The ancient path is described in Hindu scriptures, the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, as eight limbs of yoga - Ashtanga yoga, which will lead a practitioner to union or Vimukthi—freedom.
Ashtanga Yoga: While many Hindu schools offer paths, one of the most widely known and systematized is the Eight Limbs (Ashtanga, often incorrectly termed "eight-sadhana").
As codified by Patanjali, these eight limbs—Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi—move the practitioner from external ethical standards (Yama, Niyama) through physical and breath control to the ultimate goal of meditative absorption (Samadhi), which is the state of awakening.