8 Limbs of Yoga

Written By Britt Bellamy

The Eight Limbs of Yoga are written about in a text called the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. They are an organization of various early components of yoga. Asanas, or the physical poses, are only one of the Eight Limbs. The full list is below and there are many resources across the web that explain them in great detail. It’s also fun and feels good to read the text they came from. The Yoga Sutras book is widely available for purchase. It could also be at your local library!

The Eight Limbs of Yoga

  • Yamas (Disciplines / Restraints)

    • Ahimsa (non-violence)

    • Satya (truth)

    • Asteya (non-stealing)

    • Brahmacharya (self restraint / celibacy)

    • Aparigraha (non-attachment / non-greed)

  • Niyamas (Observances)

    • Saucha (Cleanliness)

    • Tapas (Discipline)

    • Santosha (Contentment)

    • Svadhyaya, (Self Study)

    • Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender)

  • Asanas (physical poses)

  • Pranayama (moving energy in body, often with breathwork)

  • Pratyahara (sensory deprivation)

  • Dharana (single-pointed concentration, focus)

  • Dyhana (meditation)

  • Samadhi (absorption into meditation)

Britt Bellamy
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