struggle-full life, one should practice keeping a positive outlook of life, and no

space should be given for negative thinking in the mind. Meditation and positive

thinking make life more colorful and happy to live.

Yoga is a thoughtful process for building a sound body with tension-free mind.

Yoga is a wide concept based upon different aspects. One of such aspects is to

include some daily routine activities and self-imposed discipline rules in the lifestyle

to obtain the perfection in performing Yoga. Maharishi Patanjali has propounded

eight such elements which are mandatory for a yogi to act and live known as

Ashtanga Yoga. These eight limbs of Yoga are:

1. Yama: These are basic ethic rules or restrains like honesty, nonviolence,

non-stealing, and non-possessiveness. These are meant for a person prevents

him from indulging in undesirable worldly activities.

2. Niyama: This is a self-moral code of discipline for developing healthy hygienic

habits to remain fit and strong. Rising up early in the morning before sunrise,

going to toilet, brushing of teeth, taking bath, cutting of nails and hairs periodi-

cally, doing exercise, taking nutritious balance diet, physical working, sound

sleep, etc. are good lifestyle habits.

3. Asana:

It is a posture that one can hold for a period of time, staying relaxed, steady, and

comfortable and motionless. It keeps the body healthy and balanced and helps it

in maintain harmony with nature.

4. Pranayam: It is breathing exercise involves deep breathe in, retention, and finally

long slow breathe out. It helps to enhance the oxygen level in blood for the

effective release of energy required to perform various activities in the body.

5. Pratyahara: It is the process of withdrawing the senses from external objects of

the world. It is a step of self-extraction and abstraction. It is not consciously

closing one’s eyes to the sensory world, but it is consciously closing one’s mind

processes to the sensory world, and it empowers one to stop being controlled by

the external world.

6. Dharna: The practice of Pratyahara creates the setting for Dharna which means

concentration. Having relieved ourselves of outside distractions, we can now deal

with the distractions of the mind. The practice of Dharna or concentration

involves to slow down the thinking process by concentrating on a single mental

point or object which may be a specific energetic center in the body or an image of

a deity or the silent repetition of sound. We, of course, have already begun to

develop our powers of concentration in the previous three stages of posture,

breath control, and withdrawal of senses. In Asana and Pranayama, although we

pay attention to our actions, our attention travels. In Pratyahara we become self-

observant; in Dharna we focus our attention on a single point. Extended period of

concentration naturally leads to meditation.

7. Dhyana: It is the meditation or contemplation; the seventh stage of Ashtanga is

the uninterrupted flow of concentration. Although Dharna (concentration) and

Dhyana (meditation) may appear to be one and the same, a fine line of distinction

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