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The Eight Limbs of Yoga
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About this Practice
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras organise the complete path of yoga into eight limbs (Ashtanga). Most practitioners in the West encounter only one or two of these limbs — primarily asana (physical postures) and occasionally pranayama (breath work). But Patanjali’s system is an integrated map of transformation, in which each limb prepares the practitioner for the next. The eight limbs are: Yama (ethical restraints), Niyama (personal observances), Asana (posture), Pranayama (breath regulation), Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (absorption). At Geet Yoga & Fitness Academy, all eight limbs are woven into the teacher training curriculum — because a practice that addresses only the physical dimension of yoga is a practice that has barely begun.
Key Benefits
- Patanjali's Ashtanga is eight integrated limbs — not just asana
- Yama and Niyama (ethics) come first — they prepare the ground for physical practice
- Pratyahara (sense withdrawal) is the pivot between outer and inner limbs
- Samadhi is not a goal to achieve but a natural outcome of sustained practice