Eight Small Steps

The Yoga Sutras list eight limbs. The first two concern conduct toward others and toward yourself: restraints such as non-harm and truthfulness, and observances such as cleanliness and study. Posture, breath control and withdrawal of the senses come next. Only then come concentration, meditation and absorption.

The order is the point. A still mind is hard to reach while your day is full of small harms and small lies. Conduct comes first because it calms what posture alone cannot.

A week of practice can follow the order. Start with one act of conduct, add a short seated posture with slow breath, and end with a few minutes of steady attention on one object.

The weekly plan

Bo wants to meditate but cannot settle. His mind keeps returning to a small lie he told a neighbor about a borrowed ladder.

He follows the order. On Monday he corrects the lie. Tuesday through Thursday he keeps to plain truth and sits five minutes with slow breath. By Friday he can rest his attention on his breath for a few minutes, with less pull from the day.

Try this today Choose one small act of conduct for this week, such as telling a plain truth, and keep it daily.