What Does Ashtanga Really Mean?

The term Aṣṭāṅga (अष्टाङ्ग) literally means "eight limbs" (aṣṭa = eight, aṅga = limb). The earliest and most authoritative appearance of this concept is found in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, verse 2.29.

Yama-niyama-āsana-prāṇāyāma-pratyāhāra-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhayo'ṣṭāv aṅgāni.

Translation: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi are the eight limbs of Yoga. This is the first known classical text to systematically define the eight limbs as a complete path.

The eight limbs at a glance

• Yama — ethical restraints
• Niyama — personal observances
• Asana — steady posture
• Pranayama — breath regulation
• Pratyahara — withdrawal of the senses
• Dharana — concentration
• Dhyana — meditation
• Samadhi — absorption

The Ashu Yoga Method draws on this classical structure for health, mental balance, and psycho-physical wellbeing.