The 8 Limbs of yoga: A Journey into Limbs 7 & 8

Dhyana

We know by now that the path of the 8 limbs of yoga begins with the Yamas and Niyamas - concerning our relationship to ourselves and the world around us. Imagine a circle and this being the outermost edge of the circle, where we connect to the world around us on a physical or conscious level. These limbs are how we show up to the world and to ourselves. We then move a little further inwards, to our physical body, and specifically creating ease within the body to be able to find a comfortable, distraction-less seat. Once achieved we are able to move further inwards, with the following limbs focusing on breath, sense withdrawal and concentration. Bringing us to the 7th limb of total meditative absorption - or deep, uninterrupted meditation. This may sound like a far off goal that few people in life will be able to achieve. However let me tell you that Dhyana is something accessible to us all. If we manage to stay totally absorbed for even a few breaths we have tapped into Dhyana. We use the previous limbs or steps such as concentration to help quiet the mind, and then in Dhyana we move beyond conscious concentration and become completely absorbed in just being, without trying to be or do anything - the mind goes beyond that and we just are. Any amount of time here, no matter how brief, is Dhyana and is taking us closer and closer to the centre of the circle - to Samadhi or divine consciousness. The more we practice the longer our moments in Dhyana will become, and the shorter the periods of distraction will become before we realise and can work back through the steps to arrive once again to Dhyana. In Dhyana we will feel complete peace or bliss in mind, body and soul - the three no longer separate but one. While we cannot spend all or even most of our lives in this absorbed state, taking time to connect to Dhyana on a regular basis can reduce stress, increase focus, and increase our connection to a deep inner peace throughout our lives. From personal experience I would say that in Dhyana we have moved beyond the mind, into a place where words exist but are not relevant, where we connect to our truest self in a place beyond language.

Samadhi

As we progress through the eight limbs of yoga, we arrive at the centre of our circle: Samadhi; a state of pure bliss, enlightenment and connection.

Samadhi is more than just peace of mind; it is a deep union with the universe, where the ego dissolves, and we experience oneness with all that is. Samadhi is a state of total absorption, where the mind, body, and soul and the universe are in perfect harmony. It is this connection with all that is that brings us from the 7th limb to the 8th limb.

Samadhi reminds us that yoga isn’t just a physical practice; it’s a lifelong journey toward self-realization and inner freedom. A journey that unites us to everyone and everything that exists, going far beyond what we can explain through the limitations of our senses and our languages . We go beyond conscious knowledge into the deeper subconscious and unconscious layers. You may call this god existing within you and within all of us, connection to source or mother nature, intuition, a greater intelligence, or the quantum physics idea of a global or universal unifying energy; whatever it is for you that represents total union, to infinity and beyond. We connect ourselves to ourselves (conscious to unconscious), and to all that is, all that was, and all that will be. This limb of yoga brings us to the very definition of the word yoga - union. The steps from the outermost layer of the circle to the innermost layer pave the way for this total connection to our truest self and what we always were - which is everything.

Each step we take in our yoga practice brings us closer to this state of unity and a total contentment beyond what we can truly imagine. A blog post or even a book will only be able to go so far in explaining Samadhi and the true union of yoga because ultimately it is something that we experience beyond our conscious understanding of the world. With this in mind we would love to hear your thoughts or experiences on Samadhi or any of the 8 limbs. And let us know if you have enjoyed this series on the 8 limbs of yoga.