BKS Iyengar said,” If you are practicing Asana without Yama and Niyama, you are merely doing gymnastics”.  Yoga is about so much more than the postures.  Here’s the 8 Limbs of Yoga:

1.  Yama – restraints or universal moral commandments

•  Ahimsa – non-violence
•  Satya – truthfulness in thought, word and deed
•  Asteya – non-stealing.  no desire to possess what another has
•  Brahmacharya – self-restraint, moderation, focus
•  Aparigraha – non-covetousness, to be free from greed

2. Niyama – observances or self purification by discipline

• Saucha – cleanliness of body and mind
• Samtosha – contentment, feel the lack of nothing
• Tapas – heat, passion, conscious effort to achieve union with the Divine
• Svadhyaya – study of sacred scriptures and of oneself
• Isvara Pranidhana – surrender to God

3. Asana – posture or joyful steadiness in the body free from tension

4. Pranayama – rhythmic control of the breath

5. Pratyahara – withdrawal of the senses from the outside world

6. Dharana – concentration or slow down thinking

7. Dhyana – meditation or uninterrupted flow of concentration

8. Samadhi – super-consciousness or bliss –  to realize connection with the Divine