The total number of steps (limbs) in Ashtanga Yoga is eight.

In Patanjali’s system, these eight are:

  1. Yama – ethical restraints or moral disciplines.
  1. Niyama – personal observances and positive duties.
  1. Asana – posture, steady and comfortable sitting/posing.
  1. Pranayama – regulation of the breath.
  1. Pratyahara – withdrawal of the senses from external objects.
  1. Dharana – concentration on a single point.
  1. Dhyana – meditation, continuous flow of awareness.
  1. Samadhi – absorption or complete integration of the mind.

So, when someone asks “what is the total number of steps in astanga yoga?”, the precise answer is: eight steps (eight limbs).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.