Yoga Philosophy – What we can learn from it today

It is said that some yogis who have reached the "enlightened" state of Samadhi have slowed their pulse so significantly that they have been mistakenly declared dead. Therefore, some yogis hang a sign on their door indicating that they are in Samadhi.

Even though yoga is a popular sport today, the broader meaning of yoga philosophy is often lost in the pursuit of mere physical awareness. A balanced yoga practice, with all its physical and mental benefits, encompasses much more than vinyasas and pranayama; it is a complete way of life.

What lies behind the ancient philosophy of yoga, and how can we benefit from it in modern life? You'll find out this, as well as what Patanjali, Ashtanga Yoga, and the 8 limbs are all about, in our blog article.

Yoga philosophy explained simply

Much like us today, yogis over 2000 years ago grappled with questions about existence and the meaning of life. Yoga is an ancient way of thinking that draws on ancient Indian sacred texts, the Vedas.

The Vedas and Rigveda

These teachings were first passed down orally by wise priests, the Brahmins, around 2000 BC. A thousand years later, the first written versions appeared, and the Vedas reached an even wider audience. One of the most important of them, the Rigveda, poses existential questions not unlike those we ask ourselves today: Does God exist? How did the world originate, and how much knowledge can we humans truly attain?

The word Yoga in Sanskrit means something like "binding together" or "union," and this portrayal of Yoga as unity is already found in the Rigveda. The connection of the individual with the greater whole plays a crucial role here, stating that the Self is the Divine, and the Divine, in turn, is "everything." God, therefore, resides in everything that surrounds us and also within ourselves. Through meditation, we are meant to recognize our true Self (âtman) and thus our connection to God.

The Yoga Sutras and Patanjali

Around 200-400 BC, the yogi Patanjali created the Yoga Sutras. Sutra means "thread" or "thread" and is intended to serve as a guide to the teachings of yoga. This text is arguably the most important foundation of yoga philosophy.

In the 196 sutras, organized into four overarching chapters, the yogi explores questions concerning the freedom of the human mind. According to Patanjali, humans should forge a deeper connection with their own consciousness, and to achieve this, they must first free themselves from their fears, desires, thoughts, memories, and regrets.

The central idea is that our perception is not reality, but rather illusion, and that another, more "true" world exists. By learning to control our minds, we can recognize our fleeting perceptions, thoughts, and feelings for what they are: individual impressions of reality, not reality itself. This allows us to simultaneously question our own minds and use them to see the true world.

The 8 Paths to Enlightenment

An important component of Patanjali's teachings, found in the middle chapters of the Sutras, is the Ashtanga Yoga philosophy. The teaching is composed of the two words Ashta (=eight) and Anga (=limb) and thus represents the eight limbs or components of yoga.

1. Yamas : The first path of the teachings addresses our relationship with the environment. How do we treat our fellow human beings, nature, and animals? Patanjali focuses on five important values ​​by which we should live: refraining from violence, being truthful, not stealing, practicing abstinence, and not striving for possessions.
2. Niyamas : The second path addresses how we treat ourselves. It is important to keep our body, thoughts, and words pure. With contentment, we can be satisfied with our lives and the here and now. Furthermore, we should practice self-discipline and continually explore ourselves. In doing so, we should always trust in the divine, worry less, and accept the events in our lives.
3. Asana : Only in this part of the sutras does the focus shift to physical practice. Originally, this was intended to enable a comfortable and stable meditation posture. Beyond that, however, physical practice helps to focus and distance oneself from one's own thoughts. In modern terms, the asanas of Ashtanga Yoga are considered the most physically demanding and challenging form of yoga.
4. Pranayama : In the fourth path, yogis are taught to control their breath. By holding the breath and practicing conscious breathing, they gain control over the breath, which is also considered their mind or life energy. In this way, their energy can be balanced, and they connect with the divine within.
5. Pratyahara : The fifth path is meant to lead us to turn our senses and attention inward. It represents the transition between the first four paths, which focus on the physical world, and the last three, which focus on our inner life.
6. Dharana : In this final step before meditation, we are meant to practice concentration. The goal here is to focus our attention on a single point, such as a mantra or our breath. We remain aware of the outside world throughout.
7. Dhyana : In meditation, our inner self comes even more sharply into focus. External influences become part of our inner world, and we lose awareness that we are in meditation. Our being is solely focused on an inner focus.
8. Samadhi : On the path of union, we merge completely with our meditation. Our identity loses its significance, and we become one with the focus of our meditation and with the meditation itself.

All eight paths are essential for learning Ashtanga Yoga. According to Patanjali, only those who master each of these individual components and unite them can attain the state of enlightenment.

Yoga philosophy in our modern world

Patanjali, Sutra, Asana, and Samadhi may sound like exotic words from an ancient world at first glance. However, we can still learn a great deal from this philosophy today. We live in a world where our smartphones ring every 20 minutes, where we are constantly and everywhere reachable by the outside world—even if it's from the other side of the globe. Getting closer to ourselves and our minds, finding peace, and seeking connection inward instead of outward might be exactly what we need.

Yoga can teach us not only to get closer to and better understand ourselves, but also to treat our environment, nature, and fellow human beings better, to live more freely, and to bring more awareness into our lives. Who knows: perhaps you too will one day reach Samadhi, the state of enlightenment. Just don't forget to put a sign on the door so you don't end up like the yogis of bygone eras.