The practice of Yoga originated over 5000 years ago in India. A multi-dimensional, subtle science aimed at harmonizing the body and mind through wide variety of practices-culminating in spiritual upliftment. Influencing the Psycho- Physiological dimension, the outer rungs of the 8 limbed Yoga of Sage Patanjali include Yama & Niyama (Moral code of Conduct for Yoga Practitioners), Asana (Physical Postures) , Pranayama (Breathwork) and the inner rungs include Pratyahara (Sense Withdrawal), Dharana (Concentration) , Dhyana (Meditation) and Samadhi (Contemplation) to harmonise the Body, Pranas and bring balance to the mind respectively. The subtle and mystical dimensions of one’s being is nurtured and experienced through the journey of these 8 Limbs laid down by Sage Patanjali.

Just as a human is a vital whole that is more than the sum of its limbs and other bodily components, Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga is more than the sum of the phases of the eight-limbed path. While all are necessary to the process, their combination produces something vital.

Coping with a society that requires commercialization, an easy and non-threatening strategy of focusing on Asana while ignoring the other limbs is an adversary to traditional yogic wisdom, not to mention a digression from the intended / lofty objective of transcending the mind.

The path of Ashtanga Yoga is shown to us by Sage Patanjali in Patanjala Yoga Darshana that is divided into: 4 Chapters that contains 195 sutras (aphorisms).

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is based on a vigorous physical practise that involves a series of poses linked together with breath to make a continuous routine. The practise requires a lot of physical strength, flexibility, and stamina, which is why many people think of it as a tough practice. Adding an Ashtanga Vinyasa practice to your daily routine is a good way to keep your mind and body healthy and strong, whether you’re just starting out with yoga or looking for something new as your goals change.

Ashtanga Vinyasa style of practicing Asanas is very active and athletic. It is made up of six series or levels, and the poses are always done in the same sequence. It is based on vinyasa, which is a way of moving smoothly from one pose to the next while focusing on energy and breath. Even though it is a very physical practise, it also helps clear the mind and find peace within.

Yin Yoga has the same goals and purposes as any other yoga style; however, it directs the stimulation that is typically produced in the body. Yin Yoga is a fantastic complement to the dynamic and muscular (yang) kinds of yoga that emphasize internal heat and the stretching and contraction of our muscles. It is suitable for practically all levels of students. In general, Yin Yoga focuses on the connective tissues of the hips, pelvis, and lower spine. While this form of yoga may appear to be monotonous, passive, or gentle at first, the lengthy duration of the positions makes it highly hard. We can stay in the poses for one to twenty minutes! Exercise has a varied effect on yin and yang tissues. You must experience this to truly understand what Yin Yoga is all about. After experiencing it even once, you will know that you have only been performing half of the asana practice. In the context of elasticity, our bones and their ligaments can be considered yin-like compared to our more yang-like muscles. So in order to make our ligaments stronger we need to practice yin yoga. Yin Yoga is for joints and Yang Yoga is for muscles. As a yoga practitioner we need to constantly balance our Yin and Yang energies and that is what is called as a balanced practice.

Pranayama is a word that is widely misunderstood. It is commonly translated as “breathing exercise.” Of course, the activity increases the delivery of oxygen to the body and the elimination of carbon dioxide. There is no doubt about it, and this brings about amazing physiological advantages. However, pranayama is more than just a respiratory workout or a breath exercise.

Pranayama does not imply command of the life energy. Pranayama does not imply regulating one’s breathing. So, what exactly is pranayama? Pranayama is the practice of directing the vital energy to each and every corner of the body. It is a procedure that awakes latent prana, the physical body’s resting essential vitality. It is part of a larger system of reintegration, rebalancing, and re-harmonization of body and mind, a system that cleanses and strengthens, removing physical and mental strain and weakness. Pranayama simultaneously awakens the inner consciousness.

Pranayama practice recharges the physical body’s energy, which is subsequently carried through the ida and pingala nadis in the form of electrical impulses to all areas of the body, including the brain. Scientists have discovered that when pranayama is practiced, both hemispheres of the brain are stimulated and there are significant changes in the electrical impulses of the brain.

Meditation is a way of life. ‘darshan’ is another word for life experience. Darshan is a term that most of us are acquainted with. Darshan is a type of ‘inner vision’ that is distinct from a psychic encounter. When a person receives this darshan, he experiences the same level of awareness as when he is awake, and therefore meditation is a way of life.

The raja yoga of Sage Patanjali has maintained the idea that when the mind and its qualities are controlled by the continuous practice of yoga, a higher level of consciousness manifests; and this higher state of awareness is meditation. Because we are involved in yoga practices in some form, we will need to know how to proceed with meditation. We have not accomplished meditation by closing our eyes and disconnecting our minds from sensory input.

Based on our observations and what we have learned from the scriptures, the state of meditation is a dynamic state of awareness that changes not only the subjective, psychic experience, but also the whole character and reactions of the personality. Transformation is a critical process that occurs after meditation. There also seem to be prerequisites to meditation.

Everyone should remember that meditation requires an object to act as a sheet anchor for the consciousness to move around.

There are two kinds of approaches to asanas. One is Functional approach and other is aesthetic approach.  Functional approach is all about introspection. Aesthetic Approach is all about cerebral abstraction. Functional approach is all about how and what you feel in the poses whereas aesthetic approach is all about how do I look? Functional approach takes into consideration skeletal variations and based on that selects the archetypal poses which will be most suitable for the student. In Functional approach, asanas are done to harmonize the flow of pranas. Alignment is asanas will be unique for individuals as we all look same from outside but we all have different skeletal structure and proportions of the limbs. Some individuals have long arms compared to the torso, whereas some have shorts arms. Alignment approach towards asanas should not be rigid, it should be adaptive and considerate to human skeletal variations. Functional Approach towards asanas always respects bone to bone compression and allows usage of props to overcome this limitation.

There are two types of restrictions which a student faces while doing any pose. Muscular Tension and Joint Compression. With regular asana practice, muscular tension goes away and then our body reaches the end range of motion which is compression of bones. This the ultimate range of motion and this is edge which will be different for everyone. Thus, as a yoga teacher or practitioner it is very important to understand that everyone is unique and so will be their yoga poses. As Bernie Clark says, we don’t use our body to go into the poses, but we use the pose to go inside the body.

Darshana’ in English is translated as ‘Philosophy’, (Philo + Sophia) (Love for Wisdom). But for Darshana, the word Tattva Gyan should be used. (Tat = That , Tva= Ness & Gyan= Knowledge) .Therefore, Tattva = Real essence & hence we can say that knowing the things in their real essence is Tattva Gyan.It does not mean seeing with the eyes or other senses in the outside world. But it means to see something beyond the senses and mind.

The word ‘Darshana’ comes from ‘Drish’ which ,means ‘to see’ / ‘to know’. ‘Na’ is a suffix which suggest ‘the instrument’.

Therefore ‘Darshan’ is : Perspective to look at the world / Instrument of knowledge.

Indian Yoga Philosophy or Bhartiya Darshana or Bhartiya Tattva Gyana is divided into two schools of thoughts:

Astika (Orthodox) Darshana- Accepts validity of Vedas. They are Nyaya Darshana, Vaisheshika Darshana, Samkhya Darshana, Yoga Darshana, Mimansa Darshana, Vedanta Darshana.

Yoga Philosophy falls under the above category of Astika (Orthodox) Darshana.

Nastika ( Heterodox) Darshana- Negates validity of Vedas. They are Charvaka Darshana, Jain Darshana and Baudha Darshana.