Yoga as a Western practice and yoga as a traditional practice are typically quite different. The majority of people walking into a Western yoga class are looking for the asanas to help with their flexibility, strength, or in some cases rehabilitation. And while there is nothing wrong with that, limiting a yoga practice to just the poses can be, well, limiting.

To be clear, when I refer to the Western practice of yoga, I am not referring to a country or group of places. I am referring to the tendency to only practice the physical aspects of yoga without recognizing the other components as part of our workouts or lives. The tendency to accommodate ourselves by arriving late to a class to miss the chants or leaving early to skip Savasana (final relaxation). The tendency to ignore the other aspects of a yoga practice and stop at what we feel is good enough.

As I have acknowledged, many individuals feel overwhelmed and uncertain when trying to pick up a yoga practice. Even only looking at the postures, there is a huge amount of information to learn (proper body position, modifications, breath control, Sanskrit) and I am sure that those feelings of overwhelm tend to lead many to stop at just figuring out the poses. But, again, a yoga practice can be so much more. For you.

So, today, I thought I would take a hot second and break down a key set of concepts. The Eight Limbs. Not every traditional yoga practice involves all Eight Limbs, however, many of these concepts are practiced even if they are not integrated. If you Google the Eight Limbs (go ahead, I’ll wait…), you’ll usually find two pictoral representations; a lotus flower or a plant. The lotus flower appears to have its petals intertwined, the idea being that each of the Limbs is connected to the others in ways that cannot be easily separated. A plant represents the idea that there are ways to feed the stalk and flower and while practice of some of the Limbs may be “underground,” those allow the plant to reach its true potential. So now it’s time for a breakdown…

Limb 1, Yamas. The Yamas are social restraints. Basically things we avoid doing so that our society will be better. These are not necessarily things that benefit us always, but again, we do them in hopes that we are doing our part to improve society. Non-violence, non-stealing, truthfulness, moderation, and non-possessiveness are the 5 Yamas.

Limb 2, Niyamas. The Niyamas are individual observances. Things that we do for the betterment of ourselves. It should be noted that while we are working to make ourselves more complete, we should not be forcing harm to others either. Purity of the body, contentment with what life provides, austerity (the ability to withstand mental heat or stress), self-study, and devotion to the divine are the 5 Niyamas.

The Yamas and Niyamas are generally referred to as the ethical or moral codes of conduct. And really, if you take the time to look, they aren’t far off from the big things that most major religions ask of us. But you don’t have to be religious to practice yoga, nor is yoga affiliated with any one religion.

Limb 3, Asana. The asanas are the traditional poses or postures practiced on the mat. Your Downward Facing Dogs and Pyramids if you will. In some practices, like Ashtanga or Bikram for example, the poses are sequenced in a very specific way and typically don’t change. In other practices, it is more free form and usually based on the instructors background and goals for the class.

Limb 4, Pranayama. Pranayama literally translates into an increase of life force. In yoga, life force is breath. And really, moving oxygen into our bodies is hugely important for our health. Typically this Limb is thought of as breath control. Each asana has a breath pattern associated with moving into and out of the posture and to use during. Breath is also important to observe.

Asana and Pranayama make up the physical practice of yoga. Yup, Eight Limbs, and only two of them are related to anything that happens in a yoga studio or on a mat. However, the practice of these two Limbs is important for the next set of Limbs. Moving your body and (as I say to my toddler, getting the wiggles out) is an important step in order for your mind to be able to concentrate. As such, I refer to Limbs 5-8 as Higher Order Thinking.

Limb 5, Pratyahara. This Limb is generally referred to a selective attention. This is the idea that you are choosing what to concentrate on. For many, this is tied closely with breath, especially as it allows us to calm and quiet our bodies while our mind turns on.

Limb 6, Dharana. Focused concentration. Essentially, here, you are trying to take the practice of Limb 5 a step further. You have one thing or idea, commonly called the object, that you are focused squarely on. At this level, there is little that can pull your focus away until you actively decide to move it.

Limb 7, Dhyana. Again, this Limb tries to extend the practice of Limb 6. This is meditative absorption. Here you are thinking about your object of meditation, but instead of focusing sharply on one aspect of it, you are able to think about and around the object.

Limb 6 and Limb 7 are a bit tangled in actual practice. I’m gonna show my age again here, but think about it like that scene from the Matrix… In Limb 6, you see only the spoon. Very sharply. In Limb 7, you are seeing all the parts of the spoon as they relate to the whole, the colors, shapes, curves, weight. Then you can imagine that there is no spoon. Also in practice, it is hard to tell if you’ve hit Limb 6 or 7. And truthfully, it doesn’t matter. If you can get to this stage, all you will know after meditating in this way is that you feel very relaxed and usually pretty positive.

Limb 8, Samadhi. Enlightenment. Bliss. Ecstasy. Whatever you call it, it’s pretty rad. Basically, the meditator (that would be you) merges with the object or thought of meditation to transcend. The meditator is able to realize some connection, whether about themselves or something else that allows them to further their own potential. This is the elusive Eureka! moment that yogis strive for. It is important to understand it takes mad practice to get here, years sometimes. And it doesn’t happen all the time, even for individuals who practice regularly. So no need to freak out if you are hanging out at Limb 5 for awhile. Training your mind takes more effort than training your body.

I hope I was able to de-mystify a bit about the practice of yoga. I know when I first studied these concepts I was very dismissive, but when given a chance and put together with even just a bit of focused energy, the potential to create positive changes in your everyday life is totally there.