Raja Yoga is the path of willpower — Patanjali's 8 limbs that lead from a restless mind to stillness. Akshay Bhat maps the whole way.
What if real peace isn't found on a mountaintop, but in the stillness already inside you?
This episode explores Raja Yoga, the king of yoga: the path of willpower that Patanjali lays out in his eight limbs (ashtanga). The guest, who has studied these teachings since childhood, walks through the whole journey in plain language.
Raja Yoga isn't about escaping life. It starts with how we live (the yamas and niyamas), then works through the body and breath, slowly clearing the old patterns, the samskaras, that keep the mind restless.
From there the conversation moves inward, deeper into Raja Yoga, through the limbs: asana as steady ease, pranayama as the art of watching the breath, and pratyahara, drawing the senses back from a noisy world. Everyday examples make it real: a turtle pulling in its limbs, the calm after a hard pose, why coffee at night keeps the mind racing.
Then come the three most people blur together: dharana (focus), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (absorption). You'll hear why most "meditation" is really only the first of these, and how deep sleep already gives us a taste of samadhi, a joy that comes from within rather than from anything outside.
The episode closes on a simple, powerful idea: the highest practice in Raja Yoga may not be doing anything at all, but being fully present. If your mind feels like a restless lion, this is the path to taming it, and this conversation is your map.
Continues the previous episode on the Yoga Sutras and the five kleshas.
Episode Chapters:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:00:43 Recap: Kriyas & the 5 Kleshas
00:02:38 What Is Raja Yoga?
00:03:46 Ashtanga: The 8 Limbs (Not the Asana Series)
00:05:21 Yamas & Niyamas: The Foundation
00:06:08 Clearing the Samskaras
00:07:56 Prakriti & Purusha: Energy vs Stillness
00:12:15 Om / Pranava: Tapping Into Consciousness
00:19:35 Asana: Steadiness & Ease
00:23:13 When Effort Becomes Effortless
00:28:59 Pranayama: Patanjali's Definition
00:34:13 Pratyahara: Withdrawing the Senses
00:38:46 The 3 Gunas & Diet
00:46:23 Ramakrishna & Yoga Beyond Religion
00:50:56 Dharana: One-Pointed Focus
00:57:59 Dhyana: Becoming the Flower
01:00:35 The Mind Tamer & Chitta Vritti Nirodha
01:02:39 Samadhi: Deep Sleep & Inner Joy
01:07:13 Surrender & Endless Bliss
01:10:27 Presence: The Highest Teaching
01:13:09 Recap & Closing Mantra
Akshay's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/akshaybhatyoga/
Michael Henri’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelyoga.pt/
Going Pro Yoga Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goingproyoga/
The IN Movement Website: https://theinmovement.com/
Trainings and Events: https://theinmovement.com/events
The IN Movement Instagram: @the_in_movement
The IN Movement Podcast was formerly the Going Pro Yoga Podcast — and before that, the Yoga Teacher Evolution Podcast and the Rat Race Rebellion Podcast. Same mission, evolved name.
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