Yama and Niyama

The yamas (ethical disciplines) and niyamas (self observations) are the first two of the eight limbs of yoga as described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, one of the main texts of yoga. 

There are 5 yamas and 5 niyamas, which can trick new students into thinking of them as a sort-of 'Yoga Ten Commandments'. However they are not to be viewed in this way. The real practice of yoga works toward the understanding and complete mastery of the mind, and the yamas and niyamas are qualities which the practitioner should try to nurture over time, which would form the foundation of, and contribute to, this stillness and peace of mind.

Yama - ethical disciplines

1. Non-violence - Ahimsa
2. Truthfulness - Satya
3. Non-stealing - Asteya
4. Moderation - Brachmacharya
5. Non-possessiveness - Aparigraha

Niyama - self observations

1. Cleanliness - Saucha
2. Contentment - Santosa
3. Cleansing - Tapas
4. Self study - Svadhyaya
5. Devotion (to something greater than yourself) - Isvara Pranidhana

These qualities seem simple at first glance, but they are multi-layered. For example, non-violence (ahimsa) seems like a pretty obvious concept. However it can be extended to aspects such as violent or angry words you may speak or write, or violent thoughts. Or violence to yourself - how many of us push ourselves too hard, or (figuratively) beat ourselves up on a regular basis? Consider some of the punishing diets, workouts or work schedules we might put ourselves through. These are certainly not habits which contribute to a still and peaceful mind.

Drawing out some of the other less obvious qualities, let's consider non-possessiveness (aparigraha). Another way of describing this quality could be non-hoarding, or non-grasping. How many of us know that feeling when you want something so badly, you can't think of anything else? It can also be extended to our fixations on shopping, and needing to acquire more and more, when our cupboards and wardrobes are already bursting at the seams. One of the worst ones could be jealousy, or possessiveness of another person. It's not difficult to see how disturbing this is.

The yamas and niyamas operate together - for example - you could say that if you aim to practice non-possessiveness, you can encourage this by practicing contentment (santosa). Or you could say that you are practicing self-study (svadhyaya) by observing what you may be clinging to.

The niyama of tapas (cleansing) also requires a little further explanation. Tapas (not the small plates of food!) is a discipline you can impose on yourself in order to rid yourself of unwanted habits, and to build your willpower. You could decide that you will do something or that you won't do something, for a period of time. It's kind-of like Lent. A typical example would be giving up alcohol in January, or setting new year's resolutions. Yoga practitioners may set themselves a tapas of practicing yoga every day, or of working on particular challenging postures for a period of time. This type of cleansing helps break bad habits, and set new ones which will contribute to the understanding and mastery of the mind.

I will touch on more of these in future blog posts.

The Eight Limbs of Yoga

When people think of yoga, they most likely think of the physical exercise, or a set of contortions performed by only the most flexible of people. It is also difficult not to associate yoga with a huge marketing machine, churning out images of picture-perfect people wearing very cool and expensive yoga clothes, and going to the trendiest yoga studios.

It can be difficult to associate those glossy images with yoga as an ancient science, which comprises eight aspects, commonly known as the eight limbs of yoga. The physical aspect of yoga - known as asana - is only one of the eight.

These eight limbs were explained in the classic Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as far back as 100 AD, and really it was all about the understanding and complete mastery of the mind. The idea is that all eight aspects are practiced, to achieve "the cessation of the modifications of the mind".

Here's a short summary of the eight limbs of yoga:

1. Yama - Ethical disciplines
2. Niyama - Self observations
3. Asana - Physical poses
4. Pranayama - Breath control
5. Pratyahara - Sense withdrawal
6. Dharana - Concentration
7. Dhyana - Meditation
8. Samadhi - A state of freedom, joy and peace

The first two limbs, yama and niyama, serve as the foundation of practice. Within each of these limbs, there are five qualities, which I will cover in a future post. An example would be non-violence as one of the yamas and self-study as one of the niyamas. It is very important to note that yoga doesn't say you must follow these rules, like a sort of Ten Commandments, but it is suggesting that following these are helpful if you wish to steady the mind.

Limbs three to five, asana, pranayama and pratyahara, are what people may be most familiar with, as these are commonly encountered in yoga classes. These aspects prepare the practitioner for the deeper practices where some steadiness of the mind is required.

The last three limbs are a little more difficult to explain, but simply put, it can be said that a practice of concentration (dharana) will lead the way to meditation (dhyana) and eventually to states of joy and peace (samadhi).

In order to get the most benefit from a physical yoga practice, it is useful to understand the context in which it was created, and the system of which it is a part. Often these more subtle aspects are not covered in classes, and much of this rich knowledge is not shared, so this is my attempt to ensure that students have an overview of the system.

I'll write another post soon explaining the yamas and niyamas in more detail, the styles and paths of yoga, as well as give some suggestions for how you might take your yoga study further.

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Struggling with the monkey mind? Find out about how the Eight Limbs can help in this article I wrote for Zen Monkey.