YogaBeginner: The eight limbs of yoga sketched out in the Yoga Sutra are a path to assist you reach a state of Yoga, or centered concentration. But this engaged focus is not the end goal. As Patanjali tells us, the result of reaching this state of attention is that you experience clearer perception and a greater connection with your actual Self.
When you’re connected with your actual Self, it becomes simpler to see what is not your actual Self—your thoughts, body, job, feelings, mind, and essentially all of the changing circumstances around you. This discernment permits you to act from a place of the Self, and when you do that, you experience less suffering.
Pranayama is an vital tool to get you to this state of more engaged focus, leading you to clearer perception, a greater connection with the Self, and eventually a more satisfied life. In Yoga Sutra 2.52, Patanjali writes, “As a result [of pranayama], the covering that blocks our own inner light is reduced.” In other words, through the practice of pranayama, you can reduce all of the distractions—the agitation, self-doubt, and mental noise—that prevents you from connecting with your own inner light, your actual Self. In this way, pranayama can have a profound effect on your life.
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