There are eight limbs of yoga – ashtanga (ashta – 8, anga – limbs). My favorite book to discuss this is BKS Iyengar’s book The Tree of Yoga. In it he articulates the eight limbs as parts of a tree and draws this beautiful analogy between the elements of yoga and the functioning of trees, for example, the Yamas – the first limb, are the roots of the tree. If we are not aware of how we treat others and mindful about that, then it’s hard to have the foundations to go out into the world and act well.
Yama (how you treat others – ethical standards)
Niyama (how you treat yourself – self-discipline)
Asana (literally ‘seat,’ physical practice of yoga)
Pranayama (breath control)
Pratyahara (withdrawal from the senses)
Dharana (concentration)
Dhyana (meditation)
Samadhi (enlightenment)
In the West, we usually focus on Asana – which is the physical practice – the poses, but it’s only one limb of yoga. It is good to step back sometimes and consider the other limbs.