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of yoga corresponding to its 18 chapters. In addition to these, several other types of yogas are mentioned.
Patanjali, the great Indian sage who lived around 300 B.C.E., systematized the various components of Yoga. He defined yoga as “uninterrupted thought on a single object.” Patanjali's system, known as the eightfold path, is comprised of eight limbs: Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dhyāna, dharana, and Samadhi. Yama (restraint, discipline) has these five components: truth, nonviolence, non-stealing, celibacy and non-possession. Niyama (observance) also has five components: purity, contentment, austerity of body and mind, self study (study and reflection on the scriptures and discourse of spiritual teachers), and faith in God. The practitioner will not be able to attain perfection in the third limb of yoga, asana (posture), until he or she has diligently practiced the moral principles of yama and niyama. The next (fourth) limb in this system is pranayama (breath control), which acts to purify the mind from distraction, making it easier for the practitioner to focus his mind. Thus, the path is sequential. If the practitioner first achieves proficiency in asana, and then performs pranayama, he/she will be able to become proficient in pranayama. However, yoga does not end here. [In the West, Yoga is, usually, only thought of as the practice of postures and breathing exercises that are utilized to
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