How To Practice 8 Limbs of Yoga for Overall Health

 8 Limbs of yoga is a form of yoga that works on every dimension of your being. Moreover, when it comes to having overall health, the focus is not just on physical health. Rather, mental and spiritual health is also a concern.

So, there are various yogic practices involved while practicing 8 limbs of yoga. However, it is not possible to work on different dimensions simultaneously. Hence, you need to practice and master the one before moving on to the next one. 

Enhancing Different Dimensions With 8 Limbs Of Yoga

For your convenience, you can divide the 8 limbs of yoga into the dimensions they relate to or work upon. 

For Physical Well Being

Yama, the first limb of yoga deals with moral codes related to the world surrounding you. As you perceive the world around you, so do you behave or participate. When you practice various moral codes to work on the path of yoga, you work on your physical dimension. 

Niyama, the second limb of yoga concerns with your duties towards the world. You take so much from it that giving back not only becomes your duty but also a compulsion as well. When you work with Niyama, you witness enhancement in your overall being. 

Asana is the third limb of yoga that directly works on your physical self. When you practice various yoga asanas, you get a strong body and flexible limbs. All in all, you gain a physically fit body, working to its maximum potential, devoid of any injuries.


For Mental Dimension

Pranayama is a breathing practice that is practiced to divert your mind from mental chatter on the breath. When you practice deeper breathing, you get a calm mind. Moreover, it increases your mental power to focus on a single entity.

Pratyahara means to withdraw your attention inwards. It signifies that you have gone past your physical dimension, totally ingrained in the mental dimension. Moreover, when you practice Pratyahara, you move towards visualization, forming a better picture of your goals. 

Pratyahara also helps you to switch off your senses that always move you outward. Thus, instead of embarking on a worldly journey, you have a mental progression towards the deepest corners of your being.  

Dharana can also be termed as ‘focused concentration’. When you practice Dharana, it means that you have decided to work on a single intention. The best thing about practicing Dharana is that you gain laser focus, stronger will power, and the ability to never waiver from your decision to do something. Therefore, you gain a strong character, becoming a person of your words. 

For Spiritual Awakening

Dhyana means getting absorbed in a meditative state. This is to say that when you practice meditation, there comes a time in your practice when you become one with your higher self, totally detached from the real world. You reach a state of pure bliss, and no distraction is strong enough to disturb you or disrupt your flow. 

Samadhi, also know as enlightenment is the final step towards having perfect overall health. When a person attains Samadhi, he or she rises above space and time, getting deeply engrossed in his mind. It does mean that you rise above harm or injury or that you fly on cloud nine.

To attain Samadhi means to have a realization and to accept your present condition. Moreover, it does not mean to escape from your current reality. However, keep it in check that you be conscious of your thoughts, which plays a major role in how much time you spend in your raised state.

Wrap Up 

Practicing 8 limbs of yoga gradually move from the physical sphere to the mental, giving you access to the spiritual awakening. It is also called ashtanga yoga that breaks down into eight limbs of yoga. In turn, you become one with your inner being, moving towards connecting with the spiritual being.