Raja Yoga - the royal way to self realization

Raja Yoga is treated as the most systematic and scientific way to attain spiritual upliftment. The term Raja Yoga means the royal way to attain Yoga. There are many ways or flavors of Yoga but Raja Yoga is admired by all great spiritual masters. Often Raja Yoga is called as Ashtanga Yoga (Yoga of Eight Limbs). Each of these limbs is a step to achieve self realization. The core philosophy of Raja Yoga is explained in the Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.

The eight limbs of Raja Yoga are:

• Yama (Eternal Vows)
• Niyama (Observances)
• Asana (meditative posture)
• Pranayama (the regulation of the Prana)
• Pratyahara (abstraction of the senses and mind from material objects)
• Dharana (concentration)
• Dhyana (meditation)
• Samadhi (super conscious or trance state)

I am going to explain each one by one in my subsequent posts. Stay tuned.