Yoga as More Than the Mat: Practicing the Niyamas
The Niyamas are recommendations to leading a healthier lifestyle and enhancing your spiritual connections
On any given day in America, hundreds of thousands of people are participating in a yoga practice at a studio or at home.
Most people roll up their mats and leave their yoga practice then and there until the next time they are in class. Although that appears to be the norm, yoga extends far beyond the mat, and it’s important to recognize all the types and limbs of yoga that exist for you to practice as well.
There are actually 4 types of yoga.
Karma Yoga: selfless actions in the service of others
Bhakti Yoga: practicing devotional rituals: chanting, prayer, ceremony and celebration
Jnana Yoga: the study of spiritual texts (ex. Bible, Yoga Sutras), participating in introspection.
Raja Yoga: the path towards Enlightenment. This yoga encompasses the previous three, and includes all 8 limbs of yoga. This is the “Royal Path.”
The Niyamas(nee-YUH-muhs) are Limb 2 of the 8 Limbs of yoga. All of these limbs cumulatively together help guide you towards Enlightenment and living a life of fulfillment and bliss.
They are a set of 5 disciplines that are directed towards ourselves; intended to strengthen inner observance.
The Limb before the Niyamas are the Yamas, which focus on your relationship with the outside world, whereas the Niyamas represent your relationship to yourself.
Here are the 5 Niyamas and examples of how you can incorporate this Limb of Yoga in your everyday life:
1. Saucha (SHOWH-chuh):
the direct translation in English is “cleanliness.”
It doesn’t just mean physical cleanliness but spiritual cleanliness. Although it is important to keep a clean, feng-shui-ed house, good hygiene, and a clean yoga mat, it is equally important to sort out the cobwebs that build-up in our minds from negative pattern thinking.
If we take our “bad” habits or negativity with us on the mat or in a meditation we cannot reap all the benefits this practice can give us.
Easy ways to practice Saucha: switch to an all-natural, vegan body bar, clean your yoga mat with a natural mat-spray after every practice to prevent bacteria build-up, and use palo-santo or sage to cleanse your space of negative energy.
2. Santosha (suhn-TOH-shuh):
direct translation is contentment.
Staying positive is easier said than done! As difficult as it sometimes can be, it is imperative to cultivate an awareness of the unconscious negative thought patterns we develop in our minds.
Often, we say to ourselves, “I can only be happy if/or when…” this or that happens. Practice feeling happiness in the present moment and express gratitude to what you have presently.
Easy ways to practice Santosha: gratitude meditations, practicing non-judgment, spending time in nature, or writing in a gratitude journal.
3. Tapas (TUH-puhs):
direct translated to discipline or burning enthusiasm.
This Niyama is all about developing a self-discipline practice and holding yourself accountable with your goals and passions. It is important to recognize how this can look different amongst different people, and is interpreted based on your own experience.
Feeding your inner wisdom to tap into the innate guidance that exists in all of us is an important aspect to this practice.
Easy ways to achieve this Niyama in daily life: setting intentions for your day as soon as you wake up even if it’s just simply telling yourself that “today will be a great day,” using your planner not just to schedule business related ideas but make time for things that you are passionate about or make you feel happy, and setting goals in a fun way like using a mood board.
4. Svadhyaya (svaahd-HYAAH-yuh):
directly translates to one’s own reading or self study.
Patanjali, author of the “Yoga Sutra’s” which are important yogic texts where the understanding of yoga derives, writes: “Study thyself, discover the divine.”
Practicing introspection brings us closer to the present moment and helps us in identify things that harm us or make us feel good. A greater understanding of oneself can lead towards a healthier lifestyle.
It encourages us to lean towards further education for mental stimulation and inspiration.
Easy ways to practice svadhyaya in daily life include: reading of self-improvement novels, self-talk throughout the day like asking yourself how you feel at any given moment, being aware as you move through different postures in yoga, and using full or new moons to practice journaling sessions by writing down how you have evolved or and how you can continue to evolve.
5. Isvara Pranidhana (EEHSH-yuh-ruh pruh-need-HAAH-nuh):
direct translation to surrendering to a higher power.
This involves the process of letting go. In yoga, it is common to hear from the instructor to call you to exhale and let go, release tension. This is imperative off the mat as well.
Live life fully, be authentic, and refuse to live in the past or rely on expectations. By living with these values, we can release anxieties, depression, and tension. We can then replace those negative powers with uplifting ones, and share the gift of positive living with others.
Easy ways to practice this Niyama in daily life: “surrender to the flow and let it go” can be a daily mantra for you to repeat throughout your day, spend time in your spiritual practice whether it be prayer, chanting, meditation, or movement, and spend time in nature to contemplate your connection to the Earth.
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