The Third Limb of Yoga

The third limb of yoga is asana.

Asana simply means posture. It is the physical yoga that most people think of when they think of yoga.

Patanjali wrote in the Yoga Sutras:
"Asana is perfect firmness of body, steadiness of intelligence, and benevolence of spirit. Perfection in an asana is achieved when the effort to perform it becomes effortless and the infinite being within is reached. From then on, the sadhaka (practioner) is undisturbed by dualities between the body and mind, mind and soul."

Wow! All that from a pose that ties you up like a pretzel.

Home Practice Sequence

Here is a good basic sequence to practice at home on a daily basis.  You can find pictures and descriptions of the poses on YogaJournal.com

Tadasana
Utthita Trikonasana
Virabhadrasana II
Utthita Parsvakonasana
Parsvottanasana
Prasarita Padottanasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Bharadvajasana I
Paschimottanasana
Savasana

Namaste,
-gretchen

The Niyamas

The second limb of yoga is Niyama or individual disciplines.

The first discipline is Saucha or cleanliness of body, mind, and speech.  To achieve purity we should practice good hygiene, eat healthy, keep our thoughts fresh and pure, and keep our words clear and truthful.  This also applies to our home, office, and practice area.  It is hard to clear your mind when surrounded by clutter.

Santosa or contentment is the second Niyama.  We must be content with what we have now and know that through honest, hard work we can achieve more in time.

Austerity or strictness is Tapas, the third discipline.  Tapas teaches us to be self disciplined in our religious study, yoga practice, and every day life.  It is our burning desire to cleanse our bodies and senses and achieve our goals in life.

The fourth Niyama is Svadhyaya or self study.  Again, Svadhyaya applies to all aspects of our lives:  our religion, work, yoga practice, and general well being.  We should pay attention, do our homework, read, and be happy to learn and educate ourselves.

And finally, Isvara pranidhana is the dedication of one's will and one's actions to God.  We should dedicate ourselves to helping others in need.  "A friend in need is a friend in deed."

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