Niyama 1: Soucha – Cleanliness / Detox

Purification or to cleanse mind, body and spirit.

Cleansing our physical body with washing and kriyas, like Agni Sara
Cleansing our physical space through de-cluttering and letting go of things
Cleansing our intake, with “detoxing” from things like caffeine/sugar even drugs and alcohol*
Cleansing our body with Asana movement
Cleansing our mind through meditation and mindfulness

*All these aspects are interwoven. You can’t easily sit still to meditate/contemplate (not that, that is always necessary) if you’ve had lots of caffeine or sugar. It doesn’t make these things inherently bad but timing can be important.

Why is this beneficial?

Clutter can be a source of stress – studies have shown this.
We can de-clutter our environment, our minds and our bodies to create more peace and less stress to our lives.

Niyama 2: Santosha – Contentment

The state of underlying contentment with what life is offering you.

How often do we think to ourselves I’ll l be happy when… I do more yoga & I’m more flexible. We’ve moved house & settled in I’ve got this new job I understand what I’m doing with this new job We can waste a lot of energy trying to fulfil these ‘I’ll be happy when…’ statements. We push away the things we don’t want to attached the things we do. Then when we get what we want, we may lose it again, or we may never get the things we pursue. It becomes a never ending race. We lose the love or enjoyment we had for the things we used to want as we strive for more.

Our yoga practice teaches us not to attach our happiness to a set of conditions that must be met but instead to practice meeting all parts of ourselves with sweetness and love – ALL our parts.

Why is this beneficial?

Learning to be present in this moment, mindfulness, is a skill that brings peace and contentment and reduce stress. Reducing stress has amazing benefits in the body such as:
More energy
Better sleep
Less skin issues
More confidence
More focus

Niyama 3: Tapas – Self-Discipline

Sorry I’m not talking about the tasty Spanish mini dishes. This translates as self-discipline. Generally, this gets a bad rep, when you think discipline you probably think of being really strict with yourself; maybe with food intake or perhaps a vowel of silence etc. If we take a closer look, these extremes are intended to purify, renew, and restore our vitality. It’s not about being super strict it’s about helping yourself.

Discipline is where you find the sweet spot between effort and ease.
Example? You know that if you do <fill in blank> you WILL feel better.

For me I know that if I sit too much and don’t move around or use the standing feature of my desk more than I sit, I will get pain in my piriformis (a real pain in the butt). It can feel weird standing when you want to be sitting but I know it’s the best thing for me, so I do it.

How do you cultivate this skill?

Because lets face it we certainly aren’t born with it!

• Respond rather than react

Reactions stem from a place of fear. When you respond in accordance with your values, you avoid the trap of shrinking back, playing small, and living from fear.

• Commit to doing the hard things first

The way the body and mind works is to avoid discomfort. This is natural and instinctual. But if we ALWAYS focus on the easy things we can sometimes let the bigger things sit and allow the stress, anxiety, and weight of these bigger tasks to fester.

• Try a calming morning practice

This can be a mindful cup of tea, a meditation, yoga, whatever works for you. Doing something first thing can put you into your higher mindset. Increasing your awareness gives you the freedom to make new choices based on here and now. As you become more present you gain the power of creating new habits with ease.

Why is this class beneficial?

As you embrace discipline, you’ll tap into more power and rely less on forcing things to come together. When in doubt, reconnect with how you want to feel and go from there.
We are creating the resolve to stand vigil to our own healing and growth.

Niyama 4: Svadhyaya – Self-Study

This is one of my favourites. When I was a child, I remember watching Sesame Street and in one episode they talked about feeling angry and told children when you feel angry to stop and count to ten before they acted on their anger. This great advice. Becoming aware of emotions and that we have a choice if we want to act on them or not. Sometimes I think that as we get older and life gets more complicated we forget this simple fact.

It is all about investigating our ways of being, our states of mind, habits, strengths, and weaknesses, looking at our blind spots and coming to the realisation that we are much more than just the small ‘self’. Through reading and listening and coaching we can tap into a higher source of wisdom which will help unite us with a greater understanding of who we really are.

How do you cultivate this skill?

Lie down and close your eyes. What do you feel or see on the projector of your mind’s eye? Observe yourself as if you were looking down on your body. Each day and each practice will bring a new answer.

Why is this class beneficial?

As we delve deeper into ourselves we create a place for true healing, understanding and compassion. When we’ve looked after ourselves and grow as humans we are going to change the way to show up in the world, affecting our relationships, our work, our fun and our whole lives.

Niyama 5: Ishvari Pranidhana

This translates as Surrender to God. But don’t let the word ‘God’ put you off if you aren’t religious, use a different word. This one is all about letting go of the things we cannot control. Surrender to fate, god, the roll of the dice, whatever you prefer. But if you want, there is a little more: we can learn to live happily with those things. For example you can’t control who your parents were, where you were born, or the weather. But you can enjoy the snow days, the sunshine, the spring showers. Not desiring to change them or fight against what is. Some things (like snow days) are a lot easier to except than others things, we know that but we still try.

Also the word surrender might bring up the idea of giving up or giving in but it’s more about a willingness to be nudged in a direction. When we redirect out energy away from our personal dramas and see the big picture of our life, when we say “this too I accept”, then we are practising the last Niyama.

Some phrases that come to mind.

“Whatever we resist, persists”
 
“You can only lose what you cling to.” – Buddha

How do you cultivate this skill?

Take a moment to practice Svadhyaya (self-study from last week) and think about how you feel about this last Niyama. Do you feel resistance to the idea of ‘god’ or a bigger picture? Is there another way you could word this to yourself to make yourself feel more comfortable with it? Do you love the idea of a higher power taking away the stress and worry of our lives, of not having to shoulder the burden. There is no right or wrong way to think about it – the choice is yours.

Why is this class beneficial?

As we delve deeper into ourselves we create a place for true healing, understanding and compassion. This allows you to let go of your burden, to learn that we do not control everything – AND THAT IS A GOOD THING! Offer your practice to your source (The Source). We are so much more than our individual selves. We are connected to the ecosystems of the planet, see yourself as part of the whole, rather than separate – and then we all heal.