What is Ashtanga?
Ashta means eight; anga means limb. Patanjali's system in the Yoga Sutras describes yoga as a tree with eight branches, each one integral to the whole. The modern yoga class typically focuses almost exclusively on the third limb — asana — but understanding all eight completely transforms what any practice means.
Limb 1 — Yamas (Ethical Restraints)
The Yamas are five universal ethical principles governing how we interact with the world:
1. Ahimsa (Non-violence) — in thought, word, and deed. This is the bedrock of all yoga ethics. 2. Satya (Truthfulness) — speaking and living in alignment with truth. 3. Asteya (Non-stealing) — not taking what isn't freely given, including attention, energy, or credit. 4. Brahmacharya (Energy conservation) — often translated as celibacy, but more accurately: the conscious management of vital energy. 5. Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness) — holding things lightly, releasing the grip of ownership.
Limb 2 — Niyamas (Personal Observances)
Where the Yamas govern outward conduct, the Niyamas govern our relationship with ourselves:
1. Saucha (Cleanliness) — purity of body, environment, and mind. 2. Santosha (Contentment) — practising satisfaction with what is, while still acting to grow. 3. Tapas (Discipline) — the heat of consistent effort that purifies and transforms. 4. Svadhyaya (Self-study) — reading sacred texts and reflecting on one's own nature. 5. Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to the divine) — releasing outcomes; trust in a larger intelligence.
Limb 3 — Asana (Posture)
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali devotes only three sutras to asana, defining it as a posture that is "steady and comfortable" (sthira sukham asanam). The point is not gymnastics; it is to prepare the body to sit in meditation without disturbance.
Modern Hatha and Vinyasa practices have greatly expanded the asana repertoire, but the core purpose remains: developing a stable, comfortable relationship with the physical body.
Limb 4 — Pranayama (Breath Control)
Prana is life-force; ayama is expansion. Pranayama practices work with the breath to regulate the energy body, calm the nervous system, and create the conditions for deeper awareness. Ancient texts describe prana as the bridge between the physical body and the mind.
Limb 5 — Pratyahara (Withdrawal of the Senses)
Pratyahara is the pivot point between the outer and inner limbs. It involves consciously withdrawing attention from sense experience — not by suppressing it but by no longer being compelled by it. Like a tortoise drawing in its limbs, the mind turns inward.
Limb 6 — Dharana (Concentration)
The ability to hold the mind on a single object — a candle flame, a mantra, the breath — without distraction. Dharana is the beginning of meditation, the training of the mind's attention.
Limb 7 — Dhyana (Meditation)
When the concentration of Dharana becomes an unbroken flow of awareness, Dhyana arises. There is no longer effort to stay focused; attention flows effortlessly toward its object. This is meditation in its technical sense — not a relaxed mental drift, but sustained, effortless attention.
Limb 8 — Samadhi (Integration / Absorption)
The culmination of the path. In Samadhi, the distinction between the meditator, the act of meditating, and the object of meditation dissolves. The individual self merges with the field of consciousness it was always part of. Patanjali describes levels of Samadhi, the deepest of which he calls Kaivalya — liberation.
The Path is the Practice
It would be a mistake to read these eight limbs as a strict sequential ladder. They interpenetrate and support each other. A person committed to Ahimsa is already doing yoga, even without a single asana. A dedicated asana practitioner who ignores the Yamas may be developing flexibility but not freedom. The eight limbs together describe a complete human life lived in yoga — in union.