Yoga is practiced in ancient times to create the union between the body, mind, and spirit through various disciplines. This art of living was perfected and practiced in India, and the philosophy was codified in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali. This text describes a eightfold path that provides a blueprint to attain of Samadhi, the union of oneself and his surroundings.
- Yama – Practice of moral discipline – which consists of the five virtues of compassion, non stealing, truthfulness, chastity and non greed
- Niyama – Practice of self restraint – which consists of devotion, self-study, contentment, purity and austerity.
- Asana – Practice of physical postures for meditation and health.
- Pranayama – Practice of good breath control to boost your energy and improve your mental concentration.
- Pratyahara – Practice of the control of senses, so that the mind is prepared for meditation.
- Dharana – Practice of cultivating inner perceptual awareness, concentration and extended mental focusing.
- Dhyana – Practice of devotion and meditation on Divine
- Samadhi – Practice and experience of ecstasy, unions with the divine and unitive consciousness.
This Eightfold path of yoga is the structural framework for a Yoga session.