Asta means eight and anga means divisions or steps.  Astanga yoga comprises of eight steps, which are very scienfifically formulated by the great sage  Pathanjali. The eight steps are: yama, niyama,asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.  This is a fail safe path to attain self-realisation.

The meanings of the eight steps are as follows:
Yama is a code of social conduct. In other words it is socail discipline.
Niyama is code of self conduct or individual discipline.
Asana is body posture, which grooms physical discipline.
Pranayama is the art and science of breathing, which brings about mental discipline.
Pratyahara concerns withdrawal of senses or sensory discipline.
Dharana is focussing of attention or concentration.
Dhyana is meditation.
Samadhi is the final step of self-realisation.

Yama, Niyama and Asana, which are visible to an observer  are called bahiranga sadhana. Pranayama, Pratyahara and
Dharana, which can only be felt by the practictioner are called antharanga sadhana. Dhyana and Samadhi are purely
self-experiential and are called antaratma sadhana.

We shall discuss about each step in the next article.
 
 

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