The Gheranda Samhita presents a sevenfold, or saptanga, path of yoga that unfolds in a clear and progressive manner. It begins with **Shatkarma**, the six purificatory practices, which are intended to cleanse and prepare the body and subtle channels. From this foundation arises **Asana**, the cultivation of postures that confer steadiness, strength, and health, making the body a fit vessel for higher practices. These two limbs together emphasize that spiritual endeavor is grounded in a purified and stabilized physical frame.

Upon this base, the text introduces **Mudra**, comprising specific gestures, seals, and bodily arrangements that serve to channel and direct pranic energy. With the body purified and energy guided, the practitioner turns to **Pratyahara**, the withdrawal of the senses from external objects, allowing attention to move inward. This interiorization of awareness creates the necessary stillness for the more subtle disciplines that follow.

From the quieted field of the senses arises **Pranayama**, the conscious regulation and control of breath, which refines and steadies the life-force. When breath and prana are harmonized, **Dhyana**, or meditation, becomes possible as a state of sustained, unbroken contemplation on the chosen object. The culmination of this sevenfold path is **Samadhi**, a state of deep absorption and union, described as the consummation of spiritual realization and the highest fruit of the yogic journey.