And, there are five niyamas or observances to cultivate positive
virtues:
Sauca — Purity in body, emotions, and mind
Sarhtosa — Contentment, equanimity, and tranquility
Tapas — Austerity, will power, and self-discipline
Svadhyaya — Self-study of scriptures and philosophy
Isvarapranidhana — Submission to the will of God
These ten rules and observances are the moral precepts and
ethical foundation to be studied, learned, and followed by a yogin in
order to slowly and methodically withdraw the attention from
emotional and mental turmoil and disturbances in the world to create
a calm internal environment in preparation for later meditation.
In the third step Patahjali prescribed a series of psycho-physical
asanas to prepare the body and mind for long periods of meditation.
The second standard treatise on Yoga named the Hathapradipika of
Svatmarama gave only 15 classical asanas to perform, rather than the
legendary 84. Svatmarama said in Sutra I (17): "Asanas give
steadiness, health, and lightness."
The fourth limb of pranayama, control and regulation of
inspiration, retention, and expiration of breath, was done by a
student only under the guidance of a fully competent teacher after
many years of performing asanas successfully and adherence to a
strict diet which excluded meat, fish, fowl, and eggs. This further
purifies the mind and prepares the body for meditation.
After these four preliminary phases of moral cultivation and
physical culture which help eliminate the external causes of
distraction, the mind becomes fit for concentration exercises.
Part five called pratyahara is the conscious removal or withdrawal of