inward. According to Desikachar, “This is what happens in dharana: we create the conditions for the mind to focus its attention in one direction instead of going out in many different directions. We encourage one particular activity of the mind and, the more intense it becomes, the more the other activities of the mind fall away.” He goes on to say that this one point can be anything at all, but it is always just a single object.

The object of concentration could be a certain chakra (energy center), mantra (sound), mental image, or anything you choose. For example, when you sit quietly and maintain your focus only on the breath for an extended period of time, you are practicing dharana. At first, the mind will wander to all sorts of thoughts, but over time, with practice, the distractions fade and the mind becomes more focused.

The practice of dharana can be particularly helpful if you find yourself getting caught up in emotions. During such times, the mind fills with distracted thoughts, many not even based on reality. (Think of the last assumption you made when you were upset. Often, these assumptions are not even real, and thus, not based on reality.) Taking some time to detach from negative thought patterns by first practicing pranayama (to center), then pratyahara (to remove sensory distractions), and finally dharana, can be a great practice for times when your thoughts seem to overtake you.

Pranayama, as the fourth limb of yoga, comes after asana, the third limb, for good reason. Asana practice, the physical postures of yoga we are all familiar with, prepares the body to sit for pranayama. It is most common for pranayama to be practiced while seated with an erect spine, the correct body alignment for proper flow of prana within the body. For most people, sitting for even short periods of time can be uncomfortable. With regular asana practice, however, this discomfort is alleviated.

Though breath control is used as a practice of pranayama, prana itself cannot be controlled. Rather, breath control helps to remove blockages so that prana can flow freely throughout the body. “Prana is distributed throughout the body along nadis, or channels, that are similar to (but are not the same as) the pathways of nerves that run throughout the body. When prana is blocked, energy cannot flow and disease and imbalance set in. When prana is flowing through every cell of the body, we are vital, radiant, strong, healthy, and clear in thought, speech, and action,” states Alan Finger.

Pranayama usually begins with a few minutes of simply observing the breath. This practice alone—noticing the breath and how the body moves in response to the breath—will automatically bring a sense of ease to the breath, and more importantly, to the mind. Once the breath is flowing with ease, any one of a number of pranayama practices can be used. The ujjayi breath, or victorious breath, is a wonderful breath practice to begin with, because it can be easily incorporated into an asana practice. The ujjayi breath involves a slight constriction of the throat, which serves to modulate the flow of breath into and out of the lungs. Essentially, it helps to lengthen, or extend, the breath.

Constriction of the larynx during ujjayi breathing also adds sound to the breath. With each inhalation and exhalation, the ujjayi breath has the sound of a sigh, or waves breaking on the beach. The addition of sound in this pranayama practice is particularly helpful in keeping the mind in the moment, giving the mind a place to focus. To practice ujjayi:

1. Sit in a comfortable posture such as sukhasana (easy pose) or virasana (hero pose). Ujjayi can even be practiced while reclined, or seated in a chair, being careful to maintain an erect spine.
2. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth creating the sound “haaa,” as if you were whispering.
3. Feel the swirl in the back of the throat. Practice this a few breaths.
4. Halfway through your next exhalation, close your mouth, continuing the same sound as the air goes out through your nose instead of your mouth. Practice it a few times. Each time, close your mouth a little sooner until the mouth is no longer open as you are exhaling.
5. Once you are comfortable on the exhalation, try to create the same soft sound on the inhalation. David Swenson recommends gently smiling as you feel the air swirl in the back of the throat.

Just as asana prepares the body for pranayama, pranayama assists the mind in the practice of pratyahara, or withdrawal of the senses, the fifth limb of yoga. Through the eight limbs of yoga, we see how one limb unfolds to reveal the next, and truly, the practice of yoga reveals itself.

The dualistic theory of creation or causation is called Sankhya Philosophy and it appears in texts as ancient as the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. Its founder was the sage Kapila who is considered by scholars to be older than Buddha. It is also the theory of creation recognized by both Yoga and Ayurveda.

Sankhya means “empirical” or “number.” It explains creation in a manner where the implicit becomes explicit and where there exists neither production nor destruction. All of creation stems from the two facets of Sankhya: Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is pure consciousness, the soul, Self, or knower. It is not substance, rather essence, beyond time and activity. Prakriti is matter and Nature. It is the power of manifestation in all objects and holds all three Gunas in equilibrium.

Modern science affirms Sankhya Philosophy. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy can be transformed, but neither created nor destroyed. Einstein’s equation E=mc² explains that matter and energy are interchangeable. Energy is stored in matter and matter can be converted to energy. The constant speed of light (3 x 108 m/s) is the factor c. Moreover, the dualism of the Particle-Wave Theory holds that light behaves like a wave and a particle at the same time.

In short, both the ancient philosophy and modern science contend that there is no difference between the energy that grows a walnut and the walnut itself. All of existence is two things at once.

The Gayatri Mantra in repeating Devangari script

Om Bhur Bhuvah Svah

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhimahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat

Translation:  With loving reverence we bow to the inner Light, the supreme wisdom in all the world.  May this Divine Light guide and illuminate our intelligence.

The Gayatri mantra, the most ancient of the mantras found in the Rig Veda, is considered to be the mother of the Vedas.  The sound “gai” in Sanskrit means sing and “trai” means protect.  Gayatri therefore translates to “she who protects the singer.” The practice of the Gayatri mantra allowed the Rishis, or seers, to receive the revelation of all other mantras.  The first line is comprised of what is known as the Great Utterances.  Bhur indicates earth or matter, Bhuvah indicates sky or energy, and Svah indicates heaven or mind.

The practice of the Gayatri mantra helps us become strong by overcoming our own inner weaknesses. It stills mental chatter and clears away karmic impurities.  It purifies the ego and sharpens the intellect.  Connecting us to the teacher within, we receive inner guidance and inspiration.  As the inner being which flows directly from Source is illuminated, the deep unconscious is purified.  Gradually and with sustained effort and patience, the effect pervades all aspects of our personality.

Gayatri is the mantra for the common man.  Exact pronunciation is less important than intention.  The sages tell us that the practice of the Gayatri mantra allows for immense and everlasting transformation.   No one among us will not benefit.