The Niyamas

In this podcast I will talk about the second limb of the Yoga Sutras: The Niyamas and share a guided Meditation with you.

Hi, thank you for being here! Read on or listen to the podcast including a guided Meditation HERE.

Maybe you remember, that I talked about the 8 Limbed Path of Yoga and the Panchamaya Kosha System and how it relates to one another in my prior podcasts. Last time we dove into the Yamas (the first limb) – the moral vows postulated by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. Today I would like to talk about the second limb of the 8 limbed path of the yogi: the Niyamas. For the Yamas and the Niyamas are the beginning, the base. This is where everything starts.

And don´t forget that in Yoga everything is connected. Although I am going through each limb by limb, you can hardly practice one without practicing the other.

Let´s start with a little recap

As you know, Patanjali wrote the Yoga Sutras: 8 chapters that resemble the 8 limbed path of the yogi. The Yamas and the Niyamas are the first 2 limbs of the yogis path and resemble a moral compass for interacting with yourself, others and the world around you.

So, let´s talk about the 5 character-building personal practices - the Niyamas. They will guide you toward living a whole-hearted life at ease with yourself, bringing body, mind and spirit into harmony. Sounds good?

Let me name the 5 Niyamas first:

Purity (Saucha)
Contentment (Santosha)
Perseverance (Tapas)
Self-Study (Svadhyaya)
Surrender to a higher power (Isvara Pranidhana)

So here we go

Purity (Saucha)

The practice of purification of the body, mind and spirit. Through this process you can avoid toxic relationships, pay attention to what you put into and on your body and steady your mind. The resulting purity prepares you for self-acceptance, self-love, and a fulfilling relationship with the divine.

It has a lot to do with prana – the life energy that is given to you by the food you eat, the conversations you have, the thoughts you have and so on.

I feel the Niyamas tap a lot more into spirituality then the Yamas might have. But try to keep an open mind. Maybe a fulfilling relationship with the divine sounds a little too far out for you. That´s ok. Maybe finding a state of bliss and happiness seems more approachable to you.

Contentment (Santosha)

Accept that we are all a work in progress, be present in the moment and accept it. Get in touch with your true self.

For me this is very much connected to compassion. Finding loving self-acceptance and compassion for yourself, will help you be ok, with where-ever you are in life. Not being attached to an outcome of your actions, but free to be in the moment, can help being content.

Can you start seeing, that the Yamas and Niyamas are very interconnected and building on one another?

Perseverance (Tapas)

This Niyama means choosing to keep going. Be open to loving yourself so deeply that you value your personal growth and each step along the way.

Wow, I love the sound of that.

Value yourself so deeply, that you value your personal growth and each step along the way.

How does that go along with non-attachment cited in the Yamas? Well, personal growth is not the same as achieving a goal you´ve set. Achieving a personal goal you have set for yourself can also lead to personal decline, depending on what you had to do, to get there.

You can grow in each step along your way (no matter the goal), continue to walk the 8 limbed path of the yogi and practice the Yamas and Niyamas. Value the personal growth in walking a path of compassion. Persevere. It´s not about WHAT you do, it is about HOW you do it.

Self-study (Svadhyaya)

Get an understanding of the self through practicing mindfulness, yoga and meditation. Your true self will shine through and thoughts and experiences will no longer define you.

This is based on the assumption, that the mind chatter, thoughts and experiences are qualities that come from the outside. We are sometimes so busy dealing with these daily forces, that we can no longer hear our own inner voices. To uncover your true essence, you need to move past these external distractions. In silence, your true self will shine through.

Can you imagine this moment – when you are no longer attached to the past or future. No more regrets and no more fears. I feel, the moment when my thoughts and experiences no longer define me, I will be free.

Surrender to a higher power (Isvara Pranidhana)

Let me repeat: Yoga is not a religion. It is a philosophy. No one is getting converted. Practicing the eight limbs of yoga can assist anyone in expanding their present experience of their philosophy, religion and belief system and find a sense of ease and joy.

However, yoga comes from India and of course is shaped by the believe system of this culture: Hinduism. And yes, enlightenment is the highest goal, becoming one with everything. No longer bound to the necessity to be reborn. But to reach the state of oneness with all. To acknowledge there is a higher power - the divine – the everything, whatever you want to call it, something more then yourself, and surrender to it, can be part of this journey.

To me, the main massage to take away is, that practicing the Niyamas can help you connect to your true self.

Let´s round this up:

The Yamas and the Niyamas are the first 2 limbs of the yogis path and resemble a moral compass for interacting with yourself, others and the world around you.

08:25 APPRECIATING THE LITTLE THINGS MEDIATION

What do you think about all this?

Get in touch and let me know! I would love to hear from you www.karin-schmid.com

Categories: : Yoga & Meditation