Table of Contents

Acknowledgments     ix
Foreword   Donna Farhi     xi
Preface     xiii
Introduction: Stepping onto the Path     1
What is Yoga?
Yoga: The Settling of the Mind     13
The Flowering of Mindfulness: Five Benefits of Mindful Living     24
Refining Practice
The Path of Practice: Making Practice Your Art     35
Right Effort: Not Too Tight, Not Too Loose     40
Walking your Path
The Eight Limbs of Yoga: A Roadmap to Freedom     49
The First Limb: Yama: Living in Harmony with All Beings     54
Ahimsa: Dynamic Peacefulness     59
Satya: Impeccable Truthfulness     67
Asteya: Practicing Abundance     74
Brahmacharya: Caring for Our Creative Energy     79
Aparigraha: The Freedom of Letting Go     85
The Second Limb: Niyama: Conscious Everyday Living     90
Saucha: Cultivating Purity     94
Santosha: Awakening Contentment     99
Tapas: The Self-Generating Power of Discipline     103
Svadhyaya: Refining Wisdom     109
Ishvarapranidhana: Surrendering to Grace     113
The Third Limb: Asana: Abiding in Ease     117
The Fourth Limb: Pranayama: Expanding Life Force     126
The Fifth Limb: Pratyahara: Detaching from the Senses     136
The Sixth Limb: Dharana: Collecting the Mind     145
The Seventh Limb: Dhyana: Witnessing Presence     152
The Eighth Limb: Samadhi: Entering the Timeless     160
Afterword: No Expectations: You Can't Always Get What You Want     165
Resources     170
From the Publisher     171
About the Author     172
Index     173