The Yamas & Niyamas are like the Ten Commandments of yoga. However, they are not such strict rules that suggest one will be severely punished in the afterlife if they are not followed precisely. Instead, think of them as moral guidelines that, if followed, will lead one on a journey towards contentment. It’s all part of the mind-body-spirit balance that practicing yoga is supposed to help yogis find. Contrary to popular conceptions of what yoga is, it is by no means only about contorting the physical body with goal of kissing your own ass. Yoga incorporates the mind, the body, and the spirit.
Yamas
Ahimsa – Non violence
Satya – Truthfulness
Asteya – Non stealing
Brahmacharya – Nonexcess / Moderation
Aparigraha – Non possessiveness
Niyamas
Saucha – Purity
Santosha – Contentment
Tapas – Self-Discipline
Svadhyaya – Self-Study
Ishvara Pandidhana – Surrender
By respecting the Yamas & Niyamas and choosing to surrender to a pure, selfless, disciplined life, you can take control of your choices and your path and succumb to the joy of living in the present. What a concept: Live in the moment! Bumper stickers had the answer the whole time.
I am dedicating a month to observing and practicing each of the ten Yamas & Niyamas, so I can scrupulously focus on the concepts of each one and how they connect me to the fabric of the universe. After all, I am but one spark of the divine. This blog is like my journal. Only instead of hiding my secrets inside some dime a dozen diary secured by a flimsy lock and key that’s not fit to protect the adolescent fantasies of a twelve year old girl, I am sharing the jewels of my perception with the regular patrons of cyberspace.
My Fair Yogi 