The Eight Limbs of Yoga: A Practical Guide to Being Human

When most people hear the word yoga, they picture someone in stretchy trousers standing on one leg and looking serene.

And sure, the physical practice is part of yoga.

But it’s only one small part—and, historically speaking, a relatively recent addition to what most of us think of as yoga.

Traditional yoga is a complete system for living. It’s a practical roadmap for becoming a little less reactive, a little more grounded, and perhaps a little kinder to ourselves and everyone around us.

Patañjali famously defines yoga in Yoga Sūtra 1.2:

Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥYoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.

Even that translation is a simplification, but one thing is clear: it has very little to do with fancy shapes or handstands.

To help us on the journey, Patañjali laid out a clear path known as the Eight Limbs of Yoga (big thanks and a huge shout out to this ancient Indian sage who we think lived sometime between 200 BCE and 400 CE).

Think of them as eight interconnected aspects of practice that help us navigate this strange and beautiful human experience.

1. Yamas — How Not to Be an A-Hole 🫶

The Yamas are the first limb of yoga, and that’s significant.

Before we worry about headstands, breathwork, or spiritual awakening, yoga asks a much simpler question:

How are we treating other people?

The yamas are ethical guidelines for living in relationship with the world around us.

Ahimsa — Non-Harming ✌️

Often translated as non-violence.

In modern wellness culture, this is frequently presented as “be kind to yourself.

And yes, that matters.

But originally, this teaching was primarily about how we treat others.

Don’t be cruel.

Don’t be unnecessarily harsh.

Don’t cause harm when there is another option.

Of course, if your inner dialogue sounds like an abusive drill sergeant, learning to be

kinder to yourself is a very good place to begin.

When we soften toward ourselves, it often becomes easier to soften toward everyone else.

Satya — Truthfulness 🙊

Tell the truth.

But remember that Satya comes after Ahimsa.

Not every thought needs to be spoken.

If your “honesty” is simply an excuse to wound someone, you may be missing the point.

Ram Dass said Maharaji told him:

“Love everyone and tell the truth.”

Simple advice, but not always easy.

Truth without love can be brutal.

Love without truth can be sentimental.

Yoga asks us to practice both.

Asteya — Non-Stealing ❌ 🥷

Don’t take what isn’t yours.

That includes:

• time,

• attention,

• credit,

• energy,

• and perhaps the parking space someone else was clearly waiting for.

Brahmacharya — Wise Use of Energy 🤭

Traditionally associated with celibacy, but for most of us a more useful interpretation is:

Use your energy wisely.

Notice what drains you.

Notice what nourishes you.

Stop scattering your life force on things that don’t really matter.

Aparigraha — Non-Grasping ✊ 〉✋

Loosen your grip.

On possessions.

On identities.

On outcomes.

On the need for everything to go exactly according to plan.

This one continues to humble me on a regular basis.

2. Niyama — How to Work With Yourself 

If the yamas are about how we relate to others, the Niyamas are about how we relate to

ourselves.

They invite us to get our house in order... 🏡 = 🧠

Saucha — Cleanliness 🧹

Keep your body, mind, environment, and even your inbox reasonably clean.

Nothing too mystical here.

A tidy room really can help.

Santosha — Contentment 😌

Practice being okay with what is.

Not passive resignation, but a willingness to stop arguing with reality 🌏 📣 ❌

Tapas — Discipline 🔥

Consistent effort.

The willingness to do the work, even when you can’t be bothered.

Svādhyāya — Self-Study 📖

Get curious about your patterns, your habits, and the stories you keep telling yourself.

Read the texts.

Watch your mind.

Learn.

Īśvara Praṇidhāna — Surrender 🕉️

Do your best.

Then loosen your grip.

There is profound freedom in recognising that you are not in control of everything.

3. Āsana — The Physical Practice 🤸🏼

This is the bit most people know.

Postures help us build strength, mobility, balance, and awareness.

They also offer a useful mirror.

Some days we feel graceful.

Other days we feel like a rusty garden gate.

Both are part of the practice.

Exploring our reactions to challenges on the mat—or when the body doesn’t behave the

way we think it should—can help us deal with our sh*t off the mat too.

4. Prāṇāyāma — Working With the Breath 🫁

The breath has a remarkable ability to influence how we feel.

Slow it down and the nervous system tends to follow.

And there are plenty of breathing techniques that can make us feel more awake and alive too.

Simple, but powerful stuff.

5. Pratyāhāra — Turning Inward 🧿

A deliberate withdrawal from constant stimulation.

In modern terms, perhaps:

Put the phone down.

Step away from the noise.

Get quiet and actually check in with your internal environment.

6. Dhāraṇā — Concentration 🕯️

The ability to focus attention on one thing.

A surprisingly radical skill in an age of endless distraction.

7. Dhyāna — Meditation 🧘🏻

When concentration becomes steady and uninterrupted, meditation begins.

Less doing.

More being.

8. Samādhi — Union 🕉️

The culmination of practice.

Moments where the sense of separation softens and we experience a deep feeling of

connection.

Words don’t really do this one justice.

Yoga as a Way of Living

The eight limbs remind us that yoga is not just something we do on a mat for an hour.

It is a way of moving through the world.

How we treat others.

How we speak to ourselves.

How we use our energy.

How we show up for life.

The poses are wonderful.

But they are only one small part of a much bigger picture.

And if the practice helps us become a little stronger, a little kinder, and a little more

awake to what really matters, then it is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

राम राम 🙏