What is Raja Yoga? Meaning, Eight Limbs & Path to Mind Mastery

Raja yoga focuses on controlling chitta vrittis, the thought waves or changes in the mind. It deals with the mind, its cleansing, and its regulation. Raja yoga is a philosophy and practice that aims for complete control over the mind and its changes. It teaches us how to transform our basic nature and reach a divine state.

Raja yoga is a precise science. It seeks the balanced growth of the body, mind, and soul. That’s why it’s called raja yoga, the king of all yogas. It’s also referred to as ashtanga yoga, which means yoga with eight limbs. The founder of the ashtanga raja yoga system, Patanjali Maharshi, was not only a philosopher and yogi but also a physician. He is believed to have lived around three hundred years before Jesus Christ.

The eight limbs of Patanjali’s raja yoga are: yama (self-restraint), niyama (religious observances), asana (posture), pranayama (control of breath), pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (super-conscious state). Yama and niyama help discipline the senses and purify the mind. Asanas stabilize the body, while bandhas and mudras strengthen it. Pranayama lightens the body and aids in controlling, regulating, and coordinating the subtle energies within.

Pranayama, or breath control, steadies the mind and prepares it for concentration. It removes the influence of rajas (passion) and tamas (inertia) that cover sattwa (purity) and cleanses the nadis (energy channels). Just as melting gold eliminates impurities, pranayama purifies the mind. Nadi shuddhi leads to a stable mind. With these qualities, the mind can turn away from sense objects and focus on Brahman. Only then can meditation proceed smoothly and joyfully.

You must climb the rungs of raja yoga patiently to reach the highest point. If you genuinely wish to reveal the divinity within you and break free from the bonds of samsara, you need to learn the techniques of thought control found in raja yoga. You should understand the principles of right living, right thinking, right speaking, and right acting. You must practice the five rules of yama, which promote right conduct or sadachara.