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Writer's pictureSonia Welch

Yoga and Ayurveda's Eight Limb Teachings

Ayurveda and Yoga are the Yin to the other's Yang, one focusing on the subtle interior of mental health and the other on the less subtle exterior of dosha (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), dhatu (tissues), agni (digestion) and body.... with a little drop of each in the other.


The premise of the 8 limbs of Yoga are that it is important for our mental health to avoid extreme aberrations of the mind.


Also practice of the 8 limbs allows the mind to ease its see-sawing tendencies and to sit into its (Sattvic) seat bringing clarity and understanding of the highest spiritual knowledge and bliss (apparently! -- I am definitely not saying that any of this is MY experience...Let me be clear that I am still see-sawing away like a kid in the playground!)





The Eight Practices of Stilling a See-Sawing Mind:


* Practicing Yama and Niyama (do this, don't do that) - more on this in another post. * Asana - a physical practice (the little drop of Yang within the Yin) *Pranayama - a breath practice *Pratyahara - a sense practice *Dharana - a concentration practice *Dhyana - a meditation practice *Samadhi - a bliss practice


The premise of the 8 limbs of Ayurveda is that good physical (and mental) health needs to be maintained to fulfill the four aims of life: Spiritual (see Yoga above), Financial, Procreative (Iet's just say Pro-Creative instead here) and Freedom.


To similarly word the Yoga and Ayurveda aims we can say that -- 'Ayurveda aims to still the see-sawing fluctuation of Dosha.'


The Eight Practices of Stilling See-Sawing Dosha:

*Kayachikitsa - Look after metabolism/Agni *Shalya Tantra - Look after surgical needs *Shalakya Tantra - Look after ENT (Ears, nose, throat health) *Kaumarabhritya - Look after health of children and our own health in childhood (pediatrics) *Agada Tantra - Toxicology Care *Vajikarana Tantra - Look after reproductive health needs *Rasayana Tantra - Look after aged and our own aging symptoms (Geriatrics) *Bhuta Vidya - Look after Mental Health illnesses (the drop of the Yin within the Yang)




Yin and yang, male and female, strong and weak, rigid and tender, heaven and earth, light and darkness, thunder and lightning, cold and warmth, good and evil...the interplay of opposite principles constitutes the universe.


- Confucius

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