The Niyamas

Patanjali, in his Yoga Sutras, sets forth 8 limbs to follow on the path to "Kingly" Yoga practice.  Yes, dear readers, it's a "path", which means there are lots of things to observe along your journey.  And, if you're the impatient type, I hate to break it to you, the journey never ends.  Each step you take creates another foot on the path.
For the last 5 weeks, I have been "restraining" myself.  That's what the Yamas (see lower left arm on the diagram) are all about - restraint.  The world comes at you from all directions on your journey, and you need to restrain yourself:  don't harm, don't lie, don't steal, don't lust, and don't hoard.  For the next 5 weeks, I'm going to be "observing" myself, as dictated by the Niyamas (see 2nd lower left arm on the diagram).
First up?  Saucha.  Cleanliness, purity.  Well, I took a bath each day this week, so I'm off to a good start!  If only it were so simple.  No one said the journey would be easy...

"Niyama consists of purity, contentment, accepting but not causing pain, study of spiritual books, and worship of God" - Patanjali, Yoga Sutra 2.32

Facing the Octopus

Patanjali "wrote the book on Yoga".  Let me clarify: Patanjali was not the first guy to write about Yoga - he certainly was not the last - he writes that he is merely "continuing the teachings of yoga", teachings that have been around for centuries millenia. In fact, most yogic scholars aren't even sure that Patanjali was one person; they believe Patanjali is the nom de plume of a collection of authors on the subject of what yoga is.  Nonetheless, "Patanjali's" Yoga Sutras are the go-to texts for serious students of yoga, and it features heavily on our reading list for teacher training.

Patanjali was a proponent of Raja (or Royal) Yoga - and developed "Ashtanga", or an 8-limbed path one must follow in order to practice Raja Yoga.  *I particularly like the image I found for Patanjali - a many-snake-headed figure...perhaps alluding to the many authors contributing to the Sutras?  Perhaps symbolizing the main idea of the Sutras - the 8-limbed path known as Ashtanga. In reality, he is associated with being lord of serpents (the many heads mean "omnipresence"...you can read more about Patanjali here). Either way, this path is something to be reckoned with, and we need to "reckon" with it for the next 2 months.

The 8 paths are as follows:  Yamas, Niyamas, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, & Samadhi.  The first 5 limbs are to be practiced and worked-on simultaneously as you approach the last 3 limbs, which are attained sequentially.  One must first practice Dharana (concentration) to reach Dhyana (meditations) and ultimately achieve Samadhi (union with the universe, complete understanding of peace, love, truth, etc).

Most people are familiar with Asana (the yoga postures) and Pranayama (mindful breathing, control of the life force) from their time in a yoga class.  Instructors of some classes even discuss Pratyahara (turning inward), when they encourage you to focus your attention on your own mat, your own practice.  The Yamas and Niyamas - there are 5 of each - are relatively novel, which is surprising considering they are rather significant to the 8-limbed path!
In our teacher training, we will spend the next 10 weeks focusing on the Yamas and Niyamas, practicing them with intent. We will be demonstrating Dharana - concentrating - on one Yama or Niyama each week.  The first 5 weeks will be spent on the Yamas.  The next 5 weeks will be the Niyamas.  By the end of the 10 weeks, we will for sure know the names and meanings of all the Yamas and Niyamas, but we will ultimately learn a lot more about ourselves in the process.
First up?  the first Yama - Ahimsa, which I've written about before.  It is attributed to "Non-violence".  Considering we are in the throes of holiday season fever, this will be an apropos time to study some "non-violence."  I'll keep you posted...

"Practice becomes firmly established when it has been cultivated uninterruptedly and with devotion over a prolonged period of time" - Patanjali's Yoga Sutras I.14

In search of Contentment

Hello, dear readers!  I have been quite a bit busy lately...that's what working, having kids, and living a life does to you.  I have not forgotten about my blog, merely set it aside for a while.  I thought about blogging quite a bit - I've had many experiences over the last 3 months where I've said "Oh, this is a great topic for my blog!", but finding the time to sit down and compose an entry, add pictures and links to make it interesting, and telling people about it is the challenge.  Anyway, it's been busy around here in YATS-landia and I feel like I've been running 90 miles an hour with no relief in sight.  When I think one task or commitment is finished, there's another one waiting in the wings, ready to swoop in and ensure that my life isn't slowing down.  I welcome summer more than ever this year.  It will give me time to get back to my yoga practice, dive into my yoga reading list (I hope to have some good book reviews!), and most importantly, back to blogging!

I have been contemplating a big step in my yoga practice, and to ready myself, I have been skimming through lots of different material.  Lately, one theme has been coming to the forefront of my mind, probably because things seem more stressful than ever, and I'm looking for ways to slow down, enjoy life, be grateful for what life I have created, and honor the best intentions.  One of Patanjali's yamas (restraint) comes close to defining this:  Asteya - which translates to "non stealing"; however, this goes far beyond the literal translation, which reminds one of God's commandments to Moses "Thou shalt not steal."  Asteya means not coveting, not hoarding, not getting in the way of others' happiness.  Patanjali's second niyama (observance) seems more appropriate:  Santosha.

Santosha is the sanskrit word you see above, which translates to "contentment and satisfaction" - more as a theme for living your life, rather than a temporary state of being.  I can eat an amazing meal and feel contentment and satisfaction, but not experience Santosha.  It is a state of mind - one that goes deep - and one that is oftentimes hard to observe.  This is why yoga is a "practice" - one that never ends.

Santosha is about living in the present - not daydreaming of the future or wishing for what you don't have. It is not necessarily about not having goals, but it means accepting things as they come to you, good or bad, and being genuinely happy for others when good things happen to them.  For me, this has always been very, very hard.  I'm the oldest of 4 children, and my parents didn't have the means to give us all of the things that our friends had - or all of the things we wanted.  I remedied this by getting a job, babysitting, and working my butt off so that I could buy the things that kept me in pace with my friends - but in the early '90s, I wasn't always satisfied - plus, all that working meant I missed out on a lot of going out.  Bottom line:  I had a BAD case of "keeping up with the Joneses".

It hasn't gotten easier as I've gotten older.  I still work my butt off, but I don't exactly have a high-powered career that affords me big bonuses and lots of vacations.  We don't have an dynamic house with fabulous furnishings and amazing architecture.  My yard isn't the best-manicured on the block (not even close, thanks to the large tree we recently had to cut down!).  It sounds like I'm crapping all over my life and lamenting that I'm not "good enough"...and that's absolutely not my intention.  What I'm driving at is "Santosha" - feeling satisfaction with what I have and not getting in the way of others' happiness.  I'm not giving up my "drive" or my goals - but I do have to practice being happy for others who are blessed.  When a friend gets a promotion, instead of asking "Hey, why aren't I getting promoted?" it's time to be happy for the friend and be content in knowing that when the time is right for me, I'll get promoted, too.  Or not.  When someone I know experiences joy or happiness in his/her life, it's not time to question where my joy is; it's time to honor the fact that someone has found happiness, and hope that one day, they will be feeling the same for me.  Or not.
Santosha is a way of reminding myself that with or without these "trappings of success", I am worthy, I am capable of satisfaction, and it's up to me to find and see that contentment.  Being content is not about "things" and "experiences", which is hard to keep in mind in our American society which is competitive and materialistic.  Santosha brings it back to the basics - "Honor the good in yourself, honor the good in others".
Thanks for reading and joining me on my yogic journey.  More is on the horizon...

"May all beings, everywhere, be happy and free.  And may the thoughts and actions of my own life contribute, in some way, to that happiness and to that freedom" - Swami Nirmalananda