Ask 'Flo' 
Aside from the physical practice of yoga, what are some of the philosophical practices?
In the classical practice of yoga, as shared by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, there are 8 limbs or stages of Yoga practice. These are:
1. Yamas, or retraints
2. Niyamas, or moral observances
3. Asana, the physical practice and postures
4. Pranayama, breath control
5. Pratayahara, sense withdrawal
6. Dharana, concentration
7. Dhyana, meditation and prayer
8. Samadhi, contemplation, surrender to the Divine
The Yamas and the Niyamas, the first 2 limbs of yoga practice, give us the guidelines for life practice - off the mat as well as on.
There are 5 Yamas:
Ahimsa (Non-violence)
Satya (Truthfulness)
Asteya (Non-stealing)
Brahmacharya (Self control)
Aparigraha (Non-greed, non-grasping)
There are 5 Niyamas:
Saucha (Purity in mind, body and spirit)
Santosha (Contentment)
Tapah (Diligence in practice)
Svadhyaya (Self study of spiritual books, whatever the belief system)
Isvarapranidhanani (Worship of Divine, your God, and self surrender)
From the Yoga Sutras:. "The five points of Yama, together with the five points of Niyama, remind us of the Ten Commandments of the Christian and Jewish faiths, as well as o fthe ten virtues of Buddhism. In fact, there is no religion without these moral or ethical codes. All spiritual life should be based on these things."
So when we're asked, Is Yoga a Religion? we reply with the underlying principles above, revealing that no, yoga is not a religion in and of itself, but rather the practice gives each of us a fuller and deeper understanding of our own belief and spiritual practice, whatever it may be.
Add the insights below from Poep Sa Frank Jude Boccio for a bit more:
Basically, all forms of Yoga agree that we as humans have not even begun to tap our fullest potential. All forms of Yoga assert that we are mistaken in identifying ourselves with our body, thoughts and emotions, and posit that we are something much more - boundless, limitless and unconditionally free.
For this reason, Yoga can and in fact has been practiced by people with widely varying philosophies and beliefs. One can practice from the perspective of a believer in God who wishes to devote her life to honoring and surrendering to God, or as an atheistic humanist intent on maximizing his fullest human potential of compassion, joy, and peace. Some believe in a personal God, while others believe in a more impersonal Ultimate Reality.... Yoga is simply and primarily a tool for exploring the depths of human nature, of diving deeply into the mysteries of the mind and of the body.
Whether you identify yourself as a religious or spiritual person, as a Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, an atheist, agnostic or whatever, Yoga can aid all persons in becoming a more peaceful, calm, loving, compassionate, authentic person. The practices of Yoga help to balance the nervous system, support the immune system, strengthen the skeletal and muscular system and help calm the mind. More than that, who can find fault with the yogic recommendations to live a virtuous life dedicating oneself to nonharming, truthfulness, compassion, tolerance, generosity and freedom from greed, anger and ignorance?
Ultimately, through the consistent and dedicated practice of true Yoga - which is essentially meditative - whoever takes up the practice of Yoga will find themselves less conditioned and reactive in their life, and freer and more creative in their response to all their experiences and relationships.
And that is the greatest gift of a Yoga practice - liberation from our conditioned patterns of thinking and behavior - freedom! ~Poep Sa Frank Jude Boccio
