‘The Yoga Sutras’ by Patanjali is a treatise on the practice of yoga. The book itself is a collection of 195 aphorisms that outline the eightfold path towards enlightenment. This book is particularly influential as it was the first of its kind. Yoga originated as an aural practice meaning ‘The Yoga Sutras’ is the earliest remaining text outlining the theory and practice of yoga. Each aphorism is concise, often with verbs omitted in aid of memorisation. Patanjali is the founder of ‘Ashtanga Yoga’ which in Sanskrit means ‘Eight Limb Yoga’ (ashta - eight, anga - limb). These eight ‘limbs’ are guidelines on how to achieve a balanced and connected body, mind, and spirit. The eight limbs are in ascending hierarchical order and should be approached in order.

The eight limbs are: 

To many yoga is purely a form of exercise however, it is only one limb of eight in the process. Although Asana resonates with what modern western yoga looks like today, it does not encompass yoga in its entirety; each limb should be contemplated and practised in succession in order to achieve its desired effect. A brief summary of each limb has been included below:

Yoga is an ancient system of physical, spiritual, and mental practices that binds the mind, body and spirit.The word ‘Yoga’ derives from the classical Indo-European language called ‘Sanskrit’. When translated, it becomes ‘yoke’. To yoke is to unite, to link or to bind and in the context of the practice of yoga, it refers to the ‘yoking’ of the mind to the divine. To many, it is seen as a form of exercise; however, it was first born out of a spiritual practice that can be traced back to ‘The Upanishads’ - the ancient scriptures that forms the basis of Hindu philosophy.

One of the most revered and influential texts of yogic philosophy is ‘The Yoga Sutras’ written by Patanjali in around 200 BC. His definition of yoga demystifies the practice into something we might begin to recognise, similar to what yoga looks like today. In sutra 1.2, he defines yoga as “yogash chitta-vritti-nirodhah” which translates to “Yoga is the cessation of the whirling fluctuation of the mind.” This ‘stilling of the mind’ is achieved through organised movements, poses, breathing and meditation. It is through taming our ‘mental chatter’ that we are able to connect to our true selves and view our thoughts from a place of kindness and without judgement.

In my own development, I have found this aspect of yoga to help me manage the inevitable negative thoughts that emerge during playing. With there being a correlation between muscle tension and autonomic nervous system arousal (Miller, S. R., & Chesky, K. 2004, p12-20), the mental practices of yoga have in-turn benefited my PRMD recovery. By detaching my thoughts from my reality, I am able to notice and accept self-defeating thoughts without losing control or spiralling into a dangerous mindset. As a result, this realisation became a surprising breakthrough in my recovery journey. These are aspects of yoga that were documented by Patanjali in his book 'The Yoga Sutras'.

6.Dharana, Dhyan + Samadhi

Collectively, the last three limbs are referred to as ‘Sanyam’ – meaning control. Dharana, Dhyan and Samadhi are the three progressive steps towards achieving a deeper state of meditation. Dharana is the act of concentration, focusing the mind on a single point .This helps to quiet the mind of disturbing thoughts before meditation. Dhyan is what we know as meditation. The aim of mediation is to view your thoughts without an attempt of discovering its truth - observation without judgement. Samadhi is the eighth and final limb of Ashtanga yoga and refers to the experience of enlightenment. Sama - meaning equal and dhi meaning consciousness, it describes the feeling of unification of the self, mind, and consciousness. Samadhi is not something to be practised, it is a product of regular Dharana and Dhyan work. The three stages of Samadhi are as follows:

Despite its ancient origins, yoga has only become popularised in the west in the last 100 years. Initially introduced to the United States by Indian immigrants in the 1930s then later commercialised through the television in the hippie and New Age movement of the 1960s (Deslippe, 2019), yoga has taken many different forms. In the 1980s and 1990s the rise of the fitness industry meant that yoga had made it into the American homes through the introductions of DVDs and VHS tapes. Through yoga being marketed as a fitness regime, its spiritual roots have been overshadowed by the popular physical benefits. As a result, the history of yoga and its true meaning have been overlooked by many. In order to understand fully the intent behind the practice of yoga, it is important to consider its spiritual and theoretical origins as well as the physical acts of the practice.

4.Pranayama

Pranayama refers to mindful breathing. Yogis define the word prana as life force and yama as control. By regulating the breath we are able to harness our circulatory system to in-turn affect the nervous system. Pranayama is a vital tool in yoga practice as it also serves as a focal point during mediation. When meditating the role of the mind is to focus solely on the breath. If your mind begins to wander, you return your focus back to the breath without judgement. The breath is also an indicator of your physical limits. If the breath is held during asana practice, this is an indication the stretch is too intense - “Breathing literally gives us life, and holding our breath is a sign that we are under duress” (Mcallister, 2013, 262). However, diaphragmatic breathing can be used during yoga practice to deepen the stretch of the asanas and expand our limits - “Use the in breath to back away slightly from the stretch, and use the out breath to deepen the stretch. Inhale, back away from your edge. Exhale, come closer to your new edge” (Olsen, 2009, xii)

1. + 2.Yama + Niyama

The first two of the eight limbs of yoga are Yama and Niyama which refer to ethical and personal principles through which you should live your life. Yama and Niyama are often paired together as they both promote discipline. Yama refers to social discipline and Niyama refers to self-discipline. To apply Yama and Niyama in your practice is to harness and develop the personal and moral qualities needed to succeed in yoga. The five Yamas and Niyamas are:

3.Asana

Asana is the name given to the poses that are held during a yoga sequence. They are exercises in posture that strengthen the body and promote concentration. The singular focus required to hold such postures in a steady and comfortable manner is the true test of the Asana and the benefits of strengthened muscles, increased flexibility and increased focus is what makes this aspect so popular. 

Through delving deeper into the spiritual aspects of yoga, a greater understanding of one's self emerges. When addressing a PRMD our self awareness is a key component to recovery. If adequate self-awareness was absent in the first place, we might not be aware our injury until it is too late. The spiritual and theoretical practices of yoga offer the possibility to deepen our connection with our mind and body and harness greater control over our response to our thoughts. Having determined the correlation between muscle tension and autonomic nervous system arousal, this highlights the importance of managing our emotions in our ability to recover. The more in control of our stress-levels we are, the more able we are to fine-tune our recovery.

Despite being the first two limbs in Ashtanga yoga, many people skip these initial steps in the process; however, it is important to reflect on your character in order to enhance the physicality of your practice. If you are a violent or disruptive person, it will manifest into your physical practice. A strong moral and spiritual practice sets up a healthy foundation for the rest of the process. In my mission to fully integrate yoga into my trombone development, I focused on Satya, Santosha, Tapas and Svadhyaya during practice and the rest in my everyday life. This is commented on in my practice diary.

- Contents Page

- Chapter 1: Personal History

- Chapter 2: Yoga and Music

    -Personal Yoga Diary

    -Yoga Poses and Benefits

- Chapter 3: Injury

- Chapter 4: Case Study

- Conclusion