{"id":12672,"date":"2022-11-23T13:41:42","date_gmt":"2022-11-23T13:41:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srisrischoolofyoga.org\/na\/?p=12672"},"modified":"2023-01-30T10:37:11","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T10:37:11","slug":"how-you-can-approach-yamas-and-niyamas-in-daily-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/srisrischoolofyoga.org\/na\/blog\/how-you-can-approach-yamas-and-niyamas-in-daily-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How You Can Approach Yamas and Niyamas in Daily Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Practicing yoga is much more than doing some postures.<\/span> Learning to practice the full \u201con and off the mat routine\u201d including observing the five <\/span>Yamas<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Niyamas\u2014<\/span><\/i>yoga\u2019s guide on social and personal ethics\u2014 in your daily life can transform you and your yoga practice. Our thoughts, actions, decisions, interactions with others, our daily routines, our surroundings, everything can reflect the extent of our yoga practice. Only by such inclusive and integrated yoga practice can the ultimate goal of this ancient system be realized: <\/span>bringing our bodies, minds and spirits into harmony to make us free from the bondage and miseries of life.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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Sage Patanjali\u2019s precious gift of the <\/span>Yoga Sutras<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"sage-Patanjali\"<\/p>\n

Taking materials about yoga philosophy from ancient traditions, Maharishi Patanjali, sage scientist and propounder of yoga, wrote 196 <\/span>sutras<\/span><\/i> (aphorisms) on Yoga around 400 CE, popularly known as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. In just 196 short sentences, Maharishi Patanjali maps out a complete system of Yoga. Each <\/span>sutra<\/span><\/i> requires the reader to think deeply for themselves and develop a personal understanding of the practice. What an amazing way to transmit spiritual knowledge!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Eight limbs of yoga<\/span><\/h3>\n

\"8-limbs-of-yoga\"<\/p>\n

While all the stretching, twisting, balancing is very beneficial, and certainly makes our body healthier and more vibrant, it is just one limb of Yoga.\u00a0 Ancient texts such as the <\/span>Hatha Yoga Pradipika<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>The Yoga Sutras<\/span><\/i> focus very little on physical yoga postures (<\/span>asana practice<\/span><\/i>), and in fact, when Maharishi Patanjali speaks of \u2018<\/span>asana<\/span><\/i>\u2019 he is in no way at all referring to Headstand or Warrior; he\u2019s talking about the position you choose to sit in while meditating \u2013 <\/span>your\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>asana<\/span><\/i> – <\/span><\/i>\u2018seat\u2019.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The second chapter of the <\/span>sutras<\/span><\/i> is generally considered the one most focused on \u201cpractice\u201d of the yogic philosophy and lifestyle; there Maharishi Patanjali details the eight limbs of yoga – known as <\/span>ashtanga<\/span><\/i> yoga. The above graphic can help you understand the eight limbs at a glance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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What are the five <\/span>Yamas<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Niyamas<\/span><\/i>?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"yamas<\/p>\n

The five <\/span>Yamas <\/span><\/i>(social ethics) and five <\/span>Niyamas <\/span><\/i>(personal observances) are two of these eight limbs. Understanding them will help you learn how to practice yoga in your daily life. This can transform you and your yoga practice. These 10 guidelines or ethical principles are like ready-made New Year\u2019s resolutions. The <\/span>Yamas<\/span><\/i> primarily focus on our actions when in community with others, while the <\/span>Niyamas<\/span><\/i> focus more generally on our relationship with our physical and psychological selves. The following graphic can help you understand <\/span>Yamas<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Niyamas<\/span><\/i> at a glance along with how they benefit us.<\/span><\/p>\n


\nThe five Yamas<\/span><\/h3>\n

Yamas<\/span><\/i> are universal morality,\u00a0 attitudes towards society and how you treat others and the world around you. The set of 5<\/span> Yamas<\/span><\/i> are:<\/span><\/p>\n

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1)<\/b> Ahimsa:<\/i><\/b> Non – Violence \/ Non – Harming \/ Kindness \/ Compassion
\n<\/span>Abandoning violence and violent intentions. <\/span>When you are established in <\/span>Ahimsa,<\/span><\/i> all the hostilities will be given up in your presence.<\/span><\/p>\n

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2) <\/b>Satya:<\/i><\/b> Non-Deception \/ Truthfulness
\n<\/span>Total commitment to truth in your intentions, words, and actions, and realization of the higher or absolute truth. <\/span>When you are established in <\/span>Satya, <\/span><\/i>all your actions will come to fruition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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3) <\/b>Asteya:<\/i><\/b> Non-Stealing \/ Honesty \/Abundance
\n<\/span>Abandoning all intention to possess or steal what doesn\u2019t belong to you. <\/span>When you are established in <\/span>Asteya, it <\/span><\/i>brings all the wealth and prosperity.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4)<\/b> Brahmacharya:<\/i><\/b> Celibacy \/ Moderation of the Senses \/ Self \u2013 Restraint <\/span>
\n<\/span>Moderation of sensual pleasures knowing that you are not just the body but infinite, moving into the infinity.\u00a0 <\/span>When you are established in <\/span>Brahmacharya, <\/span><\/i>great strength comes, making you vast and powerful.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5) <\/b>Aparigraha:<\/i><\/b> Non-Greed \/ Self-reliance \/ Non \u2013 possessiveness \/ Non-accumulating
\n<\/span>Letting go of the desire to possess or accumulate with knowledge of one’s <\/span>Self<\/span><\/i>, confidence in one’s existence and one’s capability. <\/span>When you are established in <\/span>Aparigraha, <\/span><\/i>you start getting memories of all the past lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The five Niyamas<\/span><\/h3>\n

Niyamas<\/span><\/i> are Personal observances, Attitudes towards ourselves and inner discipline and responsibility. There are 5 <\/span>Niyamas<\/span><\/i>:<\/span><\/p>\n

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1) <\/b>Shoucha:<\/i><\/b> Purity \/ Cleanliness
\n<\/span>Maintaining physical, environmental, mental purity and cleanliness. <\/span>When you are established in <\/span>Shoucha, <\/span><\/i>your mind becomes clear, harmonious, one-pointed; and you get ability to control senses and realize oneself\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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2)<\/b> Santosha:<\/i><\/b> Contentment \/ Happiness
\n<\/span>Practice of being unconditionally happy. <\/span>When you are established in <\/span>Santosha, <\/span><\/i>supreme happiness is achieved.<\/span><\/p>\n

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3)<\/b> Tapas:<\/i><\/b> Self – Discipline \/ Austerity \/ Penance
\n<\/span>Practice of willingly going through opposites\/adversities or that which is not easy without any complaint. <\/span>When you are established in <\/span>Tapas, <\/span><\/i>the body and senses become super strong as all the impurities are eliminated.<\/span><\/p>\n

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4)<\/b> Swadhyaya:<\/i><\/b> Self Examination \/ Self Study
\n<\/span>Studying the real nature of the <\/span>Self<\/span><\/i>. Observing thoughts, emotions, and the inner state, and learning what is happening inside you and realing all these are fleeting.\u00a0<\/span>When you are established in <\/span>Swadhyaya, <\/span><\/i>the ability to feel the presence of the divinity is gained.<\/span><\/p>\n

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5)<\/b> Ishvarapranidhana:<\/i><\/b> Surrender to the divine \/ Spiritual Attunement
\n<\/span>Devotion or love for the Divine, letting go and surrendering to the higher Self, seeing life in the context of our vast universe. <\/span>When you are established in <\/span>Ishvarapranidhana, <\/span><\/i>the state of pure bliss is attained.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Yamas and Niyamas brings fullness to your practice<\/span><\/h2>\n

Late Dr B K S Iyengar describes both the <\/span>Yamas<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Niyamas<\/span><\/i> as the \u2018golden keys to unlock the spiritual gates\u2019, as they transform each action into one that originates from a deeper and more \u2018connected\u2019 place within ourselves. From that state of being, we move closer towards wholeness, connectedness and unity, and start to not just \u2018do\u2019 yoga, but live and breathe \u2018yoga\u2019 in each and every moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

We all desire to have the benefits of practicing these 10 guidelines or observances. But the benefits are often intangible. In our rush to get on the mat, get moving, and get noticeable and tangible results, we may not spend enough time to understand them, practice them and gauge their impact correctly.<\/span><\/p>\n

The practice of the <\/span>Yamas<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Niyamas<\/span><\/i> definitely inspires us to remember that yoga is a way of life \u2014 not just something we do for 90 minutes three times a week on a rectangular yoga mat. In fact, if they are interwoven in every fabric of our life, every moment becomes <\/span>sadhana<\/span><\/i> (spiritual practice). They add the necessary juice to our practice. Without them, the rest of the eight limbs may become empty, mechanical and boring.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How to approach the <\/span>Yamas<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Niyamas in daily life?<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n

Step by step?<\/span><\/h3>\n

There is one approach which sees the 8 limbs as steps, and it can lead us to believe that until we follow and master the <\/span>Yamas <\/span><\/i>\u00a0and <\/span>Niyamas, <\/span><\/i>we can not practice other limbs and get benefit out of their practice. This approach may raise many self-doubting questions like –<\/span><\/p>\n

? How can we calm the mind in meditation, when it is full of anger and discontentment?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

? How can we experience the stillness in the posture if we are not ready for <\/span>tapas <\/span><\/i>(penance)?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

? How can we enjoy the relaxation in <\/span>savasana<\/span><\/i> if we are not prepared to let go and surrender?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

? How can we go deeper into our breath when our body and surroundings are not clean enough?<\/span><\/p>\n

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Or as limbs that move together?<\/span><\/h3>\n

Explaining the second approach, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the world renowned Spiritual Guru, who is my role model and example of a perfect yogi says, \u201cYoga has eight limbs, like a chair which has got four legs. Each one is connected to the whole. If you pull one leg, the whole chair comes. When the body is developing, the whole body develops together. All the organs of the body develop together. Not that the nose develops first and then the ears come; all the aspects, all the limbs of the body develop simultaneously. That is <\/span>why Patanjali says<\/span><\/a> that these are all the limbs (not steps) of yoga and they develop simultaneously.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This understanding, that these eight aspects of yoga are not steps but limbs that grow simultaneously, removes all self doubts and gives us so much space, freedom and enthusiasm to practice yoga as a whole with a full heart.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yoga anga anushtanat ashuddhi kshaye jnanadi Apthiraviveka khyatehe\u2019\u2019 (Sutra II – 28)<\/i><\/h3>\n

\u201cBy the sustained practice of the eight limbs of yoga, the impurities are destroyed and the light of wisdom, discrimination shines forth.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Explaining this sutra, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, \u201cHuman consciousness is like a seed. A seed has the possibility of a tree, of the leaves, of a branch, of fruits, of flowers, of multiplication; so also the human mind. A seed needs a proper ground, proper conditions, sunlight, water, proper soil for it to sprout and blossom. Similarly human consciousness and human mind. Either the seed can be dormant for years, keeping its possibility within itself, or it starts blossoming, sprouting. The sprouting of the seed of human consciousness is <\/span>viveka<\/span><\/i> – discrimination. Freedom comes with <\/span>viveka<\/span><\/i> – discrimination.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

With this I understand that one need not master the 1st or 2nd limb of yoga in order to learn the 3rd to 8th limbs of yoga. All the eight limbs can be practiced simultaneously. And when we practice all 8 limbs together, we have the possibility to fully blossom our human potential. With practice of eight limbs of yoga, the freedom that comes from discrimination dawns in you.<\/span><\/p>\n

He further says, \u201cTo the extent you practice Yamas and Niyamas, you will go deeper into your practice and purpose of yoga. There is no need to doubt or analyze yourself too much. Just the intention to practice Yamas and Niyamas is good enough. Just sow the seeds, keep nurturing them with your practice and relax. The seeds will sprout.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

This is so empowering. With this approach I find that it becomes easy to make the <\/span>yamas<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>niyamas<\/span><\/i> an ingrained part of my daily habits;\u00a0 it motivates me that it is easy to cultivate a full and fulfilling <\/span>Yama\/Niyama<\/span><\/i> practice in our modern life, without going to the Himalayas.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t beat yourself up: finding the sweet spot<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"spot<\/p>\n

Having understood this approach,<\/span> the Yamas<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Niyamas<\/span><\/i> of the yoga sutras can sometimes feel like sky-high ideals that may take time (a lifetime or even more!) to cultivate and establish. We may be tempted to ignore or overlook them. But paying attention to them is very necessary. In our world of glamor and instant gratification it can seem more desirable and important to learn and perfect triangle<\/span> pose than to practice kindness and compassion (<\/span>ahimsa<\/span><\/i>) in every moment. We tend to believe that doing a headstand will be more fulfilling and beneficial than only taking what we need from our planet\u2019s natural resources (<\/span>aparigraha<\/span><\/i>). It can seem far easier to meditate for 20 minutes a day than to practice contentment (<\/span>santosha<\/span><\/i>) breath by breath.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ultimate purpose of practicing the <\/span>Yamas<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Niyamas<\/span><\/i> is to experience real discipline and freedom in our life. But, I have seen people becoming very hard on themselves and the people around them in their attempt to practice <\/span>yama<\/span><\/i>s and <\/span>niyamas<\/span><\/i>. This may happen due to misinterpretation of these principles, and forgetting the final purpose of their practice. I also find these 10 principles are so complex and closely interconnected that if I am not fully aware, any linear thinking or misinterpretation of one can lead to the wrong application of the other. It is like walking on a tightrope without losing our balance on either side. For example:<\/span><\/p>\n