What Are The Stages Of Yoga?

What are the Stages of Yoga?

In ashtanga yoga (eight fold path ) are the eight stages of yoga.

patanjali enumerates these as means for the quest of the soul.

1 YAMAS  (rules aimed at destroying our lower nature)

2 NIYAMAS  (rules at improving our individual nature)

3ASANAS  (postures aimed at controlling our body)

4 PRANAYAMAS (aims at controlling breath)

5 PRATYHARA (withdrawal of senses)

6 DHARNA  (concentration)

7 DHYANA  (meditation)

8 SAMADHI (union with god)

This is a wide path to begin with which everyone travels down.it it progressively gets narrower with fewer people reaching the end.

Yamas and the Niyamas controls yogis passion and

 emotions and keep him in harmony with his  surroundings

Asanas keep the body healthy and strong thus leads to freedom towards body consciousness.

When our vehicle(body) is fit we can achieve our goal in life

These first three stages are called bahiranga sadhana

Pranayamas and Pratayhara teaches us to regulate our

 breath and there by control our mind.

These satages control our senses .it helps free the senses frm desires .

These two are  stages of antaranga sadhana

Rest three which are Dharana Dhyana and Samadhi  is the stage of antaratma samadhi

The yogi in this stage does not look heaven ward for God .He knows God is within  being known as antaratma.