Introduction to Raja Yoga
The royal eight-limbed path of meditation, self-discipline, and inner realization, for quieting the mind and knowing the Self.
A path toward wholeness
At its core, yoga teaches that who we really are goes far beyond the body and the thinking mind: we’re rooted in a deeper, unchanging awareness. The struggles we experience tend to come from mistaking ourselves for things that are always shifting and fading.
Drawing on the philosophy of Samkhya, founded by the sage Kapila, and later reflected in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the holistic apprach to yoga called Raja Yoga doesn’t just explain this: it offers a path to move through it. Through steady practice, ethical living, and meditation, we begin to gather the scattered parts of ourselves and turn inward, gradually coming to rest in a direct experience of the Self as a state of clarity, presence, and quiet joy.
The four principal paths
- Karma Yoga — the path of selfless action.
- Bhakti Yoga — the path of devotion.
- Jnana Yoga — the path of knowledge.
- Raja Yoga — the “Royal Path,” integrating the other three.
The eight limbs of Raja Yoga
- Yamas — ethical restraints
- Niyamas — observances
- Asana — physical postures
- Pranayama — control of prana, breath
- Pratyahara — withdrawal of the senses
- Dharana — attention and concentration
- Dhyana — meditation, one-pointedness of mind
- Samadhi — absorption, the state of Self-realization
Sat-chit-ananda
The goal of Raja Yoga is samadhi, the state of Ultimate Reality, of the experience of sat-chit-anada, or existence, consciousness, and bliss. The aim of Raja Yoga is not belief, but direct experience of this state.
Where to start
Meditation I teaches the foundations of a meditation practice, and our gentle hatha yoga, philosophy, and lifestyle classes bring the wisdom of Raja Yoga and the Himalayan Tradition to life.