The purpose of yoga. Ashtanga Yoga Patanjali (part 1)

In order to achieve any goal, you need to clearly see this goal in front of you. Therefore, in order for the practice of yoga to be fruitful, you need to understand exactly what we expect from the practice, what the result should be. The sage Patanjali has long described the 8 steps of classical yoga. These steps are also called ashtanga yoga (Ashta translates as eight from Sanskrit). These steps are as follows: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. That is, the ultimate goal of yoga is samadhi.

So what is samadhi? Samadhi is a state of direct comprehension of reality. This condition is also called enlightenment. Enlightenment from the word “light.” Light is what illuminates the darkness. So there must be darkness and light? What is this darkness and what is this light? Continue reading →