Season 4 of Present Moments uses excerpts from the book, The Eight Limbs of Yoga: A Handbook for Living Yoga Philosophy, by Stuart Ray Sarbacker and Kevin Kimple to dissect yoga beyond the mat. In each episode, I read a short selection from the book and offer an interpretation followed by some practical ways in which you can incorporate the concept in your daily life. Yoga is a spiritual practice that offers a framework for people who have the desire to walk the path of enlightenment.

We begin on page 13 with an overview of the 8 limbs of yoga:

1. Restraint (yama)
2. Observance (niyama)
3. Posture (asana)
4. Breath control (pranayama)
5. Withdraw (prathyahara)
6. Fixation/Concentration (dharana)
7. Meditation (dhyana)
8. Contemplation (samadhi)

In yoga philosophy we spend a lifetime working in and with the physical realm to create a pure, conscious line of energy between heaven and earth, and attune to the soul's divine purpose. As each of the 8 limbs is practiced, the yogi becomes a clearer channel and conduit to become embodied spirituality. As we master alignment (inner & outer world; heart, mind, body, spirit; and divine feminine and divine masculine) and reduce attachment, we minimize conflict and stress and open our hearts and minds to become thoughtfully aware. This in turn offers the ability to flow with the energy of life and appreciate the various lessons and teachers in their earthly form (people, nature, experiences, emotions, etc.) without getting stuck or ruminating. The framework is a structure in which each tenet complements and is a prerequisite to all the others.

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