Every time we step onto our yoga mats, we begin a journey, no matter what first brought us there. We may come to become stronger, gain flexibility, relieve stress, or simply feel better in our bodies. But whether we realize it or not, every yoga practice offers us an opportunity to check out of the busy, hectic world and check in with something deeper. For a little while, we turn our attention toward our breath, our bodies, and the quieter parts of ourselves that can be difficult to hear when the world becomes loud.

Nearly 2,000 years ago, the sage Patanjali gathered and organized the ancient wisdom of yoga in the Yoga Sutras. Within these teachings, he described a path known as the Eight Limbs of Yoga—not as a rigid set of steps, but as a map to guide us toward greater awareness, connection, and inner stillness.

The Eight Limbs help us understand the journey that begins each time we step onto our mats:

The yamas guide how we interact with the world around us, while the niyamas shape how we care for and relate to ourselves. Asana is the physical practice that brings us onto the mat. Pranayama teaches us to work consciously with the breath. Pratyahara invites us to turn our senses inward, away from the constant pull of the outside world. Dharana is concentration, the practice of gathering our scattered attention. Dhyana is meditation, when that attention begins to flow with greater ease. And samadhi is the experience of complete connection—when the separation between ourselves, our practice, and the present moment begins to dissolve.

Although the limbs are traditionally presented in this order, yoga is not a checklist, and the journey through them is not a straight line. We do not master one limb, mark it complete, and move neatly on to the next. We move among them, circle back to them, and often experience several at the same time. A single yoga class may not carry us all the way to samadhi, but it can give us small glimpses of stillness, connection, and what it feels like to be completely present.

We also do not leave the yamas and niyamas behind when the physical practice begins. They are woven into every choice we make on the mat. Ahimsa, or non-harming, may look like honoring the body instead of forcing it into a pose. Satya, or truthfulness, asks us to be honest about what we need today. Santosha reminds us to find contentment in the body and the practice we have right now, rather than constantly comparing ourselves to someone else—or even to a different version of ourselves.

As we move through asana, the body is given somewhere to place its restless energy. We stretch, strengthen, balance, and begin to release some of what we have been carrying. Pranayama then draws our awareness toward the breath, creating a bridge between the movement of the body and the activity of the mind. When the breath becomes slower and steadier, it sends a message to the nervous system that it is safe to soften. The body can begin to move out of its constant state of doing and into a state of resting, receiving, and simply being.

From there, pratyahara can begin to happen naturally. The sounds of the room are still there, and the outside world has not disappeared, but it no longer demands all of our attention. We begin to notice what is happening within us. Dharana asks us to gather the mind around one point of focus—the breath, a sensation, a posture, or the rhythm of movement. When that concentration becomes softer and less effortful, we may begin to experience dhyana. We are no longer trying quite so hard to be present. For a few breaths, perhaps, we simply are.

Some days, our practice may feel deeply meditative. On other days, yoga may simply teach us to breathe through discomfort, laugh when we lose our balance, or stop being unkind to ourselves when our body cannot do what we expected it to do. Both experiences are yoga. Both are part of the journey.

We check out of the world for this small moment of time not because we are trying to escape our lives, but because we want to return to them differently. We quiet the noise, rest the nervous system, and remember what it feels like to be fully present within ourselves. Then, when we roll up our mats and step back into the world, we return a little more grounded, a little more refreshed, and perhaps more prepared to meet whatever is waiting for us.

If you are interested in learning more about the Eight Limbs of Yoga, our 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training begins on August 22nd, and there are only a few spots left. If you are already a certified Yoga Teacher and want to expand your knowledge, our Advanced Yoga Teacher 300-hour program begins in September.