Chapter 2 – Sadhana Pada: The Chapter on Practice.

Yoga Sutra 2.29 – The Eight Limbs

This is the most well known sutra in the whole text: By the practice of the limbs of yoga, the impurities dwindle away and there dawns the light of wisdom, leading to discriminative discernment.

Y.S. - 2.29 Yama niyama asana pranayama pratyhara dharana dhyana samadhayo astavangani

Yama - restraints, respect for others
niyama - observances, respect for yourself
asana - posture
pranayama - breath control, energy
pratyhara - withdrawal from the pull of the senses
dharana - concentration
dhyana - meditation
samadhayo – absorption, enlighten
mentasta - eight
angani - limbs

The eight limbs of yoga are a code for how to interact with others, observances for yourself,  your physical well-being, harnessing your energy, withdrawing from the pull of the senses, concentration, meditation and perfected consciousness.

Most of people in the west think of yoga as the third limb only, the physical postures. But each of the rungs is equally important. In the next sutras Patanjali not only explains each of the yamas and niyamas but tells you what the fruits of each practice are. The promises are quite extraordinary!