A calm river flows on its inclined bed, without effort. So does meditation flow if the previous steps are well laid. The foundation is never seen when the building on it is seen. But we know how important the foundation is for the building. The invisible power which the Yamas and Niyamas exert is the foundation of Yoga, and no one should have the hardihood to think that one is fully established in them.
Caution is watchword in Yoga.
The Yamas and Niyamas are the beginnings, which really last till the end of Yoga. Even as education in the primary school level is important, since it paves the way for one s further mental build, the Yamas and Niyamas are the rock-bottom of Yoga. The student enters the practical field of meditation after being built up by the tonic of Yamas and Niyamas, which provide the power and courage needed to face all obstacles. Meditation is not difficult to achieve if the necessary preparations are made earlier. The Yama-Niyama process constitutes the instructions in Yoga psychology, which should give us sufficient warning on the path and make us vigilant pilgrims on the journey spiritual.