How does yoga benefit you? Of course it makes you slim, trim, fit and healthy, provided you practice it properly and regularly. The mind experiences greater concentration and peace. It becomes a high achieving mind, capable of extraordinary actions. These however are just side effects. Maharshi Patanjali outlines the supreme benefit of yoga is the removal of the impurities of mind, speech and body. Any speech or action that can disturb the equilibrium of the mind and take it away from being anchored in the essence of being, truth or consciousness is an impurity. Yoga removes such disturbances. Then, the mind becomes still. It stops deflecting awareness in a million thoughts as it is wont to. Because of this state of stillness, the light of awareness shines through the mind in its fullest glory.
The eight limbs or parts of yoga are yama (self-restraint), niyama (following certain regulations and internal mental discipline), asana (a steady and comfortable posture), pranayama (regulation of the flow of prana by regulating the breathing pattern), pratyahara (withdrawing the sensory organs of smell, touch, taste, hearing, vision and the mind from going outwardly into objects of the world and turning within towards the supreme consciousness), dharana (the one-pointed concentration as an uplifting symbol, person or thought) and dhyana (meditation.) The eighth part, Samadhi is a natural outcome or the higher space of emptiness after you climb the other seven steps. Of these eight parts, the practice of the first five, constitute Bahiranga Sadhana or outward practice, while the last three is internal practice or Antaranga Sadhana. This can happen within the mind, unknown to onlookers.
Yama is external control of behaviour and attitude towards the world. The first of its five qualities is Ahimsa (not causing injury to people, other creatures and material objects by thought, word and deed) and an active practice of compassion. It includes not inflicting any harm to oneself through the body, degrading words and thoughts that underestimate our stature. Satya or speaking the truth as it is, should be done in a way that does not hurt or harm others since it should be in tune with Ahimsa. Asteya, or not stealing or taking something that does not belong to you represents the integrity in using only that which belongs to you. Brahmacharya, treading the path of the Brahman or consciousness in all thoughts, words and action is also yama. So is withdrawing from sensual activity only for the sake of pleasure. Aparigrahaha—not acquiring excessive material possessions is another quality. It means taking a counter-clockwise turn towards possessions and dragging all objects, people, attention towards one’s own self. These five qualities of yama help in purifying the mind and make it a fit vehicle to grasp the truth of consciousness.