The Niyamas

The niyamas are the second limb of yoga. They are rules of conduct towards oneself that consist of certain disciplines which are both physical and mental. These individual ethical observations that can help harmonize our inner lives. They are:

1. Saucha: cleanliness; both inner and outer
2. Santosa: contentment
3. Tapas: discipline
4. Svadhyaya: self-study
5. Ishvara Pranidhana: self-surrender

The niyamas, like the yamas, can be practiced both in our daily lives and also in our yoga practice. For example, finding time to practice is difficult. You require discipline (tapas) to make time and practice your asanas. This in turn cleanses your body (saucha) making you feel content (santosha) with your practice. Since you are practicing more frequently, you make more accurate observations (svadhyaya) on your asanas and surrender (ishvara pranidhana) yourself to the study of yoga.

When your living space and the food you eat is clean (sauca), you can concentrate and focus more clearly. Being discontent only breeds envy and unhappiness, whereas practicing an attitude of gratitude (santosa) results in living a happy existence. Discipline (tapas) is everything in yoga from disciplining to practice the asanas, the yoga sutras, and becoming a better human being. Studying (svadhyaya) your actions and how you react to situations will give a clearer understanding why you do the things you do and how to avoid conflict by merely reacting. Knowing that the world is more than oneself (isvara pranidhana) is spiritually enlightening.

The Yamas

The Yamas are the first limb of yoga. They are moral rules for society. If followed, they bring peace and harmony in the world. The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali offers these five Yamas (Sutra 2.30):

1. Ahimsa: non-violence
2. Satya: non-lying
3. Asteya: non-stealing
4. Brahmacharya: moderation
5. Aparigraha: non-greed

Each of the yamas manifests on three levels:

• Mental: mindfulness of what we think
• Verbal: mindfulness of what we say
• Physical: mindfulness of what we do

Below are examples from my advanced studies class on how to practice and contemplate the yamas.

Sutra 2.35 Ashimsa: In the presence of one practicing ahimsa, hostility can not exist.

• Example of mental ashimsa - When I think negative thoughts about someone, I will take time to notice why I am thinking this way, striving to understand that the person behaves the way he does because of previous life experience.

• verbal ashimsa - When someone insults or criticizes me, how do I feel and why do I allow those words to affect me? Can I ignore them, or investigate why they are being said?

• physical ashimsa - When I witness violence or become afraid, can I use discernment to decide for myself if and to what extent I should be involved?

Sutra 2.36
2. Satya: Truthfulness secures confidence in the results of an action

• mental satya - I will be honest with myself instead of thinking I should be feeling another way.
• verbal satya -
• physical satya - When I
  

Sutra 2.37
3. Asteya: Prosperity comes to one who does not steal.


Sutra 2.38
4. Brahmacharya: When practicing non sensuality, vitality is obtained.


Sutra 2.39
5. Aparigraha: When no longer grasping for things, we discover why we are born.

More on Sankhya Philosophy

Sankhya is a dualistic philosophy. The dualism is between the self and matter whereas in the West, its between mind and body. Sankhya has their own version on how they think life emerged in the universe similar to "The Big Bang Theory." They regard the universe consisting of two realities:

Purusha (consciousness; self) and
Prakriti (matter)

Purusha is the Transcendental Self or Pure Consciousness. It is absolute, independent, free, imperceptible, unknowable, above any experience and beyond any words or explanation.

Prakriti is the first cause of the universe of everything (expect Purusha). Prakriti evolves itself successively into twenty four tattvas (principles). It's composed of three characteristics (gunas):

1. Sattva: a template of balance or equilibrium; characterized by purity, luminosity, lightness, harmony and the production of pleasure.
2. Rajas: a template of expansion or activity; endeavor, energy, movement, producing pain. Impel and energizes overcoming stagnation.
3. Tamas: template of inertia or resistance to action; stability, stagnation, dullness, darkness, stasis, stupor.

Eight Limbs of Yoga

Yoga isn't exclusively a physical practice, it is also a mental and spiritual one. The postures (asanas) are one of 8 components, stages of yoga, know as Ashtanga Yoga. More of each limb later.

Yoga Sutras 1.1 - 1.4

The first four Sutras in the first section, I. Samadhi Pada, define Yoga.

How to read the following Sutras:
First, the italicized phrase is the actual Sutra, as you can see they read like poetry.
Then each word of the Sutra is broken down and translated.
Finally, the Sutra is translated. There are numerous translations and in-depth dissertation on the Sutras.

Sutra 1.1
atha yoga anusasanam

atha: now, a prayer, a blessing
yoga: joining, union, deep meditation, concentration
anusasanam: instruction, teaching, introduction


Now, the teachings of yoga

With prayers for divine blessings, now begins as exposition of the sacred art of yoga.

This introductory Sutra suggests that after our many actions in life, now we are finally ready to pursue the depths of self-exploration, the journey directly to the center of consciousness, Ataman or Self, our eternal and True identity.

Sutra 1.2
yogah cittavrtti nirodhah

yoga: union
citta: sum total of mind, consciousness (mind + intellect + ego)
vrtti: state of mind, fluctuations in mind
nirodhah: process of ending, to cease, to still


Yoga is the cessation of movements in the consciousness.

Yoga is to still the pattering of consciousness.

Yoga is the ability to direct and focus mental activity.

In a systematic process of meditation, you gradually move your attention inward, through all the levels of your being, gaining mastery along the way.

Sutra 1.3
tada drastuh svarupe avasthanam

tada: then at that time
drastuh: the soul, the seer, pure awareness
svarupe: in essence, in own form or nature
avasthanam: rests, abides, dwells, resides, radiates


Then, the seer dwells in his own true splendor

With the attainment of a focused mind, the inner being establishes itself in all its reality.

As a result of having done the process of nirodhah, described in Sutra 1.2, the true Self stands alone, unencumbered by our many false identities, described in Sutra 1.4. The process is not one of attaining something we do not have, but of removing the clouds, so to see the light that is already there.

Sutra 1.4
vrtti sarupyam itaratra

vrtti: fluctuations in mind
sarupyam: conformity, identification
itaratra: otherwise, at other times


At other times, the seer identifies with the fluctuating consciousness.

Otherwise, we identify with the activities of the mind.

When we do not experience pure consciousness or the rest of time, the mind flows towards our sensory experiences, memories and fantasies. The pure consciousness mistakenly takes on the identity of those thought patterns. We incorrectly come to think that who we are is one and the same as these thoughts.

Sankhya Philosophy

The oldest known philosophical teachings of India are found in the Vedas. The Vedas are four books that describe the philosophy and practices of the Vedic people who lived approximately 5000 years ago in Ancient India. Six primary Indian philosophies emerged; they are called six darshanas. Darshana means “to look at” and “points of view which represent the varied phases of the truth viewed from different angles of vision.” The six schools are often grouped together:

Nyaya + Vaisheshika
Sankhya + Yoga
Mimamsa + Vedanta

Sankhya Philosophy, grouped with Yoga, is considered to be the oldest of the six schools founded by Sage Kapila. These writings are very old and lost in antiquity. What we know of the philosophy is through his students and their later writings. *Fun fact: Before Buddha’s enlightenment, one of his primary teacher’s was a Sankyic scholar hence Sankya’s influence on Buddhism.

Sankhya is considered to be a moksha shastra, a philosophy whose purpose is to teach how one can be come liberated. The primary practice of Sankhya is the deep contemplation on the tattvas, the 24 principles of existence. This leads to the state of Samadhi, the realization of the true self.

Sankhya considers the cultivation vairagya to be pivotal to the teachings. Vairagya is non-attachment or dispassion. “Ranj” means “to color.” Think of a clear crystal. When you place it near a colored object the crystal looks like that color. The mind also takes on the color of the “vrtti” (modifications) it is in contact with. Every thought you think, every reaction you have in life colors or shapes the mind. You identify with the mind. You create a persona that is not reflective of your true Self, which is pure consciousness.

Sankhya states that there are three causes of pain:

1. Adhyatmika (pain we create ourselves)
2. Adhibautika (pain created outside of me)
3. Adhidaivika (pain created by supernatural causes).
   

Sankhya also believes that the only way to permanently end pain and suffering is to know the true Self.

Yoga Sutras, A Beginning

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali can be sumarized as a users manual on how to be a complete being.

We are studying the Yoga Sutras through Iyengar’s book, “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.” The yoga philosophy was first described in the Yoga Sutras (sutra means thread), a collection of 196 aphorisms written by the Indian sage, Patanjali as the foundation of the philosophy and practice of yoga. Patanjali describes the enigma of human existence and shows how, through yoga practice, we can transform ourselves, gain mastery over the mind, emotions, and overcome obstacles to our spiritual evolution and attain the goal of yoga, liberation from the bondage of worldly desires and actions, and union with the Divine.

Patanjali lived between 500 and 200 B.C. He is noted for yoga sutras (health of the mind) along with grammar (clarity) and Ayurveda medicine (health). Traditional representation of Patanjali is seen as a deity with the hood of a cobra and lower body as the tail of a snake.

The Sutras are unique because they are not dogmatic and anyone from any religion can appreciate and study them. They are for all, if one is open to it.

There are four books/chapters or Padas (Sanskrit word) in the Yoga Sutras.

I. Samadhipadah (Samadhi Pada): Concentration

Yoga is defined along with the movement of the consciousness (citta vrtti) and the various disciplines by which they may be stilled. The goal of yoga is Samadhi, blissful enlightenment; the last stage of the eightfold path of yoga.

II. Sadhanapadah (Sadhana Pada): Discipline
Sadhana is the Sanskrit word for “practice” or “discipline”. In this section Patanjali outlines Kriya Yoga (Yoga of Action) + Ashtanga Yoga (Eight limbed Yoga).

III. Vibhutipadah (Vibhuti Pada): Result of Discipline + Techniques
Vibhuti is the Sanskrit word for “power” or “manifestation.”

IV. Kaivalyapadah (Kaivalya Pada) Freedom + Liberation
This section describes the nature of liberation and the reality of the transcendental self.

Ganesh Puja

On our first class, we participated in a Ganesh Puja. A Puja is a Hindu ritual as an offering for various deities. We started our program with a Puja because we wanted to receive Ganesh's blessing on our journey of learning yoga. Ganesh is the Lord of Success, the Remover of Obstacles, and the Lord of Beginnings. Long story made short: Ganesh is the son of Shiva and Parvati. Shiva created Ganesh and cut his head off when he came in between her and Parvati. She then replaced his head with that of an elephant. Ganesh is the Indian deity with the human body and elephant head.

Advanced Yoga Studies, A Beginning

I'll have to admit that I've been a little off track with this blog. I started it as a way to reflect on my yoga studies and practice. Then I started writing about photography, food, and psychology. I realized, I'll get nowhere if I'm all over the place; I need to stay focused. Besides, yoga is a fascinating subject! Currently, I enrolled in an Advanced Yoga Studies Program at the Bhavana Institute founded by my first Iyengar Yoga teacher, Kathleen Wright. I've been studying for almost 10 years and have been interested in deepening my study, but never followed through. Especially, after I was laid off of work and told by my previous teacher that she would assist me in the Iyengar Yoga certification process. This is very rigorous, lengthy, and not for me. At least not for now. I felt terrible for not going through with it, but one year later managed to find out that Kathleen opened her own school. The only problem is that certification doesn't start until next year, which is the price I have to pay for having such lovely teachers and curriculum. I love that the teachers learned in the tradition of Parampara, which is studying under the direct guidance of a teacher who has a teacher. India (yoga) were an oral tradition: “The guru was the text.”

During this program, I would like to write about what has been taught so that I can retain all the knowledge, which is plenty! We learn asanas, pranayama, philosophy, history, psychology, and anatomy. There’s an overabundance of information and history and references, but I will try my best to summarize the lessons.

In class, we learned that the learning process has four components:

1/4 Teacher
1/4 Your intelligence
1/4 Classmates
1/4 Time