XP practices can be categorized into alphas (essential practices), activities, work products, patterns, and competencies. The main alphas are release planning, iteration planning, and iteration. Release planning involves defining requirements with the customer. Iteration planning defines work for the next 2 weeks. Iterations involve designing, implementing, testing, and releasing features. Key activities include requirements capture, analysis, pair programming, testing, small releases, and design improvement. Work products include release plans, tests, code, and releases. Patterns like metaphor, whole team, and coding standards guide the work. A key competency is maintaining a sustainable pace.