Most people have created confusion between elements of yoga and the limbs of Yoga. There has to be no confusion between the elements of yoga and the limbs of Yoga. Common people think Patanjali and 8 Limbs of Yoga to be the real elements of Yoga. However, it is to be noted that before the system of Patanjali, there existed another way of looking at the Yogic Principles. You can read the following article to know. Click here to read the article on Hiranyagarbha Yoga Darshana, a Yoga before Patanjali.
Elements of Yoga are categorical rather than having certain numbers. A Yoga practitioner-focused only on physical exercises cannot explain the reality of Yoga. Most of the Yoga Teachers miss it because of the negative inferences. They say, Yoga is done for physical and mental fitness only, that’s not the whole truth.
Yoga is to understand ‘supreme- self’ rather than connecting with our body through various poses.
The elements of yoga are categorized into various divisions, however here are the three categories based on inferences from books like Bhagawat Gita, Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Upanishads, Yoga related books like Hatha Yoga Pradipaka and Yoga Vashista, and many more. These are the techniques of the Yogis from the Himalayas and other parts of India.
The category of elements of yoga are as follows.
The literal meaning of Yoga is the union of your supreme self and you. For people having developed minds and brains, the supreme self is within ourselves. The statement is supported by the Mahavakya or the supreme statement ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, which means I am the Brahman or God. This Brahman is not the caste but supreme reality consisting of everything from the past to the future. You can read the article on Brahman from here. This statement can only be said by accomplished Yogis.
Although, for under-developed mind and brain there will always be the presence of another ‘God’. The elements of Yoga or the elements of the union of self and supreme self-varies for people. In the real Indian system, there are always alternates for the Union. These are the variable elements of Yoga based on temperaments.
Assume that your friend always failed in mathematics examination but topped in social activities. He loves his family and society. Now, you two will certainly have a varied temperament. So, as a mathematician, you would believe in logic and as a social guy, your friend would believe in faith and love. Yogically, elements of Yoga will vary for you two. For a guy with logic, the element will be ‘Jnana (knowledge), for a guy having love and faith, Bhakti (devotion) is an element.
Similarly, for a person having a commitment to the duty, your element of yoga would be ‘Karma’ or your duty. And, for a person having an interest in learning, the element would be ‘Jnana’ or Knowledge itself. These elements of Yoga when simplified through temperaments are as follows.
In Karma Yoga, you consider all of your duties to be a gift of God rather than your own doing. Also, you keep on working without any expectation thinking it’s all done by God. In Bhakti Yoga, you give devotion to a chosen ‘deity’. Your utmost and sincere devotion will connect with that ‘supreme self’ that you have chosen. A commonly chosen God for devotion is Lord Krishna. There are examples of various accomplished Bhakti Yogis in India. One being Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a great Yogi of the 15th Century.
In Jnana Yoga, you read every scripture/book that makes you understand the unity in nature. You can read books intended to give knowledge rather than enjoyment. Adi Sankaracharya was one of the greatest Jnana Yogi of all time. He is the founder of the modern system of Yoga and meditation in India.
The limbs of yoga vary with different scriptures. The Patanjali Yoga sutras have 8 limbs, although as per the Maitrayaniya Upanishad or Maitrayani Upanishad, there are 6 limbs. The Upanishads were being imparted to separate people during different times based on Guru-Sishya tradition. In this tradition, the knowledge was passed only to the deserving students. So, these limbs differed from person-person.
The common thing that holds these limbs together is ‘Dharana’ or contemplation. This limb is common in almost all the books related to Yoga.
Following is the list of elements of Yoga based for contemplation or ‘Dharana’ .
Now coming to the third categorical element of Yoga. These elements are called ‘Anga’ or in-separable parts. However, it is to be noted that philosophically these are minor elements. Let’s have a look at the list of limbs used by Patanjali.
The list of Patanjali is as follows.
The Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi combined are called Samyama in the Patanjali Yoga Sutras. It is mentioned that continuous practice of Samyama gives superpowers to the practitioner. If someone does Dharana on an elephant, and practice Dhyana further getting Samadhi in it. This person gets a power elephant. Here the elephant is among the elements of yoga.
Similarly, if you do Dharana on the Karma with a steady flow of Dhyana to get Samadhi, you can know your past, present, and future. You can click here to read about Samyama and Siddhis from Scientific Monk.
There is a requirement of a component of ‘Tarka’(Logic) also. The Maitrayaniya Upanishad or Maitrayani Upanishad considers this in the list of limbs rather than the elements of Yoga.
The limbs of Yoga in the Maitrayaniya Upanishad are as follows,
The sequence is different where the Dhyana is before the Dharana. The Yamas, Niyama, and Asana are not compulsions like Patanjali Yoga Sutras. As specified earlier, the list of limbs varies with the temperament of an individual. This technique is best suited for the people having developed mind.
If the mind is strongly developed just like the topper of mathematics subject, he/she can do dhyana easily. However, dhyana is developed for non-elements here rather than elements of yoga. The toppers probably can solve the complex problems of calculus through Dhyana but cannot do Dharana on any elements of Yoga. If they do Dhyana on the elements of Yoga then this itself will be the Dharana, so the sequence in the list varies for people with such temperaments.
Tarka or logic becomes very much necessary for them to get their mind on track. During ancient times even atheists used to get enlightenment because it was not a mystical thing. However, due to misunderstandings, it became more mystical rather than philosophical. The logic was thought to be in the list of Limbs of Yoga only. In modern times, however, this component is being overlooked.
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