The second limb is the Niyamas, five healthy habits for our own life. Vivekananda translates them as purification, contentment, mortification, study and worship of God.

Purification means keeping clean, both your body and your mind. A tidy room and a clear conscience both help.

Contentment means being happy with what you have, instead of always wanting the next thing. It is one of the most powerful habits for a calm mind.

Mortification is an old-fashioned word. Here it means self-discipline: doing hard but good things, like waking up early, eating simply or keeping a promise when it's inconvenient. The Sanskrit word is tapas, which means "heat": the kind of effort that makes you stronger.

Study means learning from wise books and from looking honestly at yourself. Worship of God means surrendering, trusting something greater than your own small worries.

Together, the Yamas and Niyamas make the ground of yoga. Before stretching or meditating, Patanjali wants us to be honest, kind, disciplined and content.