The 8 Limbs Of Yoga, Explained In Plain Words

Yoga is not just poses. In the 8 limbs of yoga, the poses are only limb three. The 8 limbs of yoga are the eight steps the sage Patanjali set out about 2,000 years ago in the Yoga Sutras: how you treat others, how you treat yourself, the poses, the breath, turning the senses inward, concentration, meditation and deep absorption. Together they are a path to a clearer, calmer, kinder mind.

This page explains all eight in plain words, with the Sanskrit names in brackets. It also shows how we teach them at Flametree Yoga Studio in Darwin, and LIVE online, in the Iyengar method.

The 8 limbs of yoga: the short answer

What are the 8 limbs of yoga? They are a step by step guide to living and practising well, written down by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. The eight limbs of yoga start with everyday ethics, move through the body and the breath, and end in the quietest states of mind. B.K.S. Iyengar pictured them as one tree, where every part grows together. Here is the article in short form.

• 1. Ethics towards others (yama): kindness, honesty, not taking, balance, not grasping.
• 2. Ethics towards yourself (niyama): cleanliness, contentment, effort, self-study, letting go.
• 3. Poses (asana): body and mind working in harmony.
• 4. Breath control (pranayama): breathing in a way that settles the mind.
• 5. Turning the senses inward (pratyahara): less pulled about by noise and screens.
• 6 to 8. Concentration, meditation, absorption (dharana, dhyana, samadhi).
• You do not climb them in order: they grow together, and the ethics creep up on you.
• The easiest way in is a class: in Darwin or LIVE online, starting with limb three.

Who was Patanjali, and what are the Yoga Sutras?

Patanjali was an Indian sage who wrote the Yoga Sutras, probably around 2,000 years ago. Very little is known about him as a person. The Sutras are 196 short sayings in four chapters. They gathered and ordered what was already being taught, rather than inventing it.

The Yoga Sutras are about the mind: what it does, and how you can influence it. Patanjali defined yoga as the ability to direct the mind to one thing and keep it there without distraction. In other words, yoga builds your power to focus.

Two great teachers put the point of it simply.

T.K.V. Desikachar: “The goal of yoga is to encourage us to be a little better than we were before. We become better by making an effort and by practising. Our efforts may change in intensity, but over a period of time we will gradually experience progress.”

B.K.S. Iyengar: “Ethics is not a way of just thinking, but a way of doing with thinking. It is the process of re-alignment of the body, senses, mind, intelligence, and consciousness, which have to be put together. You cannot separate ethics from physical or mental discipline.”

That last line is why a good yoga class is more than exercise.

What problem are the 8 limbs trying to solve?

Before the limbs, Patanjali describes what the mind is actually doing. The limbs only make sense once you see the problem they are meant to fix.

The five states of mind (vrttis)

Patanjali said the mind moves between five activities, or states (vrttis):

1. Seeing clearly (comprehension)
2. Getting it wrong (misapprehension)
3. Imagination
4. Deep sleep
5. Memory

Only the first is seeing things as they are. Getting it wrong, imagining and remembering can all feel exactly like seeing clearly from the inside. That is the problem the whole system is built to address. Each of the five can help us or harm us.

The five obstacles to seeing clearly (kleshas)

Patanjali said we can all learn to see clearly. But five obstacles, or afflictions (kleshas), get in the way and cause us more distress than we need.

1. Not seeing things as they are (avidya). A kind of self-delusion. It is the soil the other four grow in.
2. Confused sense of self (asmita). Often called ego, or I-ness.
3. Clinging to pleasure (raga). Wanting to repeat what felt good. Memory comes first here.
4. Pushing away pain (dvesha). Avoiding what hurt before, again based on memory.
5. Fear and insecurity (abhinivesha). Often described as the fear of death, or the clinging to life.

You will probably recognise each of these in your own thoughts and reactions. Most of us do.

The grooves we run in (samskaras)

Samskaras are the impressions left in us by everything we have done, thought and felt. Wikipedia describes them as impressions and dispositions that build up deep inside a person, and show up as habits, behaviour and tendencies.

In plain terms, a samskara is the groove you have worn and keep falling into without deciding to. Yoga does not delete these grooves. It makes them visible, and a habit you can see is a habit you can do something about.

So Patanjali proposed a path forward to clear the mind and remove these obstacles. He called it the eight limb path. The Sanskrit name is ashtanga, which simply means eight limbs.

Limb one: how you treat others (yama)

The first limb is five ethical guides for how you behave towards other people and the world. They are ordinary rather than lofty.

• Kindness, or non-violence (ahimsa). Towards others, and towards yourself.
• Truthfulness (satya). Speaking the truth, while being careful about when the truth can harm.
• Not stealing (asteya). Which extends to not taking people’s time or credit.
• Right use of energy, or moderation (brahmacharya). Read it in the context of your own culture.
• Not grasping (aparigraha). Taking only what you need, and not hoarding.

See the yamas as suggestions for how to live, not commandments. They let you review how you treat people, how you use your energy, and how you deal with your problems. You choose what they mean for you.

The yoga writer Michael Stone, in The Inner Tradition of Yoga, said the yamas “safeguard us against the tendency to act out habitual patterns of reactivity”. He added that the most difficult parts of our personality are often better sources of wisdom than the easy parts, because they are what we know most intimately.

Limb two: how you treat yourself (niyama)

The second limb is five personal practices. They are about the attitude you have towards yourself.

• Cleanliness (saucha). Of body, mind and surroundings.
• Contentment (santosha). Being at ease with what is.
• Effort, or self-discipline (tapas). The steady heat of sustained practice.
• Self-study (svadhyaya). Learning about yourself, including through study.
• Letting go (ishvara pranidhana). Surrender, or letting go of the need to control the outcome.

Contentment is the one most people find hardest. It is also the one that changes daily life most. Work towards these as best you can. They are useful guides, not rules.

What is the difference between the yamas and the niyamas?

The yamas face outward: how you treat other people and the world. The niyamas face inward: how you treat yourself. There are five of each, and together they cover most of what people mean by ethics.

Limb three: the poses (asana)

In the poses (asana), Patanjali saw the body and mind moving in harmony. Poses build strength and mobility, sharpen attention, and open you up to new experiences.

It is worth noticing that this is limb three of eight. Modern yoga often treats the poses as the whole subject. In Patanjali’s scheme they are a third of the way in, and part of their job is to prepare you for what follows.

In the Iyengar approach, the poses are usually where students begin. B.K.S. Iyengar taught that the other limbs can be practised inside a pose. Kindness (ahimsa) is working without forcing. Truthfulness (satya) is being honest about where your body actually is today. Effort (tapas) is holding the pose steadily. Self-study (svadhyaya) is noticing what your mind does when the pose gets hard.

That is why Iyengar teachers pay such close attention to detail: the feet, the knees, the line of the spine. The precision is what keeps the mind in the room. Certified Iyengar teachers train for a minimum of three years to teach this way.

Regular practice of the poses is linked to a wide range of physical and mental benefits. We have gathered many of them on our benefits of yoga page.

Limb four: breath control (pranayama)

Breath control, or breath meditation (pranayama), is breathing in a way that influences the mind.

It starts with watching your normal breath. Then it works with the length of the in-breath and out-breath, and with pauses. The point is not bigger lungs. It is what a slow, controlled breath does to your state of mind.

The mind will still wander. Each time it does, you bring it back to the breath. That returning is the practice. Techniques include Victorious Breath (ujjayi, AKA Ocean Breath) and Humming Bee Breath (bhramari).

For the techniques in detail, see what pranayama is and how to do it. We also run regular breath meditation and pranayama classes in Darwin, and LIVE online.

Limb five: turning the senses inward (pratyahara)

Pratyahara is withdrawing the senses, so you stop being pulled outward by every sound, sight and notification. In turn, it helps you focus.

Your senses are built to face outward and report every change. Pratyahara turns that flow down. It is one reason restorative poses often cover the eyes, and why a quiet room matters more than people think.

Limb six: concentration (dharana)

Dharana is fixing the mind on one point or object. Yoga teacher Mira Mehta describes it as “uninterrupted concentration, with the mind focused steadily on a particular point, or object”. The word doing the work is uninterrupted.

Limb seven: meditation (dhyana)

Dhyana is when the mind flows onto its object without interruption. You are fully engaged, and the mind is not wandering. Mira Mehta again: “This is meditation. The span of concentration is increased so that the whole mind encompasses the object, and contemplates it unwaveringly.”

A simple way to hold the difference: concentration (dharana) is aiming. Meditation (dhyana) is having arrived.

Limb eight: absorption (samadhi)

Samadhi is when the mind is so fully absorbed in the object of meditation that the sense of a separate self loosens. It is usually translated as absorption, or a sense of oneness. Edwin Bryant’s translation of the Yoga Sutras is a good place to read more.

It is a state, not a qualification, and it does not last. It is also not a goal to chase. Chasing it is one of the surer ways to miss it.

Limbs five to eight and brain waves

Some brain wave research (EEG, a recording of the brain’s electrical rhythms) on meditation reports a shift towards slower rhythms as attention settles. That echoes the settling Patanjali describes, from turning the senses inward to absorption. The parallel is our observation, not a proven match. There is more in our post on calming your nervous system.

The tree of yoga: B.K.S. Iyengar’s picture of the limbs

B.K.S. Iyengar, in his book The Tree of Yoga, described the eight limbs as parts of one tree. The ethics (yama and niyama) are the roots and trunk. The poses and breath are the branches and leaves. The quieter states are the bark, the sap and the flower, and absorption is the fruit.

The point of the picture is that a tree grows all at once. You do not finish the roots before the leaves appear. Each limb feeds every other limb.

Do you have to practise the 8 limbs in order?

No. The eight limbs describe a logic, not a timetable. They are meant to be practised together, even though you cannot do them all at the same moment.

The later limbs do take more skill than the first four. But there is no single right place to start. In the Iyengar method we usually begin with the poses, because the body is the easiest place for the mind to learn to pay attention. Some other schools begin with study of the philosophy.

Is this the same as Ashtanga yoga?

Not quite. Ashtanga is simply the Sanskrit for eight limbs, and it is Patanjali’s name for the whole path described on this page. A modern style of yoga also uses the name. When people talk about the eight limbs of Ashtanga yoga, they mean Patanjali’s eight limbs.

The ethics creep up on you

Nobody walks into a yoga class planning to work on not grasping. But in practice, the ethics of the 8 limbs of yoga tend to creep up on you as you steadily practise the poses or the breath, or preferably both.

You notice you are less reactive in traffic. You notice you no longer need to win the argument. It happens sideways, through the body, rather than by deciding to be a better person. Even a little practice starts you on the path.

Chris Lalor, Flametree’s senior teacher, ends her eight limbs talk at our Bali retreat on this point. It matches what she has seen over more than thirty years of teaching.

One student’s story

A student interviewed by The Guardian, ten years into regular yoga and meditation, described how it changed him. He did not set out looking for these changes. They arrived as a result of practising.

“My family and friends noticed the difference in me too. They noted that I was happier, friendlier, and more open and compassionate. As a result my relationship with my wife was much better too… I became happier and more contented.”

That is the tree of yoga growing without being forced.

Where to learn the 8 limbs of yoga in Darwin, and online

Reading about the limbs is one thing. Working through them with a teacher over time is where they stop being interesting and start being useful.

• Start with a free class. Flametree teaches Iyengar yoga at our Woolner and Coolalinga studios in Darwin, and LIVE online across Australia. If you are new to Flametree, your first class is free. At a Darwin studio, just come along. Online, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join. You can also see all the class times on the timetable.
• Keep going at half price. If you want to go on after your free class, the best option is the beginner deal: 10 classes at half price plus 2 more free, $59.50 in total. Use it in the studio, online, or both. It comes with a 14-day money-back guarantee, and no discount code is needed. It is for anyone new to Flametree, or away three months or more.
• Already practising yoga? If you are past beginner level and new to Flametree, or have been away three months or more, there is a non-beginner half-price 10 pass with 2 classes free, $104.50. No discount code is needed either.
• Gentler options. Classes such as Gentle Yoga, Back, Neck and Shoulder Yoga and Easy Restorative Yoga suit people who are stiff or have not exercised for a while.
• Add the breath. Our pranayama and breath meditation classes run in Darwin and online, and there is a pranayama video course for home practice.
• Go deeper on retreat. Our Bali yoga retreats include plenty of poses and pranayama, plus evening talks on the eight limbs. This page grew out of one of those talks.

2 FREE Beginner Yoga Classes & 10 HALF Off | New & Lapsed | Online & Studio

NON-Beginner HALF Price 10 Packs | New & Lapsed | Online & Studio

Check out the Flametree Bali yoga retreat.

Questions people ask about the 8 limbs of yoga

What are the 8 limbs of yoga?

Yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi. In English: ethics towards others, ethics towards yourself, poses, breath control, turning the senses inward, concentration, meditation and absorption.

Who wrote the 8 limbs of yoga?

The sage Patanjali, in the Yoga Sutras, around 2,000 years ago. The Sutras are 196 short sayings in four chapters. They gathered and ordered what was already being taught.

Do you have to practise the limbs in order?

No. The order describes a logic, not a timetable. Most students start with limb three, the poses, and the other limbs grow alongside. You can work on kindness and a standing pose in the same week.

How do I actually practise the 8 limbs?

Start where most people start: come to class, learn the poses, then add some breath work. The other limbs tend to arrive once those two are steady. Reading the Yoga Sutras alongside regular practice is worth far more than reading them alone.

What is the difference between the yamas and the niyamas?

The yamas face outward: how you treat other people and the world. The niyamas face inward: how you treat yourself. There are five of each.

What is samadhi?

Samadhi is the eighth limb: complete absorption in the object of meditation, to the point where the sense of a separate self loosens. It is a state, not a qualification, and it does not last.

Is the 8 limb path religious?

No. Flametree teaches secular yoga. The eight limbs are a set of practices and observations about the mind, and they are consistent with whatever religious belief a person holds, or none. Spiritual here simply means finding your purpose or sense of direction.

Where can I learn the 8 limbs of yoga in Darwin?

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga and pranayama at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online. Classes start with the poses and breath, and the Bali retreats include talks on the eight limbs. Your first class is free if you are new to Flametree. See the class times here, or get your link to join an online class.

Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and LIVE online. This page is general information about yoga philosophy and practice, not medical advice. Sources: Patanjali, Yoga Sutras (Edwin Bryant translation); T.K.V. Desikachar; B.K.S. Iyengar, The Tree of Yoga; Michael Stone, The Inner Tradition of Yoga; Mira Mehta; Chris Lalor, eight limbs talk, Flametree Bali retreat.