Niyama, the second limb in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras guide the practitioner to interacts more skillfully with their inner world. The five principles of niyama control the organs of perception, which are the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue and the skin. As the sense organs are brought under our conscious control, it will reduce attachments and help to free the clutter of the mind.
Cleanliness or purity. Saucha can mean cleanliness of the body, orderliness of the thoughts,
maintaining separate energy from others, and keeping your home clean and free of clutter.
When there is organization, it is easier for the mind to relax. Also, when we maintain separate
space in our homes for various tasks, such as cooking, sleeping, working, practicing, it is easier
for the emotions to maintain a balanced state.
- Asana Practice - Saucha in the practice of asana relates to creating a separate space for
your practice. This might mean dedicating a corner in a room to keep your yoga mat and
props, or maybe chanting before and after you practice to mark the beginning and end
of that sacred time. If you make time and space in your life to practice, but are
constantly thinking of other things, you are not practicing saucha.
Contentment, acceptance of things just the way they are. I believe that samtosa is one of the
most important and most difficult niyamas for the modern practitioner to grasp. We live in a
world where multi-tasking and always wanting more are instilled into us at a very early age.
This creates longing and suffering in the mind in almost every realm of life. Instead of following
those old patterns, can you try to cultivate a sense of gratitude about what you have, who you
are, and what you accomplished in your life; not in the big ways, but in small everyday ways
that seem to be greatly overlooked.
- Asana Practice - Samtosa in the practice of asana means that you should try to be
content with what you have already attained in your practice. Every yogi or yogini has
improved in some way since the beginning of their practice. Even if you have not been
practicing, rather than judging yourself and wishing things were different, accept things
(and yourself) as they are. This will free the mind of constantly striving and allow you to
be at peace in the moment.
Perseverance, discipline, or heat. Tapas also means the ability to give yourself over to the fire
of transformation. Having the discipline to practice every day builds tapas, and the ancient
yogis believed that without yoga the body is like an unbaked clay pot. The fire of the kiln
represents the tapas of a daily practice which bakes the body to make it strong and healthy.
- Asana Practice - Tapas in the practice of asana is two-fold. First you should cultivate the
determination to get on the mat and do your practice as often as possible. On the other
side of that same coin, those who are too fiery and push themselves too hard, be willing
to try a gentler practice. Also try using blocks or a chair to make poses accessible when
you are inured or feeling tired.
Self-study. Rather than subscribing to only one point of
implies that self-observation is at the heart of the practice, notice your reactions mentally,
emotionally, physically, and energetically. Notice the effects of your yoga and other practices
rather than just treating them as exercise.
- Asana Practice - Svadhyaya in the practice of asana means that you should become in
tune to your body and feel the poses from inside. How is your breath affected by certain
types of poses, how are your emotions affected by the practice of mudras. Ask yourself,
“Why do I practice yoga?”
Surrender to a higher power. Regardless of what your religions inclinations are (or aren't),
Isvara pranidhana means that you should give up the illusion that you have control over
everything in your life. How much time do you spend trying to control the outcome work
situations, your interpersonal relationships? Wouldn't it be much more peaceful to allow
situations to unfold and trust in the power that made us? Can you believe that your life is
unfolding just as it was meant to regardless of how much you attempt to control, or struggle
with the outcomes?
- Asana Practice - Isvara pranidhana in the practice of asana reminds us that the results
of our practice lie in the hands of the universe. What is more important that results, is
our intention to practice and the effort that we expend on and off the mat. As Krishna
tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita, do not be attached to the fruits of your actions, but
make every action an act of worship.
