Who Was Rishi Patanjali?

Patanjali is considered as the founder and father of modern day Yoga, he was a great sage and master who had mastered the mind, the body, its connection with the universe, our senses, and even this physical world.He was also a profound scholar, teacher and philosopher on life management. Patanjali documented or compiled the art and science of Yoga in an extremely systematic way in the form of Yoga Sutras.

There are 196 Yoga Sutras compiled by the great sage Patanjali and they constitute the functional Ashtanga Yoga, or Raja Yoga. As a matter of fact, tradition of Yoga is ancient, Vedic and you will find references of Yoga in many ancient Indian scriptures like Mahabharata where Lord Krishna has explained the details of Yoga in day to day like and he has come across as a life coach explaining you how to lead your life and perform our duties.

Ashtang Yoga Meditation consists of eight limbs as prescribed by Patanjali. First 5 are under Bahirang (external)Sadhana and 3 are under Antaranga(internal) Sadhana for Yoga.

1. Yama: Five abstentions: dealing with others.
   Ahinsa: nonviolence,
   Satya: Truth,
   Asteya: Non covetousness, non stealing,
   Brahmacharya: abstinence,
   Aparigraha: Non possessiveness.
2. Niyama: Five observances: dealing with oneself.
   Shaucha: Cleanliness of body and mind.
   Santosha: Satisfaction,
   Tapas: Austerity
   Svadhyaya: Study of scriptures
   Ishvarapranidhana: Surrender to almighty
3. Asana: Discipline of the body, position and postures,
4. Pranayama: Control of life force energies, breath.
5. Pratyahara: Withdrawal of senses fro their external objects.
6. Dharana: Concentration of the Chitta.
7. Dhayana: Meditation.
8. Samadhi: Oneness with the object of meditation.

Yoga is restraining the mind-stuff (Chitta) from taking various forms(Vrittis): Patanjali.

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