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Our body has its own dharma, its inherent nature. This dharma consists of three aspects: to be born, to grow, and to die. That is all. The time in between, if we are wise, is what we must utilize. Yoga offers advice on what is important for a yogī. The first principles are: Ācāra, Vicāra, Āhāra, and Vihāra. Ācāra means conduct or attitude: how you live, what you do. It is whether you follow ethical principles and the laws of nature, how you behave with others. It encompasses your daily actions and habits. In our deeds, we should be good and positive. Then comes Vicāra. Vicāra means thoughts. What kind of thinking you have determines what kind of life you will have. You become what you think. You speak what you think, and events unfold as you speak. Vicāra, our mental processes (vṛttis), is extremely important. Thinking can make you happy, and thinking can make you unhappy. Like other creatures, the human psyche is very easy to influence. Paradoxically, the more you learn and the more intellect you develop, the more your mind becomes flexible, or easier to influence. The more you learn, the weaker your mind can become. When someone speaks to you, you immediately begin to listen, but you are not only listening; simultaneously, you are formulating arguments in your mind, searching for causes. You ask yourself, "Why is he telling me this?" Therefore, it is a manomātra jagat—the whole world is created out of the mind. So, how you think matters immensely. You can think about someone negatively or positively, and it will influence your own mind. You are what you think. Your present condition is a reflection of your thoughts. Āhāra means eating: light eating, less eating, eating healthy and sattvic food. This includes a vegetarian diet, which you will have here. But this is something a yogī should maintain for a whole lifetime. Vihāra means your environment: where you live, where you move, the atmosphere you are in. This profoundly influences our life. These—Ācāra, Vicāra, Āhāra, and Vihāra—are the first steps with which to begin yoga. After these foundations are established, then comes concentration, meditation, prayers, and so on.