Guide
What are the eight limbs of yoga?
SHORT ANSWER
The eight limbs are Patanjali's framework from the Yoga Sutras: yama (ethics towards others), niyama (ethics towards yourself), asana (posture), pranayama (breath), pratyahara (withdrawing the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption). Physical posture is one limb of eight.
Last updated · Written by the team at Junegiri Yoga School, Rishikesh
Why this comes up on every teacher training
The eight limbs are the closest thing yoga has to a syllabus, and they are the reason philosophy is a required module rather than an optional extra. They come from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, compiled somewhere around the second century CE.
The point most students find genuinely reorienting is that asana — the physical postures that Western yoga is almost entirely built on — is the third limb of eight, and gets a handful of verses. The framework treats posture as preparation for the rest, not as the destination.
The eight limbs
| Limb | Sanskrit | In plain terms |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Yama | यम | How you treat others: non-violence, truthfulness, not stealing, moderation, non-possessiveness |
| 2. Niyama | नियम | How you treat yourself: cleanliness, contentment, discipline, self-study, surrender |
| 3. Asana | आसन | Posture. Originally a steady, comfortable seat for meditation, not a sequence of shapes |
| 4. Pranayama | प्राणायाम | Regulation of breath, and through it of energy and attention |
| 5. Pratyahara | प्रत्याहार | Drawing the senses inward, away from external stimulus |
| 6. Dharana | धारणा | Concentration: holding attention on one thing |
| 7. Dhyana | ध्यान | Meditation: sustained attention that no longer needs holding |
| 8. Samadhi | समाधि | Absorption; the distinction between observer and observed falls away |
The last three — dharana, dhyana and samadhi — are together called samyama, and they are usually taught as a progression rather than as separate practices.
What the first two limbs actually ask of a teacher
The yamas and niyamas are the part most relevant to anyone about to stand in front of a room, and the part most often reduced to a poster.
Ahimsa — non-violence
For a teacher this is concrete rather than abstract: not pushing a student into a shape, not using adjustment to demonstrate your own knowledge, not treating a class as a performance of your practice.
Satya — truthfulness
Saying you do not know. Not claiming a qualification you do not hold, and not implying a certificate does more than it does. This one has direct commercial consequences and is quietly ignored across a lot of the industry.
Asteya — non-stealing
Credit your sources. Sequences, cues and phrasing are learned from other teachers, and passing them off as your own invention is the ordinary form this takes.
Svadhyaya — self-study
The niyama that keeps a teacher honest: continuing to be a student, and examining your own motives for teaching.
A caution about how this gets taught
The eight limbs are frequently presented as a ladder you climb in order, mastering each before moving on. Patanjali does not obviously say that, and most scholars read them as interdependent rather than strictly sequential.
You will also encounter confident claims that particular postures or breathing techniques produce particular states. Treat those with the same scepticism you would apply anywhere. The framework is a map of attention, and it does not need embellishing to be worth studying.
How much philosophy a training actually gives the eight limbs is worth asking about before you book. The hours ours devotes to them are itemised in the curriculum on the 200-hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh page.
Related
Other questions worth answering first
Is a 200-hour yoga teacher training enough to actually teach?
Yes for teaching general beginner classes, and that is what it is designed for. A 200-hour training qualifies you to lead a safe, well-sequenced class for healthy adults. It does not prepare you to teach injuries, pregnancy, or advanced practitioners, and most graduates need a year of regular teaching before they feel competent.
Hatha, vinyasa, ashtanga or yin — which style should I train in?
Train in hatha if you want the widest foundation, since most other styles build on it. Ashtanga suits people who want a fixed, demanding sequence. Vinyasa is the most employable in Western studios. Yin is a specialisation, not a first training. Most Indian 200-hours teach hatha and ashtanga together.
Still deciding?
We would rather talk you out of the wrong course than sell you one. Ask us anything — including whether another school suits you better.
Or see dates and prices.
