The eight limbs of yoga, explained simply
Patanjali's eight-part framework — and why the physical poses most of us call yoga are only the third of them.
5 min read
The Yoga Sutras, compiled by Patanjali roughly two thousand years ago, describe eight limbs — not steps in order, but eight parts of one practice.
The eight
- Yama — how you treat others: non-harming, truthfulness, non-stealing, moderation, non-grasping.
- Niyama — how you treat yourself: cleanliness, contentment, discipline, self-study, surrender.
- Asana — posture. In the Sutras, a steady comfortable seat, not a workout.
- Pranayama — regulation of the breath.
- Pratyahara — withdrawing attention from the constant pull of the senses.
- Dharana — concentration on a single point.
- Dhyana — sustained meditation, where concentration stops needing effort.
- Samadhi — absorption; the boundary between observer and observed thinning.
Why it matters in a modern class
It explains why your teacher spends the last ten minutes lying still, or asks you to keep one gaze point. Those are limbs five and six, embedded in a physical class.
Reading it without buying the whole system
You can find the yamas and niyamas useful as ethics and be agnostic about samadhi. Most modern practitioners take what is useful and leave the rest; teachers worth learning from will not push.
Common questions
- What are the eight limbs of yoga?
- Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi — the eight parts of practice described in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras.
- Do you have to follow all eight limbs?
- No. They describe a complete path, but most modern practitioners work with a few — usually asana, pranayama and meditation — and treat the ethical limbs as guidance.
Put it into practice
Find a class that matches what you have just read — near you, or online.