Ashta Siddhis (अष्टसिद्धयः)

Siddhi (Sanskrit: ) refers to those supranormal yogic powers accomplished by a yogi or a sadhaka during his progress towards spiritual upliftment.

According to Yoga philosophy, the Yogis attain various siddhis by the practice of the path of Yoga. These powers are mainly of eight types and hence called Ashtasiddhi or Ashta Aisvarya:

Anima- This is the power of a yogi to become small like atom and so to disappear.

Mahima-This is the ability to make the size of the body extremely large like mountains.

Garima- Ability to make the body extremely heavy.

Laghima- This is the power to become light as cotton and drift away.

Prapti- This is the power to secure or reach or touch the most distant things.

Prakamya-This is the power by which all the impediments in the will removed and by which all the living beings can be conquered.

Ishitva- This is the power by which one attains absolute mastery on all physical objects.

Vashitva- This is the power by which all the desires are fulfilled, one has control over the elements and beings; have the ability to create, rearrange or dissolve them.

The above mentioned eight siddhis can be used according to the wish of the Yogi. But in the Yoga philosophy the pursuance of the path of the Yoga for the attainment of these powers has been vehemently decried because that results in misleading the aspirant from the path of Yoga. The ultimate end of the Yoga is not the attainment of these powers, but the realisation of Moksa. Thus, Yoga is a combination of practical physical development and discipline with a mystical objective which is its ultimate purpose. This co-ordination of a system of thought with a programme of daily life exercises is based on physiological psychology as well as religious philosophy.