Yoga Sūtra Chapter Two verse 29

यम नियमासन प्राणायाम प्रत्याहार धारणा ध्यान समाधयोऽष्टावङ्गानि ॥२९॥

yama-niyama-āsana-prāṇāyāma-pratyāhāra-dhāraṇā-dhyāna-samādhayaḥ aṣṭau-aṅgāni ||29||

Restraints, observances, posture, extending the breath,
withdrawal from the senses, concentration, meditation and integration
are the eight limbs.

yama - the act of checking or curbing, suppression, restraint; self-control forbearance, any great moral rule or duty; any rule or observanceniyama - observances; restraint of the mind; a rule or precept; obligation; restraining, checking, holding backāsana - particular posture; sitting, sitting down; seat, place, stool; abiding, dwelling; sitting in peculiar posture according to the custom of devotees; the withers of an elephant, the part where the driver sitsprāṇāyāma - extending the breathpratyāhāra - withdrawal from the senses; withdrawal, abstraction; withdrawing, re-absorption or dissolution of the world; drawing back (troops from a battle), retreatdhāraṇā - retaining, keeping back; fixation; collection or concentration of the mind; to exercise concentration; the act of holding, bearing, wearing, supporting, maintaining;dhyāna - meditation, thought, reflection; visualisation; mental representation of the personal attributes of a deity; profound and abstract religious meditationsamādhi - putting together; communion; absorption; combining; integrationaṣṭa - eightaṅga - a limb; the body; any subdivision, a supplement; ancillary part; auxiliary
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Commentaries and Reflections

Commentary by S Ramaswami:

“Yama- restraints, to control.

Niyama- continuous control.

Āsana- to remain or to be. To make somebody sit or sitting. Thus, remaining seated.

Prāṇāyāma- that which leads. That force which takes one through life. Plus that which extends to the limit. The practice which extends Prāṇa to the limit. Here it refers to the life span.

Pratyāhāra- against, something you completely take in, i.e. food. Anything that is taken in by the senses. Thus the practice that is against and prevents taking anything in through the senses.

Dhāraṇā- DHR – to support or hold. Thus something supported by the mind or something supporting the mind. When the Citta supports an object it is DHĀRANA.

Dhyāna- to think repeatedly of the object already supported in Dhārāṇa.

Samādhi- to hold onto completely. Mind completely taken up by the object.”

Commentary by Paul Harvey:

“The First and Second Chapters of the Yoga Sūtra
can be linked to the teaching concepts of
Śikṣaṇa, Rakṣaṇa and Cikitsā Krama.
In that the Samādhi Yoga in Chapter One
can be seen as apt for a Śikṣaṇa situation,
whereby the primary aim is discernment, as in
exploring what lies within the sense of I-Am.
Whereas in Chapter Two, the Kriya Yoga section
can be seen as being apt for a Cikitsā situation,
whereby the primary aim is recovering, as in
reducing agitation through lifestyle changes.
and the Bāhya Aṅga section of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga
can be seen as being apt for a Rakṣaṇa situation,
whereby the primary aim is establishing stability,
through a formal practice within a Yoga Sādhana.”