The word Yoga means Union, from the same Sanskrit root as the Greek word Zeugma, the Latin word Jugum, and the English word yoke, according to Aleister Crowley's book Eight Lectures On Yoga (1992). He goes on to say, "Yoga is the essence of all phenomena whatsoever... every thought in our being, every cell in our bodies, every electron and proton of our atoms, is nothing but Yoga and the result of Yoga." This does not mean that Yoga is meaningless. On the contrary, the act of practicing Yoga may be one of the most beneficial exercises for the widest range of people. (See the UMS course Hatha Yoga for more information about yoga.)

Yoga, this union, when it is inside of a person, is the creating of the whole health. Being healthy is being one with all parts of one's self. Deepak Chopra writes in The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Yoga (2004), "At its core, yoga means union, the union of the body, mind, and soul; the union of the ego and the spirit; the union of the mundane and the divine." Chopra also writes, "The essential purpose of yoga is the integration of all layers of life—environmental, physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual." Furthermore, the ultimate goal in Yoga is to find union with the higher power, with God, or with All. To be one with yourself is health, but to be one with all of the universe is bliss.

There are many positions, forms, dogma, and physical ideas that are associated with the practice of yoga in general. But Donna Farhi points out, in her book Yoga Mind, Body, & Spirit (2000), "Yoga is also a science that incorporates a broad range of practice and techniques that can be tailored and adapted to best suit your personal constitution and personality,".Because yoga is a science as well as a spiritual way of life, it can change to meet your personal needs. Also, Farhi writes, "Yoga is a technology for arriving in this present moment," and the moment is in a constant state of change.

Like all other types of exercises, Yoga's various styles are endless. It is very important to find the right style for your body. Every individual needs a different type of exercise and will have his or her own style within that type. Nevertheless, to list the styles and types of postures in different types of yoga is pointless, because the point of yoga is not to think about postures or do postures but to not do anything. "Sit still. Stop thinking. Shut up. Get out," is the phrase Aleister Crowley uses to sum up the postures in yoga.

Nevertheless, there are eight major limbs to all yoga practices that are important to discover. This list of the eight limbs of yoga came from Crowley's book Eight Lectures On Yoga (1992) and are as follows: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyhara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi. Translating these Sanskrit words is difficult if not impossible because languages do not translate exactly. Instead, a brief explanation is in order to understand each. These limbs are in every type of yoga practice and can be modified to be practiced in any exercise or movement.

Yama is usually translated as "control." This is not just the control of the muscular system when the bones are rigid, but also control of all outward circumstances. This is not a question of morality or ethics, because it destroys the real core of control when you ask someone else to give you specific guide lines for how to control, what, when, and where.

After practicing Yama, and achieving control, Niyama can be practiced. Along with the outward control of the physical world, you must also let it all hang out. Niyama is the act of letting go after your self and your environment are in a controlled state. It is somewhat like virtue, but implies at the same time the idea of going with the flow.

For example, to dance the most beautiful choreographed dance, the dancers must first have a structure of the controlled movements. Then, when the dance is performed, the dancers need to cut loose and let their bodies feel the dance flow through them. The planning of the dance is the Yama practice, while the expression of the music into movement is the Niyama.

Therefore, it is important to recognize the quote by Aleister Crowley (which comes from The Book of the Law), "Do what thou wilt," but then Crowley goes on to emphasize that this does not mean, "Do as you please," because love is the first law. The task of liberty is as important as control in Yama. In every moment of every day, whether you are consciously doing yoga or not, you should be deciding what your will should be directed to. Then you need to act out your will freely with virtue.

Asana and Pranayama are the next two limbs to discover. Asana is the act of controlling the muscular system and the mind to such an extent that the body is not receiving messages from the mind. The main points to concentrate on when practicing any posture are to be balanced and to let the arms and the breath be as unrestrained as possible.

Pranayama is the regularization of the breathing processes, which includes all the muscular and skeletal movements as well as the flow of air. The breath should be in perfect rhythm, so that every inhale takes a certain amount of seconds and every exhale takes a certain amount of seconds. Asana and pranayama are two aspects of yoga that are most commonly discussed and explanation of the practice of both can be found in most yoga books.

The four remaining limbs include two practices, which lead to two mystical states. Pratyahara is practicing introspection or focusing within to achieve a psychological state. Dharana can be called meditation, but it is a particular type of meditation. It is the focus of the mind's consciousness on any one object in your imagination. Within these two practices one can strive to achieve mystical states. Also, there is a bridge between Dharana and the mystical state of Dhyana. This bridge is called Yoganidra, and is a state in which all the muscles in your body spontaneously relax. Dhyana and Samahdi are mystical states of being that can only barely be described even by people who have felt them. Dhyana is a timeless state where duality, things, and space do not exist. Samahdi is translated as "together with." It is the final state of being one with the universe as well as with the object which you chose to meditate on in that Dharana practice.

Though these eight limbs of yoga are extensive and may seem a bit extreme, they can be applied to all forms of exercise and all movements in life. The techniques that make up all types of yoga can be practiced in every movement. Such an achievement may take an immense amount of devotion. However, there is a certain amount of wisdom here that can be applied to your life and to all exercises, making movement more holistic.

Being a Yogi master is far more than just practicing yoga every day. Yogis use yoga in every moment and Prana flows through them constantly. There are illusions about being a Yogi master, but the truth of the art lies in the practice of yoga. Applying the eight limbs of yoga to every moment is the way to understand the Yogi way of life. Donna Farhi in her book Yoga Mind, Body, & Spirit (2000), writes "Yoga is a way of living and being that makes real happiness possible." Farhi also writes about the reward of yoga, which is simply "the practice is the reward." There is only one way to know what yoga is really like: to explore it for yourself.