Yoga is so much more than a few downward dogs and standing on your head!

Yoga is grounded in ancient Indian philosophy, with roots in texts like the Bhagavad Gita and The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. You may have noticed the little black statue at the front of the yoga room at Unfold- that is Patanjali! Yoga encompasses a spiritual journey toward self-realisation, not just physical exercise.

There are four classical paths of yoga, which tend to overlap.  

There are four classical paths of yoga, which tend to overlap.  

  • Raja yoga: the ‘royal path’ based on the eight limbs of yoga
  • Jnana yoga: the yoga of knowledge based on intellectual inquiry
  • Bhakti yoga: the yoga of love and devotion
  • Karma yoga: the yoga of action based on selfless service

Iyengar yoga, developed by BKS Iyengar is a form of Raja Yoga, with an emphasis on the eight limbs of yoga outlined by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras.

  • Yama- ethical restraints guiding how we interact with the world.
    • Ahimsa – non-violence
    • Satya- truthfulness
    • Asteya- non-stealing
    • Brahmacharya -moderation
    • Aparigraha – non-possessiveness
  • Niyama- personal observances guiding how we live with ourselves to create integrity.
    • Saucha- cleanliness
    • Santosha- contentment
    • Tapas- discipline
    • Svadhyaya- self-study
    • Ishvara Pranidhana- surrender to a higher power
  •  Asana- physical postures to promote strength, flexibility and stability. The body is prepared for meditation by cultivating comfort and stillness.
  • Pranayama- regulation of breath and life force (prana) to enhance vitality, calm the mind and support emotional balance
  • Pratyahara- withdrawal of the senses. Turning inwards away from external distractions creates space for deeper concentration and self-awareness.
  • Dharana- concentration or single-pointed attention like fixing the mind on a single object.
  • Dhyana- meditation which is an uninterrupted flow of awareness to experience inner stillness.
  • Samadhi- enlightenment when we experience blissful awareness, transcendence of the self and spiritual liberation.

This blog post is the first in our Yogic Path series of posts through which we explore how we follow the yogic path on and off the mat!

by Samantha Smith