Going Back to the Core of Yoga during the 8 Limbs of Yoga Workshop!

It's almost half a month now before I last posted something here. I was preoccupied with moving out and relocating near the beach. It took some time to adjust but I'm back to my flow state. During that time of reconnecting with myself, I was able to attend a Yoga Workshop last July 11, 2022. This was organized by a friend who runs her yoga studio called @yogainbalamban. This studio is located in Balamban, Cebu. A 2-hour drive from the city proper.

The event 8 Limbs of Yoga was a 2-hour intensive workshop taught by Teacher Ayn Latonio. Teacher Ayn was also Hidilyn Diaz's (Olympic Gold Medalist) yoga instructor. This wasn't my first encounter with him as I already met him in another workshop some 4 years ago and he was teaching us about breathwork that time. It's the true essence of Yoga which he learned from India that I was excited to learn this time.

The day of the event came. I and a friend were able to hitch a ride with Teacher Ayn, together with Teacher Ara and her friend. We left the city early and arrived at Balamban around 8 am. The morning session started 15 minutes past 9:00 am as we waited for the other participants to arrive. The first hour was allotted for discussion and boy did I learn a lot but most especially Yoga is more than just the Asanas!

So what are the 8 Limbs of Yoga?

1. Yamas ( Moral or Social Codes / External Discipline )
2. Niyanas ( Personal Observances / Internal Discipline )
3. Asanas ( Postures )
4. Pranayama ( Breath Control )
5. Pratyahara ( Withdrawal of the Senses )
6. Dharana ( Concentration )
7. Dhyara ( Meditation )
8. Samadhi ( Complete Mental Absorption )

Unknowingly, I have already attained and practiced the 1st up to the 7th Limb. As per Teacher Ayn, the Samadhi is the most difficult one to reach as it already is the point where one is united with the consciousness of the Divine. There were also some added bits and pieces of learnings that I remembered like

• It is more appropriate to call ourselves Yoga Practitioners than "yogis".

• Asanas are meant to help us relax and so there is no point to push ourselves or strain ourselves from doing a certain posture.

• Asanas are best followed with the breathwork and meditation which I am now incorporating into my practice.

• To conquer my fear of the unknown and go deeper during freediving is to not push myself but enjoy every meter I get to then once I get comfortable with that depth, then I go another meter down. I did ask questions during our workshop!

• Lastly, to surrender to the Divine whatever the outcome is with every endeavor, obstacle, or challenge we go through.

The discussion was followed by an hour of Asanas, Pranayama, and a short Dhayana which you can check out in the video! In short, it was a crash course on the 8 Limbs of Yoga! Many deep learnings, met a beautiful community of yoga practitioners, and had a fun-filled engagement after the event!