Dear followers of this thread, now begins the light of jñāna dīptiḥ, the illumination of wisdom.
Jeff first went to India seeking the fiery discipline of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga as taught by Śrī K. Pattabhi Jois. He was drawn by the strength, the sweat, and the challenge. But what he ultimately discovered was a different kind of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga—the classical eight-limbed path described by Patañjali. And that deeper path, the one we’re now exploring, is why many of us are truly here, as Aṣṭāṅgīs, in the whole meaning of the word.
So today, we arrive at Yoga Sūtra 2.29:
Yama-niyamāsana-prāṇāyāma-pratyāhāra-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhayo’ṣṭāvaṅgāni
“Yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna, and samādhi are the eight limbs of yoga.”
That’s it. That’s the juice right there.
In the verse before—Sūtra 2.28—Patañjali reminded us that by removing the mala, the impurities, through anuṣṭhāna, consistent dedicated practice, the light of wisdom begins to shine. And now, in 2.29, he gives us the practical roadmap for that process.
We can’t skip the work and expect wisdom to arrive magically. We have to cultivate practice and stick with it. The aṣṭāṅga mārga—the eight-limbed path—is Patañjali’s offering to us. It is the structured, time-tested way to move from confusion to clarity, from darkness to discernment.
Here are the aṣṭau aṅgāni—the eight limbs:
Yama – Ethical restraints (non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy or moderation, non-possessiveness)
Niyama – Personal observances (purity, contentment, discipline, self-study, surrender to the divine)
Āsana – Steady and comfortable posture
Prāṇāyāma – Regulation and expansion of life-force through control of the breath
Pratyāhāra – Withdrawal of the senses from external objects
Dhāraṇā – Concentration or one-pointed focus
Dhyāna – Meditation, sustained awareness
Samādhi – Absorption, complete union with the object of meditation
Each limb builds upon the one before it, leading us gradually toward viveka-khyātiḥ—that clear, unwavering wisdom that sees truth as it is.
Let the light shine forth.
