Here i have given a basic information about raja yoga

1. RAJA YOGA
BY
SRILOY MOHANTY

2. CONTENTS…
INTRODUCTION
RAJA YOGA
BAHIRANGA YOGA ANTARANGA YOGA
YAMA
DHARANA
NIYAMA
DHYANA
ASANA
SAMADHI
PRANAYAMA
PRATYAHARA

3. INTRODUCTION…
Raja yoga is the path of will power
It is also known as patanjali’s yoga or astanga yoga
Astanga yoga = eight (asta) + limbs (anga)
It is mainly divided in to two parts
Antaranga yoga (direct way to moksha)
Bahiranga yoga (indirect way to moksha)

4. Antaranga yoga
Yama (Social Discipline)
Niyama (Self Discipline)
Asana (yogic postures)
Pranayama (mastery through breath)
Pratyahara (mastery over senses)

5. Yama – Social Discipline
The first component of Ashtanga Yoga
Rules for Social Discipline
(Guidelines on how to behave in society)
These are universal laws respected everywhere
(Laws of Nature)
These are easy to follow

6. Yama
1. Ahimsa – Non Violence
2. Satya – Truthfulness
3. Asteya – Non Stealing
4. Brahmacharya – Sexual Control
5. Aparigraha – Non Possessiveness

7. Ahimsa
* Means of behavior towards all living creatures
* Absence of harmful intentions or thoughts
* To be followed on three levels
i) Physical
ii) Verbal
iii) Mental
* Generate love & compassion towards all living creatures

8. Yama – Social Discipline
Satya – Truthfulness
Fact is fact
There is no other way than to accept it
We try to hide the facts
We do not accept the facts
One lie requires many more lies to support it
Untruthfulness in all its various forms creates many types of
unnecessary complications in life
Truthfulness is absolutely necessary for the unfoldment of reality

9. Asetya – Non Stealing
Stealing means to take anything without the
permission of its owner
Yoga sadhaka should not take anything, which does
not belong to them.
They should not even take intangible or highly
prized things, such as credits for something they
have not done.

10. Brahmacharya – Sexual Control
In its real sense means the abstinence from sexual
indulgence to obtain a higher yogic level
One cannot get real bliss realised by the transcendent
knowledge of higher yogic life, whilst having sexual
pleasures at the same time
One may not be required to give up sexual activities
straightaway, but must completely abstain before
commencing serious practice of Yoga on a higher level.

11. Brahmacharya – Sexual Control
(cont.)
A real yogi should be prepared to completely give up, not
only physical indulgence in sexual activities, but also
thoughts & emotions concerned with it
In a wider sense Brahmacharya means a freedom from
cravings of all sensual enjoyments
The attitude of the mind is responsible for these cravings

12. Aparigraha – Non Possessiveness
The tendency to accumulate worldly goods is considered a
basic instinct in human life
Necessities – comforts – luxuries
(These are subjective & limitless)
One needs to satisfy its childish vanity & desires, to appear
superior to others
One must spend time & energy in accumulating these
things, which are not really needed.

13. Aparigraha – Non Possessiveness
(cont.)
Maintaining & guarding the accumulated items
Constant fear of loosing them
Feeling of pain if actually lost
Feeling of regret to leave them behind, when bidding goodbye to this
world.
We spend our valuable time & resources to accumulate, yet they
generate a constant source of disturbance to us.
Hence minimise your needs

14. Niyama
Shoucha – Cleanliness, Purity
Santosha – Contentment
Tapa – Austerity
Swadhyaya – Self Study
Ishwara Pranidhana – Surrender to God

15. Niyama – Self Discipline
Shoucha – Cleanliness, Purity
Santosha – Contentment
Tapa – Austerity
Swadhyaya – Self Study
Ishwara Pranidhana – Surrender to God

16. Niyama – Self Discipline
Second component (Anga) of Ashtanga Yoga
Rules for self discipline
Yamas are moral & prohibitive, whereas Niyamas are
disciplined & constructive
Yamas provide ethical foundation & Niyamas provide
physical & mental foundation for furthering studies of Yoga
Yamas can be practiced only within a society, but Niyamas
can be practiced anywhere irrespective of society
Yamas are reactive & Niyamas are active

17. Shoucha – Cleanliness, Purity
Purity of body, mind & intellect
These instruments become impure when things are added to them.
Shoucha helps to eliminate these additions.
Hatha Yoga prescribes many practices for the purification of the internal
body
The cleansing practices are divided into six major categories:
Shatkarmas
1) Dhouti 2) Basti 3) Neti 4) Tratak
5) Nouli 6) Kapalbhati

18. Santosha – Contentment
This is a mental attitude that keeps the mind in a condition of
equilibrium
Circumstances impact on the mind & cause it to react. These reactions
disturb the equilibrium of the mind & in turn disrupt the physical
condition of the body
To avoid these disturbances train your mind to react with contentment
Always say “Very nice Very nice!”
A continual practice of Ashtanga Yoga along with training the mind
through Mantra Sadhana, is necessary to develop this attitude

19. Tapa – Austerity, Self Discipline
This includes various practices, the object of which is to
purify the sadhakas body mind complex for further study of
Yoga
Practices include fasting & observing various vows. These
are performed to control the functions of the body & mind
A systematic practice begins with simple exercises, to exert
control of willpower & in progression more difficult
practices are performed. This practice loosens the
association of the consciousness with the body mind
complex

20. Swadhyaya – Self Study
Study is the process of acquiring knowledge, both theoretical & practical
The explanation given by Patanjali of study is as follows:
Deerghakaal – for long period
Nairantarya – continued, uninterrupted
Satakarasevito – with full unconditional faith
The style of study will depend on the individual self

21. Ishwarpranidhana – Total
surrender to God
The progressive practice of Ishwarpranidhana will lead to samadhi, the
state of union
Ishwarpranidhana is a process of transformation from human to God
Ishwarpranidhana is the concept of loosing the identity of the self &
merging it with that of Ishwara the God
This effort may take many forms according to the temperaments & the
previous Sanskaras of the sadhaka
Ishwarpranidhana is explained in detail in Bhakti Yoga

22. Asana
“Sthiram Sukham asanam”
Sthiram –steady
Sukham-comfortable
Asanam-posture
According to hatha yoga “having done asana one gets
steadiness of body and mind; diseaselessness and
lightness of the limbs

23. Classification of asanas
Standing asanas (ardha chakrasana, ardhakati chakrasana)
Sitting asanas (vakrasana, pada hastasana)
Prone asanas (mayurasana, dhanurasana)
Supine asanas (sarvangasana, chakrasana)
Tropsy asanas (sirshasana, hand standing)

24. classification
Cultural asana –to culture your body
Meditative asana –for meditations
Relaxing asana –for relaxation

25. Pranayama
+
Prāṇasya + Āyāma
Mastery over Prāṇa
(Lengthening of Prāṇa)
What is Prāṇa?

26. Prana
Prana is the pre-existing force which continuously
following n our body.
5 types of prana
Apana
Samana
Prana
Udana
Vyana

27. Classification
Balancing pranayama
Cooling pranayama
Laya pranayama

28. Pratyāhāra
+
Prati + Āhāra
Withdrawal of food
Withdrawal of food for sense organs
Or Moderation of food for sense organs

29. Pratyāhāra
Eyes: Seeing
Ears: Hearing
Nose: Smelling Moderation
Tounge: Tasting
Skin: Touching

30. Antaranga Yoga
Direct way to get moksha
Three steps
Dharana
Dhyana
Samadhi

31. Dharana
Deśa bandha cittasya dhāraṇa
Binding the mind to a particular place
Single subject ,single thought
Focusing
Less energy expenditure
Less tiredness

32. Dhyana
Tatra pratyayaikatānatā dhyānam
Uninterrupted flow of thought
single object, Single thought
Features of Dhyāna
Wakefulness, Awareness, Expansiveness
Slowness, Effortlessness

33. Samādhi
Samyak adhīyate iti samādhi
Becoming one with the seen (object)

34. According to patanjali’s yoga sutra
Tadevārtha mātra nirbhāsaṁ svarupa śūnyamiva
samādhiḥ
The object alone shines, our own reality vanishes

35. Samādhi
Increased knowledge about the object
JUMP: to higher level of consciousness
X
Meditator Object
Process

37. Thank you…