**1) Give the first of the eight limbs or parts of the yoga path.  Then give the Sanskrit  for it, as well as the Sanskrit root (and talk about the root a bit), and finally some related English words.** The first of the eight limbs of yoga is self-control, or yama ym in Sanskrit.  This comes from a root √yam ym! , which means “to reach for something.”  Yama (with an accent on the first syllable) came to mean the reins of a horse, which you reach for to control the horse.  It then became a word for restraining or controlling yourself.  Because there are always two reins, it became also a word for pairs or twins (with an accent on the second syllable).  We see this meaning in the English word Gemini, or “twins” in astrology.  It is also the root meaning for Yama as the Lord of Death: his twin sister was Yami.  In mythology, Yama dies and is mourned by his twin sister, and so the gods create night for her, as a time for her to forget her sorrow.  Here too then we see the dichotomy of night and day, moon and sun. **2) Why is it absolutely logical that the first limb of yoga comes as the first limb?** The entire world, and ourselves as well, is all created by the seeds within our own minds.  These are planted by how well we take care of others.  And so the very first—the essential—limb of yoga is controlling ourselves, refraining from hurting others, and helping them as much as we can.  We can only succeed in the next seven limbs of yoga if we have these seeds in our mind, from caring for others.  If we have the seeds, for example, then our attempts to practice physical yoga or asanas will be successful.  If we don’t have the seeds, then we might hurt ourselves and give it up. **3) What is the second of the eight limbs, and its Sanskrit name, and how does it differ from the first?**  The second of the eight limbs consists of the commitments, or niyama.  Whereas the self-control of the first limb is restraining ourselves from hurting others, the second limb consists of positive actions that we commit to perform on a regular basis.  The purpose though of the two is the same: to plant positive seeds in our mind so that we can be of ultimate benefit to ourselves and others. **4) What is the third of the eight limbs?  Include its Sanskrit name, root, and related English words.** The third of the eight limbs consists of the physical yoga poses, or asana Aasn.  This word literally means “seat,” and it comes from the root √as Aas!, meaning “to sit.”  Of course this ultimately comes from the more basic root √as As!  or “to be.”  Some related English words are is, essence, and yes. **5) The third of the eight limbs of yoga really represents the one way in which the practice of yoga is distinguished from almost all other methods of reaching perfection, to be of service to all living beings.  How is this so?**  Yoga is perhaps unique among spiritual paths in that we use the outer, physical body as a tool to affect the inner, spiritual self and bring it to perfection.  We use the connection of the gross, outer physical body and the subtle, inner physical body to affect the thoughts. **6) Name the fourth of the eight limbs; give its Sanskrit name; the roots in the name; and related English words.** The fourth limb is control of the breath, or pranayama àa[ayam.  This is made up of two words, prana àa[  and ayama Aayam.  Prana means “breath” or “inner wind.”  It is made up of two parts, pra à and ana An.  The prefix pra means “forward” or “ahead,” and is found in the English words prow, proud, and proceed.  Ana comes from the root √an An! , which means “to breathe.”  This came into the Latin word for spirit or breath, anima, and from there into the English animal, animation, and equanimity.  The word ayama means to control or measure.  The root here is the same √yam as in yama, covered previously. **7) Name the fifth of the eight limbs, explain it very briefly, and then again give the Sanskrit, its roots, and related English words.** The fifth of the eight limbs is withdrawal of the senses, or pratyahara àTyahar.  This simply means to avoid burdening our minds with excess sense stimulation, such as too much food, music that we are not really listening to, news, talk, and the like.  The three parts of this word are prati àit, a Aa, and hara har.  The prefix prati means “individually,” or “one by one.”  The prefix a here means “in,” or “near.”  Hara comes from the root √hir ù, meaning “to take.”  This itself comes from the root √bhir É&, meaning “to carry or bear.”  Related English words are bear (in the senses of carrying, enduring and giving children), bring, and offer.  Together, all these parts mean “to withdraw” or “pull back” the senses, one by one, from their objects.  It’s useful to see words like this in more mundane contexts: we find pratyahara in the famous yoga text Light on the Yoga of the Sun and Moon (Hatha Yoga Pradipika) as meaning “to withdraw or pull out of one’s throat the strip of cloth that has been used to clean the gullet” (Ch. 2, verse 24). **8) Name the last three limbs—in English and Sanskrit but without the roots and all that—and then speak briefly about how they differ from the other five.** The last three limbs are focus (dharana), fixation (dhyana), and perfect meditation (samadhi).  As opposed to the first five limbs—which are more externally-oriented and physical—these three are the more internally-oriented or mental limbs of yoga, and are therefore set apart and treated in the third chapter of the work, where they act as a team together. **