Episode #205
Ep #205: Raja Yoga: The 8 Limbs of Patanjali Explained with Akshay Bhat
Raja Yoga is the path of willpower — Patanjali's 8 limbs that lead from a restless mind to stillness. Akshay Bhat maps the whole way. What if real peace isn't found on a mountaintop, but in the stillness already inside you? This episode explores Raja Yoga, the king of yoga: the path of willpower that Patanjali lays out in his eight limbs (ashtanga). The guest, who has studied these teachings since childhood, walks through the whole journey in plain language. Raja Yoga isn't about escaping life. It starts with how we live (the yamas and niyamas), then works through the body and breath, slowly clearing the old patterns, the samskaras, that keep the mind restless. From there the conversation moves inward, deeper into Raja Yoga, through the limbs: asana as steady ease, pranayama as the art of watching the breath, and pratyahara, drawing the senses back from a noisy world. Everyday examples make it real: a turtle pulling in its limbs, the calm after a hard pose, why coffee at night keeps the mind racing. Then come the three most people blur together: dharana (focus), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (absorption). You'll hear why most "meditation" is really only the first of these, and how deep sleep already gives us a taste of samadhi, a joy that comes from within rather than from anything outside. The episode closes on a simple, powerful idea: the highest practice in Raja Yoga may not be doing anything at all, but being fully present. If your mind feels like a restless lion, this is the path to taming it, and this conversation is your map. Continues the previous episode on the Yoga Sutras and the five kleshas. Episode Chapters: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:43 Recap: Kriyas & the 5 Kleshas 00:02:38 What Is Raja Yoga? 00:03:46 Ashtanga: The 8 Limbs (Not the Asana Series) 00:05:21 Yamas & Niyamas: The Foundation 00:06:08 Clearing the Samskaras 00:07:56 Prakriti & Purusha: Energy vs Stillness 00:12:15 Om / Pranava: Tapping Into Consciousness 00:19:35 Asana: Steadiness & Ease 00:23:13 When Effort Becomes Effortless 00:28:59 Pranayama: Patanjali's Definition 00:34:13 Pratyahara: Withdrawing the Senses 00:38:46 The 3 Gunas & Diet 00:46:23 Ramakrishna & Yoga Beyond Religion 00:50:56 Dharana: One-Pointed Focus 00:57:59 Dhyana: Becoming the Flower 01:00:35 The Mind Tamer & Chitta Vritti Nirodha 01:02:39 Samadhi: Deep Sleep & Inner Joy 01:07:13 Surrender & Endless Bliss 01:10:27 Presence: The Highest Teaching 01:13:09 Recap & Closing Mantra Mentions & Resources: Michael Henri’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelyoga.pt/ Akshay Bhat’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akshaybhatyoga/ The IN Movement Instagram: https://www.instagram/com/the_in_movement/ Texts & philosophy: Yoga Sutras of Patanjali; Samkhya (Prakriti and Purusha) Teachers: Ramana Maharshi (Arunachala; years of silent meditation); Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (devotion beyond religion — the Kali story) Other paths referenced: Bhakti Yoga (devotion); Jnana Yoga (self-enquiry) Concepts: the eight limbs (ashtanga); chitta vritti nirodha; the three gunas (sattvic, rajasic, tamasic); pranava (Om); Ekadashi fasting; Vipassana; polyvagal theory (modern nervous-system parallel); the Patanjali invocation mantra (closing)
