eight limbs

Yoga has helped me through a lot of difficult times.
I'm sure it was not by chance that I rediscovered it 6 months ago when life really started to go arse over tit - just when all else seemed without rhyme or reason, it offered some continuity and direction. Yoga is something I am good at that makes me feel good about myself but still offers endless scope for improvement. It brings a sense of control - that I can make things better and that the future is in my hands.
I suppose these in themselves are valid reasons for me to be grateful to have yoga in my life and indeed my current practice has returned my body to me after an extended period where I had lost touch. 
However I keep in mind that the word "ashtanga" means "8 limbs", a reference to the 8 limbs which make up the tree of yoga. "Asana" or the practice of postures is only one of these. As I continue on this journey I wish to concentrate more and more on the broader yogic aspects of the practice.


1. Yama - the five restraints or the "don'ts"
Ahimsa - Non-violence
Satya - Truthfulness
Brahmacharya - Control of the senses and celibacy
Asteya - Non-stealing
Aparigraha - Non-covetousness and non-acceptance of gifts
2. Niyama - the five observances or the "do's"
Saucha - Purity, cleanliness
Santosha - Contentment
Tapas - Austerity
Swadhyaya - Self-study, study of scriptures
Ishwara Pranidhana - Surrender to God's will
3. Asana - Steady posture
4. Pranayama - Control of prana or life force
5. Pratyahara - Withdrawal of the senses
6. Dharana - Concentration
7. Dhyana - Meditation
8. Samadhi - Super-conscious state


Like today for example after a little supta kurmasana incident yesterday* I'll be having an asana-free day (driving me CRAZY!!). This is a perfect occasion for me to give some thought to other aspects of the practice. Those yamas and niyamas for a start.....
I like to think of this blog as a sort of Swadhyaya - self study.  As for "study of scriptures", I'm currently reading Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda and am looking forward to any insights it might offer.
The "me sore" me is the broken and imperfect one. I'm hoping this journey in "ashtanga"(in both senses of the word) will help me on the way to "Mysore" (in both senses of the word).


*supta kurmasana is destined for a post of its own very soon. I spent much time working on the mechanics of the pose and feel i have now grasped it if not mastered it. Yesterday in class I got the hand grip myself and was assisted successfully into the full leg position. In my haste, however I strained the lower back. Not a big deal, but I'm out of asana-action today. 
This incident reinforces my iyengar mantra from years of teaching - poses should be worked away from the back and into the limbs. Supta kurmasana requires a strong preparation on the shoulder and hip joints and through the muscles of the thighs. Just because you can get into a pose using the back, doesn't mean you should.