Yoga Paths & Limbs

Four Paths to Yoga

  1. Raja Yoga – Postures, breath control, meditation
  2. Karma Yoga – Honesty, selfless action, service
  3. Bhakti Yoga – Devotion, faith to God or spirit
  4. Jnana Yoga– Wisdom, introspection, contemplation

Eight Limbs of Yoga

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – an Eight-Fold Path for a Meaningful and Purposeful Life:

  1. Yamas – How we interact with the world
    • Ahimsa – Non-violence
    • Satya – Truthfulness
    • Asteya – Non-stealing
    • Brahmacharya – Moderation
    • Aparigraha – Non-attachment
  2. Niyamas – How we set our own environment
    • Shaucha – Purity and cleanliness
    • Santosha – Contentment
    • Tapas – Discipline towards goals
    • Swadhyaya – Self-education
    • Ishwara-Pranidhana – Surrender
  3. Asana – Physical postures
  4. Pranayama – Breath control
  5. Pratyahara – Withdrawal of the senses
  6. Dharana – Meditation with effort
  7. Dhyana – Meditation without effort
  8. Samadhi – Liberation from attachment

For more information, read: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali