Ashtanga yoga is considered as the foundation of every type of yoga practice.Today, this term Ashtanga Yoga has become popular though not in its true...

The mind is like an ocean. Just as the ocean has endless waves, the mind too has endless thought-waves. Real cognition, unreal cognition, imagination,...

Yama is the first step of the ladder of Ashtanga Yoga. Ahimsa, Sathya, Astheya, Brahmacharya and Aparigraha are the five yamas.

Niyama is the second step in ashtanga yoga. The five niyamas are Saucha, Santhosha, Tapas, Swadhyaya and Ishwara pranidhana.

Asana is the third step in ashtanga yoga. Asana is a steady, comfortable posture; a position which is firm, relaxed and pleasant. The scriptures say t...

Pranayama is the fourth step in ashtanga yoga. Pranayama means expansion or manifestation of energy. This energy is the cause of birth and death and t...

Prathyahara is the fifth step in ashtanga yoga. Prathyahara means withdrawal of the senses from their objects.

Dharana is the sixth step in ashtanga yoga. Dharana is confining the mind to the object being meditated upon.

Dhyana is the seventh step in ashtanga yoga. Dhyana, the contemplation is the uninterrupted flow of the thought of the object.

Samadhi is the eight step in ashtanga yoga. When the meditator is meditating on the object of meditation, his self-awareness is lost. This is Samadhi.

Samyama is the technical term for all the three, that is, Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi, together.

Bahiranga sadhana and Antaranga sadhana are the two sadhanas of ashtanga yoga.

Hatha yoga comprises of those sadhanas which are primarily concerned with sthula sharira that is the gross body. In Raja yoga, the focus of the mind i...