I love the idea of pairing the Yamas and the Niyamas together as we explore the repurcussions of putting these concepts into imperfect practice in our daily lives.
It’s a powerful way to take your yoga practice beyond the mat and, if you’re like me, it’s something that you continually circle back to, refining and honing until the concepts crystallize and reverberate in your world.
The Yoga Sutras introduce us to these concepts of “right living,” or yamas, and “self-discipline,” or niyamas. There are 5 of each, and we began exploring two – Santosha and Aparigraha – in our last post.
The Yamas The Niyamas
Ahimsa – Non-Violence Saucha – Purification
Satya – Truthfullness Santosha – Contentment
Asteya – Not Stealing Tapas – Self-Discipline
Bramacharya – Conserving Vital Life Energy Svadyaya – Self Study
Aparigraha – Not Coveting Ishvara Pranidhana – Devotion
These concepts lay the groundwork of a yoga practice. Some even argue that their practice comes before your asana, or postural practice on the mat. I have found the yamas and the niyamas to contain layers of meaning, and when I perfect one, another reveals itself for me to work on.
Today we explore the twin concepts of Satya and Saucha –
Truthfullness and Cleanliness.