The Yamas are five ethical principles that guide how we relate to others and the world around us: non-harming, truthfulness, non-stealing, moderation and non-attachment. Patanjali called them the great vows, to be practised in all circumstances, without exception. Yoga, he reminds us, begins long before we step onto the mat.

The Niyamas are five personal observances that turn the lens inward: purity, contentment, disciplined effort, self-study and surrender to something greater than oneself. Where the Yamas guide our relationship with the world, the Niyamas cultivate our relationship with ourselves. They are the quiet daily rituals of a conscious life.

In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali defines asana simply as a posture that is both steady and comfortable. The physical practice purifies the body, releases held tension and builds the capacity to sit in stillness. In this context, every pose is not a destination, it is a doorway.

Prana is life force. Ayama means to expand. Pranayama is the practice of expanding vitality through conscious breath, one of the most direct tools we have for calming the nervous system and steadying the mind. Patanjali describes it as the bridge between the outer and inner limbs of yoga.

Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses from external stimulation, not by force, but by gently redirecting attention inward. It is the moment in practice when the outside world begins to recede and something quieter takes its place. The threshold between outer and inner - the turning point of the path.

Dharana is single-pointed concentration, holding the mind steadily on one object: the breath, a mantra, a point in the body. Each time the mind wanders and we bring it back, we are practising Dharana. Over time, this gentle repetition cultivates the stillness that makes deeper meditation possible.

Dhyana is what arises when concentration matures into effortlessness - an uninterrupted flow of awareness, a state of sustained presence. Patanjali distinguishes it from Dharana by its quality of continuity. This is meditation in its truest sense: not a technique, but a state. It cannot be forced, only invited.

Samadhi is the culmination of the path - a state of unified, undivided awareness in which the sense of separation dissolves. Often translated as bliss or enlightenment, its deeper meaning is equanimous consciousness. Patanjali describes it not as a permanent destination, but as a glimpse. And even a glimpse, he suggests, changes everything.