Patanjali's eight limbs of Yoga: Niyamas

 Mandala by Margot Porter

An Introduction to the Niyamas

The niyamas are actions or attitudes you take towards your body and mind. They are sauca (purity), santosha (contentment), tapas (self-discipline), svadhyaya (self-study) and ishvara pranidhana (devotion).

Sauca means purity. There are many ways to bring purity to our lives. We can do this through eating clean and healthy food, having true and pure intentions behind our actions, cultivating neutral or positive thoughts and keeping our body supple and strong. Sauca: purity in thought, action and intention.

How does this work on our yoga mats? We work in our physical practice of asanas to reduce or eliminate areas in the body that are tight, tense or restricted in some way with the intention of unblocking and moving prana throughout the body unhindered.  When we move through a thoughtfully sequenced practice we are able to cleanse and replenish the body and mind on many levels. The body is unblocked allowing prana and citta to move freely and the organs are squeezed and then flushed with fresh blood. Any accumulated tension in the muscles and joints can be released as we work towards building strength and flexibility.  Our lymphatic system and meridians are both stimulated and massaged. Our physical practice gets us in touch with our body bringing mind and body together. With a happy body we are less inclined to gorge on chocolate and naturally gravitate towards healthy options.

Of course, I think it is  important to mention the most obvious form of cleanliness or purity that is keeping our bodies fresh and our yoga equipment in good order. I like to clean my mat with some warm water a little tea tree oil or lavender oil to make it smell sweet and be hygenic. As  a teacher I wash my blankets and mats regularly and eye pillow covers after each class....yes that means I have many covers. For me this form of purity is about respect for the practice and honouring myself.

On a mental level the asanas help to bring us into the present moment - the here and now. Once a yoga class or practice starts we engage with the breath and the body to move actively yet mindfully. The mind steadies as it is given a task. As the saying goes" make your mind your servant not your master". A great example is a balance pose: try standing on one leg in tree pose with a scattered or agitated mind and you will find this leads to a very wobbly tree rather than a strong stable tree with its roots in the earth and its branches in the sky. The phyiscal practice helps us to sit comfortably in meditation. And it is here in our formal meditation practice we work  to observe our habitual mind patterns and take this with us into our daily lifes with the hope of changing behaviour patterns and reactivity.

The mind connects with body bringing stillness. Mind, body and spirit together. In the second Yoga Sutra Pantajali states "Yogas Citta Vritti Nirodhah". This translates as when the waves of chatter in the mind cease, this is yoga. The mind is not in the past or the future it is simply being here in the present.

Sauca: purity in thought, action and intention.  

Om shanti,

Margot