Ashtanga Yoga (Eight Limbs)
Also known as: Eight Limbs of Yoga, Raja Yoga
Sanskrit: ashtanga yoga, from ashta (eight) and anga (limb).
Ashtanga Yoga, in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, refers to the eightfold path of yamas, niyamas, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi, a progressive framework moving from ethical conduct through physical and breath practice to meditative absorption. This classical meaning is distinct from the modern dynamic physical style called Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga.
The eight limbs are traditionally understood as building on one another rather than as a checklist to complete in order: the ethical foundations of yama and niyama support steady asana and pranayama practice, which prepare the mind for pratyahara, withdrawal of the senses, and the three deepening stages of concentration, meditation, and absorption described as dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
The eight limbs form a progressive sequence: yama and niyama (ethical foundation), asana (posture), pranayama (breath), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (absorption), each building the ground for the next. This classical eight-limbed path is distinct from 'Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga,' the vigorous, flowing physical style popularized by K. Pattabhi Jois in the 20th century, which borrows the name but represents a specific approach to just one limb, asana, practiced in a fixed sequence.
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Yamas and Niyamas
The yamas and niyamas are the first two limbs of Patanjali's eightfold yoga path, forming its ethical foundation. The five yamas, including ahimsa, non-harming, and satya, truthfulness, govern conduct toward others, while the five niyamas, including santosha, contentment, and svadhyaya, self-study, govern personal discipline and inner conduct.
Samadhi
Samadhi is the eighth and final limb of Patanjali's yoga, describing a state of deep meditative absorption in which the sense of a separate observer dissolves into unified awareness with the object of meditation. It is traditionally considered the culmination of sustained meditative practice.