The Eight Limbs

Ashtanga: The Eight-Limbed Path

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali outlines an eight-limbed (ashtanga) path to liberation. These eight limbs are not stages to be completed sequentially but aspects of practice that develop together, each supporting and refining the others.

The Architecture of Practice

The eight limbs form a complete system addressing every aspect of human life - behavior, body, breath, senses, and mind. They move from the external to the internal, from the gross to the subtle:

External practices (Bahiranga)

  1. Yama - Ethical restraints
  2. Niyama - Personal observances
  3. Asana - Posture
  4. Pranayama - Breath regulation

Internal practices (Antaranga) 5. Pratyahara - Sense withdrawal 6. Dharana - Concentration 7. Dhyana - Meditation 8. Samadhi - Absorption

The Yamas: Ethical Foundation

The five yamas are universal restraints - ethical principles that govern relationship with the external world:

Ahimsa (Non-violence)

Non-harming in thought, word, and deed. This is the foundation of all yamas. Violence arises from fear, anger, and ignorance; ahimsa arises from seeing the same Self in all beings.

Ahimsa includes:

Satya (Truthfulness)

Speaking and living in alignment with truth. Satya goes beyond not lying to include congruence between thought, word, and action.

When satya conflicts with ahimsa, the classical texts advise choosing ahimsa. Truth should not be used as a weapon.

Asteya (Non-stealing)

Not taking what is not freely given. This extends beyond physical theft to include:

Brahmacharya (Wise use of energy)

Often translated as celibacy, brahmacharya more broadly means conservation and wise direction of vital energy, particularly sexual energy.

For householders, this means sexual moderation and fidelity. For renunciates, celibacy. For all, awareness of how energy is spent and preserved.

Aparigraha (Non-grasping)

Not accumulating beyond genuine need. Letting go of attachment to possessions and outcomes.

Aparigraha addresses the root of much suffering - the endless wanting that can never be satisfied. Contentment with what is sufficient liberates.

The Niyamas: Personal Cultivation

The five niyamas are personal observances that cultivate inner development:

Saucha (Purity)

Cleanliness of body, environment, and mind. This includes:

Saucha naturally leads to reduced attachment to the body and increased discrimination.

Santosha (Contentment)

Acceptance of what is. Not complacency, but recognition that peace does not depend on circumstances.

Santosha is considered the source of the highest happiness - not dependent on acquisition but arising from inner sufficiency.

Tapas (Discipline)

Self-discipline, austerity, and the willingness to undergo difficulty for transformation. The word literally means “heat” - the friction that burns away impurities.

Tapas builds the capacity to remain steady through challenge and to act according to principle rather than impulse.

Svadhyaya (Self-study)

Study of sacred texts and self-reflection. The two are connected - scripture provides the mirror in which we see ourselves more clearly.

Svadhyaya includes:

Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to the Divine)

Dedication of actions and their fruits to a higher principle. This is not passive resignation but active offering.

Through ishvara pranidhana, the practitioner moves from ego-centered action to service, from personal will to alignment with divine will.

Asana: The Third Limb

Asana means “seat” - originally referring to the seated posture for meditation. The classical definition is: “sthira sukham asanam” - posture should be steady and comfortable.

The purpose of asana is to:

While modern yoga emphasizes asana, in classical yoga it is preparation for the more internal practices that follow.

Pranayama: The Fourth Limb

Pranayama is regulation of the vital energy through control of the breath. Prana is the life force that animates the body-mind; breath is its most accessible expression.

Traditional pranayama includes:

Pranayama refines the nervous system, calms the mind, and prepares for the internal limbs. It is traditionally practiced after asana.

Pratyahara: The Bridge

Pratyahara is withdrawal of the senses from their objects - turning attention inward. This is the bridge between external and internal practice.

The senses naturally follow their objects, pulling the mind outward. Through pratyahara, the practitioner develops the capacity to direct attention at will, regardless of sensory input.

This is not suppression but mastery - the senses still function but no longer compel attention.

Dharana: Concentration

Dharana is binding the mind to a single focus. The attention that was freed from sensory objects in pratyahara is now directed to one point.

The object of concentration may be:

Dharana is effortful - the mind must be repeatedly brought back when it wanders.

Dhyana: Meditation

Dhyana is sustained concentration - when the flow of attention toward the object becomes continuous. The distinction between dharana and dhyana is quantitative: dharana is interrupted; dhyana flows.

In dhyana, the mind becomes absorbed in the object. Thoughts may still arise but do not break the flow of attention. The meditator and the object of meditation begin to merge.

Samadhi: Absorption

Samadhi is the culmination - complete absorption in which the sense of separation between knower, knowing, and known dissolves. The meditator, the act of meditation, and the object of meditation become one.

Patanjali describes multiple levels of samadhi, from absorption with thought and object (samprajnata) to thought-free absorption (asamprajnata), ultimately culminating in kaivalya - liberation.

Practice as a Whole

The eight limbs are not a ladder to climb but a mandala to inhabit. All limbs support each other:

The limbs work together as a complete path - practical, psychological, and spiritual - leading from the surface of life to its Source.

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