8 dimensions of our personality

Patanjali's Ashta Anga Framework

Any practitioner of yoga or practitioner of any aspect of yoga, or a seeker having a contemplative practice to function from a place of harmony, probably must have heard of Ashta Anga. He brings it about in the second chapter – Sadhana Pada, as a practical means to remove obstacles that come on the path of bringing our mind to a state agitation free mind so that we can live our lives and bring our whole selves into everything fully.

The word meanings of Ashta Anga or 8 limbs. We have limbs as body part, and our limbs serve us, ex: Legs to move, Brain to think, Eyes to see the forms, color etc and in that extension we need all our limbs to live well at all levels. And if one were to ask, which limb you need more, do you like more or want to strengthen more, we don’t pick and choose, rather want to all our limbs to function optimally. Don’t you think that is what the intention would be behind this Ashta Anga framework?

The list of 8 limbs – Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi. The definitions, a brief how and benefits are elaborated from Sutra 2.28 to 2.55 and 3.1 to 3.33

In my readings, or as part of teaching or teacher training, I got some word meanings and sub layers of these practices like practical ways of Yama, the sub 5 categories etc., but only recently I found the deeper interpretation that each limb is mapped to a layer of our personality and hence this framework allows us to flourish in all these 8 dimensions.

In Taittiriya Upanishad and texts like Tattva Bodha, there is a discussion about 5 layers of our personality – Physical, Energetic, Mental, Intellectual and bliss, undifferentiated, harmonized layer. So when you identify yourself as a person of values and operate in that context, your identification or personality is at intellectual level is the idea. Knowing that we have these 5 aspects to us, then our practice becomes to fully live and strengthen these personalities.

Patanjali’s view adds even more detail and makes it accessible to us even more. More ways to shine our true self. Here is an attempt to present the view with a bit of detail

Now that we have 8 muscles to practice, isn’t it pertinent that we embrace this expansive view and live fully in all these aspects and radiate this in our whole being and it will obviously reflects in all around us naturally too. Having this bigger view, like when we have a goal, we take all the steps leading to it more carefully and pay attention to all the details.

So when the goal is fully harmoniously to be free, we can start mapping our journey with this 8 dimensions of personality and inhabit that more fully and intimately.

Would love to hear from you and hopefully this helps to see your practice in new light and your practice lets you shine your light brighter.