Astou means eight, anga is a limb.Patañjali’s Yoga Sūtra describes eight limbs of yoga: yama niyama āsana prānāyāma pratyāhāra dhāranā dhyāna samādhi Practicing Aștānga yoga means practicing all of the eight limbs. lt is important to understand each and every limb, as they all are interconnected and lead to the final limb called samādhi, the realization of higher consciousness.