The yamas and niyamas are two of the eight 'limbs' of yoga outlined by the ancient sage, Patanjali, who wrote the yoga sutras. All of this is a mouthful, already, I know, so let's just stick with the ethical teachings for now. (Below, I'll list all eight 'limbs' for those of you who really can't wait!)
Our focus now is simply to introduce the yamas and niyamas. Here's a quick run down of what they are.
The Yamas :
Ahimsa ~ Nonviolence
Satya ~ Truthfulness
Asteya ~ Nonstealing
Brahmacharya ~ Nonexcess
Aparigraha ~ Nonpossessiveness
The Niyamas:
Saucha ~ Purity
Santosha ~ Contentment
Tapas ~ Self-discipline
Svadhyaya ~ Self-study
Ishvara Pranidhana ~ Surrender
The idea is that we can incorporate these ideas into our lives. Yamas are sometimes thought of as restraints - non-harming, non-stealing, etc. etc. We are stopping ourselves from doing something when we practice the yamas. Niyamas are sometimes referred to as 'observances' - purity, contentnment, self-study. We are being proactive to make ourselves do something - eating pure food, or thinking about the nature of our existence. Yamas require us to be mindful of things we sometimes aren't mindful about, and Niyamas require us to incorporate positive action in our lives mindfully.
What's your experience with the yamas and niyamas? Have you heard of them before? Do you have a similar discipline that these ethical teachings remind you of? Comment below and we can have a discourse about it!
*Eight Limbs of Yoga:
- Yama - Restraints
- Niyama - Observances
- Asana - Poses
- Pranayama - Breathing
- Pratyahara - Internal Focus
- Dharana - Concentration
- Dhyana - Meditation
- Samadhi - Bliss
No comments:
Post a Comment