A yogi’s ability to achieve union with the source of consciousness goes hand-in-hand with developing nirodha. Nirodha, as we learned in the previous post, is both the practice of withdrawing the senses and the state of being in union with the divine. There are three verses in the third section of the Yoga Sutras that […]
As you may know, there are eight limbs of classical yoga. The first seven help prepare yogis for the final limb: union with a higher power, or samadhi. Samadhi can also be called union with all that is or union with God. Whatever you call it, the goal is the same. Reaching samadhi means shedding […]
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali offer remarkable tools for understanding the practice of yoga and its benefits. The work is divided into four sections. The first section is an overview of the obstacles to enlightenment. Next comes an explanation of yoga and its eight limbs. Then, Patanjali gives us a look at yogic powers. If […]
Pratyahara — withdrawal of the senses — is the fifth limb of yoga. It is a practice that helps us begin to go within. Pratyahara prepares the yogi for meditation. But why is it important to disconnect from sensory experience? And how can we do it most effectively? In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali defines pratyahara […]