When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamt yourself to be. — Patanjali, the Yoga Sutras
The ancient sage Patanjali has defined Yoga as “Yoga chitta vritti nirodha”, which means the control over the unsteadiness of the mind, the ego, and the intellect. For self-realization, the fluctuations of the mind have to be removed to attain a calm and tranquil mind.
Yamas and Niyamas
The ethical principles that guide the practice of yoga. The yamas are the controls over behavior you exhibit toward/around other people, and the niyamas are the self-disciplines. Basically, yamas are the principles of behavior that apply to your surroundings, and niyamas are the principles that apply to your inner world.
Yamas: nonviolence, truthfulness, non-stealing, non-excess, non-greed.
Niyamas: purity, contentment, self-discipline, introspection, surrender
Everything begins in the mind. If you want to see clearly, you need a clear vision. – Sri Swani Satchidananda
This path was categorized by sage Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras as an eight-step training system for body and mind, which he called Ashtanga Yoga (in Sanskrit, ashta is “eight” and anga “division” or “limb”). The steps purify the body and mind until enlightenment occurs. The stages begin with a set of ethical codes and progress through physical postures, breathing exercises, and mental practices, ending with the merging of the divine. They are:
Yama – Universal moral commandments or social discipline;
Niyama – Personal observance or self-purification by discipline;
Asana – Posture;
Pranayama – Rhythmic control of the breath or extension of life;
Pratyahara – Withdrawal of the senses;
Dharana – Concentration;
Dhyana – Meditation;
Samadhi – Contemplation, super-conscious state, enlightenment.
1. Yama – Universal moral commandments or social discipline
Yama means abstention or restraint and explains the five principles of ethical behavior in our relationships with others, ourselves, and the world, and they are:
a) Ahimsa | Non-violence, non-harming; |
b) Satya | Truthfulness; |
c) Asteya | Non-stealing, non-coveting; |
d) Brahmacharya | Celibacy, sexual integrity, retaining energy, the right use of energy; |
e) Aparigraha | Freedom from greed and desire |
a) Ahimsa - Non-violence, non-harming | It is renouncing violence and damaging or destructive doings of words, thoughts, and deeds emotionally and physically (we should not harm others and ourselves), bringing in this way awareness to our actions, and replacing them with loving and kind actions toward ourselves and others. It begins with respecting our own body and extending this respect to all other beings in the world. If we use this wisdom in a yoga context, it is about approaching students with understanding and kindness, creating a safe space for students to learn and practice, and also providing good guidance in the practice in order not to hurt and injure students or even ourselves. |
b) Satya – Truthfulness
| Be honest in your thoughts, words, and actions towards yourself and others, but without deceitfully using the truth. In the ancient epic Mahabharata, we find a phrase that highlights in a very clear way what Satya means: “Truth should be told when agreeable, should be said agreeably, and truth should not be said that harms; however, never lie to give pleasure.” In a yoga context, we should always be truthful with our practice, and with our work, acknowledging our limitations and emotions. In a yoga context, we should always be truthful with our practice, and with our work, acknowledging our limitations and emotions. |
c) Asteya – Non-stealing, non-coveting | The essence of Asteya is to restrain ourselves from the desire to have something that we have not earned or paid for, desires for things that are not ours. Instead, we should share beautiful, loving, and kind thoughts, words, actions, and also, if possible, material belongings to inspire others instead of stealing and hoarding them for ourselves. From a yogi perspective, we should exercise gratitude and satisfaction in our practice, being genuine and not jealous, having honest intentions, and not stealing from ourselves. |
d) Brahmacharya – Celibacy, sexual integrity, retaining energy, the right use of energy | Many yogis as Geeta Iyengar in the past, have renounced marriage, family, and life as a householder, changing their sexual energy for a spiritual resolution. In modern times, celibacy may sound like an unrealistic goal, that’s why we should realize that the essence of this sutra is honoring yourself and others in intimate relationships by adopting a monogamous relationship. Sexual activity must be an expression based on the highest level of mutual respect, love, selflessness, and wisdom, improving in this way the sex lives of both partners because the level of trust and devotion deepens their connection. Brahmacharya is about finding balance in all the things that we do in our daily life routine. If we use this sutra in a yoga context, it is about the right use of energy in our mat with the rightful moderation and balance. |
e) Aparigraha – Freedom from greed and desire | We should replace the feelings of craving and hoard with feelings of satisfaction and sharing. It is about living our lives with the unselfishness of spirit and action, giving without expecting something in return. If we desire something we should work for it, building an appreciation for what is obtained and minimizing the greedy desire to constantly consume. Applied to the yoga context, this principle can help yogis approach their practice with an attitude of patience in which steadiness and ease are more important than getting into a pose. |
One who has rid oneself of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ is able to see things in their proper perspective. – Sage Patanjali
2. Niyama – Personal observance or self-purification by discipline
The second limb of yoga is about rules of conduct with certain individual physical and mental disciplines that guide toward the spiritual path. There are five nyamas:
I. Saucha | Purity, cleanliness; |
II. Santosha | Contentment; |
III. Tapas | Burning Spiritual passion, self-discipline, austerity; |
IV. Svadhyaya | Self-study; |
V. Ishvara Pranidhana | Surrender to the absolute. |
I. Saucha – Purity, cleanliness; | Saucha advises treating the body and mind as a temple. Eating healthy (like adopting a vegetarian diet), having personal hygiene, cleansing rituals and asanas practice tones and detoxifies the body, removing internal and external impurities caused by the environment. Mentally we should remove thoughts such as hatred, greed, sadness, and delusion. When we cleanse the body and mind we are more attentive to the higher aspects, staying grounded and centered in daily life. If we use this wisdom in a yoga context, it is suggested to adopt a healthy diet and drive our thoughts with good intentions, clarity, purity, and concentration. |
II. Santosha – Contentment
| Lack of contentment comes from a distorted perception of what we have and what others have, creating feelings of unhappiness and discontent. If we are humble and content with the way things are in the present as well as with the past and our sense of the future, embracing the good and the bad things, recognizing and accepting that life is an ongoing process for learning, growing, and evolving, we conclude that contentment comes from within. As yogis, we should be content with what we do in our practice and on our mats. |
III. Tapas – Burning Spiritual passion, self-discipline, austerity | Tapas accurately means “to burn” or “austerity”. This refers to the deep unselfish desire to accomplish our goal despite the obstacles we may find, building our character. The commitment to daily practice creates an austerity of being, the forging of our character which opens us more and more to our true nature. When tapas are attained, laziness is overcome and willpower is developed for future use. Applied to the yoga context, tapas are put in use when we get out of our comfort zone and do things that defy us. |
IV. Svadhyaya – Self-study
| The more we learn, the more we evolve. We should always maintain a sharp, curious, and involved mind to achieve a state of reflection and self-inquiry. It involves intentional self-awareness in all we do in the world, welcoming and accepting our limitations while staying centered on our truth. From a yogi perspective we must search for information and question ourselves about the asanas – why do we do them, what do they do, they affect which part of the body, etc. |
V. Ishvara Pranidhana – Surrender to the absolute
| Surrender to God, to a sense of the divine is when we accept that all things come from a higher power, rejecting Ego (Ahamkara), pride, and egocentric behavior and transforming them into humility, devotion, and gratitude. When grounded in a sense of being that is greater than the individual self, our raison d’être becomes clearer enjoying life as a beautifully natural and uncontrolled mystery. When we accept and embrace different religions and traditions in a yoga class, or when we believe in ourselves putting our trust in the universe, we are using Ishvara Pranidhana in a yoga context. |
You can have calmness of mind of all times by the practice of yoga. You can have restful sleep. You can have increased energy, vigor, vitality, longevity and a high standard of health. You can turn out efficient work within a short space of time. You can have success in every walk of life. – Swami Sivananda
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