8 Limbs of Yoga

Yoga is thousands of years old + the birth of yoga originally comes from the Vedas (ancient Hindu scriptures), which date back between 4,000 to 5,000 years. Vedic knowledge was passed down through oral teachings + it wasn’t until a sage named Patanjali, wrote down the teachings in a text called ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’.

Within this text, Patanjali outlined what we know today as the ‘Eight Limbs of Yoga’. This eightfold path is called ‘ashtanga’ which literally means ‘8 limbs’. These 8 steps act as guidelines for on + off the yoga mat on how to live a meaningful + intentional life. I like to think of it as a guide to helping me become a high vibrational soul + be my highest vibrational self, so I can be in service for the world.

The 8 Limbs of Yoga

1. Yamas: think of the yamas as a guide book on how to be a good human being! They include the teachings + practices of: ahimsa (non-violence), asteya (non-stealing), bramacharya (protection of energy) + aparigraha (non-attachment).

2. Niyamas: like the yamas, a guide book for personal behaviour. They include saucha (purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (discipline), svadhyaya (self-study) + ishvara pranidhana (surrender)

3. Asana: most people are familiar with this one! It is our practice on the mat + the word means posture. It is the preparation of the physical body for stillness. People often think ‘asana’ IS yoga but when we dive in, we realise that it is 1/8th of a much bigger practice.

4. Pranayama: prana is our breath/life force + yama means control, therefore pranayama is the practice of breath control.

5. Pratyahara: means the withdrawal of the senses.

6. Dharna: refers to concentration. This is usually the first part of our meditation practice. We might find it difficult to concentrate once we arrive into our meditation. Our busy minds can be a reflection of a busy outside world.

7. Dhyana: the state of meditation.

8. Samadhi: the experience of enlightenment, bliss + peace.

Learn More

Learn more about how to live a yoga-inspired life over on the Inspired Club.