"More important than the physical setting, more important than the time, more important than the clothing, is the attitude you bring to your yoga practice. All these other things are, indeed, incidentals. The key to the yoga approach to exercise is that it is inward and non-competitive. For that reason, once you have learned the exercises, you should do most of them with the eyes closed, to enhance the sense of inwardness. You do not need to compete with anyone else. You do not need to compete with the illustrations in this book. Many people become discouraged about yoga before they begin because of the flexible sylphs pictured in yoga books! For that reason, we have chosen to illustrate the exercises with an ordinary human body.

"Closing your eyes also helps you learn attentiveness to your body; once you have learned the exercises, your signals come from within rather than from copying someone else's movement or posture. Such attentiveness is very important, as it prevents your injuring yourself through straining. It is extremely important to stop when you feel like stopping — even in the middle of an exercise — and to adapt or omit those exercises that do not feel comfortable to you. Respect your limits.

"Yoga exercises are performed at a much slower pace than most western 'fitness' exercises. Take your time. There is no hurry. Think of your yoga time as an oasis: a time when you pay attention to the body God gave you, to your own deepest self, and to God. The practice of yoga should be a pleasure, not a chore. Delight in this time."